About Us

Founded by a surfing sisterhood, Changing Tides empowers women and girls through the ocean — helping them build confidence, develop new skills, and find community through surfing and shared experiences in the water.

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Our Mission is to empower women to step into their power.

 

Our Vision
Changing Tides is a women-led organization empowering the next generation of changemakers through mentorship, community, and the power of the ocean.

We envision a world where every girl feels seen, supported, and connected. Through surf-based programs, we create spaces where confidence grows, community thrives, and young women discover their own strength and potential.

 

Meet the Founders

 
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Becky Mendoza

Co-Founder

Becky is a magnetic woman who has a tremendous passion for helping others and for the greater good of our planet and it’s living beings.

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Her friendly nature and unwavering determination guides her uncanny ability to connect people. As an Immigration attorney and founder of Action Sports Law Group and as our Executive Director, she is highly respected and appreciated within the action sports community, her local community and in the non-profit world.

As a Cuban-American raised in Miami, Becky’s heritage and understanding of diversity, mixed with her profound sense of purpose and motivation in life, have been integral to the creation, development, and leadership of Changing Tides Foundation.
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Anna Santoro

Co-Founder

Anna is a vibrant, life-long surfer whose excitement for life helps fuel our vision and outreach. 

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As a Physical Therapist Assistant, Bodyworker, and Fit Align teacher, Anna applies her understanding of the human body and healing with an incredible intuition. In her role as leader of our Volunteer and Membership programs, she brings her incredible social spirit to the foundation of our volunteer network

Anna is a San Diego native who has long shared the gift of surfing through teaching and coaching. This makes her the perfect facilitator of our ocean and mentorship programs, bringing wellness elements into her teachings and breathing confidence into the young ladies she mentors. Anna’s light shines bright and her spirit inspires us all at CTF.
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Leah Dawson

Co-Founder

Leah is a visionary and story-teller with a deep passion and understanding of the healing powers of the ocean.

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She is a professional surfer who dances on waves with a style that is so graceful and distinguished, you can tell it’s her on a wave from a mile away.

As a media producer and filmmaker, Leah has been responsible for telling the story of our projects through beautiful films. She utilizes her athletic platform to speak out for gender equality in surfing, environmental activism, and policy reform.  She hosts women’s surf retreats, holding space for ocean healing and sharing her knowledge from a lifetime of surfing. She also works as a live camera operator for the World Surf League

Growing up in Florida, her roots in the ocean run deep and her love for humanity inspires her stories.

Jianca Lazarus

Co-Founder

Jianca Lazarus grew up between ocean swells and vibrant street life in South Africa. She picked up her first camera at sixteen — a pairing that shaped her lifelong connection to storytelling through movement, light, and culture.

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From surf adventures in Kommetjie and J-Bay to exploring South Africa’s diverse communities, Jianca’s early work captured the wild beauty and complex humanity of her homeland. Her journey then took her to Haiti, where she helped local women rebuild their livelihoods through sustainable farming for Oxfam Quebec.

At seventeen, she moved to New York City, launching her career in film and events before turning to photography full-time. Jianca’s work—celebrated in exhibitions across the U.S.—blends vivid color with honesty, revealing both beauty and truth in every frame.

Meet the Board

  • Megan Easley

    President of the Board, Marketing Committee

    Megan is a seasoned marketing professional and a trusted partner known for her creative vision and strategic insight. A mom of two beautiful girls, she is deeply passionate about making a difference in the lives of women and advocating for women’s rights. In addition to serving on the board of Changing Tides, she also sits on the board of Every Mother Counts, helping amplify the voices and stories of women around the world.

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  • Anna Santoro

    Board Member, Marketing Committee

    Anna is a San Diego native, lifelong surfer, and Physical Therapist Assistant. As leader of our Volunteer and Membership programs, she brings her intuition, wellness expertise, and social spirit to mentoring young women through ocean and wellness programs, inspiring confidence and community at Changing Tides.

  • Su Chuen Foo

    Board Member, Finance Committee

    Committed to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion both within the workplace and in outdoor spaces, Su brings years of investing, strategy consulting, and nonprofit work and her love for surfing and ocean to Changing Tides, advising on the organization’s financial sustainability.

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  • Board Member: Leah Dawson

    Leah Dawson

    Board Member

    Leah is a visionary storyteller and professional surfer known for her graceful, unmistakable style and her deep belief in the ocean’s healing power. As a filmmaker and media producer, she brings projects to life that champion gender equality, environmental activism, and ocean-centered healing. Raised in Florida, her lifelong connection to the sea continues to shape the stories she tells and the communities she uplifts.

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  • Luis Colomer

    Advisor to the Board of Directors

    Vowing to the leave our Ocean a little better than he found it, Luis contributes to the Changing Tides’ family of remarkable storytellers and stewards by serving as a board advisor.

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Our Team

We cannot do this work without these amazing individuals who dedicate their time and energy to Changing Tides.

 
 

Carolyn Saunders

Executive Director

Originally hailing from Canada, Carolyn lived and worked in New York City for 11 years before making the move west to Sunny San Diego, where she now lives with her husband and young son.

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Her professional expertise lies in digital marketing, CRM and data strategy, where she thrives in developing cohesive, 360° campaigns and experiences.

