# Vanessa Coleman

> Vanessa Coleman is the co-founder and CEO of Oceanworks, the largest global marketplace for recycled plastic materials and products. A serial entrepreneur with an MIT engineering and Sloan MBA background, she has turned mismanaged ocean-bound plastic into a traceable, brand-grade supply chain. Before Oceanworks she was founding CEO of power-electronics company FINsix and co-founded the clean-water social enterprise Saha Global. Her work connects hundreds of brands to vetted regional recyclers, backed by the Oceanworks Guaranteed certification and shore-to-shelf traceability.

- **Role:** Co-founder & CEO at Oceanworks
- **Organizations:** Oceanworks, FINsix, Saha Global, Edmund Hillary Fellowship
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** B.A. in Environmental Studies, Dartmouth College, M.Eng. in Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), MBA, MIT Sloan School of Management
- **Known for:** Co-founder and CEO of Oceanworks, the largest global marketplace for recycled plastic materials and products, Built the Oceanworks Guaranteed certification for verified ocean and ocean-bound plastic, Oceanworks IMPAC+ programs have reclaimed over 14 million pounds of plastic

## Career timeline

- **pre-2008** — Consultant at Monitor Group (New York) and manager at TECOM Investments (Dubai)
- **2008** — Co-founded Saha Global, a clean-water social enterprise, while a graduate student at MIT
- **2010s** — Founding CEO of FINsix, a power-electronics company; raised $20M over three rounds
- **2014** — FINsix named to Inc. 35 Under 35
- **2018** — Met Norton Point co-founder Rob Ianelli and together co-founded Oceanworks
- **2023** — BASF invested in the Oceanworks platform for recycled plastics
- **2024** — Oceanworks reaches thousands of tonnes of waste plastic reclaimed, serving hundreds of brands

## Achievements

- Co-founder and CEO of Oceanworks, the largest global marketplace for recycled plastic materials and products
- Built the Oceanworks Guaranteed certification for verified ocean and ocean-bound plastic
- Oceanworks IMPAC+ programs have reclaimed over 14 million pounds of plastic
- As founding CEO of FINsix, raised $20M and closed a multi-million dollar contract with a leading laptop OEM
- Co-founded Saha Global, bringing clean water and energy access to rural communities in West Africa
- Forbes 30 Under 30 in Energy
- Inc. 35 Under 35 (FINsix, 2014)
- MIT Patrick J. McGovern Entrepreneurship Award
- Boston Business Journal Innovation All-Stars Rising Star
- Member of the Edmund Hillary Fellowship

## Latest updates

- **2023-07** — Appeared on the Earth911 Podcast discussing Oceanworks Guaranteed recycled plastic and the future of plastic recycling.
- **2023** — Oceanworks announced BASF's investment in its platform for responsible recycled-plastic sourcing.
- **2024** — Oceanworks reported thousands of tonnes of plastic reclaimed and a leading position in post-consumer recycled materials and plastic offsets.

## Links

- Website: https://oceanworks.co
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessa-green-coleman/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/vgreencoleman
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/oceanworks

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/vanessa-coleman
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-06-21