Galway #4 - Rise of the wavemakers

WHY WE'RE HERE

The ocean is not an endless resource or a hard border. It's shared wealth, shared history and our biggest climate ally, and it's in collapse. Coastal communities are on the front line. The systems meant to protect them are coming apart and trust across the Atlantic between Europe, the Americas and Africa is thin. Same rooms, same people, same results? Not tonight. We start local, go oceanic and build what comes next together.

Hosted in partnership with the Ryan Institute as the official evening reception for the Galway Atlantic Ocean Summit 2026. Marks the official inauguration of the Galway Collective Chapter of the Climate Cocktail Club.

WHY COME

• Straight talk from people shaping ocean science, policy, community and business.

• New allies from well outside your usual circle.

• Real recipes, meaning practical actions for coastal resilience and Atlantic cooperation. No reports.

• Day one of the Galway Collective, the newest chapter of Climate Cocktail Club.

SPEAKERS

• David Scanlon, Director, Resolve Partners (HOST)

• Jessamyn Fairfield, Lecturer, University of Galway

• Jan-Stefan Fritz, Head of Brussels Office, Deutsche Allianz Meeresforschung (DAM) / German Marine Research Alliance; Adjunct Lecturer, University of Galway

• Margaret O'Gorman, CEO, Tandem Global

• Liam M. Carr, Director, School of Geography, Archaeology & Irish Studies, University of Galway

• Karin Dubsky, Founder & International Coordinator, Coastwatch

• Katie Seaberg, PhD Candidate and Hardiman Scholar, Ryan Institute; Class 11 Emerging Leader - Emerging Wildlife Conservation Leader

• Javier Santoyo, Galway Collective Lead, Climate Cocktail Club

  
  

LIVE MUSIC

• The Westaways

• Sailhymn and Sharpie

THE NIGHT

18:00 | Arrive

Live music (The Westaways), cocktails, conversation.

19:30 | Welcome

Javier from Climate Cocktail Club launches the Galway Collective, alongside Liam, with a lively expectation setter from David.

19:40 | Connection: keynote

Science meets stand-up as Jessamyn opens the night with big ideas, sharp jokes and some improv to get the crowd going!

20:00 | Insight: panel

Science, the shoreline and the next generation. A marine science diplomat (Jan-Stefan), a coastal campaigner (Karen), a surfing marine biologist (TBC) and a young fisherwoman (TBC): three generations on the same sea. When multilateral cooperation is failing, who actually looks after the ocean? And how do the people who live and work on the coast get a real say?

20:40 | Leadership: fireside chat

The CEO of Tandem Global - Margaret - on business, innovation and resilience. Can companies build something that lasts when the climate, the markets and the rules keep shifting? And who's willing to lead when the tide is going out on climate commitments?

21:15 | Call to action

Katie gives us the headlines, the recipes and what this event told us.

21:20 | Keep talking

The bar stays open. Wavemakers welcome. Live music (Sailhymn and Sharpie).

GET IN THE CCC MOOD... Check out our last Galway event from 2025

PARTNERS

We are proud to be supported by our event partners. Contact us to support the mission and become a partner to the Climate Cocktail Club. We need your sponsorship to ensure our events are successful. We have a limited number of event partner and sponsor opportunities - please get in touch (info@climatecocktailclub.org).

HOST PARTNER

RYAN INSTITUTE, UNIVERSITY OF GALWAY

The Ryan Institute's activities on sustainability research and innovation focus on sustainability research and innovation on four thematic research areas, namely (1) Marine & Coastal, (2) Energy & Climate Change, (3) Agriculture & BioEconomy, and (4) Environment & Health. The Ryan Institute is comprised of 12 Research Centres/Clusters spanning these four thematic research areas. The Ryan Institute is University of Galway's largest research institute comprised of 114 Principal Investigators responsible for circa. 20% of the overall research funding of the University of Galway. The Research community within the Ryan Institute collectively consists of over 500 full-time researchers, including Postdoctoral Fellows, Research Assistants, and PhD students.

KNOWLEDGE PARTNER

BE IMPACTFUL

INDEPENDENT ADVISORY FOR CLIMATE, NATURE AND COMMUNITY IMPACT. We unleash changemakers with the insights, solutions and partnerships they need to reach set goals. We supercharge purpose-driven brands, organisations and social enterprises across the world. We are honest, transparent and fiercely independent. We strive for a just, equitable and thriving planet.

BRAND PARTNER

THINKHOUSE

THINKHOUSE is one of the world’s leading independent agencies. Powered by youth culture, its digital-first, future-fit marketing is for progressive brands that care about people and planet. The company transforms and empowers organisations and teams by helping shift mindsets and adopt new ways of looking at the world - through the lens of the next generation. THINKHOUSE’s innovative, creative work is a vehicle for change, born out of its mission to have a positive impact on the lives of younger generations, now and into the future. www.thinkhousehq.com

SUPPORTING PARTNER

KPMG IRELAND

KPMG Sustainable Futures is a dedicated cross-functional team of experts who help corporates and public sector clients plan and execute programmes addressing ESG topics, decarbonisation, and long-term value creation. At KPMG, we believe that organisations that rise to these challenges and show leadership will be rewarded by their stakeholders and gain access to new opportunities. Those businesses that fail to act may put their margins and even business models at risk. Whether your organisation is just beginning its sustainability journey, reporting on its progress, or financing new initiatives, we have the knowledge and the people to support you.

COLLABORATORS

B LAB IRELAND

B Lab Ireland is part of a global nonprofit network that creates economic systems change through standards, policies, tools, and programs for business, and certifies companies—known as B Corps™—who are leading the way. B Corps are companies verified by B Lab to meet high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. Globally there are now over 9,600 B Corps in 100+ countries, across 160 industries, employing over 960,000 people.

NATURAL CAPITAL IRELAND

We are a not-for-profit organisation advocating for the natural capital approach. This concept frames the values nature provides and our dependence on it in a similar way to other forms of capital – like financial. It provides tools to integrate environmental data into accounting systems, thereby making nature more visible in decision-making. Our mission is to have Ireland's natural capital and nature's contributions to people valued, protected and restored.