Starting an Environmental Nonprofit: The Balean Founders Story with Bart Oor and Sander Brienen

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I have a special episode for you today.

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We have Bart Orr and Sonder Brennan on
the podcast today to talk about Bion.

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If you remember correctly, Bart was
on the podcast a number of months

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ago talking about collaboration.

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Today we're gonna be talking about
their founder story and how they

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founded Bion and what to expect
when they launched in October.

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This is a great platform.

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If you are somebody who is independent
or you have an independent project

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and you're looking for funding,
and you're looking for some.

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Report.

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Just full disclosure, I am a part of this.

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I'm one of their early adopters and I've
been working with them in collaboration

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to bring awareness of how people work
independently and how they need funding

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and how they need that kind of support.

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So we're gonna talk about that
on today's episode of the How

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to Protect the Ocean Podcast.

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Let's start the show.

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Hey everybody.

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Welcome back to another exciting episode
of the How to Protect the Ocean Podcast.

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I'm your host, Andrew Lewin, and this
is the podcast where you find out what's

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happening with the ocean, how you could
speak up for the ocean, what you can do to

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live for a better ocean by taking action.

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On today's episode, we have
two very special guests.

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We have Bart or and Saunders Brennan,
who are here to talk about their

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founder story in how they founded
Ballion, how they met as neighbors.

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We're gonna talk about what they do for
living before this and how they pivoted

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and how they wanted to really do something
that mattered in the crux of things.

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They both are entrepreneurs and they
are very passionate about the ocean,

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and they looked at the ocean, they said.

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What can we do to help?

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We want to help.

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And that's what they do, and that's
what they're doing right now, is they're

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building a platform to help independent
projects, independent individuals who

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want to do something to help the ocean,
and they're going to help them get

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funding and provide support for them.

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So it's gonna be a great platform
that I want people to know

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about, especially you guys.

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So let's get into it.

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Here's the interview
with Bardo and Sonder.

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Brennan.

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Enjoy the interview and I'll talk to you.

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After.

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Hey Bart.

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Hey Sander.

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Welcome to the How to
Protect the Ocean Podcast.

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Are you ready to talk
about marine conservation?

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Definitely.

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So yeah, bring it home.

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Right on.

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This is gonna be a lot of fun.

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Uh, Bart, you've been
on the podcast before.

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We talked about collaboration.

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That was a big, uh,
part of that discussion.

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And today we're gonna be talking about.

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Bian.

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We, we talked a little bit about Bion
last time, but we're really gonna

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go into the founder's story of Bium.

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We have Bart, we have Sonder here.

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You guys are the founders, and
we're gonna hear about what you

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are hoping to accomplish with Bian.

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We're gonna find out your backgrounds.

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We're gonna find out, you know,
the, the platform, uh, how

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this is all gonna work out.

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It's gonna be a lot of fun.

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Uh, this is gonna be something that I've
been looking forward to for, for a long

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time, so I can't wait to get into it.

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Awesome.

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But before we do.

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Why don't we just start off getting
to know you guys a little bit?

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Um, sand.

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Let's start with you.

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Since this is the first
time on the podcast.

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Welcome.

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Thank you.

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Once you just let us know,
let the audience know, uh,

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who you are and what you do.

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Yeah, thanks, uh, for having me.

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Uh, I'm Sanda, I'm, uh, from the
Netherlands, like both of course.

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Um, I'm the IT guy, so,
uh, is gonna be a platform.

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I'm, I'm the guy to, to
go to in terms of it.

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So I've worked is in it
in like 20 years or so.

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Um.

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Having done all kinds of roles and, uh,
in the, in the recent times, uh, I sort

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of got sick of all the money making all
the commercial stuff and, uh, decided

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to, uh, to do a third career switch.

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Third, a little pivot, another pivot.

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Uh, that, that is my third pivot.

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So I started like really deep dive it.

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Then I went more into consultancy.

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So that was the first pivot.

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Gotcha.

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And then, uh, that went more in
consultancy versus a combination

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in, um, how you say it, uh, uh,
business development, so to say.

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Gotcha.

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Yeah.

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That pivoted into a sales
leadership role and now, uh,

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I'm a full, full entrepreneur.

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Right on.

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I love that.

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I love that.

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That's quite the, uh, that's
quite the evolution, which we'll

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dive into to just a second.

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Uh, Bart, you've been
on the podcast before.

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Why don't you remind people of
who you are and what you do?

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Yeah, sure.

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Yeah, yeah.

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Bart, or, um, the, together with Sander,
I am one of the co-founders for, uh, for

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Ballium, and we are ocean entrepreneurs.

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And, uh, what we do is, uh,
we bring people together.

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Uh, we have a community of ocean
lovers, ocean impact makers, and

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anyone who cares about the ocean
and, uh, wants to feel like.

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I can contribute, I can make a,
I can make a difference, and, uh,

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I have an idea or I want to help.

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That's what we do.

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And where Sandler is the IT
person, I am not the IT person.

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I have no clue where to start.

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But what I really like is, uh,
yeah, I, I, I like collaboration.

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I like bringing people together.

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I like, um, um.

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Projects I like, uh, uh, having
long-term views and big visions.

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Uh, that's where I really thrive.

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Uh, but also, uh, that gives me energy
and that's where Valion is also in,

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uh, uh, especially now in the, the
current phases where things are really,

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really kicking off, uh, where we are.

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Uh, the, the ball is rolling.

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Um, yeah, we feel super excited about
where we're heading, uh, towards

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the launch of our bion platform
where all Ocean impact initiatives.

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Ocean storytellers and impact
makers come together and for any

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individual to, to join and participate
and be part of the solution.

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That's what we do.

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Yeah.

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I love that.

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And then we're gonna dive into that,
uh, in just a moment on today's episode.

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But I, I wanna go back a little bit
and, and dive into your, to your,

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you know, the beginnings, you know?

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Mm-hmm.

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Um, it's, it's a very interesting
story how you guys came together.

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Um, but, but before you
guys knew each other, um.

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Uh, and because of physical
proximity, I think, which we'll

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get into in just a moment.

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Um, so Sandra, you mentioned,
you know, you were doing it.

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Were you ever.

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You know, interested, you guys are from
the Netherlands, so you, you know, you're,

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you're surrounded by, by, by water.

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Did you grow up around the water?

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Did you grow up more inland?

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Like how did the ocean impact your life?

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Or, or did it at all
at that, at that point?

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Like at a young age or
as you were growing up?

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Yeah, so first of all I was grown up
more inland, so not really at the coast.

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Um Gotcha.

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But at age 20 or so, I went for a long
trip to Australia and New Zealand.

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And that's where, um, yeah, I, I really
love nature in general, but, uh, I, I

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went diving on the Great Barrier Reef.

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That was an amazing experience.

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Then I went to New Zealand where
you have this huge national park.

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It's, it's incredibly
large with a lot of rain.

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The Millford South, I'm
not sure if you know it.

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And, uh, yeah, that's also like a, a, the
most beautiful area in the world, I think.

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So people that went to Norway
in, in in Europe will know a

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little bit how it would look.

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It's, it's a bit like a furat in
Norway, that that's, that's magnificent.

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And, um, so that's where
I started loving it.

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Um, uh, later in my life, I also
went to islands, uh, in, in the

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Netherlands often for vacations.

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Uh, started doing sailing
and, and things like that.

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So I have my sale, um, how it's called.

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License or so like a driving license,
but then for sailboats, yeah.

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Nice, nice.

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Yeah.

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So yeah, slowly it's in my, in my younger
years, not, but in, in, in the, in my

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later ages, uh, in my twenties, so to
say, I really got this, this love for, for

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coastal areas, uh, sea water in general.

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Yeah.

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Yeah.

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That started, it's, it's so funny how,
like, you know, I, I'm surrounded,

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I live in Ontario, Canada, and
I'm surrounded by the Great Lakes.

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Yeah.

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A lot of times growing up, all you
think about is going elsewhere for

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water, like for, you know, for the
actual ocean, not, not what we call the

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Sweetwater Ocean here in the Great Lakes.

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Oh yeah.

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But, um, you know, you, you go to
these beautiful places, Australia, New

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Zealand, like the Caribbean, and, and.

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And down in like the south,
like in the Mediterranean, all

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these beautiful tropical places.

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But we have these wonderful coastlines
definitely just around our own, back in

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our own, you know, quote unquote backyard.

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And, you know, you can do sailing
and you can do scuba diving

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and you can do snorkeling.

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Might be a little cooler in the
water, but it's still, uh, you

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know, beautiful and picturesque.

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And, and we just don't realize it
until maybe we're, we're adults.

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Like, like sonder, when you start
to go on vacations to these.

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So these, uh, you know, islands in the
Netherlands, which, you know, I would

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imagine would be spectacular views.

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Yeah.

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Nice.

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Yeah.

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Um, some nice water with a
lot of wind I'm sure as well.

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Uh, to, for good, for great for sailing.

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Yeah.

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Uh, which, which is, which is wonderful.

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Yeah.

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Um, and I think that's, I think that's
really interesting to, to get that

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appreciation for the ocean as you grow
up and you're able to get some, a little

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bit of money to travel and, and to,
to move out, like, you know, in your

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twenties and, and thirties and so forth.

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And I think that's, that's really great.

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Now, you, you chose.

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You know, the life of an IT
person, you know, an IT guy.

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And so the, the first job, when you said
you were like deep into it, did you work

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for, you know, a company where you were
that IT person, you're setting up the

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computers, you're looking at the networks.

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Oh, you're looking at security.

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Was that the kind of it
you were entirely not.

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Oh, okay.

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That would, what were you doing?

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No, I, I, in my, uh, time I was
studying, I, I worked for an organization

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where you had exactly that role and
I. Did a bit of that, but that was

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definitely not my cup of the, uh, right.

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I went for a big integrator and, uh,
in that organization I did projects for

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large organizations where I programmed,
um, computer systems and think about,

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for example, you have, nowadays you
have this banking app on your phone.

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Mm-hmm.

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Things like that.

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Oh wow.

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Yeah.

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So you're like creating Yeah.

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But then really like backend
systems, like mm-hmm.

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Really large backend systems.

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Uh, uh, we, we build those things.

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Yeah.

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That's amazing.

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He, he still repairs my
iPad if I mess up with it.

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I mean, he tells he doesn't
do that, but he can, he can.

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I, I, he can still, he can still
do that to a certain extent.

238
00:09:57,375 --> 00:09:57,945
I can.

239
00:09:58,005 --> 00:10:01,545
Uh, there is a limitation though,
uh, with, with Windows, I don't

240
00:10:01,545 --> 00:10:04,245
go, go well with Windows, but
for all the rest I'm good.

241
00:10:06,075 --> 00:10:08,085
And, uh, so yeah, no, duly noted.

242
00:10:08,175 --> 00:10:08,535
Yeah.

243
00:10:08,625 --> 00:10:09,915
But, uh, duly noted.

244
00:10:10,275 --> 00:10:10,750
But I mean that like.

245
00:10:11,390 --> 00:10:14,599
That's pretty cool that you, you know,
you, you are part of these teams that

246
00:10:14,599 --> 00:10:17,479
create like the backend because I
think a lot of people don't really

247
00:10:17,479 --> 00:10:20,270
understand, we see the front end of
a lot of these banking apps and Yeah.

248
00:10:20,270 --> 00:10:23,630
That we know and trust and, and know
that they're secure to handle our money.

249
00:10:23,630 --> 00:10:26,660
And, and I know, I know when like
mobile banking came out for me.

250
00:10:27,795 --> 00:10:29,745
You know, you don't trust
it at the beginning.

251
00:10:29,745 --> 00:10:31,185
You're just like, well, hold on a second.

252
00:10:31,185 --> 00:10:33,315
Like, this is not something
that's gonna work.

253
00:10:33,315 --> 00:10:35,925
But it works out so well because
of people like yourself, you know,

254
00:10:35,925 --> 00:10:38,805
around the world that are working
on these, these backend systems.

255
00:10:38,805 --> 00:10:40,125
It's, it's like a pretty important thing.

256
00:10:40,125 --> 00:10:41,865
It's like the unsung heroes of modern day.

257
00:10:42,280 --> 00:10:44,740
You know, banking and, and
using mobile apps and stuff.

258
00:10:44,770 --> 00:10:46,150
'cause we don't realize it.

259
00:10:46,150 --> 00:10:48,760
We used to see the front, we just see
the user interface and that's all we

260
00:10:48,760 --> 00:10:50,530
care about, you know, as, as we use it.

261
00:10:50,530 --> 00:10:50,800
Right.

262
00:10:50,800 --> 00:10:54,010
And, and so I think it's, uh, it's
kind of nice that you got to be

263
00:10:54,010 --> 00:10:58,630
a part of that, you know, and has
like meaning towards people's lives.

264
00:10:58,660 --> 00:10:58,720
Yeah.

265
00:10:58,720 --> 00:11:02,709
I mean, that's gotta be a, is that
a big driver for you when you work

266
00:11:02,709 --> 00:11:06,280
on something like when you look like
every time you've done pivoting?

267
00:11:06,490 --> 00:11:06,640
Yeah.

268
00:11:06,699 --> 00:11:06,880
Right.

269
00:11:06,880 --> 00:11:09,730
You mentioned that you've done
pivoting before, like from the, the.

270
00:11:09,925 --> 00:11:13,015
The work that you were doing, working on
these backend systems and then going into

271
00:11:13,015 --> 00:11:15,984
consultancy, what was the driver to move?

272
00:11:15,984 --> 00:11:19,915
Was it just something different or what
was that, that quest you wanted to get?

273
00:11:19,944 --> 00:11:22,555
Yeah, so it, that started
in my youth, I must say.

