Mission:TheBay Area Ocean Cluster (BAOC) fosters connection and cooperation to grow the Bay Area's Blue Economy.
About: BOAC is part of a growing consortium of ocean clusters serving shoreline cities all across the United States. Some are newly established, some have been in operation for a decade or more. An ocean cluster is based on a powerful premise: that the public sector, the private sector, and academia can realize ambitious goals when working together, and that they need a connective organization (or “Cluster”) to facilitate collaboration.
We are an early-stage organization, now our third year, founded as a Public Benefit Corporation. We work with funding partners that are focused on regional economic opportunities, and science-based organizations supporting blue economy initiatives.
Our work, currently, is concentrated on these foundational areas:
· Our BlueTech Workforce Development Program™ (now in its Pilot Year) places students in skill-building work environments, preparing them for challenging, well-paid careers.
· Events which convene our community deepen awareness and understanding of vital, topical issues.
· Our open source Bay Area Blue Economy Directory is a portal, provided free-of-charge, to explore and better understand the Bay Area blue economy.
· a Needs Assessment (in progress) is our next step in providing data that our Bay Area ocean community lacks.
Ongoing research on key economic, social, and environmental issues and opportunities drives our program activities.
We use research findings to facilitate actions and collaborations with regional stakeholders, driving growth of the blue economy sector in the SF Bay Area.
BAOC is committed to a workplace that will represent and empower our community. This commitment includes economic and educational outreach to underserved communities, as well as considering how our decisions as an organization affect those communities.
We are active in showcasing environmental challenges, and we are devoted to promoting responsible solutions to these challenges.
A deep bench of expert advisors serve BAOC, and we are grateful for their support! Their bios are listed here.
If the Blue Economy is new to you, please visit here for an overview. Welcome to the Bay Area Ocean Cluster!
Following are brand partners of the Bay Area Ocean Cluster. We support their work, and they support ours!
“The Bay Area Ocean Cluster has a unique opportunity to serve as a catalyst for the growth of ocean-related companies in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Building on the region's heritage of technology, innovation and entrepreneurship, BAOC serves as a critical entry-point for those interested in developing and supporting solutions for our oceans and our climate.”
Mike Blakeley, BAOC Chief Strategy Officer