About Us
Founded by a surfing sisterhood, Changing Tides Foundation is a growing community of diverse collaborators with a passion for solving global challenges and creating change.
A Women-Led Organization for all people striving to make a difference in the world around them, CTF celebrates diversity & inclusivity.
Changing Tides Foundation was founded in 2016 by 5 SEASTERS that felt called to do more than just take waves. Born from a desire to create a community of people of all genders, shapes, colors and sizes who feel connected to the sea, CTF has grown into a beacon that calls us to use our voices to advocate for the planet and all of its inhabitants.
Our Mission is to Empower Women to Protect the Planet
Our vision is to create a community that connects us all to our humanity, our kindness, our planet, and each other.
Our strategy is to encourage individual action so together we can create collective change for equity, justice and a healthier future.
Everyone is welcome at this table of positive change.
Join us, because Together We Are Better.
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.
Meet the Founders
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.
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.
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.
Meet the Board
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Anna Santoro
Board Member, Finance 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 Foundation.
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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 Foundation, advising on the organization’s financial sustainability.
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Megan Easley
Board Member, Marketing Committee
Megan’s experience in digital marketing and digital media has been a huge contribution to the CTF Family.
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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 Foundation’s family of remarkable storytellers and stewards by serving as a board advisor.
Our Team
We cannot do this work without these amazing individuals who dedicate their time and energy to Changing Tides Foundation.
Carolyn Saunders
Executive Director
Lizzie Luh
Associate Director
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.
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Katie McConnell
Katie McConnell loves water and is an ecologist passionate about protecting our planet, uplifting women, and building resilient communities.
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Ella McCaffray
My name is Ella McCaffray, I am from Encinitas, I compete on the WSL Qualifying Series and travel the world chasing barrels. I’ve been in and around the ocean my whole life. From riding my first wave on the nose of my dad’s longboard to spending my grom summers at surf camp, I fell in love with surfing and wanted to make it my life.
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Shelby Stanger
Shelby Stanger is a journalist, podcast host, and lifelong adventurer who inspires women to step outside their comfort zones, explore boldly, and connect deeply with nature.
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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.