274
00:11:22,555 --> 00:11:26,064
So I, my youth, I start playing with my,
with the computer that we had at home.

275
00:11:26,064 --> 00:11:28,915
And that slowly became sort
of my computer, although

276
00:11:28,915 --> 00:11:30,415
it was in fact my parents.

277
00:11:31,224 --> 00:11:31,584
Right?

278
00:11:31,584 --> 00:11:31,974
Right.

279
00:11:32,035 --> 00:11:33,444
But I was doing so much with it.

280
00:11:33,444 --> 00:11:37,045
And also I knew a lot more
than, than, uh, both my parents.

281
00:11:37,045 --> 00:11:39,055
So they started also asking me things.

282
00:11:39,699 --> 00:11:41,860
And, and that's also you mentioned, okay.

283
00:11:41,860 --> 00:11:43,000
It it's creating, yeah.

284
00:11:43,000 --> 00:11:43,780
It, it's creating.

285
00:11:43,780 --> 00:11:49,060
So I, I remember a situation where
my, my dad was asking me, uh, to

286
00:11:49,060 --> 00:11:50,740
build something as you had a problem.

287
00:11:50,740 --> 00:11:53,560
And he was describing it to me,
and then I had to build it for

288
00:11:53,560 --> 00:11:55,074
him in, I, I think it was in, in.

289
00:11:55,935 --> 00:12:00,600
In, in batch script, in, uh, in, um,
uh, MS. Dos back then, long time ago.

290
00:12:00,600 --> 00:12:00,810
Oh, wow.

291
00:12:00,945 --> 00:12:01,915
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

292
00:12:03,570 --> 00:12:08,190
Um, but yeah, remember those days, but,
but taking in his question, uh, building

293
00:12:08,190 --> 00:12:11,400
something and then handing it back and
getting the feedback, oh, this is great.

294
00:12:11,400 --> 00:12:12,270
You, you've done it.

295
00:12:12,450 --> 00:12:13,530
Uh, very good.

296
00:12:13,710 --> 00:12:14,970
This is exactly what I wanted.

297
00:12:15,839 --> 00:12:16,980
That was my driver.

298
00:12:16,980 --> 00:12:17,760
So exactly.

299
00:12:18,390 --> 00:12:21,990
Translating the question into
something workable and then see

300
00:12:21,990 --> 00:12:26,010
people using that, that's, that's
definitely something I, I love to do.

301
00:12:26,010 --> 00:12:27,630
That's also why I went for that.

302
00:12:28,110 --> 00:12:30,329
Also because, yeah, I did so
much with computers already.

303
00:12:30,329 --> 00:12:33,660
It was sort of logical follow up
to go, uh, for sure study that.

304
00:12:34,050 --> 00:12:39,420
And then at some point, yeah, the
switch to consultancy, um, is also

305
00:12:39,420 --> 00:12:42,204
because that helped me go much
more in front of the customer.

306
00:12:43,064 --> 00:12:47,055
I was already having a, a customer
facing role, but that really got

307
00:12:47,055 --> 00:12:50,385
me into, okay, now you go into
the customer here, his problem,

308
00:12:50,385 --> 00:12:52,125
and then, uh, give him a solution.

309
00:12:52,604 --> 00:12:53,234
And yeah.

310
00:12:53,324 --> 00:12:57,885
Um, later on I went for customer success,
which is sort of a, a sales role.

311
00:12:58,245 --> 00:13:02,685
Uh, and the same thing, help the customer
improve, help the customer be successful,

312
00:13:02,685 --> 00:13:04,905
and, and that's, uh, being successful.

313
00:13:04,935 --> 00:13:06,795
That's what really the,
the, the big drive.

314
00:13:07,635 --> 00:13:08,445
Yeah, that's interesting.

315
00:13:08,445 --> 00:13:11,745
'cause like I, my day job, I work
as a customer success person.

316
00:13:11,745 --> 00:13:11,890
Yeah, I know.

317
00:13:12,015 --> 00:13:12,225
Yeah.

318
00:13:12,225 --> 00:13:13,605
We, we talked about this before.

319
00:13:13,695 --> 00:13:13,845
Yeah.

320
00:13:13,905 --> 00:13:15,255
Uh, which is, which is great.

321
00:13:15,285 --> 00:13:16,275
Uh, so that, yeah.

322
00:13:16,275 --> 00:13:16,755
That's amazing.

323
00:13:16,875 --> 00:13:19,545
It's such a, uh, must have
been quite the change.

324
00:13:19,605 --> 00:13:24,795
Uh, were there some challenges that you
had going from, you know, working in

325
00:13:24,795 --> 00:13:26,985
the back end to be more customer facing?

326
00:13:27,225 --> 00:13:30,705
Of course you have to learn,
uh, I mean if you, if you've

327
00:13:30,735 --> 00:13:32,655
ever worked with developers.

328
00:13:33,180 --> 00:13:34,650
They tend to be the shy people.

329
00:13:35,520 --> 00:13:35,640
Mm-hmm.

330
00:13:35,885 --> 00:13:36,085
Mm-hmm.

331
00:13:36,265 --> 00:13:41,100
And, uh, yeah, going into a public
or a customer facing role, you

332
00:13:41,100 --> 00:13:42,900
have to be a lot more proactive.

333
00:13:42,960 --> 00:13:45,360
You have to be a lot more communicative.

334
00:13:45,900 --> 00:13:46,445
Um mm-hmm.

335
00:13:46,560 --> 00:13:46,650
Yeah.

336
00:13:47,070 --> 00:13:51,750
In the beginning you had some struggles,
but then I had also good people or make

337
00:13:51,750 --> 00:13:54,000
good mentors That helped me improve.

338
00:13:54,000 --> 00:13:58,530
That helped me see, uh, what to change
and what, what to improve, um, right.

339
00:13:58,555 --> 00:13:58,845
Yeah.

340
00:13:58,945 --> 00:14:00,060
And, and, and yeah.

341
00:14:00,120 --> 00:14:01,560
Now from there, and.

342
00:14:02,745 --> 00:14:05,505
That, that's, that's really helped
me in, in, in getting better in it.

343
00:14:05,565 --> 00:14:13,365
And I must say, um, I have this tendency
of, of seeing the way forward very easily.

344
00:14:13,365 --> 00:14:17,175
So people tell me, and then
some, it already starts going

345
00:14:17,175 --> 00:14:18,135
round and round in my hand.

346
00:14:18,165 --> 00:14:19,515
Okay, this could be the solution.

347
00:14:19,515 --> 00:14:21,945
And I immediately sub see a path forward.

348
00:14:22,395 --> 00:14:26,745
Uh, but I also see from,
from limited context.

349
00:14:26,775 --> 00:14:27,225
Okay.

350
00:14:27,225 --> 00:14:28,635
But this is the situation.

351
00:14:28,635 --> 00:14:31,520
You have other organizations with
similar situations, so it must be this.

352
00:14:32,250 --> 00:14:35,100
And then you tell those
people and then they got, wow.

353
00:14:35,310 --> 00:14:36,510
That's exactly the problem.

354
00:14:36,510 --> 00:14:40,350
But that's because there were so many
organizations already before them that.

355
00:14:41,010 --> 00:14:42,090
Yeah, it's then easy.

356
00:14:42,300 --> 00:14:43,260
Yeah, that makes it easy.

357
00:14:43,260 --> 00:14:48,150
So also experience, uh, the years
working in there, uh, helped in

358
00:14:48,450 --> 00:14:50,310
making, being successful in that.

359
00:14:50,310 --> 00:14:50,520
Yeah.

360
00:14:51,330 --> 00:14:51,720
Yeah.

361
00:14:51,780 --> 00:14:52,440
That's amazing.

362
00:14:52,770 --> 00:14:56,250
Now going from that, you're getting,
you know, you have this, this technical

363
00:14:56,250 --> 00:14:59,310
background that you've been building
over these years, not only from a

364
00:14:59,310 --> 00:15:02,730
backend perspective and behind the
scenes perspective, but now you're

365
00:15:02,730 --> 00:15:05,400
getting into customer facing, so
you're dealing more with customers

366
00:15:05,400 --> 00:15:06,600
and more with people facing it.

367
00:15:06,930 --> 00:15:08,490
Now you become an entrepreneur.

368
00:15:08,495 --> 00:15:08,645
Yes.

369
00:15:09,020 --> 00:15:15,380
You know, what, what made was is, is bian
your first go at being an entrepreneur

370
00:15:15,560 --> 00:15:19,490
or is this is, I mean, obviously
you're, you have your own consultancy.

371
00:15:19,490 --> 00:15:21,980
That's, that's an
entrepreneurial kind of venture.

372
00:15:21,980 --> 00:15:25,760
But was bian your next,
uh, your next leap I guess?

373
00:15:26,150 --> 00:15:30,410
Yeah, and, and going like fully
entrepreneurial at Bion, I suppose,

374
00:15:30,470 --> 00:15:33,170
and, and the, the organization
behind it is my first leap.

375
00:15:33,590 --> 00:15:36,230
Uh, in a previous role I did, um.

376
00:15:36,900 --> 00:15:41,130
Become responsible for a larger team and
also responsible for profit and loss.

377
00:15:41,130 --> 00:15:45,360
So that makes you already a kind
of entrepreneur, but mm-hmm.

378
00:15:45,660 --> 00:15:49,590
Um, I was always under the hood of
something else, so I was always.

379
00:15:50,490 --> 00:15:55,260
Working for larger organization,
uh, but with a profit and

380
00:15:55,260 --> 00:15:57,480
loss responsibility and yeah.

381
00:15:57,480 --> 00:15:59,400
Now I'm, I'm com completely on my own.

382
00:15:59,490 --> 00:15:59,550
Yeah.

383
00:16:01,079 --> 00:16:03,120
Now we have our own assets
on the table, right?

384
00:16:03,120 --> 00:16:03,210
Yeah.

385
00:16:03,535 --> 00:16:04,824
Balance suddenly.

386
00:16:06,360 --> 00:16:07,560
But it's also the freedom.

387
00:16:07,560 --> 00:16:12,480
I mean, uh, I am very secure
in it nowadays, in, in moving

388
00:16:12,480 --> 00:16:14,944
forward and, and, and yeah, I'm
enjoying the freedom as well.

389
00:16:15,765 --> 00:16:17,205
Yeah, you were and you
were ready for that.

390
00:16:17,205 --> 00:16:17,265
Yeah.

391
00:16:17,295 --> 00:16:22,545
'cause come like, like with, with freedom
also comes a lot more responsibility.

392
00:16:22,545 --> 00:16:22,635
Yes.

393
00:16:22,875 --> 00:16:23,175
Right?

394
00:16:23,175 --> 00:16:25,425
And, and there's a lot more, um.

395
00:16:26,685 --> 00:16:30,195
I guess there's a lot more risk when it
come, when you're, you know, you, you move

396
00:16:30,195 --> 00:16:33,855
fully as an entrepreneur and, and that,
that takes a lot of guts to do that move.

397
00:16:33,855 --> 00:16:33,915
Yeah.

398
00:16:34,575 --> 00:16:38,955
But also to, uh, to just be like, yeah,
no, I'm responsible for this risk.

399
00:16:38,955 --> 00:16:39,885
So it's like it's on me.

400
00:16:39,885 --> 00:16:39,945
Yeah.

401
00:16:39,945 --> 00:16:40,575
It's on Bart.

402
00:16:40,575 --> 00:16:43,035
Like it's on us, like, as
a team to, to move forward.

403
00:16:43,125 --> 00:16:43,395
Exactly.

404
00:16:43,395 --> 00:16:46,455
And I think that takes some time to
evolve as a business person, as you

405
00:16:46,455 --> 00:16:49,995
have to get into that, as someone
who, who also had had to go through

406
00:16:49,995 --> 00:16:51,645
that in, in certain times of my life.

407
00:16:51,675 --> 00:16:51,885
Yeah.

408
00:16:52,090 --> 00:16:54,040
I know there's one time where
I was not ready and then I

409
00:16:54,040 --> 00:16:55,000
went back to the workforce.

410
00:16:55,000 --> 00:16:58,030
So, you know, you, you kind of evolve
as you, as you get, and you get more

411
00:16:58,030 --> 00:16:59,650
comfortable with that, that type of risk.

412
00:16:59,755 --> 00:17:04,630
If, if you feel that the risks are
really pressing you down and making you

413
00:17:04,630 --> 00:17:10,360
reluctant and, and mm-hmm tired, anxiety,
then, then that's not the right time.

414
00:17:10,420 --> 00:17:11,770
Then it's better to move back.

415
00:17:12,130 --> 00:17:15,370
If the risk is just okay, a
challenge to change and to move

416
00:17:15,370 --> 00:17:17,135
forward with, then you're good.

417
00:17:17,845 --> 00:17:18,375
Then you're good.

418
00:17:18,520 --> 00:17:19,150
Yeah, absolutely.

419
00:17:19,150 --> 00:17:20,020
I completely agree.

420
00:17:20,415 --> 00:17:21,705
Do something different, right?

421
00:17:21,705 --> 00:17:25,965
It can also be really if the walls
come towards you, in that sense mm-hmm.

422
00:17:26,265 --> 00:17:30,345
It's in, in a way, it's also
a route you have to travel.

423
00:17:30,345 --> 00:17:31,485
You, you, you cannot help it.

424
00:17:31,575 --> 00:17:37,695
Uh, so yeah, I, I really believe
that, uh, entrepreneurial mindset

425
00:17:37,695 --> 00:17:40,065
is something you, uh, you.

426
00:17:40,635 --> 00:17:44,085
It's, it's, it doesn't change from
one day to the other, uh, when you,

427
00:17:44,115 --> 00:17:47,715
uh, uh, register at the Chamber of
Commerce, but it's more like something

428
00:17:47,715 --> 00:17:49,065
that has always been there, right?

