Alex Shapiro

Alex leads WWF’s aquaculture impact investment work. She identifies potential investments in seaweed and shellfish, manages the existing portfolio of companies, and collaborates closely with WWF subject matter experts to make science-based investment decisions that align with WWF’s conservation goals. Specializing in seaweed, Alex is passionate about seeing the seaweed cultivation industry scale to create measurable impacts for both people and nature. She looks for areas where conservation, science, and industry overlap, with a particular interest in the developing seaweed restoration and seed production industries for their potential to help both ocean habitats and working waterfronts thrive far into the future, even in the face of the uphill battle against climate change.

Alex started her career in aquaculture at Norfolk Green Ventures, where she worked in early-stage seaweed investing and aquaculture business management consulting before joining WWF. She studied Biology and Ecology at Colorado College, where she first realized the importance of conserving wild places and the immediate need for innovative climate solutions. Alex lives in Portland, Maine, and loves

to spend time on the ocean, whether surfing or at the aquaculture “garden,” where she grows kelp and oysters in Casco Bay.

Education

• BA, Colorado College

Areas of expertise

• Early-stage investing
• Seaweed markets and industry landscape
• Sustainable seaweed and shellfish cultivation
• Seaweed restoration
• Seaweed nursery technologies and innovations