What Lonely Whale does

Lonely Whale is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization focused on ocean conservation and reducing plastic pollution, operating as a fiscally sponsored program of Re:wild (Tax ID 26-2887967) and founded in 2015 by Adrian Grenier and Lucy Sumner. The organization runs a portfolio of advocacy programs — Unwrap the Future (fashion industry plastic disruption), NextWave Plastics (a member-led corporate initiative convened by The Circulate Initiative targeting 25,000 tonnes of diverted ocean-bound plastic by 2025), OH-Wake Media (youth publishing), and Ocean Heroes Bootcamp (co-founded with Captain Planet Foundation and Point Break Foundation in 2018, serving 900+ youth from 40+ countries) — alongside awareness campaigns such as For A Strawless Ocean and Question How You Hydrate, the 52 Hertz Podcast, and the Sea Signs newsletter. The team is approximately 15 people led by co-founder Lucy Sumner and Executive Director Emy Kane, working in partnership with Re:wild for administrative and operational support.

The organization does not develop proprietary technology; its "platform" is a convening function that connects corporate collaborators (Trek Bikes, Humanscale, Herman Miller), climate solutionists, and community leaders around shared plastic-reduction commitments. Outreach is delivered through podcast platforms (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud), Instagram, YouTube campaign PSAs, the Sea Signs email newsletter, and community/youth networks. There is no software product, no API, no mobile app, and no AI/ML capability disclosed in the inputs.

Lonely Whale monetizes exclusively through donations processed via Donorbox on its website, plus checks payable to Re:wild. It serves three primary customer segments: businesses and brands (corporate sustainability positioning), governments (policy advancement), and youth/individual activists (training and grassroots mobilization). Travel, training, and program operations are funded through this donation stream, with no disclosed pricing, contracts, or earned-income streams. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; the absence of disclosed financial figures means revenue and growth measurements beyond output metrics (tonnes diverted, youth trained, program launches) are not verifiable from the data.

Name

Lonely Whale

Legal name

Lonely Whale

Website

https://lonelywhale.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Lonely Whale is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit ocean conservation organization, founded in 2015 by Adrian Grenier and Lucy Sumner, that convenes brands, governments, and youth activists through programs like NextWave Plastics, Unwrap the Future, and Ocean Heroes Bootcamp, funded entirely by donations under fiscal sponsor Re:wild.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ocean Conservation Advocacy

akta.pro primary industry

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE)

Keywords

• Ocean conservation
• Plastic waste reduction
• Nonprofit advocacy
• Sustainability programs
• Environmental campaigns

Headquarters

HQ city

Austin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: Lonely Whale generates revenue through donations from individuals and organizations. Donations are processed through Donorbox and can be made online or by check. Make checks are payable to Re:wild and sent to: Lonely Whale Gifts, PO Box 129, Austin, TX 78767 USA.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Lonely Whale is an ocean conservation nonprofit that convenes unlikely allies across businesses, governments, innovators, and communities to address plastic pollution at its root cause. It delivers a portfolio of advocacy programs (Unwrap the Future, NextWave Plastics, OH-Wake Media, Ocean Heroes Bootcamp), public awareness campaigns (For A Strawless Ocean, Question How You Hydrate), and digital content (52 Hertz podcast and Sea Signs newsletter) focused on eliminating single-use plastics and accelerating better materials.