429
00:17:49,335 --> 00:17:49,515
Yes.

430
00:17:49,605 --> 00:17:51,015
Uh, you have always have your thoughts.

431
00:17:51,315 --> 00:17:51,495
Yeah.

432
00:17:51,495 --> 00:17:55,095
And it can be within an organization
or your own organization or in

433
00:17:55,095 --> 00:17:57,405
our case, uh, uh, as two founders.

434
00:17:57,405 --> 00:17:59,535
Uh, and then you need to
do things together, right?

435
00:17:59,535 --> 00:18:00,495
Yeah, absolutely.

436
00:18:00,585 --> 00:18:00,765
Yeah.

437
00:18:00,765 --> 00:18:01,275
No, absolutely.

438
00:18:01,275 --> 00:18:04,215
And Sandra, even you, with your
background as, you know, as a IT

439
00:18:04,215 --> 00:18:07,365
guy, but also like a developer,
you're, you're into problem solving.

440
00:18:07,520 --> 00:18:09,439
And that's essentially what
an entrepreneur can do.

441
00:18:09,439 --> 00:18:11,570
So you, you do, you have the
background, it's just a matter of

442
00:18:11,570 --> 00:18:14,570
like putting in the context of what
you want to, what you wanna work on.

443
00:18:14,929 --> 00:18:16,725
And my, my pitfall is,
oh, sorry, go ahead.

444
00:18:16,820 --> 00:18:17,209
Oh, sorry.

445
00:18:17,209 --> 00:18:21,405
And my, my pitfall is that I. I start
doing, but I don't finish doing.

446
00:18:22,155 --> 00:18:24,610
Ah, yeah, you tell me now.

447
00:18:26,265 --> 00:18:28,485
Well, that's just good to have
a co-founder and someone to

448
00:18:28,485 --> 00:18:30,045
help you, like stay on track.

449
00:18:30,045 --> 00:18:31,845
I that I, I completely understand.

450
00:18:31,875 --> 00:18:34,035
'cause I'm definitely, I'm,
I'm definitely that way.

451
00:18:34,035 --> 00:18:37,155
And, and, and Bart you know, last time
you were on the, on the podcast, we got

452
00:18:37,155 --> 00:18:40,905
a little bit of a, of, of a, a background
on you, but just to remind people like.

453
00:18:41,504 --> 00:18:42,705
Where did you start before?

454
00:18:42,705 --> 00:18:46,845
Like how did you end up being, you
know, a co-founder with, with Sonder?

455
00:18:46,875 --> 00:18:47,805
With Bian?

456
00:18:48,014 --> 00:18:52,365
Like what was your evolution, uh, to going
into like the, the, the working world?

457
00:18:52,965 --> 00:18:55,635
Yeah, well, I, I, I was, I
was also a technical guy.

458
00:18:55,635 --> 00:19:00,590
I moved gradually from consumer goods,
uh, as an engineer, uh, towards, uh,

459
00:19:00,705 --> 00:19:02,534
business development and strategy.

460
00:19:02,715 --> 00:19:06,044
And from there I started
longing for purpose and impact.

461
00:19:06,105 --> 00:19:10,274
Uh, what does it bring if you
create stuff that is already there

462
00:19:10,274 --> 00:19:12,014
and you create just more stuff?

463
00:19:12,014 --> 00:19:12,405
And that was.

464
00:19:12,915 --> 00:19:18,000
I, I just mentioned how, how it feels like
when the walls are coming towards you and

465
00:19:18,000 --> 00:19:19,845
you and, and you feel like you're limited.

466
00:19:20,115 --> 00:19:20,175
Yeah.

467
00:19:20,175 --> 00:19:21,105
This was my moment.

468
00:19:21,135 --> 00:19:24,284
I decided, okay, now, now it's
really time to make a change.

469
00:19:24,345 --> 00:19:29,475
Um, what if we do something that's,
is not just there to make money or

470
00:19:29,475 --> 00:19:34,185
to, with being an entrepreneur for
the sake of being an an entrepreneur,

471
00:19:34,185 --> 00:19:36,345
but more like, how can we.

472
00:19:36,930 --> 00:19:38,670
Making a difference and Right.

473
00:19:39,180 --> 00:19:40,440
And this making a difference.

474
00:19:40,440 --> 00:19:44,580
That's something that's, uh, triggered
something a couple of years back already.

475
00:19:44,580 --> 00:19:46,050
Uh, yeah, it was already there.

476
00:19:46,050 --> 00:19:46,710
The spark.

477
00:19:47,100 --> 00:19:47,280
Yeah.

478
00:19:47,280 --> 00:19:51,150
And, um, yeah, when you, when you
start thinking about something, uh,

479
00:19:51,285 --> 00:19:53,010
it, it keeps you awake at night.

480
00:19:53,070 --> 00:19:56,400
Uh, you, you are thinking
about it all the time.

481
00:19:56,400 --> 00:19:59,190
You're in all situations,
all opportunities.

482
00:19:59,190 --> 00:20:00,720
You see, you see the different light.

483
00:20:00,755 --> 00:20:03,995
And, and, and that's what's really
triggered it and, and also made,

484
00:20:04,235 --> 00:20:09,545
uh, yeah, made a difference, uh,
compared to, uh, how I used to be.

485
00:20:09,545 --> 00:20:09,785
Right?

486
00:20:09,845 --> 00:20:10,320
Uh, yeah.

487
00:20:10,415 --> 00:20:13,415
If there was even a bar from the
past and a bar from the future,

488
00:20:13,445 --> 00:20:14,705
uh, if there is such a thing.

489
00:20:15,335 --> 00:20:18,125
Um, well, I mean, that's, that's
the, that's the beauty about, you

490
00:20:18,125 --> 00:20:21,875
know, evolving, you know, as, as
a human being, but like you have.

491
00:20:22,320 --> 00:20:27,810
These specific moments within your life
that, that, whether it be having kids or

492
00:20:27,810 --> 00:20:31,955
whether it be, you know, looking at, at
nature and how it's changing that Yeah.

493
00:20:32,370 --> 00:20:35,880
That can make you pivot and make you
switch and, and sometimes it's just

494
00:20:35,880 --> 00:20:37,410
like, oh, I want something different.

495
00:20:37,470 --> 00:20:40,320
And I want to be just like Saunders,
like I want to go into more

496
00:20:40,320 --> 00:20:44,220
customer facing roles and I want
to go into, you know, more roles

497
00:20:44,220 --> 00:20:46,140
where I have more control over the.

498
00:20:46,210 --> 00:20:48,550
Over the product and, and,
and helping get through this.

499
00:20:48,730 --> 00:20:48,820
Oh, yeah, yeah.

500
00:20:48,820 --> 00:20:50,410
But for you guys, it's for the two of you.

501
00:20:50,410 --> 00:20:54,670
It's interesting, you guys, when
founders meet, a lot of times

502
00:20:54,670 --> 00:20:56,020
it's at like, maybe mm-hmm.

503
00:20:56,355 --> 00:21:01,035
At, um, uh, at a meeting, you know, of,
of the, of the great minds and business

504
00:21:01,035 --> 00:21:07,035
leaders or you, you meet at a, um, uh,
like a, who knows, like a convention

505
00:21:07,035 --> 00:21:08,355
or a conference or things like that.

506
00:21:08,685 --> 00:21:10,425
You do have a, a, a different background.

507
00:21:10,755 --> 00:21:12,555
You, you actually
physically like neighbors.

508
00:21:12,555 --> 00:21:14,595
You, you live across the
street from each other, right?

509
00:21:14,595 --> 00:21:15,735
Yes, exactly.

510
00:21:15,735 --> 00:21:15,795
Yeah.

511
00:21:15,950 --> 00:21:16,755
Right, right there.

512
00:21:17,030 --> 00:21:17,270
Yeah.

513
00:21:18,364 --> 00:21:21,215
So, so how did that, how did this,
like friendship, 'cause I assume it,

514
00:21:21,215 --> 00:21:22,864
it, it started off as a friendship.

515
00:21:22,864 --> 00:21:26,165
How did that friendship, like how, how
many years back have you been living

516
00:21:26,165 --> 00:21:27,034
across the street from each other?

517
00:21:27,570 --> 00:21:29,824
Ah, I, I, I didn't, I
didn't really count right.

518
00:21:29,824 --> 00:21:31,550
I, we moved in, when did
you start living here?

519
00:21:31,550 --> 00:21:34,534
Moved, uh, in here in 2021.

520
00:21:34,774 --> 00:21:36,215
Um, mid 2021.

521
00:21:36,905 --> 00:21:39,485
So that's about, uh, four
and a half years now.

522
00:21:40,235 --> 00:21:40,594
Yep.

523
00:21:40,955 --> 00:21:41,375
Okay.

524
00:21:41,459 --> 00:21:41,750
Yeah.

525
00:21:42,064 --> 00:21:44,074
So I was there one and a half year before.

526
00:21:44,260 --> 00:21:44,550
Okay.

527
00:21:44,554 --> 00:21:45,004
Okay.

528
00:21:45,004 --> 00:21:45,754
So, okay.

529
00:21:45,754 --> 00:21:47,044
So both new to the neighborhood.

530
00:21:47,655 --> 00:21:49,275
Pretty new to, but yeah, exactly.

531
00:21:49,275 --> 00:21:52,575
And we now, we now, um, know each
other about four, four and a half

532
00:21:52,575 --> 00:21:57,945
years then, and, uh, now as opposite
neighbors, uh, you, uh, meet each

533
00:21:57,945 --> 00:22:00,975
other at the street, uh, drink a
coffee together every now and then.

534
00:22:01,635 --> 00:22:03,675
And yeah, there's this other sort of.

535
00:22:04,350 --> 00:22:07,740
Um, hobby that we have
both have, which is dogs.

536
00:22:09,600 --> 00:22:11,280
Ah, dogs always bring people together.

537
00:22:11,430 --> 00:22:11,790
Yes.

538
00:22:11,790 --> 00:22:13,350
Dogs will always bring people together.

539
00:22:13,650 --> 00:22:16,315
So yeah, they're they're, they're
the other co-founding team.

540
00:22:16,595 --> 00:22:17,755
They're the other co-founding team.

541
00:22:17,755 --> 00:22:18,195
Exactly.

542
00:22:18,900 --> 00:22:19,500
Exactly.

543
00:22:19,710 --> 00:22:20,010
Yeah.

544
00:22:20,370 --> 00:22:20,820
Totally.

545
00:22:20,820 --> 00:22:20,880
Yeah.

546
00:22:21,155 --> 00:22:24,450
But it, what is really interesting
is that, uh, sometimes you search

547
00:22:24,450 --> 00:22:26,820
the world for finding the right.

548
00:22:27,145 --> 00:22:28,570
Co-founder or mm-hmm.

549
00:22:28,640 --> 00:22:30,600
Entrepreneurial partner, business partner.

550
00:22:31,700 --> 00:22:35,755
You, you reach out to people and, and
many of them say, ah, well I really love

551
00:22:35,755 --> 00:22:37,945
your idea, but I just got this new job.

552
00:22:37,945 --> 00:22:38,695
Or, Hmm.

553
00:22:38,725 --> 00:22:40,105
I like what you're doing, but, Hmm.

554
00:22:40,135 --> 00:22:42,925
Yeah, I'm a little bit
short on money or, yeah.

555
00:22:42,925 --> 00:22:48,505
Uh, my family cannot help, uh, cannot
work, cannot support me, and, and.

556
00:22:48,815 --> 00:22:52,835
And, and in our case, um, well, it just
happens to live across the street, right?

557
00:22:52,835 --> 00:22:52,925
Yes.

558
00:22:53,135 --> 00:22:55,775
It can also be very
coincidental in that sense.

559
00:22:55,775 --> 00:22:56,195
Definitely.

560
00:22:56,645 --> 00:22:56,855
Yeah.

561
00:22:56,855 --> 00:23:00,755
And, and, and during one of these
walks, it, it really started resonating.

562
00:23:00,965 --> 00:23:04,535
Sometimes you feel like, okay,
now we're onto something and

563
00:23:04,535 --> 00:23:05,735
this might actually work.

564
00:23:05,855 --> 00:23:06,425
Um, yes.

565
00:23:06,425 --> 00:23:10,115
And here we are, and then now
we're suddenly in this journey.

566
00:23:10,115 --> 00:23:10,505
Exactly.

567
00:23:10,505 --> 00:23:11,825
That, that's exactly the point.

568
00:23:11,825 --> 00:23:14,045
But this might actually work.

569
00:23:14,075 --> 00:23:16,340
This, this, that's also why I am.

570
00:23:16,810 --> 00:23:21,669
Hooked on, on his, uh, idea because I
was already in my mind thinking about,

571
00:23:21,790 --> 00:23:26,919
uh, okay, what can I do to make more
impact to, to be more purposeful?

572
00:23:26,919 --> 00:23:27,010
Mm-hmm.

573
00:23:27,310 --> 00:23:29,889
And, uh, my wife, she's working
in nature conservation in

574
00:23:29,889 --> 00:23:31,840
general and more coastal areas.

575
00:23:31,840 --> 00:23:31,929
Okay.

576
00:23:31,929 --> 00:23:34,540
But, uh, uh, doing all
other things as well.

577
00:23:34,990 --> 00:23:39,615
And they have all this research data they,
they sit on, and that's an immense amount.

578
00:23:39,900 --> 00:23:43,500
Yes, but it's all living in
Excel sheets and that's insane.

579
00:23:43,530 --> 00:23:45,000
Yes, that's insane.

