Team & Advisory Board
Team
Charlotte Hudson
Executive Director
Charlotte Hudson is the Executive Director of the Blue Convergence Fund (BCF), an organization committed to supporting communities by providing actionable science to guide sustainable decisions about our oceans and coasts.
Before founding BCF, Charlotte led the Lenfest Ocean Program at The Pew Charitable Trusts, where she spent two decades bridging the gap between science and policy. Her work focused on evolving grantmaking and engagement activities towards more transparent and equitable methods, incorporating concepts of co-design and co-production. Charlotte’s career began with roles at the Ocean Law Project at Earthjustice and Oceana, which enhanced her understanding of how science informs law, policy and practice.
Her publications cover topics such as the role of philanthropy in engaged science, methods to increase use-driven research, and research impact. She co-chairs the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and serves on the Advisory Body of North Carolina’s Office of Sponsored Programs. Charlotte holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Davidson College and a master’s degree in environmental management from the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University
Sarah Close
Program Director
Sarah Close is responsible for identifying new funding priorities and managing grantmaking on Blue Convergence Fund’s climate resilient fisheries portfolio. With over a decade of experience at the intersection of grantmaking, usable science, and marine ecosystem management and conservation, Sarah is a leader in her field.
Previously, Sarah was a Senior Officer for the Lenfest Ocean Program at The Pew Charitable Trusts. There, she managed a grantmaking portfolio focused on climate impacts on oceans, supporting work on climate resilience in fisheries and management of protected areas. She also worked at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Program Office, developing expertise in climate adaptation and program management.
Sarah holds a bachelor’s degree in Biology and Environmental Studies from Bowdoin College and a Ph.D. in Zoology from Oregon State University.
Emily Knight
Outreach Director - Joining July 2025
Emily Knight serves as the Director of Outreach and Engagement for the Blue Convergence Fund. In her role, Emily collaborates with staff, scientists, and partners to connect the program’s scientific endeavors with decision makers and communities.
Previously, Emily oversaw outreach and engagement activities for the Lenfest Ocean Program (LOP), a role that involved working with staff, scientists, and other partners to link the science being supported by the program to decision makers across all LOP’s grantmaking portfolios. Prior to LOP, she was the Program Director at the California Ocean Science Trust, where she developed initiatives to help managers address climate change impacts on coastal and marine ecosystems, including leading the Ocean Protection Council Science Advisory Team and the West Coast Ocean Acidification and Hypoxia Science Panel. Emily also has a background in legislative policy, having served with the U.S. House of Representatives.
Emily holds a master’s degree in Oceanography from the University of Maine.
Dominique Kone
Officer
Dom is responsible for developing research priorities and outreach and engagement strategies within our Climate-Resilient Fisheries portfolio. Dom brings several years of experience working closely with scientists, policymakers, and coastal communities to provide science that informs ocean and coastal policies in the climate resilience, biodiversity, and nature-based solutions space.
Prior to coming to BCF, Dom worked for the California Ocean Science Trust where he developed and implemented science-to-policy processes in collaboration with state policy partners to advance state priorities and identify actionable strategies for managing and conserving our oceans and coasts. Dom also previously worked as a funder of marine conservation research projects at The Pew Charitable Trusts and as a Climate & Wildlife Fellow at the National Wildlife Federation in DC. Dom holds an MS in Marine Resource Management from Oregon State University, and a BA in Environmental Studies Science with a concentration in Conservation Biology from Colby College.