Coral Vita was founded by two environmental entrepreneurs driven to solve one of our planet’s greatest challenges, working with a team of business, policy and scientific leaders that share our passion for protecting coral reefs.
Sam and Gator Halpern met at the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, where they both received Master of Environmental Management degrees. Together, they helped launch the Social and Environmental Entrepreneurship Club and were awarded the university’s first-ever Green Innovation Fellowship. Their graduate studies in Business & the Environment and their love for oceans inspired them to launch a company to solve global coral reef degradation.
After graduating from Yale College in 2012, Sam served as the Chief Operating Officer for ELI Africa, a Mauritius-based non-profit. There, he helped launch a coral-farming project in partnership with the Mauritius Oceanography Institute and with funding from the United Nations Development Programme Global Environment Facility. During his time at ELI, he also created an endemic reforestation project, which was recognized with the 2013 Green Africa Awards’ ‘Highly Commendable Award.’ He interned for the White House Council on Environmental Quality’s Climate Preparedness team, served as a fellow for the Global Island Partnership (GLISPA), and is a member of the Reef Resilience Network, a global community of reef managers. Sam is an optimistic Washington DC sports fan, an easy-going rugby player, and a PADI Search & Rescue scuba diver.
Coral Vita works to restore our world’s dying and damaged reefs. By growing diverse and resilient corals and transplanting them into threatened reefs, we help preserve the ocean’s biodiversity. In turn, we protect the prosperity and health of communities, industries, and nations that depend on reefs for coastal protection, food, and revenue. As a mission-driven company, Coral Vita is committed to reinvesting the majority of our profits into sustaining coral reefs.
CO-FOUNDER, Coral Vita.