580
00:23:45,210 --> 00:23:49,440
It really blows my mind to have
like thousands and thousands

581
00:23:49,440 --> 00:23:51,005
of, of lines in an Excel sheet.

582
00:23:53,085 --> 00:23:58,815
I'm laughing because I, I've been there,
you know, as, as a scientist, um, who

583
00:23:58,845 --> 00:24:03,195
used to love Excel, but also as a database
manager, like a gi s database manager.

584
00:24:03,195 --> 00:24:05,355
He used to be like, are you kidding me?

585
00:24:05,385 --> 00:24:08,655
Like, how many more Excel sheets
do you need to put into this?

586
00:24:08,655 --> 00:24:10,170
Like, we should be putting this into yes.

587
00:24:10,505 --> 00:24:11,315
A database.

588
00:24:11,315 --> 00:24:13,925
Like, especially like even at,
like, even to a point, I don't

589
00:24:13,925 --> 00:24:16,295
know, does she work, does your wife
work for a government or does she

590
00:24:16,295 --> 00:24:17,735
work for a nonprofit organization?

591
00:24:17,765 --> 00:24:21,125
Uh, it's also not, it's a commercial
organization, but that organization works

592
00:24:21,125 --> 00:24:23,465
for a lot for a government organization.

593
00:24:23,495 --> 00:24:23,885
Okay.

594
00:24:24,035 --> 00:24:26,525
Well, what, what I find, find,
I used to work for federal

595
00:24:26,525 --> 00:24:28,025
government here in Canada and like.

596
00:24:28,455 --> 00:24:31,905
All of our stuff was on Excel
sheets, like on personal computers.

597
00:24:31,935 --> 00:24:35,895
And as you know, that, like as an
IT guy that must give you stress

598
00:24:35,895 --> 00:24:38,955
beyond stress because all that data
could be lost if that computer,

599
00:24:39,225 --> 00:24:40,995
you know, goes, you know, gets wet.

600
00:24:40,995 --> 00:24:44,535
Or you're looking at, at, at
aquatic biologists who take their

601
00:24:44,535 --> 00:24:47,085
computers everywhere and don't
treat 'em properly and stuff.

602
00:24:47,145 --> 00:24:50,505
And I, we used to just be like, we need
to grab that data and put 'em on like a

603
00:24:50,505 --> 00:24:52,305
central database so we don't lose this.

604
00:24:53,055 --> 00:24:54,105
The people's data.

605
00:24:54,105 --> 00:24:55,290
You know, you can't lose the Exactly.

606
00:24:55,295 --> 00:24:57,735
But, and you should, but Scientist,
we love our Excel sheets.

607
00:24:57,735 --> 00:24:57,795
Yeah.

608
00:24:57,795 --> 00:25:02,475
We love our, I know, but it's not just
losing, but it also making it accessible.

609
00:25:02,475 --> 00:25:05,385
But because hundred percent Excel
sheet, it's, it's, it crashes all

610
00:25:05,385 --> 00:25:07,545
the time with those large data sets.

611
00:25:07,550 --> 00:25:07,610
Yeah.

612
00:25:07,640 --> 00:25:08,210
It's insane.

613
00:25:08,210 --> 00:25:08,420
Oh yeah.

614
00:25:09,055 --> 00:25:09,265
Yeah.

615
00:25:09,295 --> 00:25:09,475
Yeah.

616
00:25:09,475 --> 00:25:12,055
You can already, you can already, you
can already hear it in Sandra's voice.

617
00:25:12,055 --> 00:25:13,165
He's just like, wait a minute.

618
00:25:13,165 --> 00:25:15,305
This is, there's a lot of
stress going on in this.

619
00:25:15,360 --> 00:25:17,215
So this is the Yeah.

620
00:25:17,215 --> 00:25:19,405
This is the, also the,
the trigger that I needed.

621
00:25:19,405 --> 00:25:19,645
Right.

622
00:25:19,705 --> 00:25:22,405
I was the one who wasn't
even aware of these risks.

623
00:25:22,435 --> 00:25:22,525
Mm-hmm.

624
00:25:22,765 --> 00:25:24,955
And, and, and, uh, what,
what might go wrong.

625
00:25:24,955 --> 00:25:25,255
Right.

626
00:25:25,675 --> 00:25:28,165
And, but yeah, sometimes
it, it, it needs to.

627
00:25:28,600 --> 00:25:32,200
Resonate and, and your, your passion
for, okay, how can we optimize,

628
00:25:32,200 --> 00:25:33,430
how can we do things better?

629
00:25:33,430 --> 00:25:36,370
That was something that's,
um, yeah, there's the overlap.

630
00:25:36,460 --> 00:25:36,550
Yeah.

631
00:25:36,580 --> 00:25:39,160
Uh, how can we make a difference
and how can we do things better?

632
00:25:39,825 --> 00:25:41,745
Yeah, but what if we combine forces?

633
00:25:41,745 --> 00:25:42,765
What if we join forces?

634
00:25:42,765 --> 00:25:42,975
Right.

635
00:25:43,065 --> 00:25:44,895
That that's, that, that's, yeah.

636
00:25:44,895 --> 00:25:47,475
That's basically the background or Yeah.

637
00:25:47,535 --> 00:25:51,375
The, the, the, the energy, uh,
system behind our collaboration, eh?

638
00:25:51,765 --> 00:25:51,945
Yes.

639
00:25:51,945 --> 00:25:52,185
Yeah.

640
00:25:52,185 --> 00:25:55,035
And I, and I love that I, I'm looking
on the, the website and on your founder

641
00:25:55,035 --> 00:25:56,145
story page, you have like, yeah.

642
00:25:56,145 --> 00:25:58,845
You know the question, what if we
could do something that truly mattered?

643
00:25:58,845 --> 00:25:59,625
And I feel like, yeah.

644
00:26:00,270 --> 00:26:03,390
I feel like everybody wants to answer
that question at some point in their

645
00:26:03,390 --> 00:26:06,000
life, but that's also a very big question.

646
00:26:06,120 --> 00:26:08,100
There's so many different ways Yeah.

647
00:26:08,220 --> 00:26:12,900
That you can go to answer that
question and still be legitimate

648
00:26:12,900 --> 00:26:16,110
and still, you know, you know,
do something that truly matters.

649
00:26:17,220 --> 00:26:20,940
How did it go from let's do
something that truly mattered?

650
00:26:20,940 --> 00:26:23,550
What if we could do something
that truly mattered to let's

651
00:26:23,550 --> 00:26:25,530
help, you know, help people.

652
00:26:25,530 --> 00:26:26,070
Let's help.

653
00:26:26,415 --> 00:26:28,815
People that are trying to help the ocean.

654
00:26:29,145 --> 00:26:29,265
Yeah.

655
00:26:29,265 --> 00:26:32,415
How did it, how did that step, that
seems to be like a, a big step.

656
00:26:32,505 --> 00:26:32,985
Yeah.

657
00:26:32,985 --> 00:26:35,325
But it's also a, a, an evolution, right?

658
00:26:35,325 --> 00:26:37,065
So that didn't start,
of course, immediately.

659
00:26:37,065 --> 00:26:40,935
So first of all, I, I remember bar
coming to me reluctantly with this idea.

660
00:26:41,595 --> 00:26:45,960
I have this idea and can you have a, an, a
look at it, maybe give you opinion about.

661
00:26:46,585 --> 00:26:49,825
If it would work or not, and
if it's even even doable.

662
00:26:50,065 --> 00:26:50,575
And then mm-hmm.

663
00:26:50,815 --> 00:26:54,205
He started explaining me and, and
immediately, as I said earlier,

664
00:26:54,325 --> 00:26:57,535
things started going round and
round and seeing solutions, but also

665
00:26:57,775 --> 00:27:02,365
opportunities beyond what he was, uh,
explaining, uh, around data collection.

666
00:27:02,365 --> 00:27:06,625
And so also we started also
brainstorming and, and all the ideas

667
00:27:06,625 --> 00:27:09,085
came and came and more ideas came.

668
00:27:09,535 --> 00:27:13,975
Um, uh, and um, I think it started with.

669
00:27:15,225 --> 00:27:16,845
A simple, okay.

670
00:27:16,905 --> 00:27:20,865
Uh, let, let's take a piece of ocean
and have people adopt it, so to say.

671
00:27:20,865 --> 00:27:21,645
Mm-hmm.

672
00:27:21,885 --> 00:27:26,235
And, um, also with the idea, okay,
we are, uh, a mechanical engineer

673
00:27:26,235 --> 00:27:27,855
and a, a computer engineer.

674
00:27:28,425 --> 00:27:32,535
What can a mechanical engineer
and a computer engineer do to

675
00:27:32,625 --> 00:27:34,875
improve ocean conservation?

676
00:27:35,325 --> 00:27:39,435
I mean, I'm not, I can dive
a little, but not very well.

677
00:27:39,645 --> 00:27:42,705
Uh, but I have no clue
about marine life at all.

678
00:27:42,765 --> 00:27:43,370
I'm not a biologist.

679
00:27:44,220 --> 00:27:49,800
Um, I, I know a little bit, uh, nowadays
a bit more than back then, but mm-hmm.

680
00:27:50,040 --> 00:27:53,460
Uh, it, it's not, not close
enough to, to become a really, a

681
00:27:53,460 --> 00:27:56,400
marine conserv conservative, or
how do you call it in English?

682
00:27:57,000 --> 00:27:57,990
Um, conservationist.

683
00:27:57,990 --> 00:27:58,695
Yeah, conversationist.

684
00:27:58,695 --> 00:27:58,715
That's right.

685
00:27:59,550 --> 00:27:59,820
Yeah.

686
00:28:00,030 --> 00:28:03,780
Um, so with, with our abilities, with our.

687
00:28:04,334 --> 00:28:09,945
Skill, what can we do to, uh,
to make an improvement to make

688
00:28:09,945 --> 00:28:11,534
impact in ocean conservation?

689
00:28:11,534 --> 00:28:18,074
And that's why we came up with this idea
of let's bring people together with all

690
00:28:18,074 --> 00:28:21,195
these organizations that are actually
doing something on ocean conservation.

691
00:28:22,125 --> 00:28:25,485
And, and just that simple
idea to bring people together.

692
00:28:26,235 --> 00:28:30,495
Um, that's where it started and then
it started evolving from that point on.

693
00:28:30,735 --> 00:28:31,005
Yeah.

694
00:28:31,635 --> 00:28:31,845
Yeah.

695
00:28:31,845 --> 00:28:36,285
We, we, we, someone was, you were actually
the first one who, who understood my idea.

696
00:28:36,285 --> 00:28:36,525
Right.

697
00:28:36,870 --> 00:28:39,045
That was, let, let me start with that.

698
00:28:39,045 --> 00:28:42,585
That's also a very important
measure before you start talking

699
00:28:42,585 --> 00:28:45,555
to co-founders, you need someone
to understand what you mean.

700
00:28:46,379 --> 00:28:49,500
And, and remember very clearly
that, uh, we were talking about

701
00:28:49,530 --> 00:28:52,860
the, this, uh, how can we make
an impact and, and where is this?

702
00:28:52,860 --> 00:28:56,610
We, we both have a passion for
nature, uh, conservation, uh,

703
00:28:56,610 --> 00:28:58,500
and, and, and, and sustainability.

704
00:28:58,500 --> 00:29:04,050
We're, uh, worried also about climate
change and, and yeah, what you can

705
00:29:04,050 --> 00:29:07,860
do there, uh, if you, if you really
zoom out and you look at the earth and

706
00:29:07,860 --> 00:29:12,360
you see all this, this, this amazing
amount of water, it, it, it's really.

707
00:29:13,950 --> 00:29:16,020
Triggers this, this, this, this.

708
00:29:16,080 --> 00:29:17,340
Mind of, hold on.

709
00:29:17,940 --> 00:29:21,300
There's so much more than, than
what we see on our everyday life.

710
00:29:21,389 --> 00:29:21,480
Mm-hmm.

711
00:29:21,720 --> 00:29:22,650
There should be something there.

712
00:29:22,650 --> 00:29:26,820
And, and, and I, I remember very clearly
that one of the convers conversations

713
00:29:26,820 --> 00:29:31,200
I had with, uh, with, uh, with a marine
biologist who, who explained me about.

714
00:29:31,460 --> 00:29:36,620
What is happening, how the ocean plays a
role, how our oxygen, half the oxygen, uh,

715
00:29:36,620 --> 00:29:39,890
comes from the ocean and, oh, oh, hold on.

716
00:29:39,890 --> 00:29:42,170
That's, uh, there must be more.

717
00:29:42,260 --> 00:29:42,440
Yes.

718
00:29:42,440 --> 00:29:46,380
Uh, what is happening in this field,
and I really remember that we, uh, uh,

719
00:29:46,405 --> 00:29:50,090
uh, yeah, the summer, this was actually
in collaboration with, uh, Amsterdam

720
00:29:50,090 --> 00:29:51,950
University of Applied Science, right?

721
00:29:51,950 --> 00:29:55,640
Where we talked about, okay,
what is happening in this world

722
00:29:55,670 --> 00:30:00,990
of ocean sustainability, uh,
ocean climate change, uh, uh.

723
00:30:01,345 --> 00:30:05,485
Uh, restoration initiatives,
this, this, this field.

724
00:30:05,755 --> 00:30:05,845
Mm-hmm.

725
00:30:06,265 --> 00:30:11,065
And, and, and one of the things that we
notice is, hold on, there's already 10,000

726
00:30:11,065 --> 00:30:12,590
organizations there and, and, mm-hmm.

727
00:30:12,990 --> 00:30:13,050
Yeah.

728
00:30:13,620 --> 00:30:15,930
Why should we do exactly the same?

729
00:30:16,140 --> 00:30:21,060
We don't, we we're not this competitive
people who want to outcompete others.