Product overview

Lonely Whale is an ocean conservation nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of advocacy programs and digital content initiatives rather than a unified software product. Its core programs include: Unwrap the Future (a multi-year fashion industry plastic disruption initiative), NextWave Plastics (ocean-bound plastic diversion effort), and OH-Wake Media (youth publishing platform). The organization also runs impact campaigns including For A Strawless Ocean and Question How You Hydrate. Digital content offerings include the 52 Hertz podcast series and Sea Signs monthly astrology readings. Ocean Heroes Bootcamp provides youth training. These offerings function as standalone initiatives unified by Lonely Whale's mission to prevent plastic waste from entering the ocean through awareness campaigns, community building, and alternative solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Unwrap the Future A three-phase, multi-year program with the mission of disrupting the 180+ billion thin-film plastic polybags used by the fashion industry annually, aimed at fashion brands and supply-chain partners seeking plastic-alternative solutions.
• NextWave Plastics A member-led initiative aiming to divert 25,000 tonnes of ocean-bound plastic by the end of 2025. Convened by The Circulate Initiative and co-founded/amplified by Lonely Whale, with member companies such as Trek Bikes, Humanscale, and Herman Miller incorporating recycled ocean-bound plastics into product supply chains.
• OH-Wake Media A youth-produced publishing platform built for global leaders and Ocean Heroes, focused on amplifying the voices of young leaders in ocean conservation.
• Ocean Heroes Bootcamp A youth empowerment program co-founded in 2018 with Captain Planet Foundation and Point Break Foundation that provides free in-depth training to youth activists, having trained over 900 youth from 40+ countries spanning all 24 time zones.
• For A Strawless Ocean A public awareness campaign challenging individuals, brands, and policymakers to stop using single-use plastic straws.
• Question How You Hydrate A public awareness campaign sparking conversation about single-use plastic water bottles and empowering people to choose alternatives.
• 52 Hertz Podcast A podcast series inspired by the world's loneliest whale (52 Blue), featuring conversations with entrepreneurs, environmental activists, and youth leaders rethinking approaches to plastics on a global scale. Distributed on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and SoundCloud.
• Sea Signs A monthly astrology-meets-activism newsletter delivering personalized zodiac-based ocean advocacy content and artist collaborations to subscribers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Diverting 25,000 tonnes of ocean-bound plastic by 2025 through NextWave Plastics
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Captain Planet FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Co-founded Ocean Heroes Bootcamp in 2018 with Captain Planet Foundation and Point Break Foundation to empower youth to take action for oceans.
• Point Break FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Co-founded Ocean Heroes Bootcamp in 2018 with Captain Planet Foundation and Point Break Foundation to empower youth to take action for oceans.
• Re:wildcoreOthersLonely Whale is a fiscally sponsored program of Re:wild, a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization (tax identification #26-2887967). Re:wild was established by conservation scientists and Leonardo DiCaprio to protect and restore the wild. Lonely Whale's team works in partnership with Re:wild for administrative and operational support.
• The Circulate InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLonely Whale co-founded and amplifies NextWave Plastics with The Circulate Initiative, which serves as the convener of this member-led initiative aiming to divert 25,000 tonnes of ocean-bound plastic by 2025.
• NextWave Plastics MemberscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember-led initiative including companies like Trek Bikes, Humanscale, and Herman Miller that commit to keeping plastics in the economy and out of the ocean by incorporating recycled ocean-bound plastics into their product supply chains.
• Trek BikescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in NextWave Plastics, developed the Bat Cage water bottle holder made from recycled fishing nets material.
• HumanscalecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in NextWave Plastics, collaborating on sustainability initiatives to keep plastics in the economy and out of the ocean.
• Herman MillercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in NextWave Plastics, working with Humanscale and other members to incorporate recycled ocean-bound plastics into products.
• Young HerosecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerCreative partner for Sea Signs series, collaborating on monthly astrology-meets-activism content with personalized plastic-free tips, news, and artist collaborations.
• ReverbsecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerNonprofit featured in 52 Hertz podcast that disrupts typical practices in the music industry by collaborating with musicians, venues, and festivals to create green concert events.
• First MilesecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerOrganization featured in 52 Hertz podcast that disrupts the recycling industry by bringing transparency to the 'first mile' of the recycling supply chain, creating recycling micro-economies.
• Tandem PicturessecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerConscious indie film studio featured in 52 Hertz podcast, disrupting the film industry's often wasteful practices by focusing on zero waste and net-zero CO2 emissions.
• Maliha AbidisecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerArtist collaborator for December 2020 Sea Signs, created 12 original portraits of environmental advocates, thought leaders, and cultural change makers.
• Aurélia DurandsecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerArtist collaborator for Sea Signs series, created vivid artwork celebrating diversity and representing Afro-descendants as joyful, proud, and empowered.
• Berlin MichellesecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerArtist collaborator for Sea Signs series, created personality-driven artwork to help bring activism and astrology together for ocean advocacy.
• Kendall LordsecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerVisual and experience designer and artist collaborator for Sea Signs, runs for-good creative studio Fika committed to designing compassionate brands and experiences for environmental organizations.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubepodcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/52hertz
• Instagraminstagram.com/lonelywhale
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lonelywhale

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lonely Whale