Daniela V. Fernandez

At merely 19 years old, Daniela V. Fernandez founded the Sustainable Ocean Alliance (SOA), an idea born in her college dorm. Fernandez has transformed SOA into a globally recognized organization that cultivates and accelerates solutions to protect and sustain ocean health. Boasting an impressive network of young ocean leaders in over 50 countries, launching the first-ever Ocean Solutions Accelerator to support ocean startups, and forming partnerships with a range of entities from corporations like Lindblad Expeditions and The Economist, to NGOs and government bodies, including Indonesia and the European Union, SOA is dedicated to creating technological solutions to combat the most critical threats facing our planet.

Fernandez's work aims to answer pivotal questions such as how to cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset in the upcoming generation, the leading technologies that can be utilized to mitigate the challenges our environment is facing, and how established companies can harness the power of youth. Her work also focuses on identifying trends among Generation Z and Millennials as consumers, employees, and future business leaders, which will influence the next wave of entrepreneurs and redefine the relationship between emerging technologies and social good.

Her efforts have garnered acknowledgments from notable figures such as former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, President Bill Clinton, and EU Commissioner Karmenu Vella. Fernandez is a World Economic Forum Global Shaper and a member of the Friends of Ocean Action—a select group of leaders congregating to fast-track solutions to the ocean's urgent challenges. She was honored with the Silicon Valley Forum's 2020 Rising Star Visionary Award and named a Forbes 30 Under 30 Social Entrepreneur in 2019. Her work has also led to recognitions, including Glamour Magazine's College Women of the Year, Azula's Top 5 Ocean Heroes of 2016, the Peter Benchley Ocean Award, and the Bustle Upstart Award.

Besides contributing to National Geographic and Sustainable Brands, Fernandez has been interviewed by media outlets such as Voice of America, New York City TV, and Ocean Radio. She has graced many high-level events as a keynote speaker, including The Economist World Ocean Summit, the Global Climate Summit, The Global Convening of Mayors, The United Nations, U.S. Capitol Hill Ocean Week, Collision Conference, Sustainable Brands Conference, WE Day, and Davos 2019 - The World Economic Forum’s annual meeting.