730
00:30:21,120 --> 00:30:23,910
Uh, we also felt like, yeah,
but this is a good idea.

731
00:30:24,120 --> 00:30:25,440
There's also another good idea.

732
00:30:25,440 --> 00:30:27,390
And, and, and look at this
one, what they are doing.

733
00:30:27,390 --> 00:30:27,570
Right?

734
00:30:27,810 --> 00:30:28,110
Yeah.

735
00:30:28,170 --> 00:30:29,460
And this, this really triggered that.

736
00:30:29,700 --> 00:30:30,120
Okay.

737
00:30:30,390 --> 00:30:36,570
So how would it be if instead of
doing the same thing, uh, comparable

738
00:30:36,570 --> 00:30:39,690
thing or something that is.

739
00:30:40,264 --> 00:30:41,105
Almost the same.

740
00:30:41,314 --> 00:30:45,605
Why don't we do something that supports
the whole group that would really

741
00:30:45,605 --> 00:30:48,679
make a difference in scaling and, and
it could also be something that's.

742
00:30:49,110 --> 00:30:55,050
It differentiates in, in the fact that,
uh, we don't do competition, uh, periods.

743
00:30:55,110 --> 00:30:57,360
That that's a very clear
appointment we made.

744
00:30:57,360 --> 00:30:58,530
We don't do competition.

745
00:30:58,649 --> 00:31:02,490
There's only collaborators and people
who have, if you have the right mindset,

746
00:31:02,490 --> 00:31:06,120
if you have the right intentions and
want to make a difference or impact in

747
00:31:06,120 --> 00:31:08,580
ocean climate change or sustainability.

748
00:31:09,185 --> 00:31:12,514
You're welcome to join and, and we're
more than happy to help you with, with

749
00:31:12,514 --> 00:31:14,495
visibility, awareness, and funding.

750
00:31:14,705 --> 00:31:15,605
That's where we come in.

751
00:31:16,235 --> 00:31:16,355
Yeah.

752
00:31:16,355 --> 00:31:17,885
And yeah, and, and, and, yeah.

753
00:31:17,885 --> 00:31:18,845
That's where we are today.

754
00:31:19,145 --> 00:31:19,355
Yeah.

755
00:31:20,165 --> 00:31:25,115
Well, and I think it's such a, that's a,
I think it's really, um, I, I'm gonna say

756
00:31:25,115 --> 00:31:26,345
this in a, I don't mean this as insult.

757
00:31:26,345 --> 00:31:30,605
I was very mature of you to
come into, uh, a, a field.

758
00:31:31,140 --> 00:31:33,630
Where you don't have as much experience.

759
00:31:33,630 --> 00:31:35,700
You're getting to know what's going on.

760
00:31:35,970 --> 00:31:37,530
You see what's available.

761
00:31:37,650 --> 00:31:40,110
You see the type of organizations
that are out there doing great

762
00:31:40,110 --> 00:31:43,560
work and you understand and you,
and you respect them to do that.

763
00:31:43,830 --> 00:31:46,620
And then you sit there like,
how do we play a role here?

764
00:31:46,820 --> 00:31:50,450
Where, you know, we can still be
collaborative, which was the reason why

765
00:31:50,450 --> 00:31:54,500
you were on last time, Bart, um, and
talk about collaboration, but also like

766
00:31:54,500 --> 00:31:56,510
how do we support this, this industry.

767
00:31:56,900 --> 00:31:59,870
And I think it's, I think it's really
important, and especially with the,

768
00:31:59,870 --> 00:32:01,040
the business mindsets that you have.

769
00:32:01,040 --> 00:32:02,720
It's like, where can we fill.

770
00:32:03,145 --> 00:32:03,715
The gap.

771
00:32:03,895 --> 00:32:04,074
Yeah.

772
00:32:04,135 --> 00:32:07,465
You know, and, and what gap and I, and
I feel like the biggest gap, and I've

773
00:32:07,465 --> 00:32:12,655
seen this, I've been at this for a long
time, you know, o over 20 years, um, in

774
00:32:12,655 --> 00:32:16,375
marine and freshwater biology, but also
in communications and talking to a number

775
00:32:16,375 --> 00:32:17,995
of different people and seeing how.

776
00:32:18,825 --> 00:32:22,245
There are some shortcomings within
the, the marine conservation field.

777
00:32:22,485 --> 00:32:26,445
You know, you, when you, when you
graduate as a marine scientist or as

778
00:32:26,445 --> 00:32:29,955
a conservationist, whether it be an
advocate or a lawyer and you wanna

779
00:32:29,955 --> 00:32:31,845
work in, it could be any field really.

780
00:32:31,845 --> 00:32:34,665
As you know, any field can
go into marine conservation.

781
00:32:35,294 --> 00:32:38,655
It's a hard thing to do to start a
career because, you know, you can go

782
00:32:38,655 --> 00:32:43,514
to government, you can go to nonprofit
organizations, you can go to private

783
00:32:43,605 --> 00:32:46,065
consulting and, and, and do it that way.

784
00:32:46,155 --> 00:32:46,425
Yeah.

785
00:32:46,514 --> 00:32:50,355
But it all depends on the funding
that's around, you know, even in

786
00:32:50,355 --> 00:32:53,745
government, there's, it is not
guaranteed, you know, as we see,

787
00:32:53,745 --> 00:32:55,274
like in Canada, in the past when a.

788
00:32:55,565 --> 00:32:58,415
A specific party gets in,
they, they decide to cut all

789
00:32:58,415 --> 00:32:59,555
the environmental positions.

790
00:32:59,555 --> 00:32:59,615
Yeah.

791
00:32:59,615 --> 00:33:01,445
Or they, because they don't
want to have to deal with that.

792
00:33:01,445 --> 00:33:02,250
And we're seeing that mm-hmm.

793
00:33:02,330 --> 00:33:03,725
In the, in the US at this point.

794
00:33:04,145 --> 00:33:04,730
And Yeah.

795
00:33:04,865 --> 00:33:08,315
And, uh, and it's, it's very, it's,
it's very interesting to come in and,

796
00:33:08,315 --> 00:33:12,845
and the, the gap that I've seen is
those, those people who don't fit

797
00:33:12,905 --> 00:33:15,575
within that, those three pillars.

798
00:33:15,905 --> 00:33:18,215
It's these, these independent people.

799
00:33:18,615 --> 00:33:22,785
Who have great projects, um, who
have like great ideas and great

800
00:33:22,785 --> 00:33:26,655
products, but they just don't have
the ability to get the funding to

801
00:33:26,655 --> 00:33:28,155
get those projects moving forward.

802
00:33:28,155 --> 00:33:28,245
Oh, yeah.

803
00:33:28,245 --> 00:33:31,695
Which could have a significant impact,
whether it be locally, regionally, or

804
00:33:31,695 --> 00:33:33,495
even nationally or internationally.

805
00:33:33,705 --> 00:33:37,035
And I feel like that's where
you guys really fit in.

806
00:33:37,065 --> 00:33:37,275
Yeah.

807
00:33:37,365 --> 00:33:38,325
And, and I like that.

808
00:33:38,955 --> 00:33:39,285
Yeah.

809
00:33:39,765 --> 00:33:44,355
In, in a way, what is, we take a lot of
inspiration actually from what we've seen.

810
00:33:44,415 --> 00:33:44,504
Right.

811
00:33:44,715 --> 00:33:46,845
I mean the, the, the,
the, the people are there.

812
00:33:46,905 --> 00:33:48,045
The solutions are there.

813
00:33:48,045 --> 00:33:49,845
Technology has never been the issue.

814
00:33:49,995 --> 00:33:53,415
So what is stopping us and, and we
found out is, is very much about.

815
00:33:55,544 --> 00:33:57,975
Many people don't even
know what is possible.

816
00:33:57,980 --> 00:33:58,129
No.

817
00:33:58,129 --> 00:33:58,409
Mm-hmm.

818
00:33:58,495 --> 00:34:01,605
And this is where we want to play
a role in how can we make people

819
00:34:01,605 --> 00:34:03,764
aware of how things are possible?

820
00:34:03,764 --> 00:34:07,215
And, and if you know that things
are possible, if you feel inspired,

821
00:34:07,245 --> 00:34:10,634
of course, uh, you, you, you
want to be part of solutions.

822
00:34:10,634 --> 00:34:11,835
You want to be on the good side.

823
00:34:11,835 --> 00:34:14,804
You want to help, you want to
support and, and make a difference.

824
00:34:14,810 --> 00:34:19,304
And, and this is where we built a bridge
between society and impact makers.

825
00:34:19,310 --> 00:34:21,130
Like, like in your example, uh, it, it.

826
00:34:21,645 --> 00:34:27,795
It could be anyone, uh, a student, uh, uh,
uh, uh, someone who retired and follows

827
00:34:27,795 --> 00:34:30,735
his, his or her passion, or entrepreneurs.

828
00:34:30,764 --> 00:34:36,764
Uh, uh, there's so many people who have
amazing ideas and we feel like they should

829
00:34:36,764 --> 00:34:40,935
be leveraged in what they're doing and,
and, and deserve to be scaling their

830
00:34:40,935 --> 00:34:43,095
efforts and, and, and, and their impact.

831
00:34:43,514 --> 00:34:43,725
Yeah.

832
00:34:43,755 --> 00:34:44,025
Yeah.

833
00:34:45,344 --> 00:34:45,554
Yeah.

834
00:34:45,554 --> 00:34:48,045
That's, that's a huge, uh,
that's a huge part of it.

835
00:34:48,375 --> 00:34:50,295
Um, and I, and I feel
like that's interesting.

836
00:34:50,295 --> 00:34:55,094
So when you got to that point where
you're like, how do we, how do we do this?

837
00:34:55,484 --> 00:34:59,295
Where did the idea come from for, or why
don't you just, maybe, why don't you just

838
00:34:59,295 --> 00:35:02,174
talk about the, the goal of, of Bian.

839
00:35:02,325 --> 00:35:02,475
Mm-hmm.

840
00:35:02,535 --> 00:35:06,015
And then talk about like how
that idea evolved into that.

841
00:35:06,765 --> 00:35:07,815
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

842
00:35:07,815 --> 00:35:13,215
So what we do is we do, uh, awareness,
visibility, and funding for ocean

843
00:35:13,215 --> 00:35:15,015
impact initiatives around the planet.

844
00:35:15,555 --> 00:35:22,154
And we got into this field by the, the,
the sense that there's something missing.

845
00:35:22,665 --> 00:35:25,904
Uh, funding is clearly
one of the biggest issues.

846
00:35:25,955 --> 00:35:28,355
To, uh, make initiative skill.

847
00:35:28,955 --> 00:35:33,424
And the other part is that most people,
uh, normal people like me are not

848
00:35:33,455 --> 00:35:35,315
even aware of what is already there.

849
00:35:35,825 --> 00:35:36,215
So.

850
00:35:36,855 --> 00:35:40,635
When we were talking about this, this,
uh, I, I, I, we re I remember very

851
00:35:40,635 --> 00:35:42,285
clearly Isand that we talked about.

852
00:35:42,285 --> 00:35:42,495
Yeah.

853
00:35:42,555 --> 00:35:42,735
Hmm.

854
00:35:42,765 --> 00:35:46,395
How would it be if we bring this
together in some sort of platform

855
00:35:46,395 --> 00:35:47,985
and could we do crowdfunding?

856
00:35:48,375 --> 00:35:50,295
Could we do, uh, matchmaking?

857
00:35:50,295 --> 00:35:53,955
And, uh, I really remember the,
the moment that you said, yeah, but

858
00:35:53,955 --> 00:35:58,275
actually Bart, this should be combined
with, with a, with an experience,

859
00:35:58,335 --> 00:35:59,715
uh, where people can connect.

860
00:35:59,745 --> 00:36:01,305
It's, it's a community.

861
00:36:01,725 --> 00:36:03,345
So why don't we combine.

862
00:36:03,875 --> 00:36:08,225
Funding awareness and visibility
in, in, in a community feeling

863
00:36:08,255 --> 00:36:11,315
where you can feel welcome, where
you can feel part of solutions, uh,

864
00:36:11,315 --> 00:36:12,935
where you can go for an experience.

865
00:36:13,505 --> 00:36:17,585
And more importantly, to be part of
the solution no matter where you are,

866
00:36:17,645 --> 00:36:21,245
what you, what skills you bring to
the table or what your background is.

867
00:36:21,395 --> 00:36:21,605
Yeah.

868
00:36:21,610 --> 00:36:21,670
Mm-hmm.

869
00:36:22,925 --> 00:36:26,225
And maybe also it's an advantage
for us not being marine

870
00:36:26,435 --> 00:36:28,550
scientists, but out of the field.

871
00:36:29,225 --> 00:36:29,615
Uh mm-hmm.

872
00:36:29,705 --> 00:36:33,544
We, we know what the general
people, uh, doesn't know.

873
00:36:33,544 --> 00:36:34,265
Do not know.

874
00:36:34,649 --> 00:36:35,069
Mm-hmm.

875
00:36:35,169 --> 00:36:35,589
Mm-hmm.

876
00:36:35,645 --> 00:36:39,274
They have no clue about, uh, what
organizations there are, what they can do,

877
00:36:39,274 --> 00:36:46,475
how they can, uh, help in, in protecting
any, uh, ocean or, or sea or whatever.

878
00:36:46,834 --> 00:36:49,990
Um, and yeah, I think with, with our.

879
00:36:50,790 --> 00:36:52,410
Lack of knowledge in this case.

880
00:36:53,040 --> 00:36:53,160
Mm-hmm.

881
00:36:53,490 --> 00:36:57,779
We can maybe bring the, the, the
system, the app, the technology

882
00:36:57,779 --> 00:37:01,710
that they need to understand, okay,
here's why, how I can make impact.

