Going Blue with Kristy Drutman, Brown Girl Green

Welcome back to Planet & Purpose, a LinkedIn Newsletter featuring professional insights and personal experiences from ocean and climate ecopreneurs, VCs, advocates, and beyond.

If you’re new to my page and this newsletter, welcome! I’m Daniela V. Fernandez , Founder & CEO of Sustainable Ocean Alliance (SOA).

Today, I’m thrilled to be joined by Kristy Drutman , Founder of Brown Girl Green , Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Green Jobs Board , and valued member of the SOA community.

Founded in 2022, The Green Jobs Board is home to a community of over 150,000 that helps connect talent, especially diverse young professionals, with climate roles and employers.?

Why is this so important??

Green job listings are growing nearly twice as fast as the number of ‘skilled workers’, but people of color make up a mere 12-16% of the climate industry.?

Kristy is dedicated to making green (and increasingly blue) roles more accessible. To connect with Kristy directly, see the BONUS section at the end of this newsletter—and consider joining her platform for opportunities.?

As we dive into 2025, stay tuned for more ocean changemaker interviews with Planet & Purpose.

Daniela (DVF): Welcome to Planet & Purpose, Kristy! I am thrilled to welcome you as our first interviewee of 2025 and can’t wait to share your platforms with readers.

Kristy Drutman (KD): Thank you for having me, Daniela. I really value the Sustainable Ocean Alliance community and being part of this network. I’ve met other ocean advocates and protectors who have become friends and deepened my understanding of issues facing the ocean today.?

DVF: I’m happy to hear you’ve found community through us, especially given the impressive community you’ve built on your own! Please share your climate career story with readers.

KD: Towards the end of high school and as I entered college, I was considering a career path in human rights.

Then Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines in 2013. My family lives in and is from the Philippines, so that was a big turning point for me.?

Looking at those images, it was clear vulnerable communities and so many industries like conservation, government, construction, and shipping are all impacted by the climate crisis.

I felt like I really needed to do something in the climate space, especially once I realized that ecological issues have a lot of overlap with human rights.

DVF: I understand how the devastation of the natural wonders of the Philippines on top of your familial connection could be a catalyst for you to act. What did you decide to do in response?

KD: When I didn’t see Phillipino or Phillipina media personalities reporting on climate change and reaching the masses, I started Brown Girl Green.?

I believe the most impacted communities are the most important to tell these stories and share climate solutions.?

I’m honored to be a voice highlighting the systemic barriers that prevent people of color from being in this movement and raising awareness of the need for greater representation. With my work, I hope to move the needle in amplifying as many organizations and efforts run by Black, Indigenous, and people of color as possible—especially environmental justice organizations.

I’m honored when people who follow my platform share that Brown Girl Green has alerted them to organizations to plug into, petitions to sign, and ways to take action in a really tangible way.

DVF: I love your vision and resonate deeply with the intention of amplifying minorities as a fellow woman of color. Now, how and why did Green Jobs Board come into the picture?

KD: My inspiration for founding Green Jobs Board came out of my own frustrations as a young job seeker who didn’t know how to get a career in the climate sector—so I built it myself.?

Initially, I knew other young people of color were struggling with barriers to entry and wanted to create a space where people could talk about it. So I started a social media series on Brown Girl Green. Due to grassroots excitement and momentum, people wanted this to become a bigger organization. I like to tell people it’s not like I just came up with the idea of this company.?

It really came from the community itself online. Lots of companies and organizations were interested in the type of engagement and community we built, so we were able to explode on the internet and ultimately become a company now offering tangible services in the world.

DVF: Reflecting on everything you’ve accomplished thus far, what is a major highlight??

KD: In 2024, Green Jobs Board was proud to host a three-day Green Jobs Pavillion during Climate Week NYC.?

Over 500 participants, companies, and organizations from across the country came together to talk about the future of the green economy—and also the blue economy!

In a panel and discussion about conservation jobs, some folks spoke about the future of getting jobs in the blue economy across industries that touch the ocean, rivers, and waterways. It was really incredible.

We also had some Indigenous ocean and water protectors who came to speak on the importance of mindfulness and reconnecting with land and water, including SOA Young Ocean Leader, Bodhi Patil .

So getting to successfully execute that at the Nest Climate Campus, and integrating the ocean into our discussions, was awesome.

DVF: Speaking of integration, please share some of the other work you’ve done to spotlight the ocean through Brown Girl Green.

KD: Like you, I am really passionate about raising awareness of the harms of deep-sea mining and educating people about the possible impacts if the industry reaches commercialization.?

As we face this really existential frontier, people really need to ask, “Are we going to risk creating a carbon bomb somewhere that is so precious on Earth?”?

For what? Short-term gain and financial resources? Deep-sea mining is a complete scam.?

That’s why, with support from SOA, I released three podcast episodes through a scientific, financial, and Indigenous lens (listen on Spotify (here, here, and here).

Each of those perspectives is a part of the fight to address this issue. I have yet to see comprehensive coverage of all three of those angles—I encourage your readers to learn more.

DVF: I appreciate your coverage approaches! How else is Brown Girl Green going ‘blue?’

KD: Being a part of Sustainable Ocean Alliance’s network has also raised my awareness of issues like the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and the threats coastal communities and marine ecosystems are facing.

