Born and raised on a small island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, Herland has from a young age developed an admiration for the ocean. Over the past 10 years, he has applied his expertise in development economics and passion for facilitating partnerships to the design and implementation of multi-country programs geared towards advancing the SDG agenda in African Small Island Developing States and coastal countries, both at an inter-governmental and private sector level. His avid interest in entrepreneurship has led him to join OceanHub Africa’s team, where, as Managing Director, he currently leads the operations of the first and only Pan-African business Entrepreneurial Support Organisation dedicated to supporting the deployment of innovative ocean-impact solutions across the continent. Herland is one of the 2 only non-scientist members of the African and Adjacent Island States UN Ocean Decade Taskforce determined to unlock science to solutions opportunities in the Blue Economy.