883
00:37:02,100 --> 00:37:03,029
This is what I can do.

884
00:37:04,110 --> 00:37:04,350
Yeah.

885
00:37:05,280 --> 00:37:05,640
Yeah.

886
00:37:05,640 --> 00:37:09,060
And it's, it's, it's been, I've been, uh,
I've had the, uh, great fortune of, of

887
00:37:09,060 --> 00:37:13,560
being part of, of this, of this program,
you know, uh, in the, in the early stages.

888
00:37:13,590 --> 00:37:13,650
Yeah.

889
00:37:13,650 --> 00:37:16,950
And, and I, I, I definitely appreciate
that I've gotten to know both of you,

890
00:37:16,950 --> 00:37:20,130
but I've gotten to know the other
people, um, in the, in the early

891
00:37:20,130 --> 00:37:22,110
adopter program as, as, as you call it.

892
00:37:22,230 --> 00:37:26,490
And it's been such a, an amazing, uh,
evolution for my own way of communicating

893
00:37:26,490 --> 00:37:27,870
as someone who's in communications.

894
00:37:28,290 --> 00:37:30,390
It, it's, it's, it's really great.

895
00:37:30,400 --> 00:37:30,880
To see.

896
00:37:30,880 --> 00:37:34,210
'cause I have my own, you know, I'm, I'm
stuck in like, I do this a lot on my own.

897
00:37:34,210 --> 00:37:36,790
I have, I take advice from
people that come in, but a

898
00:37:36,790 --> 00:37:37,960
lot of it's stuck in my head.

899
00:37:38,050 --> 00:37:41,050
And, you know, when you get stuck
in your own head and you, you

900
00:37:41,050 --> 00:37:43,450
think, oh, this is what the people
want, this is what they want.

901
00:37:43,450 --> 00:37:47,950
But to be able to hear it from one
the both of you, um, but also your

902
00:37:47,950 --> 00:37:51,130
collaboration with, with Natalie
Gilson, who's a communications expert

903
00:37:51,130 --> 00:37:53,485
and has been friend of the podcast
and been on this podcast as well.

904
00:37:54,345 --> 00:37:59,445
To be able to really spell it out
for people of how we do things, why

905
00:37:59,445 --> 00:38:03,255
we're doing projects from, uh, outside
of our, not only our own heads,

906
00:38:03,255 --> 00:38:04,635
but outside of the marine field.

907
00:38:04,965 --> 00:38:08,175
Because what we know as what's
important to the marine field may

908
00:38:08,175 --> 00:38:11,745
not be necessarily the priorities
of people outside the marine field.

909
00:38:11,835 --> 00:38:14,445
And to be able to sometimes just
go down to the most simplest.

910
00:38:14,495 --> 00:38:19,205
Part of what we're trying to do might
be enough to impress not only the

911
00:38:19,205 --> 00:38:23,705
both of you, but also the funders
that will be, you know, joining the

912
00:38:23,705 --> 00:38:25,205
platform, supporting the platform.

913
00:38:25,355 --> 00:38:29,765
I think that's been like a really
eye-opening thing for me during

914
00:38:29,765 --> 00:38:33,305
this process, and I'm sure to
the other, uh, early adopters.

915
00:38:33,305 --> 00:38:33,365
Yeah.

916
00:38:33,634 --> 00:38:33,935
Awesome.

917
00:38:34,145 --> 00:38:34,295
Yeah.

918
00:38:34,295 --> 00:38:34,895
Well, thank you.

919
00:38:34,895 --> 00:38:35,165
Thanks.

920
00:38:35,165 --> 00:38:37,775
First of all, a big thank you
for these, these insights.

921
00:38:37,775 --> 00:38:39,154
I mean, um, we.

922
00:38:39,685 --> 00:38:40,794
Sometimes we also don't know.

923
00:38:40,794 --> 00:38:41,064
Right.

924
00:38:41,395 --> 00:38:41,814
Of course.

925
00:38:41,830 --> 00:38:44,245
We, we, we, we we're
also not communicators.

926
00:38:44,250 --> 00:38:46,810
We, we both come from
engineering, remember.

927
00:38:47,515 --> 00:38:52,495
But what I find super interesting
is, is we, we kickstarted this

928
00:38:52,495 --> 00:38:56,095
early adopter program and look,
uh, we have an idea for a platform.

929
00:38:56,245 --> 00:38:59,095
It's not that yet there, but
do you want to be part of it?

930
00:38:59,095 --> 00:38:59,154
Yeah.

931
00:38:59,335 --> 00:39:00,865
That's our early adopter program.

932
00:39:01,225 --> 00:39:01,285
Yeah.

933
00:39:01,285 --> 00:39:05,064
Uh, we're launching, uh, the
platform in October, October, 2025.

934
00:39:05,680 --> 00:39:11,020
And during this program where we
set up workshops, collaboration, uh,

935
00:39:11,050 --> 00:39:15,010
knowledge exchange, and sharing, uh,
with, with Natalie, uh, from, from

936
00:39:15,010 --> 00:39:17,710
Pisces, uh, about ocean storytelling.

937
00:39:18,010 --> 00:39:20,605
About how to, how to
tell what you're doing.

938
00:39:20,605 --> 00:39:20,885
Yeah.

939
00:39:21,320 --> 00:39:26,510
I, I was also surprised and, and, and
really encouraged by the fact how much

940
00:39:26,510 --> 00:39:28,670
knowledge there already is in this group.

941
00:39:29,000 --> 00:39:34,370
Uh, there was this amazing sense
of, okay, let's help the others.

942
00:39:34,370 --> 00:39:39,770
Let's help, uh, my friends, let's also
help, uh, other organizations who might be

943
00:39:39,770 --> 00:39:41,660
on the other side of the ocean, literally.

944
00:39:42,710 --> 00:39:42,800
Mm-hmm.

945
00:39:43,040 --> 00:39:43,050
Mm-hmm.

946
00:39:43,050 --> 00:39:47,600
And, and sometimes you just bring
this, this, this single thought

947
00:39:47,720 --> 00:39:50,180
that I haven't thought of before.

948
00:39:51,060 --> 00:39:54,480
If you open up for that, it
doesn't require, let's say,

949
00:39:54,509 --> 00:39:55,890
myself to have all this knowledge.

950
00:39:55,890 --> 00:39:59,700
If you just bring together the people
and you create this atmosphere of

951
00:39:59,700 --> 00:40:03,210
knowledge exchange of a community,
uh, with the same goals for making

952
00:40:03,210 --> 00:40:07,560
impact, ocean impact, that is, that
really brings in a lot, uh, lot of,

953
00:40:07,589 --> 00:40:10,049
uh, powerful forces and, and, um, yeah.

954
00:40:10,140 --> 00:40:13,109
Uh, we feel like, uh, we are
definitely on the right path

955
00:40:13,109 --> 00:40:16,020
with now 11 o organizations.

956
00:40:16,020 --> 00:40:16,710
But, um.

957
00:40:17,590 --> 00:40:21,310
We're, we're scaling and the more
people, the more initiatives, the more

958
00:40:21,340 --> 00:40:25,150
organizations we bring to the table,
the more, the more visitors we have,

959
00:40:26,050 --> 00:40:28,865
the more powerful this collaboration
and knowledge exchange becomes.

960
00:40:29,759 --> 00:40:30,810
Yeah, absolutely.

961
00:40:30,810 --> 00:40:34,890
Why don't you let people know, uh, you
know, we've talked about what Valiant

962
00:40:34,890 --> 00:40:37,109
is and what's what it's trying to do.

963
00:40:37,350 --> 00:40:40,049
Uh, for the people in the audience
who are, you know, early career

964
00:40:40,049 --> 00:40:43,200
researchers, they're scientists,
they're, they're engineers, they're

965
00:40:43,200 --> 00:40:44,430
people of all different backgrounds.

966
00:40:44,430 --> 00:40:47,279
People who want to know how
they can help protect the ocean.

967
00:40:47,580 --> 00:40:47,970
Um.

968
00:40:48,294 --> 00:40:51,384
From a, like once the
platform launches, yes.

969
00:40:51,444 --> 00:40:55,225
How can they, they help other than
sharing the platform, of course, but how

970
00:40:55,225 --> 00:40:58,944
can they help, uh, support the platform
and, and the projects that are there?

971
00:40:59,004 --> 00:41:02,125
Like, what does it look like for them
when they like the ideal, when they go

972
00:41:02,125 --> 00:41:04,134
to the, to the site, into the platform?

973
00:41:04,464 --> 00:41:07,825
We, we are building a minimum viable
product now, so the, the, the very

974
00:41:07,825 --> 00:41:12,355
bare functionality which entails
having the projects, all these

975
00:41:12,355 --> 00:41:14,335
organizations that have their projects.

976
00:41:14,745 --> 00:41:18,615
On the platform, and you can read about
what they're doing, what impact they

977
00:41:18,615 --> 00:41:20,595
are making, and then you can donate.

978
00:41:20,595 --> 00:41:26,955
So the, the best way to help both Bian and
those organizations is to donate, right?

979
00:41:27,525 --> 00:41:29,025
Uh, that's the first step, right?

980
00:41:29,235 --> 00:41:30,225
And, uh, okay.

981
00:41:30,525 --> 00:41:32,145
The organizations need their money.

982
00:41:32,145 --> 00:41:37,695
They really, uh, need, uh, some funding
to make more impact, but also bian needs

983
00:41:37,695 --> 00:41:41,505
to grow, needs to scale up, needs to,
uh, also require some money to do that.

984
00:41:41,895 --> 00:41:44,295
Uh, so we also ask for, uh, a tip.

985
00:41:44,640 --> 00:41:49,380
On top of the donation, uh, for us, of
course, uh, that that's the first thing.

986
00:41:49,710 --> 00:41:52,020
But yeah, uh, that's
only a starting point.

987
00:41:52,080 --> 00:41:53,520
This is where the journey starts.

988
00:41:53,850 --> 00:41:57,690
From there onwards, we have
like an, a huge amount of ideas.

989
00:41:57,690 --> 00:42:02,850
Think about, uh, okay, uh, contact those
organizations directly in, in like a,

990
00:42:02,850 --> 00:42:06,840
a con command or chat functionality
where you can talk to those people

991
00:42:06,960 --> 00:42:08,430
and ask if they need more help.

992
00:42:08,759 --> 00:42:13,560
Think about, uh, things like citizen
science where people can provide.

993
00:42:14,490 --> 00:42:16,680
Content, data, images, whatever.

994
00:42:16,770 --> 00:42:16,860
Mm-hmm.

995
00:42:17,370 --> 00:42:20,310
Um, we, we haven't thought about
it, what the details are, but, uh,

996
00:42:20,310 --> 00:42:23,735
they can provide that, add that to
the platform, and we can mm-hmm.

997
00:42:23,815 --> 00:42:28,530
Sort of process that and, um, uh,
give out, give back the data from it.

998
00:42:30,000 --> 00:42:30,090
Yeah.

999
00:42:30,090 --> 00:42:37,080
Um, think about, uh, people or
organizations, not only, uh.

1000
00:42:37,964 --> 00:42:41,805
Projecting their idea, their projects
that they're working on, but also maybe

1001
00:42:42,015 --> 00:42:46,964
events, volunteering events that they have
or volunteering work that they require,

1002
00:42:46,964 --> 00:42:51,194
and then people can directly apply to
those events or those volunteering jobs.

1003
00:42:51,555 --> 00:42:52,125
So yeah.

1004
00:42:52,604 --> 00:42:54,555
May maybe your, maybe
your next job is there.

1005
00:42:54,555 --> 00:42:54,584
Eh?

1006
00:42:54,975 --> 00:42:55,125
Yes.

1007
00:42:55,160 --> 00:42:56,024
It, it, who knows?

1008
00:42:56,475 --> 00:42:59,745
We have been, uh, we have been
very, that was very interesting is

1009
00:42:59,745 --> 00:43:03,740
that as soon as we started and the
moment we had our website live.

1010
00:43:04,450 --> 00:43:06,160
We have volunteers helping us.

1011
00:43:06,400 --> 00:43:06,700
Yeah.

1012
00:43:06,730 --> 00:43:10,180
People we never met before, and
suddenly they're part of the team.

1013
00:43:10,185 --> 00:43:13,480
And, and, and that's also something
where we feel like, okay, this is

1014
00:43:13,480 --> 00:43:14,800
something where we can make a difference.

1015
00:43:14,800 --> 00:43:18,340
If you feel like, Hmm, I want to
be part of it, uh, I would like to

1016
00:43:18,340 --> 00:43:22,960
contribute to an initiative in Mexico,
in, in the Netherlands or in Canada,

1017
00:43:23,020 --> 00:43:24,520
uh, and support them financially.

1018
00:43:24,915 --> 00:43:25,365
Perfect.

1019
00:43:25,695 --> 00:43:25,935
Yeah.

1020
00:43:25,995 --> 00:43:28,935
If you feel like, hmm, it's
around the corner, I can help.

1021
00:43:28,965 --> 00:43:33,195
Or it's not around the corner, but I
can help remotely, uh, supporting them.

1022
00:43:33,400 --> 00:43:33,690
Yeah.

1023
00:43:33,695 --> 00:43:33,945
Yeah.

1024
00:43:34,005 --> 00:43:37,845
Uh, there's a lot of ways how you
can, how you can actually Yeah.

1025
00:43:37,905 --> 00:43:40,845
Be part of, of, of bringing
solutions and, and, yeah.

1026
00:43:41,460 --> 00:43:41,520
Yeah.

1027
00:43:42,300 --> 00:43:42,480
Yeah.

