Caribbean II: Sint Maarten to Curaçao

Investment Stewardship

Lily is an investment stewardship specialist with experience in sustainable finance. In her role at a global asset manager, she engages large corporates on issues including governance, risk management, environmental sustainability, human rights, and long-term value creation.

She originally set sail with eXXpedition in 2019 and it’s a dream to be back again!

Lily has a longstanding interest in wildlife conservation and animal welfare and is a trustee for Redwings, the largest horse and donkey rescue sanctuary in the UK. She is particularly passionate about the role we can play in delivering positive outcomes for both animals and the natural environment.

Master of Logistics

Rhiannon Mabberley learned to float before she could walk, face-down in the shallows off a small island on Canada’s west coast — and she’s been chasing that feeling ever since, as a diver, surfer, and free diver in oceans worldwide.

By day, she’s spent more than 20 years helping shape some of Canada’s most ambitious real estate projects. Somewhere along the way, she became the voice arguing — in dollars, not just ethics — for stripping single-use plastics out of major properties and getting recycled materials into new builds before the waste even exists. She’s usually the only woman, and often the youngest, in the room, which has become an identity with a unique advantage.

She’s often trailed by her four-legged shadow, Hunter — skiing, hiking through the forest, or just wandering, narrating a one-sided conversation about what humanity plans to do about all this plastic. (Hunter has yet to offer a solution, but he’s an excellent listener.) She has volunteered her time and expertise on multiple boards and fundraises regularly for the less advantaged.

She’s joining eXXpedition this January to build real world knowledge: trawling for microplastics alongside actual scientists, gathering evidence for an industry that only moves on numbers, and sailing with a crew of women tackling this problem from angles she hasn’t tried yet. She’s coming home with more than data — with the receipts to make the argument harder to ignore.

Teacher

For more than 20 years, I’ve believed that education has the power to inspire action and that ordinary people can create extraordinary change. As a former science teacher and international educator, I’ve dedicated much of my career to connecting young people with the world beyond the classroom. Through environmental initiatives, service learning, and citizen science, I’ve encouraged students to become active participants in protecting our planet rather than simply learning about its challenges.

My passion for ocean conservation extends beyond the classroom. As a longtime Ocean Conservancy volunteer, I’ve participated in beach cleanups, contributed to global marine debris data collection, and witnessed firsthand the power of grassroots action in tackling plastic pollution. Originally from Texas, I’ve lived across four continents, explored more than 40 countries, and called several coastal communities home. These experiences have deepened my connection to the ocean, and strengthened my determination to protect it.

Now based in Oman, I’m joining eXXpedition with curiosity, purpose, and a desire to amplify women’s voices in science and conservation. For me, this voyage is more than an adventure; it’s an opportunity to learn, connect, and bring powerful stories back to schools and communities around the world, inspiring others to become part of the solution. You don’t need to be a scientist to make a difference; you just need curiosity, courage, and the conviction to act!

Communications and Events Expert

Alessandra is a global citizen since birth: an Italian, born in Germany, raised between Latin-America and Europe, currently living in Brussels. Her international upbringing instilled in her the passion for travelling and exploring different cultures and corners of the world.

After high school she travelled and worked for two years with Up with People, an international non-profit organisation, which inspired young people to take personal action to make positive change through travel, volunteering, and music.
She studied languages and communication and obtained a master’s in European studies. Alessandra has more than 20 years of international experience in communication, event organisation, European affairs and project management. She has been working in the European Commission on climate action communication and conference organisation.

She is a keen sailor and member of the Sailing Club of the EU institutions. Listening to Jimmy Cornell’s stories about his sailing adventures, as well as his observations about the impact climate change is having on our oceans made her think about how she could combine her experience in communicating about the human impacts on our climate and the planet we live on with her passion for sailing. eXXpedition seemed like a great opportunity to show how every individual action can contribute to tackling global challenges.

Scientist

An avid advocate for the ecology, Claudia has written and spoken throughout the world on sustainability analytics and the need to support recycling, reusability, and other means of eliminating plastics. She volunteers at Ecocycle, Patagonia, local business, and other clean-ups in her home town of Boulder, CO. She longs for the day when her ever-present net trash bag will not be needed while snorkelling around the world.

Urban Ecologist

Dr. Mila K. Marshall is an urban ecologist, media personality, and self-proclaimed aquaholic who believes life is simply better on, in, or near the water. Born and raised in Chicago, along the shores of Lake Michigan, Mila has turned her passion for water into both a career and a lifestyle. From swimming competitively to sailing, paddling, diving and advocating for cleaner waterways, she’s never been one to stay on dry land for too long. As President of the Black Women Boaters Club’s Chicago Chapter, Mila is passionate about expanding access to aquatic recreation and introducing more women, especially Black women, to the joys and possibilities of life on the water. She also serves on the board of the Alliance for the Great Lakes and works to connect environmental science, public policy, and community action in her role as Clean Water Advocate for the Illinois Sierra Club. Now she’s trading the freshwater of the Great Lakes for the turquoise waters of the Caribbean aboard eXXpedition Caribbean II, sailing from St. Maarten to Curaçao. She’s excited to investigate marine plastic pollution, learn alongside an international crew of inspiring women, and explore how ocean health connects to the well-being of coastal communities.nA proud mother of three to London, Landan and Keagan, curious traveler, and enthusiastic adventurer, Mila loves good conversations, new experiences, and any excuse to be on a boat. She believes science should inspire curiosity, advocacy should create opportunities for equity.

Engineer

I’m a Brazilian materials engineer, sailor, and ocean advocate currently circumnavigating the world with my family aboard our 39-foot sailboat, Songster.

After a career as a manufacturing engineer in the pharmaceutical industry, specialising in data analysis and process optimisation, I traded corporate life for life at sea. Sailing across oceans and living in coastal communities has given me a unique perspective on the relationship between people and the marine environment, deepening my commitment to tackling plastic pollution and protecting ocean ecosystems.

Having lived in Curaçao, I developed a strong connection to the Dutch Caribbean and its marine environments. I’m involved with Impact Blue Foundation from Aruba, supporting initiatives that combine research, education, and practical action to protect the ocean.

I first joined eXXpedition in 2019, sailing from Panama to the Galápagos Islands. I’m now returning to eXXpedition for its second and third Dutch Caribbean legs as a representative of Impact Blue Foundation, bringing together my engineering expertise, experience as a sailor, and passion for ocean conservation. I hope to help connect scientific research with the people and organisations creating solutions, turning what we learn about marine pollution into meaningful, lasting change.

Engineer

I have always been curious about the world, but I seem to have discovered the best part of my life by doing things I had never done before.

I am an engineer by training and spent several decades in leadership and Human Resources, working with people, teams and organisations. I deliberately chose to step away from my professional career and become financially independent, giving myself the freedom to build a very different second act. I learned to sail at 44 and took up scuba diving at 56. Along the way, I became increasingly fascinated by the ocean — not only by what lies beneath its surface, but by the extraordinary connection between the sea, the places we inhabit and the choices we make on land.

I am also a passionate film lover, fascinated by the way cinema helps us understand people and the world around us.

I first applied to eXXpedition seven years ago and was selected, but the voyage was cancelled during the pandemic. I never quite forgot about it. Now, at 61, I am finally getting on board. I am joining because I want to learn: about the ocean, plastic pollution and the science behind it, but also about the people and communities working to find solutions. I hope to bring my engineering background, my experience of working with people, my skipper skills, my curiosity and, perhaps most of all, my willingness to learn.

I have discovered that there is no particular age at which you are supposed to stop starting new things. So here I am — still curious, still learning, and ready for the next adventure.