Beneath the waves of the Indo-Pacific, giant clams (Tridacnae) are the lesser known architects of...
Who We Are
Gui Gui
Founder
"My name is Gui Gui, and I'm from one of the Karen tribes. My family and I had to leave Myanmar as the military there is actively hunting and killing the Karen people, even though we are very peaceful.
We escaped to Thailand, where I grew up. Now, I am in Japan, and I'm very happy to have started IMARCS and to be working with my amazing team!
My experience of being forced to flee my homeland is an all-too-common story among the Karen peoples. However, thanks to nearby welcoming countries — and generous support from companies and individuals like you — I was able to not only find peace but also set up an impactful organization dedicated to improving the environment and the lives of Indigenous peoples who need it most."
We escaped to Thailand, where I grew up. Now, I am in Japan, and I'm very happy to have started IMARCS and to be working with my amazing team!
My experience of being forced to flee my homeland is an all-too-common story among the Karen peoples. However, thanks to nearby welcoming countries — and generous support from companies and individuals like you — I was able to not only find peace but also set up an impactful organization dedicated to improving the environment and the lives of Indigenous peoples who need it most."
Meet the Team
The IMARCS is made possible through the work of exceptional individuals who bring a diverse range of skill sets and perspectives to our mission!
Jordan Flagel
Lead Environmental Scientist
I'm Jordan - I don't like writing about myself, but I do like writing about sustainable development, blue carbon solutions, and marine science. I am fortunate to be the Lead Environmental Scientist for IMARCS, and in addition to writing science-based content, I'm working hard on quantifying our carbon removal activities and constantly trying to maximize environmental benefits through our mariculture practices.
A little over a decade ago I received a Master of Science degree in Sustainable Resource Management from UM, following a Master of Science in Integrated Science and Technology from JMU - and since then I have been working in reefs, mangroves, tropical forests (basically all the best places to be) for NGOs and think tanks in Belize, Guyana, and Canada, including the United Nations Green Corps, Ecology Project International, the Canada West Foundation, and the International Institute for Sustainable Development.
Alongside my work with IMARCS, I am also a Fellow with the Energy Futures Lab in Canada and I run Treebridge Conservation, an organization that conserves tropical rainforests and mangroves for their carbon storage and other environmental benefits. Once upon a time, I was also a fairly serious athlete, but now my free time is spent enjoying hammocks, free diving, trees, and family.
A little over a decade ago I received a Master of Science degree in Sustainable Resource Management from UM, following a Master of Science in Integrated Science and Technology from JMU - and since then I have been working in reefs, mangroves, tropical forests (basically all the best places to be) for NGOs and think tanks in Belize, Guyana, and Canada, including the United Nations Green Corps, Ecology Project International, the Canada West Foundation, and the International Institute for Sustainable Development.
Alongside my work with IMARCS, I am also a Fellow with the Energy Futures Lab in Canada and I run Treebridge Conservation, an organization that conserves tropical rainforests and mangroves for their carbon storage and other environmental benefits. Once upon a time, I was also a fairly serious athlete, but now my free time is spent enjoying hammocks, free diving, trees, and family.
Lark Aakarshan
Design Specialist
I have been an entrepreneur and creative director, helping and working on diversified projects for the last 11 years.
After graduating from Nottingham Trent University and working with Ogily in 2013, I co-founded The Prototypes, an award-winning strategy and design practice that helps leaders and their organizations explore, learn, and grow.
My clients include various Fortune 500 companies (Samsung, BBC, ITC, Orient, Cremica, DLF, Maersk) and organizations, including the United Nations, the Estonian Embassy Council, the American Embassy School and some of the world's most progressive start-ups.
I have served as a board member and advisor to various organizations, including The Prototypes, Label KISS, Notesgen, Pepperscript, TAA and SWELL.
I was also serving as a visiting lecturer at Pearl Academy of Design, teaching Product Interface Design and Applied Empathy curriculum.
In my private time, I like practising design conjuring, mentalism, developing psychological, spiritual and motivational content and writing on how to bring these powerful traditions into modern life and the workplace.
After graduating from Nottingham Trent University and working with Ogily in 2013, I co-founded The Prototypes, an award-winning strategy and design practice that helps leaders and their organizations explore, learn, and grow.
My clients include various Fortune 500 companies (Samsung, BBC, ITC, Orient, Cremica, DLF, Maersk) and organizations, including the United Nations, the Estonian Embassy Council, the American Embassy School and some of the world's most progressive start-ups.
I have served as a board member and advisor to various organizations, including The Prototypes, Label KISS, Notesgen, Pepperscript, TAA and SWELL.
I was also serving as a visiting lecturer at Pearl Academy of Design, teaching Product Interface Design and Applied Empathy curriculum.
In my private time, I like practising design conjuring, mentalism, developing psychological, spiritual and motivational content and writing on how to bring these powerful traditions into modern life and the workplace.
Tom Birlo
Animation Specialist
My name is Tom Birlo, I am an artist from Israel. I never settled in one place, for the majority of my life traveling around the world while studying painting, and meeting different cultures while my parents were doing their mission of historical objects restoration in Israel and around Europe. After studying fine art and philosophy at Israel's Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, I dedicated myself to learning the Asian culture, and now happy to use my skills and knowledge in order to help popularize the great will of saving our nature.
Gary Edwards
Media Specialist
Hello! I'm Gary Edwards, also known as Eddie. I started my photography career at the Defense Information School in 2004, working in various disciplines such as studio photography, journalism, crime scene documentation, and historical preservation.
Driven by a passion for mastery, I pursued a degree in Communications with a focus on film, photography, and journalism. This led me to earn a Master of Fine Arts in Photography, specializing in Fine Art.
Over the past 11 years, I've been fortunate to travel extensively across Asia, Europe, and Oceania. These experiences have broadened my perspectives and given me inspiration to pursue art and the artist's role in our changing society. When I'm not creating, I find peace in nature and enjoy sharing simple moments with others.
Driven by a passion for mastery, I pursued a degree in Communications with a focus on film, photography, and journalism. This led me to earn a Master of Fine Arts in Photography, specializing in Fine Art.
Over the past 11 years, I've been fortunate to travel extensively across Asia, Europe, and Oceania. These experiences have broadened my perspectives and given me inspiration to pursue art and the artist's role in our changing society. When I'm not creating, I find peace in nature and enjoy sharing simple moments with others.
What We’re Doing
Utilizing mariculture and marine science for carbon sequestration and reef restoration in saltwater tanks, research labs, and reef environments around the world.
World of IMARCS
News & Perspectives from IMARCS
3 min read.
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