1028
00:43:42,480 --> 00:43:43,230
And, and, yeah.

1029
00:43:43,320 --> 00:43:44,790
Uh, but it's experience as well.

1030
00:43:44,790 --> 00:43:44,850
Yeah.

1031
00:43:44,965 --> 00:43:46,740
Uh, uh, stories, ocean stories.

1032
00:43:46,740 --> 00:43:50,220
There's so many people who just
have a passion for the ocean.

1033
00:43:50,250 --> 00:43:53,280
Uh, they, they, they live on
the ocean sometimes, literally.

1034
00:43:53,345 --> 00:43:53,765
Uh, yes.

1035
00:43:53,765 --> 00:43:55,230
Uh, uh, write stories about it.

1036
00:43:55,410 --> 00:43:56,070
Uh, podcast.

1037
00:43:56,070 --> 00:43:57,480
I know someone who does podcasts.

1038
00:43:57,480 --> 00:44:00,990
Yes, there is, there are so
many people who, who really.

1039
00:44:01,400 --> 00:44:02,930
Care about what we're doing.

1040
00:44:03,230 --> 00:44:06,320
Uh, we did not get this just
from our market research.

1041
00:44:06,320 --> 00:44:10,460
We really experienced firsthand
how much passion there is and, uh,

1042
00:44:10,460 --> 00:44:13,700
absolutely passion that deserves to be
shared, uh, with like-minded people.

1043
00:44:14,330 --> 00:44:15,650
Yeah, I, it, I agree.

1044
00:44:15,650 --> 00:44:19,700
I think it that this platform, as you
said right now, it's, it's, uh, you know,

1045
00:44:19,700 --> 00:44:22,730
an MVP, like a minimal viable product
that you're put, that you're putting

1046
00:44:22,730 --> 00:44:24,320
forth and it can build from there.

1047
00:44:24,320 --> 00:44:24,800
And I think.

1048
00:44:25,270 --> 00:44:27,250
That, that will be really
interesting, the, the different

1049
00:44:27,250 --> 00:44:28,359
possibilities that can come in.

1050
00:44:28,359 --> 00:44:32,470
But just the fact that, you know, the
exposure for these projects that may not

1051
00:44:32,470 --> 00:44:36,940
have this exposure on an international
level, um, through this platform is

1052
00:44:36,940 --> 00:44:38,770
such a, is such an important part.

1053
00:44:38,770 --> 00:44:38,830
Yeah.

1054
00:44:38,835 --> 00:44:38,845
Yeah.

1055
00:44:39,069 --> 00:44:40,525
Um, you know, we all work within our own.

1056
00:44:41,384 --> 00:44:44,294
Communities within our own, sometimes
silos, you know, where we're just

1057
00:44:44,325 --> 00:44:47,444
kinda stuck within our own, our
own people within our own network.

1058
00:44:47,805 --> 00:44:51,615
To be able to be part of a larger
network that is international, uh,

1059
00:44:51,615 --> 00:44:55,455
is, is really important, uh, to, to
all of us, you know, anybody who,

1060
00:44:55,455 --> 00:44:56,865
who becomes part of this platform?

1061
00:44:57,254 --> 00:44:59,774
The, the, the, the interesting
question that I have, you know,

1062
00:44:59,774 --> 00:45:03,855
you, you have definitely made a, a
decision, a conscious decision too.

1063
00:45:04,035 --> 00:45:06,225
Support international projects.

1064
00:45:06,225 --> 00:45:09,105
You know, we have a, a couple people
from Canada, we have a couple people

1065
00:45:09,105 --> 00:45:10,964
like you mentioned some, some in Mexico.

1066
00:45:11,295 --> 00:45:15,165
Um, what, why was that like, you
could have said, we wanna stay in

1067
00:45:15,315 --> 00:45:18,105
like, just in the net like support
projects in the Netherlands, which

1068
00:45:18,404 --> 00:45:19,694
took completely understandable.

1069
00:45:19,694 --> 00:45:22,970
You know, you know the Netherlands,
you, you know, it's, it's your, oh yeah.

1070
00:45:22,970 --> 00:45:24,254
Your home and, and your home country.

1071
00:45:24,254 --> 00:45:27,345
Or you could have said the European
Union just in general because there's

1072
00:45:27,345 --> 00:45:29,475
a lot of of connections there as well.

1073
00:45:29,745 --> 00:45:34,570
What made you decide, we wanna pro, we
want to open this up internationally.

1074
00:45:35,430 --> 00:45:38,504
Yeah, I, I think there's a few
things that, that really, uh,

1075
00:45:38,509 --> 00:45:40,080
uh, that we really noticed.

1076
00:45:40,080 --> 00:45:44,609
Uh, I remember that we were in, uh,
November 23, uh, we were at Ocean

1077
00:45:44,609 --> 00:45:47,430
Ovation, which happens to be in the
Hague in, in the Netherlands at the time.

1078
00:45:47,580 --> 00:45:49,920
And the first thing you notice
is that there's a really, really

1079
00:45:49,920 --> 00:45:51,299
international environment.

1080
00:45:51,420 --> 00:45:51,509
Mm-hmm.

1081
00:45:51,750 --> 00:45:55,500
It's not like if there is an
initiative from, uh, let's say, uh,

1082
00:45:55,770 --> 00:45:59,279
from, uh, from from Canada, that
it's only Canadians working there.

1083
00:45:59,545 --> 00:46:00,235
Uh, right.

1084
00:46:00,535 --> 00:46:02,545
And, and, and the same
for, for the Netherlands.

1085
00:46:02,545 --> 00:46:03,655
So it's really international.

1086
00:46:03,775 --> 00:46:04,885
It's very diverse.

1087
00:46:04,945 --> 00:46:10,285
Uh, there you see all kinds of people, uh,
uh, you, you've never met before, but they

1088
00:46:10,285 --> 00:46:12,745
have the same passion for Ocean impact.

1089
00:46:13,585 --> 00:46:20,395
On the other hand, um, we in modern
times, uh, sander has been to Australia

1090
00:46:20,545 --> 00:46:24,415
and he got this trigger for, oh,
hold on, this is something big.

1091
00:46:24,895 --> 00:46:26,365
We really felt like, Hmm.

1092
00:46:26,575 --> 00:46:26,995
Uh.

1093
00:46:27,765 --> 00:46:31,435
Sometimes the inspiration also comes
from where you've been and mm-hmm.

1094
00:46:31,785 --> 00:46:35,235
You might have been on holiday
in Portugal, uh, where you

1095
00:46:35,235 --> 00:46:37,425
got your inspiration, hold on.

1096
00:46:37,425 --> 00:46:39,015
There's something great happening here.

1097
00:46:39,315 --> 00:46:43,485
Um, and you start caring for an
environment or certain field where

1098
00:46:43,485 --> 00:46:47,625
you, where you don't come from, where
you don't live, but you just know the

1099
00:46:47,625 --> 00:46:49,365
place and you start caring for it.

1100
00:46:49,665 --> 00:46:49,755
Mm-hmm.

1101
00:46:50,025 --> 00:46:53,295
So it really breeds like
this, this, this whole.

1102
00:46:54,120 --> 00:46:59,460
International, global, uh, uh, uh,
collaboration, uh, from the sector as a

1103
00:46:59,460 --> 00:47:04,950
whole, but also how the ocean is, uh, is,
is experienced by, by different people.

1104
00:47:05,310 --> 00:47:05,520
Yeah.

1105
00:47:05,640 --> 00:47:10,650
And let's not forget, uh, the, the,
the ocean is 71% of the surface

1106
00:47:10,650 --> 00:47:12,240
of the, of planet Earth, right?

1107
00:47:12,330 --> 00:47:15,330
Uh, so it's, it, it doesn't stop locally.

1108
00:47:15,420 --> 00:47:16,890
Everything is connected.

1109
00:47:16,980 --> 00:47:17,520
Uh, there is.

1110
00:47:19,005 --> 00:47:22,725
One large moss of water,
which is all interconnected.

1111
00:47:22,725 --> 00:47:24,435
It's the largest ecosystem in the planet.

1112
00:47:24,885 --> 00:47:25,005
Yeah.

1113
00:47:25,005 --> 00:47:28,935
And if, if I. I'm in the
water here in the Netherlands.

1114
00:47:29,234 --> 00:47:30,495
It's the same water.

1115
00:47:31,185 --> 00:47:34,845
I might run into some conversations
with a marine biologist, but it's

1116
00:47:34,845 --> 00:47:38,955
the same water as someone who is
in India or in, uh, yeah, in China.

1117
00:47:39,285 --> 00:47:44,265
It, um, yeah, so it, it, it really
felt natural to, to start exploring it.

1118
00:47:44,805 --> 00:47:49,065
And when we kickstarted our early
adopter program for, for finding,

1119
00:47:49,125 --> 00:47:51,285
uh, organizations impact makers.

1120
00:47:51,440 --> 00:47:57,049
Um, we got very quickly already
approached by people from,

1121
00:47:57,140 --> 00:47:58,430
uh, not from the Netherlands.

1122
00:47:58,430 --> 00:48:01,610
And, uh, uh, we, we never set
a border to No, you should

1123
00:48:01,610 --> 00:48:03,799
have these or those barriers.

1124
00:48:03,799 --> 00:48:06,920
And we are only accepting from,
from Europe or from the Netherlands.

1125
00:48:06,920 --> 00:48:09,950
No, we opened up, uh, see what happens.

1126
00:48:09,950 --> 00:48:15,319
And, uh, we, yeah, automatically and,
and also, uh, to our great, uh, uh,

1127
00:48:15,860 --> 00:48:20,060
uh, enthusiasm, uh, found out there
is, uh, a very collaborative space.

1128
00:48:21,000 --> 00:48:21,870
Yeah, yeah.

1129
00:48:21,870 --> 00:48:22,620
No, absolutely.

1130
00:48:22,620 --> 00:48:24,975
There's, I mean, there's definitely
people who want to Oh yeah.

1131
00:48:25,200 --> 00:48:27,960
To collaborate, who want to
help, uh, who needs some help,

1132
00:48:27,960 --> 00:48:29,310
who needs some, this platform.

1133
00:48:29,670 --> 00:48:32,250
Um, and I think it's, I think it's very
important and I'm, I'm looking forward

1134
00:48:32,250 --> 00:48:35,759
to, to not only participating in it,
but seeing how this platform grows not

1135
00:48:35,759 --> 00:48:39,060
only from the, from the launch, all the
way to its growth and it's evolution.

1136
00:48:39,060 --> 00:48:43,380
I think it's something that's absolutely
needed, uh, in this, in this field.

1137
00:48:43,440 --> 00:48:47,310
Um, and, and, um, I think it's,
it's gonna be really great to see.

1138
00:48:47,565 --> 00:48:51,255
These projects get supported from
a variety of different levels, as,

1139
00:48:51,255 --> 00:48:52,785
as all of you mentioned, right?

1140
00:48:52,785 --> 00:48:56,385
It's, it's not only from a funding
perspective, exposure perspective,

1141
00:48:56,385 --> 00:49:01,005
maybe citizen science perspective,
um, maybe, you know, uh, an ability

1142
00:49:01,005 --> 00:49:03,915
to recruit people to help out,
to volunteer and and so forth.

1143
00:49:03,915 --> 00:49:07,305
I think that's, that's really important
and get that international exposure.

1144
00:49:07,305 --> 00:49:10,935
So, uh, I wanna thank both of you
for, for coming on the podcast

1145
00:49:10,935 --> 00:49:13,605
and, and, uh, you know, telling us
this story, telling us how you met.

1146
00:49:13,755 --> 00:49:14,715
I have one question though.

1147
00:49:14,755 --> 00:49:18,445
Yeah, as as a dog owner, myself and
I live in an area, a neighborhood.

1148
00:49:18,855 --> 00:49:19,785
That's all.

1149
00:49:19,965 --> 00:49:25,095
You know, a lot of dogs, like we, I I
would say 75% of the people who in, in

1150
00:49:25,095 --> 00:49:26,805
this neighborhood own at least one dog.

1151
00:49:27,255 --> 00:49:30,135
Um, and a lot of the times when we're
walking, we all know each other.

1152
00:49:30,195 --> 00:49:30,525
Yes.

1153
00:49:30,555 --> 00:49:30,645
Mm-hmm.

1154
00:49:30,645 --> 00:49:33,690
But there's a, there's a good chance
that we know the dog's name Yes.

1155
00:49:33,885 --> 00:49:35,715
And more than we know the owner's name.

1156
00:49:35,925 --> 00:49:39,855
So how long was it before you actually
knew each other's names and not

1157
00:49:39,855 --> 00:49:41,235
just your dog's names when you met?

1158
00:49:42,675 --> 00:49:44,010
I think in that sense it helped.

1159
00:49:44,330 --> 00:49:45,440
Being neighbors.

1160
00:49:45,440 --> 00:49:50,930
So, uh, right when I moved in,
uh, they also welcomed us, uh, as

1161
00:49:50,930 --> 00:49:52,670
neighbors in the, in the neighborhood.

1162
00:49:52,670 --> 00:49:52,759
Nice.

1163
00:49:52,759 --> 00:49:55,940
So that's how that sort
of came to me pretty fast.

1164
00:49:56,900 --> 00:49:58,130
But you're totally right.

1165
00:49:58,130 --> 00:50:01,370
I mean, there are so many people
around where I know the name of the

1166
00:50:01,370 --> 00:50:02,870
dog, but not the name of the person.

1167
00:50:04,310 --> 00:50:04,490
Yeah.

1168
00:50:04,490 --> 00:50:06,049
We're just like, oh,
that's Chester's owner.

1169
00:50:06,110 --> 00:50:06,620
Oh, okay.

