Press Release
July 14, 2025—Encinitas, CA—Changing Tides Foundation is pleased to announce that Carolyn Saunders has been appointed its new Executive Director. Saunders, who assumed her new position earlier this year, is a mission-driven leader with deep roots in executive leadership, marketing, and love for the ocean. She has held positions at Urban Decay Cosmetics, L’Oréal, NARS, and Condé Nast and served as a startup mentor for the StartBlue Accelerator Program at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and UC San Diego’s Rady School of Management. Saunders brings a fresh vision to the organization while honoring the values and impact shaped by its founding team of adventurous, purpose-driven women.
“Carolyn joined the Changing Tides Foundation board in 2023, making her a natural choice to step into the role of Executive Director,” said co-founder and President Becky Mendoza. “Her energy, expertise, and unwavering commitment to achieving equity for women and girls in addition to her environmental advocacy make her the ideal leader for our next chapter.”

To celebrate this milestone and raise critical funds for its expanding programming, Changing Tides Foundation will host its first annual film night fundraiser—Seaster Stories: An Evening of Films, Community & Conversation with Women of the Sea on Thursday, August 7, 2025, at the historic La Paloma Theatre in Encinitas, CA. The event, organized by Changing Tides Foundation co-founder and President Becky Mendoza, will feature the world premiere of Marea, a short film created during the organization’s recent work with local women and girls in El Salvador, as well as powerful stories of women who live, ride, and thrive by the ocean. Proceeds from the event benefit Changing Tides Foundation, including its signature Women’s Outreach Mentorship Program (WOMP).
“I’m delighted to join the incredible team at Changing Tides Foundation,” said Carolyn Saunders, Executive Director. “This is an exciting moment of growth for us. From our first annual film night fundraiser to the expansion of our WOMP program, I’m honored to help carry forward our mission of empowering women, protecting the planet, and building community through the ocean.”
Event Details
Thursday, August 7, 2025
La Paloma Theatre, Encinitas
Doors open and reception: 5:30 pm PDT
Film Program Begins: 6:00 pm PDT
Admission: $20
The evening begins at 5:30 PM with a reception featuring music, a raffle with tickets starting at $5, and beverages, light bites, and activations. Guests will have the chance to meet members of the CTF team and collaborators from across the surf, environmental, and filmmaking worlds.
At 6:00 PM, guests will be invited into the theater for a curated screening of short films, including the world premiere of Marea—Spanish for “tide.” The film follows three women, las mareas, who are helping to shift the tide for women and girls seeking access to surf and skate culture in El Salvador. Featured are longboard champion Sindy Portillo who first partnered with CTF during a WOMP event in 2020; Andrea Magaña—artist, surfer, skateboarder, and founder of Namaskate Club—whose natural sunscreen brand helps fund female athletes’ participation in surf and skateboard competitions; and Suri Barrera, founder of Hijas del Mar, an organization that works to empower girls and young women from vulnerable coastal communities through surfing, education and community support. Marea illuminates the ripple effect of surf therapy and female solidarity in the face of systemic challenges.
Additional film selections will showcase global stories from women claiming their space in the ocean. Films include Let Me Chase This Dream by Bryanna Bradley; First In, Last Out by Christa Funk with Red Bull Studios, Milk and Honey by Caity Simmers and Steph Gilmore with Stab; and All Women All Waves by CTF cofounder and board member Leah Dawson and Mele Saili with The Seea.
A live panel moderated by Leah Dawson will welcome surfers, filmmakers, photographers, and community leaders including Leah Dawson, Christa Funk, and others.

About Women’s Outreach Mentorship Program (WOMP)
Changing Tides Foundation’s Women’s Outreach Mentorship Program (WOMP) is a transformative surf and mentorship initiative designed to empower underserved teen girls through ocean-based experiences, community connection, and confidence-building. Over six weeks, participants engage in surf therapy, body positivity, environmental education, and guided mentorship with female role models, fostering emotional resilience, leadership skills, and a deepened relationship with nature and the ocean. WOMP creates a safe, inclusive space where girls can explore their identities, process life challenges, and access the healing power of nature, all while building confidence through learning to ride waves.
WOMP is expanding its reach this year, having hosted its first Alumni Surf Meet Up in Oceanside on June 11th, and launching a new partnership with Monarch School and Groundswell Community Project in San Diego to serve teen girls impacted by homelessness and trauma. The August 7 Seaster Stories event is an opportunity for donors, partners, and the public to directly support this expansion and meet the mentors, surfers, filmmakers, and advocates behind the movement.

Image Credits: Carolyn Saunders, photo: Meiry Peruch, Flânerie Photo
About Changing Tides Foundation
Established in 2016 by a group of female surfers, Changing Tides Foundation empowers women to protect the planet and promotes inclusivity in the ocean and beyond. The feminine perspective helps cultivate healthy economies and productivity, and is critical in addressing climate change and pollution issues. We use surfing and the ocean as a tool for empowerment and environmental education. From plastic pollution to climate change, our goal is to activate our global community to participate in solutions that benefit the future of our planet.
To date, Changing Tides Foundation has executed successful projects in the US, El Salvador, Panama, Dominican Republic, Peru and our team continues to grow. Learn more at changingtidesfoundation.org.