Our Team

Ocean Exchange Team

Nickelle Presley

Advisor for climate and ocean tech startups

Nickelle is passionate about ocean health, planetary restoration, and mitigating the effects of climate change.

She has over 10 years of experience working with startups and excels at identifying opportunities to expand their impact and guiding them through various growth stages. Her experiences span across strategy, product, organizational operations management, and developing programs that amplify a company’s mission. She most recently did this at an early-stage EdTech company, where she grew the organization to achieve a valuation of over $1 billion and expanded their portfolio to support over half of the K-12 students in the U.S. Now her focus is on supporting our planet. She is an advisor for climate and ocean tech startups where she helps entrepreneurs scale their sustainable solutions.

She enjoys helping organizations lock down funding, reach product-market fit, and engage partners from various sectors to develop programs that scale. When not at work, you can find Nickelle volunteering at the Marine Mammal Care Center and the Aquarium of the Pacific, as well as exploring the beautiful California kelp forests. Her goal is to restore our ocean’s health and help people develop respect and stewardship for our ocean and its inhabitants.

Contact Us

Ocean Exchange invites you to learn more about Awards Program, our ecosystem and success of our award winners and participants. Together, we can chart a powerful course to help ensure the future of our oceans and the Blue Economy.

Testimonials

Ocean Exchange consistently brings together some of the most promising innovators in sustainability, and it’s been incredibly rewarding to support their work through the Solutions Review Team. Each year after attending the annual conference, I leave energized by the quality of ideas presented, the mission‑driven entrepreneurs involved, and the collaborative environment that drives meaningful progress for our oceans and The Blue Economy.

 
Rick Claar
Partner/President, The Martec Group

Being a voting delegate at Ocean Exchange reminded me why I do this work—watching students and industry leaders alike push the boundaries of what’s possible for ocean health and the blue economy. Deep thanks to Moffatt & Nichol for supporting our time and commitment.

 
Lynette Cardoch
Vice President Director, Resilience and Adaptation, Moffatt & Nichol

At Carollo Engineers, water is all we do—so we’re passionate about protecting our oceans. Attending the Ocean Exchange connected us with innovators advancing the blue economy, including those driving reuse and improving wastewater treatment and water quality. Events like this highlight how essential cross-sector collaboration is to solving global water challenges and creating a more sustainable future.

 
Dave Sobeck
Executive Vice President, Carollo Engineers

The Guy Harvey Foundation has been a proud partner with Ocean Exchange for the past few years as it provides a wonderful platform for innovations to be shared, meaningful networking to take place and overall supports the growth of the ocean economy and conservation efforts. We’ve been fortunate to provide awards for both collegiate and high school categories, participated on the judging panel and are inspired by the problem solving solutions presented by each candidate. If you want a good dose of inspiration, definitely look to supporting, attending or participating in the events!

 
Jessica Harvey
Chief Executive Officer, Guy Harvey Foundation

Participating in Ocean Exchange as an AUV subject matter expert was a meaningful way to share Anduril’s perspective on operational autonomy and AUV deployment. The event brought together diverse stakeholders focused on advancing practical, impact-driven maritime technologies, and provided a valuable platform for meaningful and inspiring discussions that delved into the complexities and opportunities spanning the full spectrum of ocean innovation.

 
Jessie Gray
Engineering Project Manager, Anduril