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Sarah Ecolano

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About


ABOUT THE APPLICANT 
Sarah, is a generational life-time fisher(wo)man born and raised in remote Alaska, with decades of experience in sustainable wild catch, independent small-boat fisheries. She is also the founder of Copper River Fish Market a mission driven seafood business that is in a growth stage directed at increasing food security and gender and racial equity in the seafood supply chain. 

Mission Statement 
Copper River Fish Market seeks to be a low-barrier contract manufacturer that incubates and scales BIPOC+, independent small-boat fishing families. We seek to activate a community-oriented production facility that flips the narrative on the co-packing experience and centers it on the fisherman, not the middleman. 

Beyond seafood product creation and reduced food waste we also intend to develop a catch inventory aggregation and management software and host platform to facilitate a direct to consumer sales platform with a learning platform for small-boat fishing families to offer solutions and guidance from catch to DTC end delivery. 
 
This is a fisher(wo)man led BIPOC initiative that will remove entry barriers, increase earnings of small-boat fishers while reducing food waste, prevent food insecurity and foster a more equitable and diverse seafood products industry. 
 
Sarah’s recent food system initiatives 
2020-2024 United States of Women State of AK Ambassador >>> Learn More 
2023 Grid 110/Slauson & Co Accelerator >>> Learn More 
2023 Farm Bill Policy/Working Waterfronts 1:1 call with Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski  >>> Learn More 
2023 Good Food Awards Finalist >>> Learn More 
2023 Slow Food USA/ Seafood Education Dinner >>> Learn More 
2023 James Beard Foundation Action Summit Invitee >>> Learn More 
2023 Wallace Center Farm Bill Policy Training >>> Learn More 
2022 Slow Food USA Food System Short >>> Watch 
2022 Bon Appétit Magazine >>> Read 
2022 20K lb Fish Donation- Food Insecurity Initiative >>> Read 
2022 Capitol Hill Food Policy Advocacy >>> Learn More 
2021 Food Systems Leadership Network Mentee (Wallace Center) >>> Learn More 
2019 James Beard Foundation Women’s Leadership Fellowship >>> Learn More 
2017 Julia Child/ Chef’s Collaborative Food System Scholarship >>> Learn More