Our Team

Ocean Exchange Team

Jeff Kraatz

Global Sales Leader & Entrepreneur

Experienced global sales leader, entrepreneur, mentor, advisor, investor, Go To Market strategist, applying best practices execution for private, public, and nonprofit technology companies.

For the last 9 years Jeff has been recognized as the Enterprise sales leader for tech cohort companies participating in the Blue Startups (#17 top US Accelerator). Has recently been “giving back” in the Climate Change / Blue Economy space with groups like: World Ocean Council, Ocean Exchange, Blue Institute, Oceanovation, Braid Theory, Sustainable Ocean Alliance, East West Center. Passionate about the ocean-you may even find him building a climate change community-based solution the world needs.

Jeff is a customer-centric team player with a ‘roll up your sleeves’ approach to top line sales, and bottom-line profitability with a proven record of driving significant revenue growth results. Has founded numerous companies, been an effective single contributor through C level executive, is highly successful at fundraising, recruiting and building initial teams (or rebuilding teams), which has led to achieving successful company exits.

Deep experience in SaaS sales and operations; enterprise software sales and services; mobility solutions; telecom carrier hardware, software, and networks; systems integration, B2G(construction contractors filing permits), security solutions; data networking; performance management and cloud monitoring; customer experience professional services; retail operations; recruiting & fulfillment solutions; cloud digital migration & managed services; climate change & blue economy solutions; AI/ChatGBT for startups.

Is currently advising, and mentoring for selective startup companies, accelerators in the Blue Economy ecosystem. Lived in Hong Kong for 5 years (customers and teams in China, Japan, and throughout North Asia), excels at initial Go To Market business development, building and managing distributed global sales and support organizations, and channel partnerships (deep experience in US, APAC, EMEA, and India).

Jeff has served on the Board of Directors of numerous companies, including his family founded retail business –Flip Flop Workshop. Through strong partnerships and alliances Jeff and the company have supported the homeless community with civic organizations such as United Way, and Make A Wish Foundation. For special companies he offers services, and expertise for startup traction, execution, and scaling.

On a personal note-completed a dozen marathons, and the Hawaii Ironman Triathlon. Now prefer family activities, surfing, sailing, golfing, and tending a Bonsai garden.

Contact Us

Ocean Exchange invites you to learn more about Awards Program, our ecosystem and success of our award winners and participants. Together, we can chart a powerful course to help ensure the future of our oceans and the Blue Economy.

“Ocean Exchange has a platform to enable people with information that they need to know about the ocean and then to showcase new technologies that are on the forefront of really helping the ocean and the planet.”

“The quality of the content and the people who are involved with Ocean Exchange is all high end.”

“Besides funding, Ocean Exchange provides access to a wide area network of incredibly talented people in organizations that really do just want to help people.”

“Ocean Exchange is really about helping the little guys grow and in so doing, helping the big guys be better ocean citizens.”

“Ocean Exchange seems to be much more focused on bringing to light under-capitalized, wonderful new technology ideas. And it’s all about two-way access to this new technology and to the people who can help with the experience to grow that technology.”

“Ocean Exchange is a force multiplier to enable sustainable innovation.”

“Ocean Exchange is a global, novel innovation forum that has a greater ability to attract a broader range of impactful stakeholders than any other event that’s out there.”

“Unquestionably, one of Ocean Exchange’s primary strengths is how it brings together people from different paths. That makes its event a delegator experience as well as experience for an innovator or awards nominee.”

“Ocean Exchange is entirely different from any of the other organizations that I’m involved in. It is about sustainable innovation. I think it’s also very different in the extremely broad range of stakeholders that it involves.”

“There’s nothing better than going to an event or engaging with people so you walk away and say, ‘Wow!’”