Kerstin Forsberg is Peruvian marine scientist, an internationally-recognized conservation leader and social entrepreneur. She is the founder and director of Planeta Océano, an organization empowering coastal communities in marine conservation. With Planeta Océano, she’s led dozens of community-based environmental projects, fostered hundreds of citizen scientists and founded participatory platforms as the Marine Educator’s Network of Peru, which engages over 50 schools in marine education. Kerstin has served as a consultant for the inter-governmental, governmental, and private sectors. As a public speaker, she’s presented in over 17 countries, including venues such as the Royal Geographical Society, World Economic Forum, and Ibero-American Summit. She’s contributed to multiple publications and biodiversity policy initiatives in Peru and internationally, such as the Peruvian Red-List for endangered species, among others.
Kerstin is a Key Partner Network member of UNESCO’s Global Action Programme on Education for Sustainable Development and has been recognized with numerous prestigious international awards for her groundbreaking work. In 2018, she won a Whitely Award also known as the “Green Oscars” and in 2016, she received the Rolex Award for Enterprise. Kerstin was also listed as a top “30 under 30 Social Entrepreneur” by Forbes Magazine and one of the Top 10 Social Entrepreneurs in Latin America by abc/Univisión. She has received the WWF International President’s Award, the Peruvian National Environmental Citizenship Award and the International Youth Foundation’s fellowship for entrepreneurs, handed by Nobel Laureate, Martti Ahtisaari. She’s an Ashoka Fellow and a Fellow of the Marine Action Conservation Fund at the New England Aquarium. Her work has been featured in National Geographic Magazine, TIME Magazine, Deutsche-Welle, among others, as well as in the Ushuaia TV 52’.
Learn more about Planeta Oceano.
Expertise
Sharks; Mobulids, Conservation Leadership, Social Media, Public Speaking, Conservation in Developing Countries, Advocacy, and Education
Awards and Fellowships
2020 recognized as Global Goodwill Champions as part of HCL
2019 Fortune Magazine World’s Greatest Leaders List
2018 Whitley Award
2016 Rolex Award for Enterprise
2013 WWF International President’s Award
2013 Forbes 30 Under 30: Social Entrepreneurs
2012 Global Shaper, World Economic Forum
2010 Peruvian National Environmental Citizenship Award
Rolex Laureate
Rolex Awards for Enterprise
Ashoka Fellow
Kinship Fellow
World Economic Forum Young Global Leader
Affiliations
- Planeta Oceano, Founder and Director
- Board Member, MigraMar
- Scientists, Earthwatch Institute
- Science and Policy Advisory Board, Turtle Island Restoration Network
