Our Story

Co-founders and cousins, Karim Iliya and Nessim Stevenson have been filming and taking photos of wildlife Born from years of underwater exploration by photographers, filmmakers and cousins Karim Iliya and Nessim Stevenson, Kogia was founded in 2023 to put ocean imagery in the hands of those protecting it.

Today, we operate as a nonprofit creative studio, offering free visual resources, training emerging storytellers, and producing impact-driven campaigns that deliver stories about nature to a global audience.

OUR STORY

A few years ago, cousins Karim Iliya and Nessim Stevenson were sitting on the roof of a boat gliding through deep blue waters in Tonga, eyes peeled for humpback whales breaching. They had both been working as documentary filmmakers and photographers, traveling around the world capturing stories about nature and those who protect it. Karim had amassed an archive of underwater footage featuring hundreds of species, and Nessim had worked with dozens of development organizations and grassroots initiatives. In the Pacific wind and sunshine, an idea was formed: to organize the footage Karim had been collecting in an online library and make it freely available to the types or organizations Nessim had been working with. That was where Kogia started.

In April 2024, Kogia’s Oceanic Library was launched. The organization combined their deep care for the natural world with their craft. Soon, the team expanded, and their scope of work grew to include media-based impact projects and a nature storytelling fellowship program.

At the heart of everything we do is a desire to protect nature and a sense that in order to that we must work together.

Who we are

We are an international group of people who are passionate about protecting life on our planet. Behind our work is a deep sense of care, but also a sense of urgency. Someone once told us ‘if you don’t know how to help, figure out what you do best and apply it’.

What we do best is visual storytelling, so what we’re trying to do is harness the power of imagery to foster a sense of awe and connection with the natural world, the power of stories to shift perspectives and policy. We’re also driven by a belief that we absolutely need more diverse voices telling conservation stories, which is why we are working to grow and strengthen a global network of nature storytellers.

We’re registered as a 501(c)(3) non-profit in the United States, but we’re based between Lebanon and Iceland.

What we do

Our Oceanic Library is a curated collection of underwater photography, video, and audio freely available to individuals and nonprofits working in conservation.
We are visual storytellers at heart. Our projects and services include filmmaking, impact-driven social media campaigns, and strategic communications consulting.
We nurture local and diverse voices in nature conservation through our Fellowship programs, equipping emerging storytellers with professional camera gear, hands-on training, and expert mentorship to tell authentic stories of the natural world.
As well as our own impact projects and media, we work to bring together voices from across all the fields of conservation. Our fellowship program gives young storytellers the tools, equipment, and training to tell nature stories from their own communities. They are also connected with scientists and conservationist to work on local impact projects, telling stories of those on the ground protecting nature. Some of the photos and videos they create go into the library which can be further used for conservation. These bridges create a system where storytellers, scientists, and conservationists work together to have a greater impact around the world.

Our Team

Karim Iliya

Co-founder
Vision & Content
Photographer, filmmaker and whale swimming guide, Karim has won numerous awards and has been published in National Geographic Magazine for his humpback whale photography and BBC Earth for his video work.

Reykjavík, Iceland
Nessim Stevenson

Co-Founder
Operations & Communications
Photographer and documentary filmmaker and creative specialized in humanitarian and environmental conservation communication, with experience working in over 40 countries around the world.

Beirut, Lebanon
Manal Moukaddem

Growth & Development

With years of experience in the nonprofit sector, Manal leverages her research and writing background to craft impactful narratives. She is a passionate advocate of empathic practice and nonviolent communication.

Beirut, Lebanon
Grace Cordsen

Strategic Impact

Grace works at the intersection of conservation, storytelling, and strategic partnerships. Her research and fieldwork in the Arctic and Antarctic focus on climate communication, community collaboration, and biodiversity.
New York, USA
Kalli Richards

Social Media

Kalli Jade Richards is a water-based photographer/videographer passionate about the global preservation of aquatic ecology. Through her work, she hopes to draw attention to the importance of water preservation.

Ontario, Canada
Jack Jeffress

Web Development

Jack is a computer programmer, photographer and expedition guide. Jack loves using technology to tell stories, create immersive experiences, and to make scientific research consumable and effectively communicated.

Sydney, Australia
Rana Tawil

Branding & Design

Graphic designer by trade and a writer by passion, drawn to the intersection of storytelling, effective communication, and interdisciplinary design.

Beirut, Lebanon

KEITH LADZINSKI
CEDRIC DAGEVILLE
AKASHA SUTHERLAND
SEBASTIEN DE HALLEUX
CARLA PIÑEYRO SUBLETT
LEA D’AURIOL

Advisors

REBECCA ILLING
JONO ALLEN
ARZUCAN ASKIN
THURAYYA ZREIK

Collaborators

Genus Kogia

The Dwarf and Pygmy sperm whales form a separate family from their larger namesake. They are shy, rarely observed at sea, and little is known about their behavior. Unlike oceanic dolphins, in Kogiids the crescent of the blowhole points backwards. They can also secrete a dark fluid from their intestine when frightened.

The little sperm whales