Matt Maraynes

Matt is a passionate animal advocate working to guide the creative and strategic vision of our work, in addition to helping oversee the organization’s day-to-day operations.

A creative and logistical problem solver, he spent over a decade working in the film industry, where he ran productions, developed screenplays, coordinated strategic initiatives, and consulted for major media and entertainment entities.

To cultivate his passion for helping nonhuman animals, Matt pivoted from the entertainment world, obtaining a Master of Arts in Animal Studies from New York University, and entered the nonprofit sector. After working as part of the executive team at The Humane League – an organization dedicated to ending the abuse of animals raised for food – he joined the Whale Sanctuary Project to aid in the organization’s mission to end the exploitation of captive cetaceans.

As part of the Whale Sanctuary Project’s core team, Matt uses his eclectic background to both facilitate the physical creation of its seaside sanctuary and, more broadly, to transform the way we human animals relate to and treat our nonhuman kin.