The Sustainable Ocean Alliance is a nonprofit organization based in San Francisco, California.  Their main goal is to accelerate solutions for ocean sustainability.  They are seeking to clean the oceans and help bring the importance of ocean health into the public eye.  Since its founding the SOA has raised over 3 million dollars for ocean startups around the world.  It is the type of startup that upon first glance looks like the brain child of a wealthy venture capitalist seeking to use his capital to impact positive change.  However, the SOA started in a much different way and was started by a much different person.

The founder of the SOA is a young lady named Daniela V. Fernandez.  She came up with the idea in her college dorm room while she was studying at Georgetown University.  Fernandez is passionate about the ocean and wanted to come up with a solution for its growing pollution problems.  Since the conception of the idea five years ago the SOA has experienced a large amount of growth.  They now support over 150 startups related to ocean health in 60 different countries.  Fernandez is the young leader of a highly successful social enterprise.

There are a few traits about Fernandez that make her unique and the perfect person for running an organization like the SOA.  The first entrepreneurial traits she possesses is no fear of taking risks.  Few college students sit in their dorm rooms and think they have what it takes to save the oceans.  Fernandez thought she could (and so far she is).  The second trait she possesses is selflessness.  She did not start the SOA because she thought it would make her rich and famous.  She started it because she saw a real need for action before it was too late. Fernandez did not have a desire to make a lot of money but she wanted to start a business that would help millions of people.  The SOA is creating real change in the world’s oceans and it would not be where it is today without Daniela Fernandez.