Big Blue Agenda
At Big Blue 2025 leaders in the field of education, curriculum development, and workforce training will share how the Blue Economy fits in their visions of the future for learners of all ages. The conference will also explore climate impacts on working waterfronts, advancements in aquaculture, and how innovation leads to conservation.
2025 Big Blue Agenda
All agenda items are Subject to Change
Day 1: Tuesday, April 29 from 12:30 pm to 5:00 pm
12:30PM – 1:00PM – Registration and Expo
1:00PM – 1:45PM – Lunch with Welcome from Cape Cod Tech Superintendent
1:45PM – 2:00pm – Official Welcome from Cape Cod Chamber and Blue Economy Foundation CEO Paul Niedzwiecki w/video
2:00PM – 2:20PM – Creating Pathways to Success through Access presented by MA Business Alliance for Education
2:20PM – 3:00PM – Blue Economy and STEAM in Education, panel moderated by Kara O’Donnell-Galvin of MassHire Workforce Board with Cape Cod Tech, Upper Cape Tech, Monomoy High School, Mashpee Middle-High School
3:00PM – 3:45PM – Break and Expo
3:45PM – 4:00PM – Importance of Horseshoe Crabs presented Mark Faherty of Mass Audubon
4:00PM – 4:20PM – Building Biotechnology Program at Cape Cod Community College
4:20PM – 4:40PM – Falmouth Public Schools
4:40PM – 5:00PM – Economics of Climate Change presented by MA Undersecretary of Economic Foundations, Ashley Stolba
5:00PM – Adjourn
Day 2: Wednesday, April 30 from 8:30 am to 2:30 pm
8:30AM – 9:00AM – Registration and Expo
9:00AM – 10:00AM – Breakfast with our Sponsors
10:00AM – 10:15AM – Welcome Back from Cape Cod Chamber Chief of Staff Haley Cote w/video
10:15AM – 10:35AM – Rising to Action around Rising Sea Levels presented by Mike Barrett of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute and Resilient Woods Hole
10:35AM – 11:00AM – Focus on Rock Harbor, a Working Waterfront Transformation presented by Richard Waldo, Town of Orleans Director of Public Works and Natural Resources
11:00AM – 11:30AM – Break and Expo
11:30AM – 11:45AM – MassDevelopment: Your Economic Development Partner presented by Rob Anderson, Vice President of Business Development at MassDevelopment
11:45AM – 12:45PM – Climate Impacts on Working Waterfronts, panel moderated by Patrick Cassidy of Cape Cod on the Fly with Center for Coastal Studies Executive Director Anne-Marie Runfola, Association to Preserve Cape Cod Executive Director Andrew Gottlieb, and more to come.
12:45PM – 1:30PM – Local Oysters donated by ARC Hatchery, served by Mermaid Menu of Provincetown and Expo
1:30PM – 1:45PM – Emerging Industries for Innovative Entrepreneurs presented by Jennifer Menard of MA Office of Business Development
1:45PM – 1:50PM – Keynote Speaker Introduction by Kendra Bennett, Principal of Dennis-Yarmouth High School
1:50PM – 2:20PM – Building for the Twenty-Second Century with Brian Braginton-Smith of Autonomous CRE and Lewis Bay Research Center
2:20PM – 2:30PM – Special Greeting from Loral O’Hara, NASA Astronaut and former WHOI Engineer.
2:30PM – Thank you from Cape Cod Blue Economy Foundation Executive Director Katy Acheson and adjourn