From a young age, Carolyn has been passionate about the environment and the preservation of the earth's oceans and coral reefs. An eye-opening high school sailing journey halfway around the world further cemented her determination to raise awareness around the current state of our oceans.

In her spare time, she can be found surfing, sailing, scuba diving, swimming and playing with her son at the beach.

Lizzie
Luh

Associate Director

Lizzie uses storytelling and creative strategy to inspire action. With a background in startups, marketing, social media, and content creation, she brings Changing Tides’ mission to life through narratives that engage people and spark meaningful impact.

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A lifelong nature lover, Lizzie blends creativity with purpose. She has personally witnessed how empowerment can transform a young person from the inside out, especially when a girl finds her voice and begins to trust her own power. That experience drives her commitment to helping more girls access confidence, community, and the healing force of the ocean.

When she isn’t working, Lizzie is surfing, spending time with her two dogs, catching up with friends, cooking, reading, or nurturing her wellness-centered side projects.

Abby
Kase

Project Manager

Grace
Kinney

WOMP Coordinator

Our Ambassadors

Our ambassadors are surfers, scientists, artists, and advocates who embody our mission by empowering women, protecting the ocean, and inspiring the next generation of change-makers.

  • Katie McConnell

    From charging heavy waves at Todos Santos to studying coral reef microbiomes, Katie embodies the power of women leading with courage, purpose, and heart. A champion surfer, marine scientist, and mentor, she’s using her platform to inspire the next generation to protect our planet and follow their passions—both in and out of the water.

  • Ella McCaffray

    Ella McCaffray is a professional surfer from Encinitas who competes on the WSL Qualifying Series and travels the world chasing barrels. Having grown up in and around the ocean, she caught her first wave on the nose of her dad’s longboard and spent her grom summers at surf camp. Those early experiences sparked a lifelong love of surfing and a deep connection to the sea that continues to shape her life today. Ella is passionate about encouraging others to follow their dreams, find confidence in the water, and share the joy that surfing brings.

  • Oriana Poindexter

    Oriana Poindexter is an artist and marine scientist whose work bridges photography, fisheries, and marine conservation. Through diving and specimen collection, she creates photo-based works that document the ocean’s shifting ecosystems and explore the connection between humans and the sea. Her work has been featured in Smithsonian Magazine, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal, and exhibited at leading museums and aquariums across the country.

Our 1% For the Planet Partners

We are proud to partner with companies that donate a portion of their profits to environmental causes.

Active Skin Repair

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Avosol

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Leus

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Patagonia

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JUNESHINE

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Mizu

Active Skin Repair • Avosol • Leus • Patagonia • JUNESHINE • Mizu

Female surfer riding a wave underwater with sunlight filtering through the water.
A man surfing on a wave in the ocean under a clear blue sky.
Two women jumping in the air on a curvy mountain road with tall rocky cliffs and green bushes in the background.
A woman in a wetsuit carrying a surfboard walking along a curving road with lush greenery and rocky terrain in the background.
A woman wearing a striped swimsuit balances on a surfboard as she rides a wave with her hair flowing in the wind.
Woman sitting in the open back of a decorated van with a Siberian Husky dog beside her.
A sailboat navigating through rough ocean waters with a woman on board adjusting the sails, under partly cloudy skies.
People swimming underwater, some holding onto each other, in a clear blue ocean or pool.
A woman with long hair wearing a red cap, sunglasses, a white and gray hoodie, and black leggings stands outdoors with mountains in the background.
Woman eating coconut on a beach with palm trees in the background.
Two women in orange bikinis hugging happily on the beach, with surfboards and a man walking nearby in the background.
A woman is mid-air jumping off a boat into the water, with her knees pulled to her chest and arms wrapped around her legs, against an overcast sky and calm sea.
A woman and a girl walking on the beach with a paddleboard. The woman is carrying the paddleboard, and the girl holds a paddle. The ocean is in the background.
A woman surfing on a large blue wave in the ocean.
A woman hiking on a dirt trail in a mountainous landscape with a brown camel following her.
Woman in a pink swimsuit diving over a surfboard on a black sand beach with green hills and ocean waves in the background.
Two women enjoying water activities outdoors with a mountain in the background; one is sitting on a stand-up paddleboard, and the other is kneeling on the paddleboard, splashing water and smiling.
A woman surfing on a yellow surfboard with a cat standing on the front of the board, in the ocean under a blue sky with clouds.
A woman wearing a colorful top and blue jeans climbing a palm tree amid green foliage in a tropical setting.
A man wearing sunglasses sitting on the sandy beach with a brown and white dog lying nearby. The man is hugging his knees, and they are both relaxing on a sunny day.
A woman surfing on a large ocean wave, wearing a blue long-sleeve top and black shorts, with a smile on her face and holding her arm up for balance.
A person snowboarding down a snowy mountain slope with mountain peaks in the background.
A woman with curly hair skateboarding in a skate park, with spectators in the background, captured in black and white.
Woman riding a mountain bike on a dirt trail through a forest with tall trees.
A person sitting in the doorway of a white camper trailer labeled 'Scout' in a wooded area, with cars parked nearby.
A woman surfing on a pink surfboard in the ocean waves.