Wendy and her husband, Eric, are co-founders of the Schmidt Ocean Institute, operating the research vessel Falkor, a mobile platform advancing ocean exploration and discovery using open source data to catalyze the sharing of ocean research.

Wendy has extended her ocean focus through the programs of 11th Hour Racing, advancing sustainability goals throughout the competitive sailing and maritime industries.

Since 2017, The Schmidt Science Fellows program has provided the next generation of leaders opportunities to drive world-changing advances across the sciences. It is the beginning of a broader $100M commitment to promote scientific leadership and interdisciplinary research.

Wendy has sponsored two XPRIZE Challenges focused on ocean health and is the Lead Philanthropic Partner of The Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy.

Wendy earned an M.J. in Journalism from the University of California at Berkeley, and a B.A. magna cum laude from Smith College.