Alina Sippolainen

Alina Sippolainen is a sustainable blue economy and ecosystem development advisor at A’Pelago. She leads accelerator programs and the A’Pelago Blue Connect platform, supporting the most innovative startups, investors, and companies within the international blue economy ecosystem. She builds networks between investors and companies, develops the ecosystem internationally, and is active in the global blue economy community and in the World Economic Forum’s 1000 Ocean Startups working group.

Alina holds a Master’s degree in Economics. She has extensive experience in sustainable business models, marine economics, project management, market research, impact measurement and management, finance, and startup and small- and medium-sized enterprise consulting. In her work, Alina combines business expertise, strong project management skills, evaluation of financial instruments, and sustainability objectives with both international and local stakeholders, particularly to scale solutions that promote ocean health and societal well-being.

She has a long background as a sea scout leader and skipper. In her free time, she can be found sailing, freeriding, or exploring different cultures and nature, enjoying good food and the company of friends.

Her key contributions at A’Pelago include:

• Introducting the blue economy to A'Pelago team
• Leading A’Pelago Blue Economy Accelerator programs: program design, partnership management, meetings with corporate partners, startup support, outcome and impact tracking, event facilitation, and corporate communications

• Conducting market, sector, and company research in the blue economy
• Curating the A’Pelago Initiative event: program and experience design, speaker recruitment, event concept and scripting, product development, and leading the program team

• Building and developing relationships in the global blue economy innovation, investment, and entrepreneurship network, including the 1,000 Ocean Startups community

• Developing the use of Ocean Impact Navigator to measure the environmental and social impact of the Accelerator programs.