I’ve posted opportunities to get involved in beach cleanups, and in 2024, I did a dedicated video series educating people online on the need for a strong Global Plastics Treaty. That gained a lot of traction. I want to continue publishing pieces to educate people about the ocean’s wonders.

Another one of my goals for this year is to do more storytelling projects on how to get jobs in different sectors, including ocean jobs. I think there’s a huge story and opportunity there!

I would love to talk more about what it looks like to build an ocean career and answer questions like “What kind of education and certifications do you need?” and “How do you get started?”

DVF: Great segue! Did you learn anything when you started your career journey that might help others?

KD: Absolutely. One of my bigger early career moments was when I was presented with the opportunity to interview former Vice President Al Gore and was experiencing imposter syndrome.?

His team had chosen me to interview him, and I remember thinking, “What? Who am I to do this?”

I didn’t want to squander the opportunity, so I told myself, “You are good enough, you’re beyond good enough.”?

Then I got support from mentors and friends to prepare for the interview.

Looking back, what that moment taught me is that anything is possible once you get past being your own biggest critic and placing limitations on yourself.

I truly believe in the ‘fake it till you make it’ mantra, BUT with a caveat that you’re not really faking it—you just need to get past the mindset that makes you THINK you’re faking it.

DVF: Validation is a great way to overcome imposter syndrome. Beyond positive self-talk and external encouragement from mentors, how do you recommend readers build credibility?

KD: As a young person making a name for yourself, you need to position yourself accordingly. Put yourself in the right spaces to make it happen.?

For example, Aspen Ideas Climate is a really awesome opportunity. I’ve spoken and led sessions there, and a lot of young ocean advocates attend.

Also, it’s really important to get clear on what success and impact look like for YOU in the next one, three, and five years.?

Make your vision statement clear, then build out your mentorship network—people who can be in your corner to help you get closer to those goals.

My suggestion? Don’t limit yourself when you do that exercise.?

Think boldly and outside of the box, and bring that to people. Once you do, the right people who are meant to support you are going to feel that energy and clarity, and it will get you so much further.

Don’t get stuck in a cycle of “I need to wait until I get X degree or X professional advancement” to really believe “my voice matters.”?

Your voice matters today.

It requires a lot of intention, discipline, and clarity to make your vision and career path possible.

DVF: Speaking of the right path for my readers, does Green Jobs Board list any ‘blue’ jobs??

KD: We definitely do!

I’ll give one of my favorite examples, Billion Oyster Project . I just love plugging them—they’re an incredible organization we’ve worked with over the years. One of their employees got her job there via Green Jobs Board two years ago and is still working there, which is really inspiring.??

We’ve also featured positions with other ocean and water conservation organizations, often in the research or program management space.?

If you’re someone who has experience in data, statistics, or research, I definitely would encourage you to check out the Green Jobs Board!?

We plan to have a lot more blue jobs in the future. To do that, we are trying to build more partnerships and potentially bring on an intern who can help us with expanding that list as well.

DVF: Any advice for someone who wants to follow in your footsteps and launch their own company to benefit the planet?

KD: If you are an entrepreneur or a founder—someone who wants to start your own organization—I would definitely suggest figuring out if there’s a clear market for the service, product, or solution that you’re creating and understand what needs in the world it serves.

Figure out how similar organizations or people doing similar work are structuring their businesses and selling their products and services.?

That’s not to say copy what they’re doing. However, market research is an important step to establish proof of concept for your idea.

The Green Jobs Board is a great resource, among other directories, to understand the landscape.?

If you do believe that your idea is something that is totally different and necessary as an intervention, it is really important to map out:

1) Your strategy

2) Where do you fit into the ecosystem

3) How can you be the best suited in that position to make it sustainable in the long term

Otherwise, consider working in-house, partnering, or consulting for an existing organization and supporting what they’re doing if it aligns with your values.

DVF: Amazing advice, and I couldn’t agree more. Thank you for your digital storytelling to raise awareness of critical issues and for making green AND blue climate careers more accessible.?

KD: It’s my absolute pleasure and honor, thank you for the community you’ve built at SOA.

I encourage readers to use the Green Jobs Board as a resource for finding green (and blue) jobs. I’ve included my direct contact information in the BONUS for anyone who’d like to contact me directly to list blue jobs and bring in diverse young talent.?

And if you’d like to keep up with us, you can follow me at @browngirl_green and @greenjobsboard on IG. Thank you!

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GREEN JOBS BOARDS GOES BLUE

Green Jobs Board would love to expand representation of the blue jobs space!?

If you’re an employer at a sustainable blue economy startup, ocean fund, research entity, higher education institution, nonprofit organization, or beyond, list your open roles here or exhibit at GJB pavilions by emailing Kristy directly at [email protected] with the subject line ‘Blue Jobs’.

Sign up for the Green Jobs Board newsletter! GJB will be posting a lot more jobs, opportunities, and events this year—especially on their upcoming pavilions in Los Angeles and New York City.

OPPORTUNITIES IN SOA’S NETWORK

Apply for the SOA Ocean Solution Label

Sustainable Ocean Alliance and Solar Impulse Foundation are now accepting applications for the SOA Ocean Solution Label—a certification label recognizing ocean-positive businesses for their efforts to deploy business practices that protect and preserve the ocean.?

Learn more and apply for the Label here.