Isabella Giordano

Bella is the Sustainability Research Fellow at 11th Hour Racing, where she supports sustainability policy development and identifies implementation actions for municipal adoption. Working closely with the City of Newport, Bella’s fellowship contributes to the Newport 2037 Comprehensive Plan, ensuring sustainability is embedded throughout the plan’s goals and policies. She previously served as the Grantmaking and Research Intern at 11th Hour Racing. 

Bella recently earned her Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Rhode Island, where she previously completed bachelor’s degrees in Environmental Science and Italian. Following her undergraduate studies, Bella worked with the NASA DEVELOP National Program as a Remote Sensing Analyst and Project Lead, using satellite imagery for water resource management projects, including monitoring Harmful Algal Blooms in Narragansett Bay and mapping floodplains in Santiago, Chile. 

Bella developed a connection to the ocean growing up on Cape Ann in Massachusetts, where she worked at a maritime museum and around historic schooners. Her passion was deepened by her visits to her family’s hometown of Castel di Tusa, a small fishing village on the coast of Sicily. These experiences inspired her commitment to protecting coastal ecosystems and communities. 

Outside of work, Bella enjoys tending to her garden, reading by the beach, and trying new creative hobbies.