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Visioneers Spotlight: How One Child is Leading a Wave of Ocean Change

2025, Nov 20 

Published by:  theportugalnews

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On a windswept beach in the Algarve, The Visioneers host Zay Harding stands alongside 11-year-old Lily Niederhofer, a young ocean advocate whose determination is already creating real-world impact.

Lily is part of One Ocean Planet’s Hero Kids program, a youth-led initiative that empowers children to design and lead meaningful ocean protection campaigns.

In just three months, Lily raised over €12,000 to support research and awareness against octopus farming, an emerging and unsustainable practice in Europe. Her campaign culminated in a courageous 2-kilometer open-water swim, symbolizing her belief that protecting the ocean takes more than concern; it takes action.

Now serving as Youth Ambassador for One Ocean Planet, Lily helps bring ocean literacy and sustainability into classrooms and communities.

 

This episode is sponsored by VoLo Foundation, a private family foundation committed to climate solutions through education and leadership.

Her story is proof that protecting our planet starts with a question: What can I do? And sometimes, the youngest voices make the biggest waves.

MICHAEL ROSEN

Michael Rosen has experience at a partner and co-founder level in private equity and venture capital funds. He has evaluated, executed and managed investments across many sectors and stages, raised capital, managed teams and worked closely with portfolio companies. He was the COO of a listed investment vehicle, and most recently the CIO of Ocean Born Impact where he oversaw investment strategies focused on companies that positively impact planetary health, emphasizing areas such as the energy transition, clean transportation, sustainable production, and enabling technologies.

 

Earlier in his career, Michael served as a Partner at Pamplona Capital Management, where he was responsible for identifying and managing investment opportunities across various sectors. His career began as an Analyst in the Financial Sponsors Group at Merrill Lynch in London.

 

Michael continues to make and support impactful investments that combine environmental sustainability with technological innovation, leveraging his extensive experience in finance and investment management. His investments include impact-focused businesses such as Olio (food waste), Skin Analytics (Al for skin cancer detection), Bramble Energy (hydrogen fuel cells), and CHOOOSE (carbon-offsetting and mitigation).

 

Michael graduated from Oxford University in 2001 with a first class degree in PPE (Philosophy, Politics and Economics), and in 2024 he published his first novel, The Consciousness Company, about a start-up company.

 

Michael is currently a venture partner for the impact fund, Mustard Seed Maze, and is happy to talk about private equity, venture capital and impact investing.

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