2023 David Packard Award Dinner

We’re delighted to present Wendy Schmidt with the 2023 David Packard Award in recognition of her wide reaching philanthropic leadership and commitment to ocean restoration around the world. Wendy has spent nearly two decades creating innovative philanthropic organizations dedicated to clean air, renewable energy, resilient food systems, healthy oceans and human rights for all.

As philanthropists, Wendy and her husband Eric apply their resources to advance scientific discovery and to support the communities and practices working to restore the balance between people and planet. Under her leadership, their organizations have enabled access to clean energy from the Navajo Nation to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, supported small-scale farmers and fishers of color to access climate-smart technology, provided a state-of-the-art research vessel to scientists exploring the world’s ocean, encouraged students to develop solutions for sea level rise, and brought sustainability to the sport of sailing.

David Packard was one of the most innovative business leaders of the 20th century. In addition to shaping the culture of Silicon Valley that is the foundation for its success, the scope of his thinking, his commitment to science, and his curiosity led to the founding of the Monterey Bay Aquarium and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI). 

He grounded the Aquarium’s work in science and fostered a culture that supports teamwork and innovation. Today, the Aquarium is at the forefront of ocean conservation and renowned as a global leader. The Board of Trustees established the David Packard Award to honor leaders whose scope and achievements embody the qualities of thought and action that David Packard held dear, and who have effectively worked to make the future of our planet surer and more sustainable.