Her life story so far is one marked by a series of diverse pursuits that include environmentalist, eco-entrepreneur, social media expert, TV producer, radio host, musician, and dragon boat racer.

Upon completing a double major in broadcast journalism and screen studies at Murdoch in the early 2000s, Mathilda returned to Singapore, where she carved out a successful career in the media industry. Over the course of a decade, she produced current affairs shows for Singapore's national broadcaster, Media Corp, and lent her skills to two radio stations. However, it was an unexpected turn of events during her dragon boat racing expedition in the Philippines in 2015 that became the catalyst for a profound shift in her life.

In just three days of competition, Mathilda found herself exposed to the harsh reality of polluted seas, an encounter that led to the development of an incurable auto-immune disease. Exposed to chemicals, raw sewage and harmful algae, Mathilda acquired three auto immune conditions within a week. Her hair and skin turned white within a month, and she lost her voice for six months, not ideal for a TV and radio career. After months of rehabilitation, this personal crisis spurred her to action, propelling her to establish the Ocean Purpose Project (OPP) in 2020, with a small but dedicated team. OPP, under Mathilda's visionary leadership, has evolved into a social enterprise championing creative and impactful projects with a mass-scale focus.

One notable initiative spearheaded by OPP is the advocacy for Plastic Pyrolysis, a revolutionary process that transforms plastic waste into fuel. The organization has diversified its efforts to encompass a range of activities, from beach clean-ups to plastic-to-fuel conversion and bioremediation. Collaborating with local Indigenous farmers, OPP is developing innovative systems that leverage aquaculture farming to produce biofertilizers and bioplastics.

Situated along Pasir Ris Beach, OPP operates out of Singapore's first off-grid beach office, powered by solar panels. This commitment to environmental sustainability has not gone unnoticed on the global stage. OPP represented Singapore as the global finalist of Climate Launchpad, an initiative organized by the European Union, and made history by becoming the first social enterprise accepted into the Shell Start-Up Engine for its OPP Plastic to Fuel unit. Mathilda's leadership was further recognized when OPP received the Most Sustainable Marine Conservation Solutions award in 2020 from Global Brands Magazine.

Beyond organisational success, Mathilda actively engages in raising awareness about marine conservation efforts and seaweed innovation at the international level. In 2022, she was invited to speak at prestigious events such as the UN OCEAN Conference in Lisbon, the COP 27 Conference Energy Day in Egypt, and the G20 Side Event: Ocean Purpose Project Seminar on Green Economy and Sustainable Business under B20 Indonesia.

Mathilda has channelled her personal and life-altering experience into a force for positive change. Her dedication to effecting meaningful transformations in environmental conservation is underlined by her pragmatic approach. In her own words, "Oceans don't get saved with just a Netflix documentary, fancy TikTok, or panel discussion at a high-profile event."

Mathilda's commitment to finding solutions is evident in her focus on swift action based on science, operational achievability, and solution engineering—an ethos she believes is far more impactful than a well-crafted social media post. As she succinctly puts it, "It's always impossible until it's done."

In the ever-evolving landscape of environmental conservation, Mathilda D'Silva stands as a beacon of innovation and determination, showcasing how a personal journey can fuel a global movement spearheading a more sustainable future.

Q&A with Mathilda