Daniela V. Fernandez is a pioneering voice in ocean finance and innovation. At just 19, she founded the Sustainable Ocean Alliance (SOA), turning a grassroots student movement into a global platform that empowers youth and entrepreneurs to tackle the ocean crisis. Today, as Founder and CEO of VELAMAR, she is leading the world’s first asset manager dedicated to unlocking the $2.5 trillion needed to build a sustainable blue economy. Her work bridges capital markets and ocean solutions, ensuring that bold, scalable innovations receive the investment they need to thrive. With over a decade of impact at the intersection of climate, finance, and systems change, Daniela continues to redefine what’s possible for our ocean’s future.