Angelo Villagomez founded the Friends of the Mariana Trench with Laurie Peterka, Cinta Kaipat, Ike Cabrera, and other conservation activists in 2008. Angelo and Cinta first proposed the Mariana Trench Marine National Monument in 2007, recommending that the federal waters around the three northernmost islands in the Marianas archipelago be protected in perpetuity, in line with Article XIV, Section 2 of the Constitution of the Northern Mariana Islands, which reads “The islands of Maug, Uracas, Asuncion… shall be maintained as uninhabited places and used only for the preservation and protection of natural resources.”

Angelo earned degrees in biology and environmental policy and has over two decades of experience in conservation—including leadership roles at the Mariana Islands Nature Alliance, League of Conservation Voters, The Pew Charitable Trusts, and the Center for American Progress. He brings expertise in marine protected areas, sharks, storytelling, and coalition-building.

Angelo is published in the scientific journals Science and Nature and has been quoted in the New York Times, NPR, NBC News, the Atlantic, Newsweek, Associated Press, the Guardian, Politico, and dozens of other outlets. He has twice been named as one of Washington DC’s 500 Most Influential People.

He is known for blending humor, Indigenous values, and strategic messaging to make advocacy accessible and impactful. He lives in Washington, DC with his wife, Eden.