Current Connect is a digital collaboration hub designed to address the lack of community among the members of 1000 Ocean Startups (1000OS), a coalition of organizations that aims to preserve ocean health through innovation. As we conducted we initial research, we identified a major opportunity to advance the main goal of 1000OS: uniting members and investors in the ocean innovation effort.

Despite 1000OS’ stated mission of uniting stakeholders, interviews with members revealed a lack of interaction between organizations belonging to the coalition. Communication is limited primarily to WhatsApp group chats, in which few actively participate. Major meetings are infrequent. The disconnect between members hinders community building and collaboration, highlighting the need for a more effective communication platform to strengthen ties, improve communication, and support 1000OS’ growth through the identification of funding avenues.

Through features like forums, a messaging application, and shared resources, Current Connect directly addresses critical communication gaps within the 1000OS community. The platform will allow 1000OS to advance the goals set forth in its value proposition and facilitate the creation of a membership fee structure (enabling the coalition to charge a flat fee or a sliding scale based on members' revenue).

Benefits offered by Current Connect include the potential for increased engagement and ad revenue. Organizations can gain visibility and promote themselves by employing the networking capabilities of this platform rather than paying for a traditional PR firm. These directly support the ultimate purpose of 1000 Ocean Startups, strengthening the coalition and enabling it to deepen its impact in ocean preservation.