Born and raised on the Great Lakes, Kurt Ellison is a 15+ year veteran of the maritime shipping industry and has an academic background in rural sociology. He is currently a master’s student at the University of Washington’s School of Marine and Environmental Affairs. Motivated by his work experience, his primary research interest is maritime labor in the blue economy. His current research focuses on questions of equity for maritime workers in the offshore renewable energy supply chain. Through this work, he hopes to expand the ideas of equity by elevating the voices of the people who work on the ocean and waterfront.