Moving from capacity building to system transformation: Restore Earth, one oasis at a time

The 2026 Evolution: From Capacity to Transformation

For years, the Blue Pioneers Accelerator has been a place for marine leaders to build the capacity, networks, and resilience needed to protect our oceans. We have mentored hundreds of pioneers and funded brilliant Collaborative Experiments from California to the Coral Triangle.

But as the pressure on our global ecological metabolism intensifies, we realize that building individual capacity is no longer enough. To solve the wicked problems facing oceans and coastlines, we must move from building leaders to building systems.

The 2026 Focus: The Zanzibar Archipelago

This year, BPA is concentrating its energy on a single, transformative mission. We are taking our Raw Case Study approach directly into the field. Working closely with Asili Company, a BPA grant winner through the Triple-bottom Sea Cucumber Project, and the local constituents, we are launching the Oasis Investing Accelerator in Zanzibar (Unguja and Pemba Islands) this August.

We are shifting our flagship program from university classroom to coastal communities. This isn't just a change in geography; it is a change in strategy. We are broadening our network to include not only conservation professionals but also the investors and social entrepreneurs who are keys to systemic change.

Our New North Star: Restore Earth, One Oasis At A Time

In Zanzibar, we will pilot a new framework that combines the BPA transition design approach with an explicit mandate for a true eco-nomy, one where financial activity is constrained by locally measured ecological thresholds, such as carrying capacity, regeneration rates, and biotic and abiotic balances, and where community aspirations shape economic futures. Our goal is to move beyond passive "sustainability" and toward a model of metabolic restoration.

We are looking for 20 Blue Pioneers who are ready to bridge the gap between scientific rigor, community aspiration and venture speed. Together, we will prove that through deep, site-specific immersion and collaborative seed funding, we can create resilient oases of health and wealth.

This is the next frontier for BPA. We aren't moving away from our roots; we are finally letting them bear fruit in the world’s most critical biodiversity hotspots.

Whether you are a long-time fellow or a new partner, I invite you to join us in this next chapter. The ocean doesn't need more spectators. It needs architects of a new era.

Onward to Zanzibar,

Anne Kapuscinski, Director

Yuwei Shi, Academic Director

Blue Pioneers Accelerator