Balean News: Making Waves Together

Dear friends:

Happy to share you a quick look at what’s happening behind the scenes as we build the Balean platform: A place to connect conservation work with a wider audience and support system.

So many things happened at Balean!

We’ve been busy! and here’s a summary of what we’ve accomplished together:

After completing all our Storytelling Workshops, Pisces and Intractive (featured in this month’s Community Spotlight ✨) equipped our Early Adopters with the tools to tell powerful stories. This month, all that effort came together as presented in our Internal Platform demonstration!! A first look at how the community will soon experience their projects.

And this is just the beginning…October is bringing even more exciting news with the official launch! Finally, you’ll get a view of the Balean Platform as well!

Balean’s co-founders, Bart Oor and Sander Brienen, joined Andrew Lewin on a new episode of the How to Protect the Ocean podcast to share The Balean Founders Story: the lessons learned, the hurdles faced, and what the upcoming October launch means for independent ocean changemakers.

As Andrew noted:
"Many ocean projects fail not because the ideas are weak, but because the support system is missing. Balean is tackling the gaps of awareness, visibility, and funding for ocean impact initiatives around the world."

Tune in to hear more about how closing those gaps can unlock real change in ocean conservation: Listen to the episode

We’re excited to welcome Ivan Tzankov, our new intern, who brings expertise in infrastructure and cybersecurity to strengthen Balean’s platform for scaling, reliability, and efficiency.

The Balean team is also expanding with passionate and skilled volunteers, and we’re truly grateful for their energy and commitment to driving ocean impact forward!

This month, we're shining a light on two of our amazing implementation partners: Pisces and Intractive, both playing a key role in shaping how we bring impactful ocean stories to life.

And we couldn’t be happier, as this is not just a logo, This is Us!

Designed by Natalie and her team, the Balean logo reflects our energy, hope, and purpose:

Clean, modern, and full of life, the Balean logo captures both our tech-driven spirit and our mission to make a real impact for the ocean. 💙

At Balean, we believe awareness, visibility, and funding drive ocean impact … and storytelling is at the heart of it.

We’ve just launched our first Ocean Stories, showcasing the dedication and impact of ocean changemakers. Soon, these stories will also shine on the Balean platform!

Now we’re calling on all writers, photographers, artists, and storytellers with a passion for the ocean. Whether it’s an article, photo, video, or personal story: Your voice can inspire action.

Like this wonderful story by Shelley P. Russell:

“The ocean was once a stranger to me. I would have loved the exposure as a kid; waves at my feet, sand between my toes, and salty air in my lungs. Instead, I knew blizzard-swept winters and summers marked by wide horizons and fields without end. As a young kid, the ocean was just a vast…” Read More

📩 Want to contribute? Write us at [email protected] 

📖 Explore more Ocean Stories here

Melisa Rodriguez is looking for new opportunities based in the Netherlands or remote, in ocean literacy, advocacy or community-based conservation projects. She's an Environmental Scientist with expertise in communications and community engagement, trying to make the ocean space more intersectional. Check for more details here

Thanks for caring and sharing!!

If you're part of (or know of) an organization working on ocean conservation, reach out to us or share your story with us! 

The Balean platform enables funding, awareness and visibility for Ocean impact projects, stories and experiences.

Don’t keep us a secret ! Please share this email with your ocean-loving friends!

And as always, we’d love to hear from you! Drop us a line at: [email protected]

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