Anna spent much of her early youth playing in Santa Monica storm drains, beaches, and her backyard compost pile, experiences that sparked her interest in the land-sea connection. Anna Cummins received her undergraduate degree from Stanford University and her Masters in International Environmental Policy from the Middlebury Institute for International Studies. She has spent the last 20 years working in the environmental field in marine conservation, coastal watershed management, bilingual outreach, and sustainability education.
Anna and her husband, Dr. Marcus Eriksen, co-founded 5 Gyres in 2009 with the goal of stopping the flow of plastic pollution through science, education, and advocacy. 5 Gyres uses first-hand, vetted science as the basis for upstream solutions, including banning single-use plastics, engaging corporations to reduce their plastic footprint, and working with communities to drive local change.