Chris LaFranchi founded OneReef on the principle that mobilizing indigenous communities with a direct relationship with the Pacific Ocean and drawing upon their ancestral stewardship is the most equitable, cost-effective, and scalable method to adapt to climate change.
Prior to founding OneReef, Chris lived in Africa and Indonesia and performed field work in at least 12 countries, including engagements with the World Bank, NOAA, USAID and WWF. He also taught at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey.
A 2003 Mulago Rainer Arnhold Fellow, Chris was also nominated for the Pew Fellowship in Marine Science in 2015. He often presents at international conferences including the Bioneers Conference and the International Coral Reef Symposium.
Chris holds an M.S. in Natural Resource Economics from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and a B.S. in Biology and Technical Journalism from Oregon State University.
