Connect Who or what is your inspiration in business?

95% of US sea scallops come from large vessels that fish offshore for a week or more and store their scallops in direct contact with ice, adding water to the thousands of pounds they catch per trip. Maine fishermen bring in no more than 135 pounds of scallops from trips of only a few hours. But for decades we trucked these scallops out of state to be mixed in with Federal product. That's like dumping a bottle of Dom Perignon into a vat of Barefoot Bubbly. I'm on a mission to change that.

How do you stay motivated?

As a fisheries manager I helped make the industry more sustainable, and now I want to make it more profitable. US seafood distribution is designed to move quantity quickly rather than prioritizing quality. Customers tell me all the time "I had no idea scallops could be this good". Maine fishermen risk their lives to provide these scallops, and someone needs to show Americans just what they're missing. Motivation is not a problem.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I'll address the problem articulated by a chef friend: "I've never had scallops this good. The problem is no one knows they exist. If I offer an expensive steak, people assume it's a super premium cut because they know beef has many quality grades. They don't know seafood does." People won't demand what they don't know exists, so I'll use the $25K to fund tasting events, inviting media and influencers to taste my ultra premium sustainable scallops and share their compelling story.