1170
00:50:06,620 --> 00:50:07,940
Or that's nachos owner.

1171
00:50:07,940 --> 00:50:08,330
Yeah.

1172
00:50:08,335 --> 00:50:08,975
That's how it works.

1173
00:50:08,980 --> 00:50:09,020
Yeah.

1174
00:50:09,020 --> 00:50:09,080
Yeah.

1175
00:50:09,799 --> 00:50:10,670
Guys, thank you.

1176
00:50:11,105 --> 00:50:11,455
Sorry.

1177
00:50:11,455 --> 00:50:11,895
Go ahead Kurt.

1178
00:50:12,535 --> 00:50:15,085
No, that, that, I, I really
recognize what you're saying here.

1179
00:50:15,085 --> 00:50:18,505
It's, uh, it took me a while
before It was not Sandor neighbor,

1180
00:50:18,565 --> 00:50:20,425
but it was Sandor in my phone.

1181
00:50:20,425 --> 00:50:20,485
Yeah.

1182
00:50:20,485 --> 00:50:20,905
Oh yeah.

1183
00:50:22,945 --> 00:50:26,945
So the, the last name is what I, what
I was, uh, thinking Andrew is, um.

1184
00:50:27,530 --> 00:50:30,590
Uh, now that we have, uh,
our launch coming up, yeah.

1185
00:50:30,800 --> 00:50:34,670
It might be a nice idea to, to, uh,
uh, host some of the, uh, participants

1186
00:50:34,670 --> 00:50:35,960
in, in the podcast as well.

1187
00:50:36,050 --> 00:50:36,920
I mean, absolutely.

1188
00:50:36,920 --> 00:50:38,960
We are doing, we're doing
some nice work there.

1189
00:50:38,960 --> 00:50:41,150
They have some amazing stories to tell.

1190
00:50:41,210 --> 00:50:41,360
Yes.

1191
00:50:41,480 --> 00:50:45,230
So perhaps this could be a nice, uh,
starting point as well, and, um, so that

1192
00:50:45,230 --> 00:50:49,550
people can also get to know the founders,
uh, the, yeah, the, the initiative

1193
00:50:49,550 --> 00:50:51,230
takers, the scientists behind it.

1194
00:50:51,630 --> 00:50:52,020
Yeah.

1195
00:50:52,170 --> 00:50:52,860
Yeah, absolutely.

1196
00:50:52,860 --> 00:50:54,660
I mean, that's something that,
you know, we've discussed

1197
00:50:54,660 --> 00:50:55,935
for quite some time and yeah.

1198
00:50:56,070 --> 00:50:59,190
To be able to bring them on the podcast
and to be able to get, help them get

1199
00:50:59,190 --> 00:51:00,935
that exposure, and then for that Yeah.

1200
00:51:01,020 --> 00:51:03,930
You know, interview to live on
the, on the website and, uh, so

1201
00:51:03,930 --> 00:51:06,450
that people can get to know them
for, you know, for time and time.

1202
00:51:06,570 --> 00:51:08,460
Like every time they come to
the site, they can, they can

1203
00:51:08,550 --> 00:51:09,780
read their founder story Yeah.

1204
00:51:09,780 --> 00:51:10,470
And their story.

1205
00:51:10,530 --> 00:51:10,680
Yeah.

1206
00:51:10,740 --> 00:51:11,730
And the project story.

1207
00:51:11,730 --> 00:51:14,070
So I think that's a,
that's a, a, a definite.

1208
00:51:14,345 --> 00:51:17,345
A bonus, uh, for, for everybody,
you know, for myself, yeah.

1209
00:51:17,345 --> 00:51:20,735
For you guys, for, for the, the
project and for the people, um, that

1210
00:51:20,735 --> 00:51:21,875
we're, that we're gonna be offering.

1211
00:51:21,875 --> 00:51:23,975
So I think that's, that's
always, that's always wonderful.

1212
00:51:23,975 --> 00:51:24,904
I can't wait to do this.

1213
00:51:24,904 --> 00:51:27,005
I can't wait to see the launch.

1214
00:51:27,065 --> 00:51:27,455
Uh, yes.

1215
00:51:27,455 --> 00:51:31,415
And we'll have you back on as we launch
so that we can get people to participate

1216
00:51:31,415 --> 00:51:32,944
and to, to really get in there.

1217
00:51:32,944 --> 00:51:35,615
But, uh, I wanna thank you both
for, for coming on the podcast

1218
00:51:35,615 --> 00:51:37,025
and sharing, sharing this story.

1219
00:51:37,254 --> 00:51:38,035
Thanks for having me.

1220
00:51:38,035 --> 00:51:38,095
Yeah.

1221
00:51:38,095 --> 00:51:39,745
Thank you for, yeah, definitely.

1222
00:51:39,745 --> 00:51:39,924
Yeah.

1223
00:51:39,924 --> 00:51:40,345
Thank you.

1224
00:51:40,345 --> 00:51:44,214
Yeah, it was really nice, uh, to
have this, uh, um, this opportunity.

1225
00:51:44,515 --> 00:51:45,205
Absolutely.

1226
00:51:45,444 --> 00:51:48,685
Thank you Barton Saer for joining
us on today's episode of the How

1227
00:51:48,685 --> 00:51:49,915
to Protect the Ocean Podcast.

1228
00:51:50,064 --> 00:51:51,085
That was great to have you on.

1229
00:51:51,085 --> 00:51:53,154
Great to hear your founder's story.

1230
00:51:53,395 --> 00:51:59,544
If you wanna know more about bian,
you can go to bion B-A-L-E-A n.org.

1231
00:51:59,605 --> 00:52:02,214
That's B-A-L-E-A-N.

1232
00:52:02,275 --> 00:52:03,235
Dot org.

1233
00:52:03,325 --> 00:52:07,045
Uh, you can check out this dynamic
website, which is changing day by

1234
00:52:07,045 --> 00:52:10,045
day, and it's something that I feel
is very important for you to check out

1235
00:52:10,135 --> 00:52:11,935
and look at, you know, in the future.

1236
00:52:11,965 --> 00:52:14,365
This is not just now, but
look at in October when they

1237
00:52:14,365 --> 00:52:15,655
launch, but also in the future.

1238
00:52:15,655 --> 00:52:19,675
It's gonna be great to see how this
platform is going to build and how

1239
00:52:19,675 --> 00:52:21,655
it's going to grow as we go along.

1240
00:52:21,745 --> 00:52:23,905
Some of the things I thought
was really cool is, you know

1241
00:52:23,905 --> 00:52:25,855
how both of these gentlemen.

1242
00:52:25,915 --> 00:52:31,015
Evolved in their careers and evolved into
doing something with meaning for them.

1243
00:52:31,105 --> 00:52:32,575
Everybody has their own meaning.

1244
00:52:32,755 --> 00:52:35,215
Everybody has their own purpose
and everybody has something

1245
00:52:35,215 --> 00:52:36,235
that's important to them.

1246
00:52:36,235 --> 00:52:41,154
For Saunders and Bart, it was, Hey,
let's do something great for the ocean.

1247
00:52:41,154 --> 00:52:43,255
Let's do something
meaningful for the ocean.

1248
00:52:43,255 --> 00:52:45,775
And I think it was great that
they're walking along the coastline.

1249
00:52:45,870 --> 00:52:49,650
Walking with their dogs as I met through
the dogs, as you know, I have two dogs

1250
00:52:49,650 --> 00:52:52,710
that, you know, I meet a lot of people
through here where I know more the

1251
00:52:52,710 --> 00:52:54,029
dog's names than the owner's names.

1252
00:52:54,029 --> 00:52:55,830
For most part, that's our neighborhood.

1253
00:52:55,890 --> 00:52:59,100
Uh, we have so many dogs, but you
know that dogs bring people together.

1254
00:52:59,160 --> 00:53:01,109
I'm telling you it's
a great social aspect.

1255
00:53:01,230 --> 00:53:02,370
And they're also great pets.

1256
00:53:02,370 --> 00:53:03,210
They're great companions.

1257
00:53:03,210 --> 00:53:03,390
They get.

1258
00:53:03,655 --> 00:53:05,275
To be part of the family pretty quickly.

1259
00:53:05,365 --> 00:53:07,915
But you know, it was really
interesting how that brought

1260
00:53:07,975 --> 00:53:09,805
these two individuals together.

1261
00:53:09,955 --> 00:53:12,475
Fate brought them together
in terms of moving in across

1262
00:53:12,475 --> 00:53:13,315
the street from each other.

1263
00:53:13,315 --> 00:53:16,135
They start talking, they start welcoming
each other in the neighborhood, shows how

1264
00:53:16,135 --> 00:53:18,325
community can grow something really great.

1265
00:53:18,535 --> 00:53:20,635
And then they're like, let's
look at something here.

1266
00:53:20,635 --> 00:53:21,475
Let's look at the ocean.

1267
00:53:21,475 --> 00:53:22,855
Where can we help the best?

1268
00:53:23,035 --> 00:53:25,165
And it's not to say, Hey, we're
just gonna start an organization.

1269
00:53:25,165 --> 00:53:26,635
We're gonna put our own programs together.

1270
00:53:26,635 --> 00:53:31,225
We're gonna just kind of bombard an
already busy and cluttered field.

1271
00:53:31,425 --> 00:53:34,185
But we're going to do something where
it's like there are so many people

1272
00:53:34,185 --> 00:53:36,615
who are doing great projects, they
just need a little bit more support,

1273
00:53:36,795 --> 00:53:37,905
or they need a lot of support.

1274
00:53:37,905 --> 00:53:39,525
Let's be able to provide that for them.

1275
00:53:39,525 --> 00:53:40,365
Let's create a platform.

1276
00:53:40,365 --> 00:53:41,445
We can provide that for 'em.

1277
00:53:41,685 --> 00:53:44,715
Provide them with exposure, provide
them with funding, give them the

1278
00:53:44,715 --> 00:53:46,545
tools that they need to get both.

1279
00:53:46,665 --> 00:53:47,595
And I think that's great.

1280
00:53:47,595 --> 00:53:48,645
And I love the platform.

1281
00:53:48,645 --> 00:53:50,115
I've loved my experience so far.

1282
00:53:50,400 --> 00:53:54,300
Both of these guys and Bian and under
their early adopters program, they

1283
00:53:54,300 --> 00:53:58,140
have great vision, great insight, very
collaborative, very friendly, which you

1284
00:53:58,140 --> 00:54:01,740
don't get all the time, unfortunately,
in this field, but we got it with them.

1285
00:54:01,920 --> 00:54:05,700
So I wanted to have them on the podcast
and be able to share those stories.

1286
00:54:05,820 --> 00:54:08,190
And of course, we'll also share
when they launch and we'll have

1287
00:54:08,190 --> 00:54:09,600
them back on to talk about that.

1288
00:54:09,605 --> 00:54:09,615
And.

1289
00:54:09,850 --> 00:54:11,410
You know what kind of projects we can do.

1290
00:54:11,410 --> 00:54:14,170
We'll also have some of the
founders of these projects on to

1291
00:54:14,170 --> 00:54:15,339
talk about their projects as well.

1292
00:54:15,339 --> 00:54:19,420
So you'll get to know these individuals
and projects that have teams.

1293
00:54:19,420 --> 00:54:20,529
So I think it'll be a lot of fun.

1294
00:54:20,529 --> 00:54:23,140
So anyway, that's something to
look forward to in the future,

1295
00:54:23,140 --> 00:54:24,220
but I wanna thank you so much.

1296
00:54:24,220 --> 00:54:26,950
If you have any questions or comments,
you can put them in the comments

1297
00:54:26,950 --> 00:54:29,770
below if you're watching this on
YouTube, or you can just contact.

1298
00:54:30,090 --> 00:54:34,140
Either on Instagram through DM at How to
Protect the Ocean, or you can go to the

1299
00:54:34,140 --> 00:54:36,990
website, speak up for blue.com/contact.

1300
00:54:36,990 --> 00:54:39,480
If you feel out the form goes
right to my email, I'd be more

1301
00:54:39,480 --> 00:54:40,950
than happy to answer you back.

1302
00:54:41,160 --> 00:54:44,520
I wanna thank you again for joining
me and listening to this episode and

1303
00:54:44,520 --> 00:54:45,990
all the other episodes that we've had.

1304
00:54:46,020 --> 00:54:48,930
We've had a bump in numbers
over the summer, especially

1305
00:54:48,930 --> 00:54:50,130
on YouTube, which is great.

1306
00:54:50,130 --> 00:54:54,180
And of course on audio is always wonderful
to have everybody in the audience.

1307
00:54:54,180 --> 00:54:54,900
We're expanding.

1308
00:54:54,900 --> 00:54:57,780
We're building this community and
growing this community for more

1309
00:54:57,780 --> 00:54:59,340
people to learn about the oceans.

1310
00:54:59,395 --> 00:55:02,545
Basically what we wanna do here is
provide a resource for people who wanna

1311
00:55:02,545 --> 00:55:06,175
learn more about the ocean and change
how we can live for a better ocean.

1312
00:55:06,384 --> 00:55:07,225
That's the tagline.

1313
00:55:07,225 --> 00:55:08,425
That's what we live by here.

1314
00:55:08,485 --> 00:55:09,835
And I wanna thank you so much.

1315
00:55:09,835 --> 00:55:12,265
So thank you so much for joining
me on today's episode of the How

1316
00:55:12,265 --> 00:55:13,375
to Protect the Ocean Podcast.

1317
00:55:13,675 --> 00:55:16,225
I'm your host, Andrew Lewin from
the True North Strong and Free.

1318
00:55:16,225 --> 00:55:16,884
Have a great day.

1319
00:55:16,884 --> 00:55:19,105
We'll talk to you next time
and happy conservation.