Academic Expert and Lecturer

Based in Vienna, Austria, Katja has always been curious about people, systems, and the natural world. She currently works as an Academic Expert and Lecturer at the University of Applied Sciences for Management and Communication, following a 20-year career in banking.

Her connection to the sea began in childhood, when her parents introduced her to sailing. Although she did not sail regularly for many years, her passion for being on the water remained, and she has always felt a strong connection to the ocean.

What motivates her to join eXXpedition is the contrast between the oceans she remembers and the ones she sees today. Places that once felt felt untouched, such as remote beaches and quiet bays, are increasingly marked by plastic pollution, while marine life appears less abundant than she remembers from her younger years.
Joining eXXpedition represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to contribute to research on plastic pollution while sailing alongside and learning from an inspiring group of women. She hopes to contribute curiosity, calmness, and a collaborative spirit to the voyage.

Business Owner / Management Consultant

Susanna is Management Consultant and Executive Coach with over 20 years of experience, working primarily in the manufacturing sector. Many of her clients are Polymer Processors and she is keen to use her experience on eXXpedition / Leg 16 to help inform upstream solutions to reduce the level of plastic content, packaging and improve the closed loop recycling practices.

Susanna has had a lifelong interest in marine life & biology and environmental sciences. Although she has limited offshore sailing experience, she is looking forward to exploring the Indian Ocean Gyre and using her first-hand experience to influence her professional and personal network to find solutions to make the world as plastic free as possible.

Susanna wishes to thank all her personal friends who supported her so generously on her crowd funding page and her Consulting Colleagues at Syngroup GmbH for sponsoring her on this journey!

BU Coordinator

Marita is enthusiastic about becoming a sustainable packaging specialist and contributing to a better future for our planet. Working in the paper and packaging industry enables her to learn about how to make packaging sustainable by design. Her true belief is that action needs to come from within the industry throughout the value chain to make change happen.

For Marita, joining eXXpedition is a great opportunity to reflect on both industry and activist thinking and draw knowledge from new sources while connecting and exchanging with fascinating women to empower female leadership. Coming from a sailing family, the chance of combining all this with an amazing sailing adventure over the Atlantic Ocean is a once-in a lifetime opportunity she would have never dreamed of.

Advocate

Natascha Fürst is a lawyer, author, and recognized expert in gender equality, with a strong focus on social justice, feminist economics, and sustainability. As CEO of Female Founders, Europe’s largest network for women in the startup and tech ecosystem, she is driving structural change by increasing the visibility, connectivity, and influence of female founders, investors, and talent across innovation-driven industries. Through her writing, public speaking, and work on international panels, she is a leading voice for a more inclusive, sustainable future. Guided by a hands, heart, and head approach, she believes in building the new instead of fighting the old. After crossing the Atlantic in 2019, she is rejoining “eXXpedition” to help shape bold new narratives for the future.