Conversations with Alex Cornejo

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alex Cornejo.

Hi Alex, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I grew up in Long Beach in a family of Mexican immigrants, and my experiences growing up have shaped a lot of who I am today. My parents separated when I was young, and I moved around quite a bit, attending four different high schools before eventually going to college in Long Beach. Moving so often taught me to adapt quickly and put myself out there. I realized I could either spend my teenage years keeping to myself or make an effort to connect with people wherever I went. I chose the latter, and that ability to build relationships with different people has stayed with me throughout my career.

I’ve always been creative and interested in the ways people share stories. Growing up before social media became what it is today, I spent a lot of time using my imagination. Photography became especially meaningful to me because I noticed that many of my friends and I didn’t have many family photos or candid pictures documenting our accomplishments. It made me think about how many meaningful stories go unseen simply because no one has captured or shared them. I became interested in the different ways we can tell those stories and help people connect with them.

I studied communications in college, where I discovered that I really enjoyed public speaking and communicating ideas. After college, I spent more than eight years working at a nutritional store, helping single mothers access the food they needed to support healthy pregnancies. That work was meaningful to me because I understood what it meant to watch a mother work hard to provide for her children. My own upbringing gave me an appreciation for how much access to resources and support can matter in someone’s life.

Eventually, I wanted to contribute in a different way, which led me into the nonprofit world. My first career role was as a community organizer in the South Bay, where I worked with several community groups, including a youth group. I loved bringing people together around shared goals, building relationships, and seeing what a group could accomplish when people were invested in their community.

Through that experience, I began to notice a gap. Organizations were doing important work, but the broader public didn’t always know about it or understand its impact. An opportunity came up for me to take on more communications work, and I started creating blogs, social media content, graphics, and other materials to help tell the organization’s story. As I did more of that work, I discovered that it was something I was good at and genuinely enjoyed. I realized that communicating the value of an organization’s work could be just as important as the work itself. You can have a great program or an innovative solution, but people need to understand it before they can support it.

That realization eventually led me to AltaSea. Interestingly, my wife was the one who shared the job posting with me. She felt I had a natural ability to explain stories and ideas that might otherwise be difficult for people to understand, and when she saw the opportunity to work in the blue economy, she thought it would be a great fit.

What drew me to AltaSea was the opportunity to tell a story that I believe more people need to hear. We have solutions that can help address climate change, protect our oceans, and create new jobs and economic opportunities. The challenge is scaling those solutions quickly enough to make the difference we need. The ocean touches every part of our lives, yet I think many people still underestimate its potential to help address some of the world’s biggest challenges. I saw an opportunity to help change that perspective by making the science, innovation, and people behind this work more accessible.

One of the things I’m most proud of at AltaSea is seeing our digital presence grow alongside the transformation of our campus. We work out of historic warehouses that are being reimagined for the future, and it’s rewarding to see more people discovering what happens here. Our website and social media have grown, and we’re seeing people come to campus for tours and learn more about the work taking place here. For me, that growth represents more than increased visibility. It means we’re connecting more people with the ideas, organizations, and solutions that could help shape our future.

Ultimately, my two children are what motivate me most. I want to leave them a world they can be proud to live in, one where they can thrive and where protecting our oceans and climate remains a priority. When we drive near the water, my kids sometimes ask if that’s where I work. I tell them that it’s what I try to protect so we can continue to benefit from it. Those moments remind me why this work matters and make the connection between my professional life and my life as a father very real.

Looking back, I didn’t necessarily have a clear plan for where I would end up. But each chapter taught me something about people, community, and the power of communicating a story well. Today, I’m grateful that I get to bring those experiences together in work that helps people understand what’s possible and why it matters. For me, it’s about making sure important stories are not only told, but understood—and helping build support for the solutions that can make a lasting difference.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It definitely wasn’t a straight line, and I think that’s something I’ve come to appreciate about my journey. I didn’t start out knowing exactly what I wanted my career to look like. I took opportunities as they came, learned from the people around me, and gradually discovered where my strengths were. There were moments when I had to step into something new before I knew exactly where it would lead, but those experiences helped me grow and recognize what I was capable of. Looking back, I can see how each chapter prepared me for the next, even when I couldn’t see that connection at the time. I’ve learned that you don’t always need to have the entire path figured out; sometimes you just need to be willing to take the next step.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My professional life has evolved around a common thread: helping people understand the work being done in their communities and why it matters. Today, I bring that focus to my role at AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles, where I help communicate the organization’s mission to advance ocean-related solutions, support innovation, and build a more sustainable future.

My role is multifaceted and goes beyond managing communications channels. I work on everything from digital content, social media, and website development to storytelling, media outreach, event communications, and promoting the work of our partners. A significant part of my job is taking complex ideas related to ocean science, technology, climate solutions, and the blue economy and making them accessible to people who may not be familiar with these fields. I want people to understand not only what is happening at AltaSea, but also why it matters to their lives and to our collective future.

One of the most rewarding aspects of my work is helping shine a light on the people and organizations developing solutions to some of our biggest challenges. AltaSea brings together researchers, entrepreneurs, educators, and industry partners who are working to protect our oceans while creating new economic opportunities. There are so many important stories emerging from our campus, and I see communications as a way to connect those stories with the broader public, potential supporters, and the next generation of ocean innovators.

I’m also proud to see how AltaSea’s public presence has grown alongside the transformation of our historic campus. From expanding our digital reach to helping more people discover our work through campus tours, events, and online content, it’s rewarding to see growing interest in what happens here. It reinforces my belief that effective communications is more than promoting an organization; it’s about building understanding, creating connections, and inspiring people to get involved.

My path into communications wasn’t entirely planned, but each experience helped me develop the skills I use today. My background in community organizing taught me the importance of listening, building relationships, and understanding different perspectives. Those lessons continue to shape how I approach my work. I believe the strongest communications start with understanding the people you’re trying to reach and finding a meaningful way to connect them to your mission.

Ultimately, I want my work to help important ideas reach the audiences who can support them, advance them, and benefit from them. At AltaSea, that means helping more people recognize the ocean not just as something we need to protect, but as a source of solutions, innovation, and opportunity for the future.

What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
I think adaptability, curiosity, and the ability to connect with people have been some of the most important characteristics in my journey. Growing up, I learned early on how to adjust to new environments and build relationships with people from different backgrounds. Professionally, that translated into being willing to take on new challenges, learn as I went, and recognize opportunities even when they weren’t part of a larger plan.

I also think initiative has played a big role in my growth. When I saw that important work wasn’t reaching the audiences it needed to reach, I wanted to find a way to change that. I learned that sometimes success comes from recognizing a need and being willing to step in, even if you don’t have everything figured out yet.

Ultimately, I think it’s about understanding people. Whether you’re working in a community, communicating an organization’s mission, or helping people understand something as complex as the blue economy, you have to be able to connect the dots and show people why something matters. I’ve found that when you combine that ability with a willingness to learn and a genuine sense of purpose, you can make a meaningful impact.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://altasea.org/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tgialx/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alejandro-cornejo-ba0215226/