Guiding Coastal Innovators: WWF on Nature Positive and Blue Finance
WWF has been an invaluable knowledge partner in shaping the SeaAhead Pilot program, helping us think through how coastal innovation can truly support ocean health and resilience. Bringing their global expertise in nature-positive strategy and blue finance to the table, WWF helped us frame the program's goals, connect pilots to where corporate and financial expectations are heading, and give founders a clearer sense of what "good" actually looks like, both environmentally and from an investor's point of view. The two webinars below capture that partnership and offer hands-on guidance for startups working in the ocean and coastal space.
SeaAhead Pilot x WWF Webinar #1: Towards Nature Positive for the Ocean
On April 23rd 2026, SeaAhead Pilot welcomed WWF for a deep dive into what "nature positive" really means in an ocean context, and, more importantly, how startups can actually put it into practice. Rather than leaving it as a buzzword, the session gave founders a practical, science-based way to identify and prioritize actions that move their businesses toward the global nature-positive goal.
WWF walked through the fast-growing landscape of sustainability frameworks, SBTN, TNFD, the Ocean Impact Navigator, and more, and showed founders how to use these tools to speak the same language as their corporate pilot partners from the start. By the end, founders had a much better handle on how to define credible nature-positive contributions, cut through the "alphabet soup" of frameworks, and position their pilots within corporate strategy.
Speakers:
Lauren Lynch: Director of Finance Sector Engagement, Oceans | WWF
Alanna Waldman Carrow: Marine Conservation Scientist, Nature Positive for Oceans | WWF
SeaAhead Pilot x WWF Webinar #2: Blue Finance – Navigating the Landscape
On May 14th 2026, WWF returned to dig into how banks and investors are reshaping the blue economy, through environmental and social risk screening and the growing world of "blue finance." The session unpacked how financial institutions actually assess risk across ocean-related portfolios, and what it means for a solution to be "investable" as climate and nature move front and center in investment decisions.
WWF translated all of that institutional thinking into something founders could use: which environmental and social risks and opportunities financiers tend to scrutinize, and how startups can position their solutions within emerging sustainable and transition finance frameworks. Founders walked away knowing exactly what data and evidence to start gathering now, so they can show up to blue finance conversations as credible, long-term partners.
Speakers:
Christina Lee Shaffer: Program Officer WWF Oceans
Lucy Holmes: Senior Director, Ocean Markets and Finance | WWF
If you’re interested in learning more about SeaAhead Pilot, feel free to reach out to Camille Kaczmar (camille.kaczmar@sea-ahead.com)
