PolArctic’s Leadership Team

At our core are two talented and driven women who Provide the highest quality oceanography, policy, and data science consulting services to support responsible growth in the Arctic.

Leslie Canavera

Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Leslie has a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) with a concentration on International Business. She has over 16 years of experience executing large and complex programs in both the public and private sectors. She is a United States Air Force Veteran that served as a Commissioned Officer. Leslie was listed as a 2021 Forbes Next 1000 entrepreneur. Leslie is Yup’ik Alaska Native, and was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska.

Lauren Decker

Chief Scientific Officer (CSO)

Lauren Decker, holds a Masters in Science (MS) in Oceanography from the University of Rhode Island. She has provided scientific consulting expertise for over a decade working in research, modeling, and data analysis. At PolArctic, Lauren designed and built the first Machine Learning forecasting tool to predict sea ice extent for the Arctic. Her knowledge and skills were critical to the understanding and implementation of new technology in various projects with dynamic operating environments, and several environmental monitoring programs. Lauren is the recipient of The National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development, 2021 Native American 40 Under 40 award.