OceanX Hires Nonprofit Consultant Nicole Kidston Thomson to Lead Partner Engagement

Global ocean exploration nonprofit OceanX announced today that seasoned nonprofit strategy consultant Nicole Kidston Thomson has joined the organization in the newly created role of vice president of partnerships. As the lead of the partnerships pillar at OceanX, Thomson will work to further establish OceanX as a collaborator and partner with governments, corporations, academia, philanthropists, and funds around the globe to advance science, media, and education objectives in support of the ocean.

"At OceanX, we're committed to collaboration, international cooperation, and building a network of partners who share our passion for connecting people to the ocean through scientific research and stunning multimedia," said Mark Dalio, founder and co-CEO of OceanX. "We're excited to welcome Nicole to our team. Her experience leading fundraising and strategic initiatives for some of the nation's most venerable institutions and nonprofits will help expand OceanX's global partnerships and amplify our mission."

Thomson comes to OceanX after an 18-year career in nonprofit fundraising and strategy. In her most recent role as a senior consultant for the DeVos Institute of Arts Management, Thomson managed a portfolio focused on fundraising strategy, campaign planning and implementation, and board engagement, for a variety of non-profits, educational institutions, government agencies, and philanthropic organizations. At the DeVos Institute, Thomson served as an advisor and strategist for major global capacity-building programs with Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Arts Council of England, and the United States Department of State, among others. As the lead fundraising advisor for the multi-city Bloomberg Philanthropies capacity building program, she led fundraising programming for more than 200 national arts and culture organizations, and designed fundraising plans for more than 40 of these organizations. Thomson has also been a key advisor and mentor for major initiatives on nonprofit strategy for organizations throughout the U.S., Africa, South America, Europe, and Asia.

"I'm incredibly honored to join the OceanX team to build synergistic partnerships across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors," said Nicole. "I am so pleased to lead this new effort at OceanX as we expand our already impressive network of partners to advance the health of the ocean."

Before her most recent work with the DeVos Institute of Arts Management, Thomson served as the Deputy Director of Development for the Park Avenue Armory in New York, where she grew fundraising by more than 25% from 2015 to 2017. In addition to the armory, Thomson spent a decade working at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.

Thomson joins OceanX ahead of the nonprofit's participation in the international COP28 summit and will further OceanX's international collaboration with governments, philanthropists, foundations, and other groups dedicated to ocean research, exploration, education, and storytelling.

For more information about OceanX's ongoing work, please visit the OceanX website. For media inquiries regarding OceanX, please contact Kyle McIntyre at kyle@thetascgroup.com.

About OceanX

OceanX is a mission to support scientists to explore the ocean and to bring it back to the world through captivating media. Uniting leading media, science, and philanthropy partners, OceanX utilizes next-gen technology, fearless science, compelling storytelling, and immersive experiences to educate, inspire, and connect the world with the ocean and build a global community deeply engaged with understanding, enjoying, and protecting our oceans. OceanX is an initiative of Dalio Philanthropies, which furthers the diverse philanthropic interests of Dalio family members. For more information, visit www.oceanx.org and follow OceanX on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and LinkedIn.