Did you know that we’ve only explored about 10% of the ocean? We know so little about the ocean, but humans have made a large impact on it. Every year thousands of pounds of garbage finds its way to the ocean and to our sea creatures.
The pollution we dump into the ocean not only harms animals but destroys habitats as well. The Sustainable Ocean Alliance has dedicated themselves to helping and promoting startups whose goal is to help the ocean in some way.
They are a global organization that advances start-ups, organizations that educate young people on the ocean, and other social outlets centered around ocean sustainability.
The Pineapple Fund and How they are Helping to Save our Oceans
Recently the Pineapple Fund has donated 123.32 bitcoin, valued at $1 million, to the SOA. The Pineapple Fund is as odd as it seems. A fund set up by an anonymous donor that doles out bitcoins to organizations if they are in need and deemed worthy.
A new form of philanthropy, dubbed "cryptocurrency philanthropy", the Pineapple Fund has been active since December 2017. Run by an anonymous donor, self-named "Pine", they claim to be among one of the 250 largest holders of Bitcoin in the world.
They have pledged to donate $86 million (5,057 BTC) worth of bitcoin to various charities around the world. In fact, they’ve already donated $54 million to 60 charities in need. Some of which include: Watsi ($2 million donation), The Water Project ($1 million donation), Pencils of Promise ($1.25 million donation), Hearts and Homes for Refugees ($100 thousand donation), Institute for Justice ($2 million donation).
When asked about the name of the fund the mysterious donor gave this enigmatic and quirky reply:
"I really like pineapple. Did you know that pineapples contain high levels of bromelain, which has been shown to be an effective anti-inflammatory, muscle relaxant, and digestive aid?!"
What is the Sustainable Ocean Alliance and Their Accelerator Program?
The SOA is an organization dedicated to accelerating startups, and other organizations in their quest to build businesses geared toward saving the ocean. They plan to jump-start the ocean economy with their accelerator program, called Ocean Solutions Accelerator Program. They grant startups funding in exchange for equity in the companies.
"SOA’s accelerator program launches at a time when emerging technologies such as the Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, Drones, Blockchain, and Autonomous Vehicles can be applied to create scalable businesses that unlock the potential of the ocean economy," said Nishan Degnarain, Special Advisor on Oceans to the World Economic Forum.
Located in the San Francisco Bay area, this competitive program has been set up to help grow companies that will address the issues such as depleted fisheries, plastic pollution, habitat destruction, and other various detrimental human activities.
The Sustainable Ocean Alliance has created a 12-week leadership and entrepreneurial program for the chosen candidates to go through.The deadline to apply to for this program is March 23rd, anyone the world over can apply. It all ends with a "demo day", August 30th, in which the different groups present their ideas and findings.
The program encourages young entrepreneurs, with pre-seed to seed stage startups, to build businesses within the ocean economy to help it flourish. The Oceans Solutions Accelerator program also provides early-stage companies with opportunities to talk with mentors, experts, and potential investors. This unique program features a rigorous curriculum that will encourage innovation, personal development, creativity in business, and executive training.
At the end of the day, we’re left with this simple fact: we need our oceans to survive. They contain sources of food, transportation, they are home to countless wildlife species, and (depending on the climate) they have the potential to do some serious damage to humans and the places we live. For all of these reasons and more, we should all be following in the footsteps of organizations like the Sustainable Ocean Alliance. We should all be encouraged to think of creative solutions to help our oceans and our economy. We should all be fighting for the future of our oceans.
Image Credit: Instagram: emilykacirphotography
