My journey to establishing the Marine Foundation’s first significant partnership began with a connection that would profoundly shape our mission. I was born in Saint Vallier, a small town in Burgundy, France, to an 18-year-old Caribbean mother and a 26-year-old Polish father who passed away before I was born. My mother remarried a French man, Mr. Gressard, who adopted me after my mother left when I was six. Raised in France through my early years, I eventually found the support of my step-grandmother, who enabled me to move to the United States in my early teens. In Chicago, I was welcomed by a Gospel family on the South Side, where I completed middle school and university, finding a foundation to pursue my dreams.

Many years later, with the Marine Foundation well-established in Japan, I was introduced to Mr. Mason—a remarkable individual whose vision aligned closely with our mission. We were introduced by a member of the Marine Foundation around five or six years before the onset of COVID-19. I received an extraordinary letter from him, full of thoughtful reflections on our work. It was clear that he had thoroughly studied our content and approach, and his words resonated with me deeply. Based on my definition of the power of the “domino effect”—a concept I developed to describe the compounding impact of transformative actions. Mr. Mason also emphasized the “butterfly effect,” which he saw as a core principle for meaningful growth and development.

Mr. Mason’s background is as unique as his perspective. Part Indigenous American and part European, he had been following the Marine Foundation since its inception in Japan in 2013. He had a visionary plan to support Indigenous communities globally, offering an alternative to the oppression embedded in modern financial and social structures. Given my deep involvement in Africa, I conveyed to Mr. Mason that if he could unify Africa with a solid economic plan, he would have a powerful influence on Indigenous people worldwide, as Africa is the most resource-rich land on Earth. With my roots in African and European heritage, I was struck by Mr. Mason’s potential to act as a bridge between Indigenous communities and African leaders. His commitment to Indigenous values would be a tremendous asset for African nations, adding depth to his outreach across cultures and continents.

On one of my expeditions to Africa, I pioneered the first banking license for what would become the Development World Bank (DWB) in The Gambia, which offered Mr. Mason leverage in his relationships with Indigenous and Balkan regions. Back in Japan, I established DWB Japan despite the challenges of launching it amid the COVID-19 pandemic. DWB Japan would, to my perception, establish a corporate branch in Japan, while Mr. Mason’s efforts to develop the bank “DWB” Development World Bank in the Balkans, United States, and Africa already stationed license in the Gambia. (blog story on meeting the President of the Gambia)

When Mr. Mason declared that he would be the first billionaire to join the Marine Foundation’s Legacy Wealth Agency as a “Billionaire for Peace and Development,” I knew we had a partner with immense potential. His commitment was cemented as he became our first recognized official potential sponsor and the appointed as Chairman of the Board of Sponsors for the Marine Foundation. This partnership underscores the Marine Foundation’s principles—governance free from corruption, guided by a circular leadership model meant to outlast generations. Mr. Mason’s dedication to uniting people worldwide has set a new standard for the legacy we strive to build. To this day and for the potential of the DWB full achievement, he is offered the Position of President of the Wealth Legendary Legacy Agency at the Marine Foundation (also called “Billionaires for Peace and Development.”