KAYAK TRAINER

AJ loves bringing folks together on the water, especially in kayaks and canoes. He strives to empower individuals and help them feel safe, capable, and comfortable as they navigate local waterways. AJ grew up in rural Georgia and his life experiences inspired him to engage in racial equity work. Through his work with Mosquito Fleet, he hopes to increase awareness around the intersectionality of racial and environmental justice. When he’s not kayaking, AJ works as a research scientist in the public health field.

KAYAK TRAINER

Alana is a recent transplant to the PNW. She is excited to help folks get out on the water and find their place in the fight against fossil fuels. She advocates for Indigenous land stewardship and land back, forest defense, and food sovereignty (ask her about land utilization and community gardens in Portland!). Her day job is in increasing access to electric transportation, and is always pro kayaks over cars.

FUNDRAISING CONSULTANT

Caitlyn is a grant writer and activist originally from Washington, DC. She has been working with the Fleet since its founding in 2015; initially a member and Fleet organizer in Olympia, WA, Caitlyn now supports Fleet fundraising efforts from her home base in Winston-Salem, NC. Caitlyn has a background in nonviolent direct action on both land and sea for a myriad of causes, including housing and climate justice. She is the co-founder of Tiny Pixel Collective, a unique collaborative of grant nerds and open-source software developers founded on the belief that systemic change starts with a powerful story.

ORGANIZER

eloise@mosquitofleet.us

Eloise is a queer Filipino-American grassroots organizer who grew up in Corvallis, Oregon. They found their roots in climate justice when their family moved to a small farm and learned about gardening and sustainable agriculture. Eloise recently graduated from the University of Oregon with Bachelor’s degrees in International Studies and Romance Languages with a minor in Environmental Studies. They have experience working on energy democracy, transportation justice, fossil fuel resistance, and community resilience and empowerment. Collective liberation, community-building, and abolition are at the core of their organizing principles.

KAYAK TRAINER

Ghassan is a somatic therapist, socialist, and parent, who grew up on the Great Lakes, but has called the PNW home for the past 15 years. Since 2017 they’ve been largely organizing with the Portland chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America. They like to talk and think about embodiment, conflict resolution in leftist orgs, disaster prep and resiliency. They’re excited to help folks deepen their relationship with the waters that flow through this area.

KAYAK TRAINER

Juan is from Mexico (habla español) and moved to St Johns in Portland, OR on January of 2023. He believes in direct democracy and finding a way to live in harmony with the environment and our fellow humans. Juan was 28 years old when he kayaked for the first time and ever since he’s been trying to get everyone in the water to experience it for themselves. Juan’s background is in filmmaking and in addition to being a kayak trainer, he helps Mosquito Fleet make cool videos.

ORGANIZER

kelsey@mosquitofleet.us

Kelsey is a grassroots organizer with a decade of experience in campaign strategy, research, communications and training. She has worked with various social justice, environmental justice and labor organizations in the Pacific Northwest and California. Kelsey joined the Fleet team in 2023, and has loved bringing people together on the water and helping create spaces where folks can realize their power and connection to waterways. Kelsey also works as a postpartum doula, and is passionate about the intersection of reproductive justice and environmental justice. When Kelsey isn’t organizing, you will likely find her in or around water or in search of a good burrito.

KAYAK TRAINER

Zora is passionate about establishing spaces that are welcoming to all, that cultivate open and informative conversations, where everyone learns from and empowers each other.

Early on while growing up in Germany, living in various places in the US and traveling in Australia, New Zealand and SE Asia, Zora has witnessed many social and climate injustices, particularly impacting native and immigrant populations.

20 years ago, she settled in Portland and since 2016 has been an activist and advocate for watersheds, and waterways. You can find her year around on a kayak or canoe.

Currently Zora is organizing at the intersection of health equity, houselessness and the environment bringing a wide variety of voices together to address the combined impact on the most vulnerable. She strongly believes in the power of community and collective action.