Claire Simeone

Dr. Claire Simeone is a conservation leader, working fearlessly to heal the animals and ecosystems of our planet. A veterinarian by training, Simeone specializes in working with marine mammals, studying the connections between animal health, ocean health, and our own health.

Simeone has spent more than a decade in the veterinary field. In that time, she honed her skills as an expert in clinical marine mammal medicine. She has created novel therapies, like creating a treatment for sea lion eye trauma, and has researched diseases, treatments, and understanding health trends for marine mammals across North America. She has worked both in the field and in hospitals around the world, to improve animal health and welfare, train the next generation of health leaders, and advocate for conservation of wildlife.

Simeone is the Founder and CEO of Sea Change Health, an organization dedicated to safeguarding ocean health, and all who rely on it. Prior to starting Sea Change Health, Simeone was the Director of the Hawaiian Monk Seal Conservation Program at The Marine Mammal Center, the world's largest marine mammal hospital. Simeone was the first veterinarian selected as a TED Fellow in 2018. Her TED talk shared the concept of 'zoognosis', the knowledge spread between humans and animals.

Simeone is a seasoned speaker, and the author of numerous scientific articles and book chapters. She inspires leaders and organizations to cultivate a novel way of leading, in a return to listening to the innate wisdom of our natural world.