OUR TEAM

Ana Blanco, Executive Director
Member, Board of Directors
Chair, Festival Committee

Ana joined IOFF as executive director in 2011. Ana brings a passion for the ocean and more than ten years of experience in executive nonprofit management at various organizations in the Bay Area. Most recently, she served as vice president and development director at BizWorld.org, an educational entrepreneurship curriculum for young students, and as donor relations officer for the San Francisco Foundation. Ana also volunteers with Blue Water Foundation, which is dedicated to introducing at-risk youth to the joys and challenges of sailing on the San Francisco Bay. As a certified scuba diver, she always looks for opportunities to explore and discover the beautiful underwater world.

Ana has served as a jury member for several film festivals, including Jackson Wild, CINEMARE International Ocean Film Festival (Kiel, Germany), San Diego Underwater Film Expo, FICMA Film Festival in Barcelona, Spain, and the Brest Surf Film Festival in Brest, France.

Olivier Jorda, Board of Directors, President
Co-Chair Governance Committee

Olivier is a seasoned media and technology professional and is passionate about the role that media can play in positively impacting our societies and the protection of our planet. Olivier is a fervent advocate of ocean preservation. 

Olivier recently moved to San Francisco from London, where he previously worked in various business strategy and leadership roles at Accenture and the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). Olivier currently works for Oracle, driving Oracle’s Global Strategy in the Media & Entertainment industry, and runs the North America Media & Entertainment Industry Board for Oracle.

Olivier joined the IOFF Board in August 2021 after a year as a volunteer advisor on the Marketing Committee.

Maribel Guevara, Board of Directors, Secretary
Co-Chair Governance Committee
Co-Chair Festival Committee

Born and raised in Quito, Maribel holds a degree as a professional tourist guide in Ecuador. She has been an environmental and documentary film programmer for the past 19 years, collaborating with film festivals in the US and abroad, including the Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital, where her love for film started and where she became involved with the global conservation community. She is currently the Active Cinema manager for the Mill Valley Film Festival in Marin County. This initiative seeks to empower the audience by giving them the tools to take action on issues featured in the films.

Maribel founded the ECOador International Film Festival in 2015, the first environmental film festival in Ecuador, where she curates the film program. The festival has attracted the attention and support of several private businesses and government agencies focused on green practices and has positioned itself as one of the most important film festivals in the country.

Maribel has always been an animal lover. She is an avid birder and a member of the board of the American Bird Conservancy. She is also an experienced diver with over 400 dives. She lives with her family in San Francisco, CA.

Janis Parthun, Board of Directors, Treasurer
Chair, Outreach and Education Committee

Janis is a finance and sustainability leader with a risk management skill set, providing thought leadership regarding new regulations or trends and operational best practices. With significant experience in service innovation and consulting services, she has demonstrated success in the development and integration of new services, business development pursuits, and guidance on technical matters.

As a passionate sustainability supporter, she values fair access to natural resources and proactive measures to mitigate climate change. In recent years, she has focused on the critical role of sustainability reporting, and as a carbon emissions accounting leader, she has become more deeply committed to environmental causes, such as the mission of the International Ocean Film Festival.

In her free time, Janis enjoys riding her bike around San Francisco or walking along Ocean Beach with her family and dog, Nico.

Karmen Johnson, Board of Directors
Chair, Off the Reef Annual Benefit

For 25 years, Karmen Johnson has helped companies manage their corporate reputation, build brand affinity, engage employees, and meaningfully connect with all stakeholders. She is a dynamic, visionary leader and advisor who delivers results and builds high-functioning teams. She has worked in various Fortune 500 companies and is currently the CEO of Edible, Inc., a food & beverage communications agency. She is passionate about helping solve big problems, including climate change, equity, and access to sustainable nutrition. Karmen was raised on a family farm in Minnesota and has enjoyed living in Seattle, LA, San Francisco, and Chicago, and currently resides in Sonoma.

Alison Nil, Board of Directors
Chair, Business Development Committee
Off the Reef Annual Benefit Committee

Alison is a dedicated environmental professional with over a decade of experience in clean technology, sustainability, and climate science. She has worked in renewable energy, water conservation, and sustainability software and was recognized as a Hearst Sustainability Champion for her exemplary contributions to the company’s sustainability efforts. In addition to her career in climate technology, Alison has also contributed research on regenerative aquaculture to the leading climate solutions anthology, Regeneration.

Prior to joining the board, Alison supported the festival through her work on the annual fundraising benefit and volunteering for IOFF events throughout the year.

Alison grew up on the Jersey Shore and spent as much time as possible at the beach and out on the water. The ocean is a place of healing for her personally, and through her work on climate change, Alison has developed a deep sense of reverence for the vital role our oceans have played in stabilizing the climate. She is excited to see how the blue economy continues to develop and is proud to support cinematic storytelling that shares its broader impact with the world.

Ken Wu, Board of Directors
Chair, Volunteer Committee

Ken is an environmentally-minded film aficionado who started as a patron in 2011, when the festival was held at the Aquarium of the Bay, and then began volunteering in 2017.

Ken was born in Taiwan and has lived most of his life in the Los Angeles and San Francisco areas. He has a background in biological sciences and has been involved with biomedical research in San Francisco. He is very active within the Greater San Francisco Bay Area, contributing his time and skills to many causes with a focus on conservation, social equity, and cycling advocacy.

He is interested in all things outdoors related to conservation and can often be found hiking, exploring, and diving along the California coast. He has a passion for the oceans and sees the IOFF as a valuable platform for raising awareness around important environmental issues. Initially contributing as the Volunteer Coordinator, Ken shared his enthusiasm and passion by managing more than 100 volunteers. He joined the Board in July 2023 and is always looking for ways to increase the IOFF reach and impact in the broader community.