Checking In With Tez Steinberg
Young Leaders Award recipient Tez Steinberg is an ocean explorer, entrepreneur, and keynote speaker on mindset, resilience, and personal growth. As Chief Engine Officer of the United World Challenge, Tez rowed a 7-meter boat across the Pacific Ocean, by himself, from California to Australia in 196 days over two expeditions that raised $77K in donations for scholarships for peace and $72K for river barriers to prevent ocean plastic. Named “One of the 50 Best Young Minds in the World” by the World Economic Forum, Tez has founded four nonprofits and is passionate about harnessing the power of business for positive change. Tez earned his MBA from London Business School and completed undergrad at the University of Oxford and Macalester College. Tez’s leadership has been recognized by some of the world's foremost organizations including The Explorers Club of New York, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, NEXUS Global, Summit Series, and the World Economic Forum.
We recently checked in with Tez to learn more about his background and plans for the conservation and regeneration of the planet.
WS: Could you start by telling us a bit about yourself and what inspired you to embark on your current project?
TS: Hi, I'm Tez Steinberg - serial founder, ultra endurance athlete, and ocean explorer. I'm the only person to solo row from California to Hawaii with no prior rowing experience, the only person to row from Hawaii to Australia solo and nonstop, and almost certainly, the only person to row across any ocean after recovering from a heart attack. I share stories from my 197 days alone at sea through the nonprofit I founded, United World Challenge, to raise funds to accelerate solutions for the ocean plastic crisis. And I work with leading researchers to conduct data collection in remote waters, helping advance scientific understanding of ocean pollution. I'm delighted to participate in the Young Leaders Award program, and over the coming year will be shepherding United World Challenge to new waters as I prepare to lead groups of Changemakers on sailing expeditions. These expeditions will be designed to introduce leaders to the beauty and magic of the ocean, so that they can make change in their companies and communities to advance ocean conservation. And while I retire my oars and learn to sail, I aim to begin coaching one or two new rowers, who may captain future United World Challenge rowing expeditions.
WS: Can you describe the core components of your project and how it contributes to the conservation or regeneration of the planet?
TS: The story we tell about the ocean hasn't changed: we tell ourselves "it's too big." Apathy is our greatest enemy to progress, and by leading people on trips to shift their perspectives about what's possible, United World Challenge will also help shift our collective narrative around ocean conservation's future. We used to say the ocean is too big to harm. And now that we've harmed it, we say it's too big to help. Both can't be true. By rowing across the Pacific by myself over two world-first expeditions, and soon by leading sailing expeditions with selected leaders as novice crew, United World Challenge aims to change mindsets and create a wave of new action, while also continuing to raise funds for the solutions that exist today. To help combat ocean plastic, United World Challenge has sponsored 15 river barriers in Bali, Indonesia, the world's fourth largest plastic polluter. These barriers are cleaned and serviced daily by our partner, Sungai Watch, who will recycle hundreds of thousands of pounds of plastic, preventing it from flowing to sea. This legacy of United World Challenge will continue to grow as we lead more expeditions and enroll new communities in action.
WS: Could you share a particular success story from your project that you feel proud of?
TS: People often assume that I was a rower before I founded United World Challenge. But the truth is, I wasn't a rower or sailer, and I had never even been to sea. Embarking on my first expedition in summer 2020, a solo row from California to Hawaii, I was terrified. I imagined all the challenges I would face alone at sea, and worried how I would solve them. But in the 71 days I spent rowing to Hawaii, I fell in love with the ocean. And that love inspires me onward. But beyond the personal impact of these expeditions, I'm proud of what United World Challenge has done for others. Expedition 1 raised $77,000 for 3 scholarships for BIPOC students to attend United World College of the USA with full scholarships. And Expedition 2 to Australia raised $72,000 to build the river barriers in Indonesia, stopping hundreds of thousands of pounds of plastic from entering the ocean.
WS: Where do you see your project in the next five years? What are your long-term goals for expanding or evolving your work?
TS: The oceans cover 70% of earth's surface, and some 3 billion humans live near the ocean. And yet most never get to venture out to sea. Over the coming years, United World Challenge will be taking groups of influential leaders on life-changing sailing expeditions, helping them connect to the ocean and understand the ways they can take action to protect it.
WS: What advice would you give to other young individuals who want to start their own environmental or climate projects?
TS: I encourage young leaders to not be afraid to take action. You're never fully ready for your venture - you just need to be ready enough. You'll make mistakes and hit setbacks, but if your mission is lofty enough, and you connect deeply to your why, you'll find there are many ways to reach your goals. Aim high and just start - and you'll learn what you need to along the way.
WS: Who are your role models in the environmental and climate movements, and how have they influenced your approach to your work?
TS:
Ellen MacArthur - her work pioneering and making mainstream the Circular Economy framework was a huge influence in my decision to earn my MBA at London Business School and learn how the economy can be redesigned to work synergistically with the environment.
Cristina Mittermeir - her photography and leadership founding Sea Legacy are huge inspirations to me, as she documents on the frontlines of environmental and ocean change, and yet continues to remain optimistic and creative in taking action every day.
Madison Stewart - founder of Project Hiu, I look to Madison as an example of finding creative business ventures that protect the ocean and the communities that rely on them.
Learn more about Tez's work:
More Stories
Young Leaders Award recipient Dr. Win Cowger is the Research Director at the Moore Institute for Plastic Pollution Research. Win’s primary objective with science is to identify solutions to plastic pollution and assess their effectiveness.
Leadership Summit 2024
Witness Changemakers in action at Walking Softer's Arctic Summit, where leaders across generations came together to spark meaningful climate solutions.
Young Leaders Award recipient Serena Mendizabal (she/her) is a Cayuga Wolf Clan-Panamanian woman from the Six Nations of the Grand River Territory. Serena has dedicated her life to Indigenous self-determination, climate justice, environmental health impacts, and clean energy transitions through studies, work, and extracurriculars.
