BLUE PROSPERITY COALITION STAFF
Tom Grueskin
Director
Tom Grueskin leads an effort to develop and maintain a broad and up-to-date understanding of the various issues that affect and define each of the potential Blue Prosperity Coalition partner countries and territories. He also oversees the process of making the body of research produced by the Waitt Foundation’s grantees, including the Waitt Institute, publicly available.
He has previously worked in an extremely broad array of organizations and roles, including as a co-founder in three different startups, ten years with Avalon Capital Group, and twelve years with Gateway. Among the many hats worn are director of technology, marketing, product management, political analysis, sales, and president. He holds a Bachelor’s of Business Administration degree in Finance from the University of Iowa.
Shayna Brody
Media & Communications Director
Shayna oversees communications across the Waitt Institute, Waitt Foundation and Blue Prosperity Coalition to develop communication strategies related to blue economies, marine spatial planning, and ocean conservation. She also supports communications for project sites including Barbuda, Curaçao, the Maldives, and Tonga. Shayna is involved in content creation and branding across organizations.
Shayna has a broad background in science communications and visual media with expertise in branding, graphic design, social media marketing, photography, videography, and large-scale communications initiatives. She brings communications experience from the VC backed tech startup Lumi.com as well as for animal rescues, aquariums, and NGOs including The Wild Animal Sanctuary, Colorado Ocean Coalition, Heal the Bay, Star Eco Station, and the Denver Aquarium. Shayna has a Master of Advanced Studies in Marine Biodiversity and Conservation from Scripps Institution of Oceanography and a Bachelor of Science in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology from University of Colorado at Boulder.