Join the Alliance for the Blue Economy (allbluenc.org) and internationally-known and acclaimed futurist and author Deborah Westphal (deborahwestphal.com) for “Convergence Conversations,” a series of pre-recorded video interviews with national and local influencers.

In the introduction to her new book, “Convergence: Technology, Business and the Human-Centric Future,” Ms. Westphal writes, “all aspects of human life are rapidly converging at an intersection of people, business and the environment. With potential for either historic integration or a catastrophic collision, we have two choices: remain committed to profits above all else; or shift to a human-centric approach that embraces this convergence.”

Ms. Westphal will explore this concept in interviews with local and national leaders such as Brian Clark, Executive Director of the NC Ports Authority; Monica Jain, Founder and ED of Fish 2.0; Chip Mahan, Chairman and CEO, Live Oak Bank; and Dr. James Winebrake, Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, UNCW.
 
Ms. Westphal and her guests will discuss how the themes of sustainability and human-centric convergence resonate with and are embedded in the Blue Economy.
 
The first interview will debut in late October and will feature Glenn Anderson, Director of Cape Fear Ocean Labs (capefearoceanlabs.org). Interviews will be published on allbluenc.org and All Blue’s Facebook page at facebook.com/allbluenc.
 
The Alliance for the Blue Economy was launched on September 28 by UNCW’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) as a multidisciplinary initiative to establish southeastern North Carolina as a national and global leader in the Blue Economy. The World Bank describes the Blue Economy as “the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods and jobs while preserving the health of the ocean ecosystem.”