While on a surfing trip to Bali, Indonesia Andrew Cooper and Alex Schulze were struck by the amount of plastic waste filling the oceans. Having grown up in Florida themselves, they feel a deep connection to the sea and all it provides and protects. Cooper and Schulze discussed this issue with local fisherman to get an idea of the ramifications this has on their livelihoods. After their conversations they decided to start an organization that staffs full time crews to rid the ocean of this unwanted waste.
Wanting to have a product to make from the recovered plastic, Cooper and Schulze decided to create bracelets as a “wearable symbol of their mission that would spark conversations about plastic pollution and it would act as a physical reminder to people to make ocean-minded choices like refusing single-use plastics.”
4Ocean has recovered 26,326,650 pounds of trash since 2017. Their unique approach as one of the few organizations that solely targets ocean clean-up has made a huge impact in communities and the world as a whole. Working in twelve locations, with seventeen vessels, 4Ocean employs 185 crew members who clean our waters.
This image comes from 4Ocean’s Osbourne Reef Tire Cleanup, where they work to remove hundreds of thousands of tires that have found their way to the ocean floor.
Stuart and Lisa Harrison are a husband and wife entrepreneur team who handcraft unique jewelry from their cabin in the mountains of Colorado. They also happen to be great family friends that grew up in my small town of Berryville Virginia. Originally starting in Virginia, Lisa used jewelry making as a way to fundraise for a missions trip. Though she was always passionate about art Lisa never thought it could be a viable career option. However, after her fundraiser, she started to change her mind. While attending business school she grew the business and eventually married with Stuart Harrison who became her business partner. Stuart had experience with woodworking and building which transferred nicely into the business. The two have worked together for many years now and have seem their business grow through many seasons.
