Dear Community,
We’re excited to share a recent interview published by UMIO Maastricht University featuring Bart Oor, Balean co-founder and UMIO MBA alumnus.
The conversation explores how academic reflection turned into real-world ocean impact, and how Balean was born from the belief that sustainability should sit at the core of what we do, not on the sidelines.
Key Interview Highlights
The "True Sustainability" Turning Point: During his MBA, Bart encountered a framework that shifted his focus from merely "reducing harm" to creating positive impact where profit is a means, not the end.
A Systems-Level View: With oceans covering over 70% of the Earth’s surface and supporting 80% of humanity, Bart believes meaningful climate action must start in the water.
The Three Bottlenecks: Balean was designed to solve the structural issues facing ocean initiatives: Awareness (knowing they exist), Visibility (unifying fragmented stories), and Funding (achieving scale).
The "Golden Duo": The foundation of Balean was built over dog walks between neighbors. Bart brings strategy and stakeholder engagement, while co-founder Sander Brienen provides deep IT and systems expertise. A complementary founding team turning ideas into scalable digital infrastructure.
Radical Transparency: Everything Balean does is open-source, including the digital platform’s source code, to ensure full transparency and democratize access to impact:
"We shouldn’t consider sustainability as a side activity. It should be at the core of what we do, because it is our core."
Bart’s Advice for Change-Makers
For those looking to make a difference, Bart offers a pragmatic perspective:
You don’t need to have everything figured out before you start.
Start small, but start intentionally.
Find people who resonate with your values.
Real impact often requires personal sacrifice and tough conversations.
The UMIO influence
Bart credits the UMIO MBA for encouraging deep personal reflection and responsibility:
“The MBA made me ask not just what I can do, but what I should do.”
How to Get Involved
Balean is currently supporting over 10 global impact initiatives and is growing and actively looking for:
Students and alumni
Ocean-impact organizations
Volunteers, researchers, and partners
Donors and impact-driven investors: to help scale these solutions.
“If you have a good idea, bring it. If you think you’re a competitor, even better, let’s talk.”
📖 Read the Full Interview on UMIOMaastricht University’s Website:
Thank you for being part of a community that believes in open, inclusive, and scalable ocean impact.💙
The Balean Team