Assistant Geologist

Mālō e lelei!

My name is Fatafehi Hoponoa, and I was born and raised in the Kingdom of Tonga. I currently work as an Assistant Geologist with the Tonga Geological Services under the Ministry of Lands, Survey, Spatial Planning and Natural Resources.

I graduated from the University of the South Pacific with a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Chemistry and Biology. I am currently part of the GeoHazard Section, where I monitor earthquakes and volcanic activity across Tonga. Living and working in a country that is highly vulnerable to natural hazards has inspired me to contribute to protecting our communities through geohazard monitoring, research, and disaster preparedness. Seeing the impacts of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions on my people has strengthened my passion for serving my country.

I am the second youngest of nine children, with five sisters and four brothers. Growing up in a large family taught me the values of resilience, compassion, and community.

At the end of the day, I am simply an island girl who loves her people, my culture, and the beautiful islands I call home. I am passionate about learning, serving my community, and contributing to a safer and more resilient future for Tonga.

Climate Tech Business Builder at McKinsey & Co

For the past decade, Esther has focused on climate technology innovation and adoption, rethinking how we use our finite resources. During her PhD, she studied the conversion of CO2 into fuels to close the carbon loop, looking to create an alternative to fossil-derived production. Since her PhD, Esther joined McKinsey’s Green Business Building practice as an Engagement Manager, where she works side-by-side in climate tech startups and scale ups on growth strategy, commercial acceleration and operations. Esther specialises in materials, supporting development of green chemical production and cement decarbonisation, and helping global players adopt these new technologies.

Esther joins eXXpedition to connect her knowledge of upstream production with a more tangible understanding of the end-of-life problems, studying plastic pollution firsthand. A keen sailor, Esther is excited to join this crew of passionate, driven women who are taking steps to make change.

Artist/Designer

I’m Pallavi, a multidisciplinary artist, designer, entrepreneur and eXXpedition ambassador.

I’m the Founder of Inkwell Studios a multi-disciplinary creative studio with a focus on innovation and sustainability and The Gallivanters’ Colouring Club a globally-inspired art and culture club and circular economy, casual streetwear brand.

Having created numerous physical sets, costumes, puppets and models for film, theatre and animation, I became aware that most of the things I was making would end up in landfill after the production was over. With a long-standing passion for nature and the environment, I needed to find a new, low-waste way of working. Now I work to create imaginative and immersive art in the creative, innovative tech space as a virtual reality artist and video game producer.

For my club members in The Gallivanters’ Colouring Club, I create hand drawn artworks inspired by my travels and sell them as wearable art pieces. Each artwork has a story behind it. To reduce waste, all t-shirts, jumpers and hoodies are custom printed to order. Each piece is certified 100% organic cotton and as part of our circular economy model, items can be sent back to us once they are worn out.

My overarching aim is to find solutions to reduce the negative environmental impact of waste created by the creative and entertainment industries.

I’d love to invite you to join the club if you feel aligned with our mission: At The Gallivanters’ Colouring Club we believe the world is filled with beauty and wonder. So we find the fun and fascinating from around the globe and create art inspired by it. Because we believe, celebrating and understanding each other, and our environment, can help us to build a more harmonious world together.

Scientist and Communicator

Rowan is a marine scientist working across ocean policy, plastics, and nature restoration. For the past four years she has led a pioneering blue carbon programme, mapping and protecting seagrass, saltmarsh, and seabed habitats to safeguard carbon storage, biodiversity, and healthy ecosystems. She also helped introduce some of the first single-use plastics legislation in the British Isles.

She brings science, policy, and community together to inspire action for the living world, and in 2018 sailed across the North Pacific with eXXpedition researching the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Rowan now returns as Mission Leader for the South Pacific voyage, combining expedition experience with a focus on lasting, nature-based solutions.