Time for Corals
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Aki Allahgholi
Time for Corals
About the Talk
While taking time off to reconnect with nature, former NCAA basketball player and Swiss banker, Aki, soon realised we are running out of time to save the marine environment: our coral reefs are in big trouble as a direct result of climate change. Pivoting his life and volunteering for marine biology projects, he embarked on a journey to help restore and ensure the continuation of healthy corals, with the help of cutting edge technology. Aki teaches us how we can create a positive impact by creating large scale coral nurseries, and how the use of technology can build growth, resilience and increase survival rates for coral reefs. Talking about the success of existing projects, he shares an optimistic future for our corals.
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Meet the Speaker
Ahmad ‘Aki’ Allahghol grew up in Switzerland, where he returned after studying International Business & Computer Science on a full NCAA Division 1 basketball scholarship at Quinnipiac University in the USA. Back in Switzerland, Aki worked between the IT sector, private banking and the hospitality industry, while also playing as a Swiss National Basketball Team Player in Europe for several years. After a near burnout in 2009, Aki took some time off to travel through South & Central America, the Caribbean, India and Southeast Asia. His journey brought him to reconnect with the natural world, giving him perspective on the threats our planet is facing, which in large part are created by the capitalistic system he had previously been serving. This realization inspired Aki to pivot his life to serve nature rather than a system that nurtures only one’s ego instead of one’s true self.
Aki has since dedicated his energy and talents to marine conservation initiatives around the globe, working for several marine conservation NGOs worldwide. To formalize his knowledge and expertise in the field, he earned his Master’s degree in Sustainable Natural Resource Management with a thesis in Coral Reef Restoration from the United Nations University for Peace in Costa Rica. Following an additional two years as Project Manager for a Philippine-based NGO working on coral reef restoration, MPA management and alternative livelihood solutions, he founded Coralive.org in 2016 to fully serve an eco-minded holistic approach to restore and protect a healthy ocean.
