Imani Black grew up near the Chesapeake Bay, but a third-grade science camp changed the trajectory of her life. What started as a childhood fascination with oysters, blue crabs, and marine restoration eventually became a career in aquaculture—and a mission to make sure more people have an opportunity to build careers on the water.

In this episode of Life's Tough, Explorers are Tougher, Richard Wiese talks with Imani about founding Minorities in Aquaculture (MIA), the barriers she encountered as a young woman of color working on oyster farms, and why representation alone isn't enough. Imani explains how MIA has grown into a workforce-development organization creating internships, training, community, and pathways into the seafood industry.

Imani also opens up about the realities of becoming the CEO of an organization she initially wished existed for herself, why leadership can be lonely, and how the changing DEI conversation has forced her to become more intentional about communicating MIA's mission. Her ultimate goal is ambitious: make MIA a household name in aquaculture and create a pipeline of people employers immediately want to hire.

This is Life's Tough, Explorers Are Tougher, with your host, Richard Weiss. Scratch the surface of an explorer and you'll find an adventure and a great story. This show is about their tales.

This podcast is a proud supporter of the Explorers Club and the EC50 Initiative. 50 people changing the world that the world needs to know about. For more information, go to explorers.org.