Pirates for the Planet: The Story of No One's Ark—and the Strategic Projects Powering Their Mission
Some ideas arrive quietly. Others show up with a 270-ton retired ferry, a pirate brigade, and a vision bold enough to rewrite the future of one of New York City's most polluted waterways. No One's Ark is here to make a statement.
Behind the Story
Focus Areas
We share stories of people who turn ambition into action—hoping to inspire others or offer the practical know-how to do the same. We're especially proud to spotlight non-profit founders whose journeys reshape what success looks like. This month, we spotlight Joe and Sean Leone, Co-Founders of No One's Ark.
Founded by twin brothers Sean and Joe Leone—writers, comedians, climate activists, community curators—No One's Ark is part environmental mission, part artistic movement, and part joyful rebellion against the idea that "ordinary people can't fix big problems." They're proving that community, creativity, and radical optimism can achieve what traditional systems haven't: meaningful restoration of New York's forgotten waters.
And now, for the first time, students and graduates on Qava can join the crew.
Restoring a Waterway with a History That Can't Be Ignored
Between Brooklyn and Queens, Newtown Creek tells a story of industrial boom, environmental damage, and decades of neglect. Oil spills, chemical runoff, and heavy industry transformed the creek into one of the most polluted waterways in the United States.
For most people, this would be the end of the story. For the Leone brothers, it was the beginning.
Their vision: Transform a historic ferry into a floating environmental center—powered by art, community, and education—and use it to fund and support ecological restoration throughout New York City.
They call it No One's Ark, and it's exactly what it sounds like: a vessel for hope, imagination, and real environmental change.
A Pirate-Inspired Movement Rooted in Community
No One's Ark leans proudly into its identity as Pirates for the Planet—a playful yet powerful call to action.
The "pirates" show up where it matters:
- 🏛 Public hearings
- 🌳 Park takeovers
- 📚 School workshops
- 🤝 Community meetings
- 🌍 Local environmental campaigns
Kids join them. Adults join them. Artists join them. Their events blend activism with creativity—protests with performances, education with culture, optimism with urgency.
Restore the relationship between
New Yorkers and the waterways
that sustain their communities
The Ark: A Floating Home for Environmental Imagination
At the center of the movement stands a remarkable vessel: The Schamonchi—a 9,000 sq ft, four-deck ferry with a 650-person capacity.
The Schamonchi: Then & Now
Once a passenger ferry to Martha's Vineyard, it is now being reimagined as a permanent anchor for community-driven environmental restoration. Once restored, it will host:
- 📖 Educational workshops and conferences
- 🎭 Live performances and cultural programming
- 🧘 Wellness and environmental retreats
- 🌱 A greenhouse and vertical farm
- 💼 Shared workspace
- 💰 Continuous fundraising events for ecological cleanup
The Ark becomes the engine—and symbol—of a broader dream: land reclamation, rewilding, and a greener future for New York City.
But behind even the most inspiring mission, there must be rigor, structure, and financial clarity.
That is where Qava talent comes in.
Three Strategic Projects on Qava That Will Bring the Ark to Life
No One's Ark is entering a critical growth phase. With repairs about to start, donor interest rising, and partnerships forming, they need support on the strategic and financial foundations that will carry the mission forward.
They've opened three live projects on Qava where MBA students and graduates can contribute directly to one of New York's most exciting environmental initiatives:
1. Financial Model Review for a New York–Based Non-Profit
The team has developed a multi-year projection covering repairs, operations, event revenue, and long-term environmental programming. They now need a sharp review to ensure the model aligns with the investor narrative and philanthropic funding requirements.
What you'll do:
- ✅ Validate assumptions
- 💼 Strengthen financial logic
- 📊 Improve clarity for partners and donors
- 🤝 Prepare the model for investor conversations
Great for analytically minded MBAs, finance professionals, or anyone who loves turning vision into numbers.
2. Review Investor Pack for New York–Based Non-Profit
The No One's Ark story is powerful, visual, emotional—and big. As they enter conversations with mission-aligned investors and advisors, they need their investor materials to be clear, compelling, and airtight.
What you'll do:
- 🔍 Identify missing elements or inconsistencies
- ✨ Strengthen the visual and narrative flow
- 📈 Ensure key metrics and impact statements land clearly
- ⭐ Highlight what matters most for early supporters
Perfect for students with experience in VC, strategy, consulting, storytelling, or pitch deck refinement.
3. Economic Impact Analysis — Newtown Creek Restoration
Inspired by the economic valuation of Central Park, the team is conducting a similar study for Newtown Creek—an area nearly four times larger. Your analysis will strengthen their case for funding, partnerships, and policy support.
What you'll do:
- 💰 Support grant applications
- 🏛️ Inform government partnerships
- 🤲 Enable large-scale philanthropic outreach
- 📋 Strengthen policy discussions
- 📢 Power public awareness campaigns
This work could literally reshape the environmental landscape of New York City and beyond.
Why This Work Matters
No One's Ark isn't just building a ship. They're building belief—belief that communities can restore what was damaged, that art and activism can live side by side, and that the future of New York's waterways doesn't have to mirror its past.
They tell us our dreams are too big.
We say: exactly.
Through Qava, students and graduates can help shape the financial, strategic, and analytical foundations behind this audacious vision.
This is hands-on experience with purpose.
Real impact.
Real responsibility.
Real transformation.
Join the Crew
Explore live projects on Qava and lend your skills to a mission that blends environmental restoration, community imagination, and strategy.