eXXpedition Core Team
Emily Penn
Co-Founder and Mission Director
Emily is Co-Founder and Director of eXXpedition. She has spent the last 8 years leading global expeditions – taking everyday individuals to the most remote parts of the planet, to connect with the challenges facing our ocean, primarily focusing on ocean plastics.

Larissa Clark
Head of Communications
Larissa leads high impact PR, media and communications campaigns for mission-driven organisations through This Chapter PR. With a background in sustainable development and adventure travel she’s worked with eXXpedition since the beginning to drive awareness, action and powerful collaborations back on land.

Soraya Abdel-Hadi
Operations Manager
Soraya comes from a sustainability and business background. She joined eXXpedition in 2016 and her role includes voyage organisation, crew management and outreach. She has also been a core member of the SHiFT.how team.

Dr Winnie Courtene-Jones
Science Lead
Winnie is a marine biologist with a PhD in plastic pollution. Her expert knowledge in this area has led to work with UK and European governments. Winnie is based at the University of Plymouth, and is responsible for the design and delivery of the Round the World science program, which aims to address fundamental knowledge gaps in our understanding of marine plastics. Winnie will be sailing on some of the Round the World voyages as Mission Leader.

Roz Bown
Operations Associate
Roz is a marine scientist with research experience across five continents on tropical marine ecosystems, marine megafauna and fisheries. Her experience spans expedition logistics, events and volunteer management, science communication and environmental policy.

Lauren Griffith
Community Manager, and Communications & Marketing Associate
Lauren is a Durham University graduate with a First Class Honours in Geography (BA), winner of the Robin Mills Prize and awarded First Place for the RGS Planning & Environment Undergraduate Research Prize.
Lauren supports eXXpedition with research tasks, marketing and campaign material. She helps coordinate our Global Ambassador Network – a network of 168 women from 38 nationalities across the world, assessing Ambassador impact through interviews and independent research.

Janavi Kramer
Communications Assistant
Janavi is a British Artist, Scientific Illustrator and PADI Divemaster based in Hertfordshire. She creates art that explores the wonders of the Ocean, to evoke a passion for the ocean in others, highlight the threats impacting the ocean and all the species within it, and support conservation efforts with her profits.
Janavi supports the Director and Head of Communications across communications projects. She manages the social media platforms and community engagement.
eXXpedition Advisors

Lucy Gilliam
Co-founder and Advisor
Lucy is a professional changemaker with a Degree in Biology and Phd in Molecular Microbiology. Her career has spanned academia, government, grassroots activism and supranational policy making. Lucy has a life-long passion for tackling climate change and toxic pollution. Currently, she works for Brussels based NGO, Transport & Environment, tackling climate impacts and pollution from shipping and aviation. She has sailed on three eXXpedition voyages and continues to support the project as a technical advisor and ambassador for the cause.
Want to join our team?
eXXpedition is run by a small team, supported by passionate volunteers. Any available positions in our core team will be listed below. Please click on the role for more details.
- No open opportunities
If you don’t see a suitable role, but would like to volunteer, please email us on [email protected] with more information about your skills and areas of interest.