Martin
As a youth, Martin surfed and fished along the California Coast, and this activity makes a person very hungry. So his passions for eating and love of the ocean began to merge. When he left the Bay Area to attend the McGuire Center for Entrepreneurship at The University of Arizona, he found himself far from the fresh seafood he had been accustomed to. Though commonplace for most landlocked areas, he learned that even on the coast the problems of traceability, sustainability and quality were far reaching. If only there was a way that consumers could purchase directly from fishermen...
After much brainstorming and coffee, he founded i love blue sea shortly after graduation, partnering with the Monterey Bay Aquarium and their prestigious Seafood Watch program to sell only approved sustainable seafood. This way, technology could be used to bring the highest quality seafood to people across the United States and also help to protect our oceans and waterways.
With Martin’s leadership, i love blue sea continues to deepen their commitment to the environment, quality, and to be innovators when it comes to using technology to further sustainability. His favorite seafood is sushi, enjoyed with friends, and plenty of sake.
Kylor
Kylor is the web-wiz that keeps your orders flowing smoothly through the i love blue sea website. He recently escaped the heat of Tucson for higher ground in Flagstaff, where he works in web development. He used to eat seafood indiscriminately, favoring sushi restaurants, until he visited San Francisco. There he became familiar with the products at i love blue sea, and they changed him.
After tasting the albacore tuna, sashimi style, at i love blue sea, well, let’s just say that Kylor had been kissed before, but never like this. He used to think that “sustainable” was just a trending word, but now he sees it as a way of life. When he’s not figuring out web solutions, you will find Kylor at his local farmers market, taking in the seasonal flavors and enjoying all the beautiful gifts that nature has to offer.
Rocky
Rocky is a second-generation fisherman from BOTH sides. His mother, Helen Burns is an Alaskan fishing legend, as she is one of the few women to work on crabbing boats and as a professional long-liner on halibut and black cod boats. Rocky’s father, Ken Burns, is a crab fisherman off the coast of Northern California. Rocky began running a crabbing boat at age 23, becoming one of the youngest skippers in the state.
Growing up in the industry, he saw that both the ocean and family run fisheries were increasingly in danger and is working with i love blue sea to change that. He states, “Fishermen are beholden to large, corporate buyers to catch more, fish harder in more dangerous weather, and still receive a price that barely covers their ever-increasing fuel bill.”
Rocky is i love blue sea’s liaison between fishermen and consumers. He’s working to create a system to give fishermen a better price, and the consumer the highest quality seafood available, with complete transparency. For fun he surfs, and his favorite seafood is Dungeness crab, right on the boat.
Danielle
Danielle got a behind-the-scenes look at the seafood industry while in Alaska two summers ago. She loved pulling seafood straight from the ocean, and hearing the stories of local fishermen and women. The best part of being a deckhand was constant access to fresh wild salmon. In the short time she was a part of the seafood supply chain, she saw a complicated and unsustainable system.
At i love blue sea she learned that sustainable seafood from the source for consumers is possible, and tasty. She now tells the stories of our amazing producers on our blog and newsletter, packs orders at Pier 45, and supports the team however she can.
In her spare time, she freelances as a website content writer, and dreams of taking a road trip visiting oyster farms on the West Coast. Raw oysters on the half shell with a twist of lemon are her favorite.
