In honor of our partnership with 4ocean, we're honored to feature the co-founder and CEO of 4ocean, Alex Schulze, as our Chompian of the Month! 4ocean is a global cleanup organization dedicated to ending the ocean plastic crisis. To date, they've recovered more than 40 million pounds of trash from the world’s oceans, rivers and coastlines. Learn more about 4ocean on 4ocean.com and @4ocean on social media.
Can you tell us about yourself - what you do, a bit about your story, etc.?
I’m the co-founder and CEO of 4ocean, an ocean cleanup company that’s pulled over 40 million pounds of trash from the ocean and coastline. I started 4ocean after a surf trip to Bali opened my eyes to the scale of plastic pollution. I grew up loving the water, surfing, fishing, diving, and I wanted to dedicate my life to protecting it. Now, we create jobs for local captains and crews in countries all over the world, pulling plastic full time and helping companies offset their environmental impact.
What’s your best tip on how to stay positive?
Get outside. Whether it’s being on the water, exercising outside, or just watching a sunset, nature has a way of grounding you and reminding you why you do what you do. Also, movement. Some of my best thinking and best moods come after a good workout outside.
How do you consider yourself a “game changer?”
I’m trying to change the way people think about the ocean by showing that doing impactful things for the ocean can also build a scalable, sustainable business. We’re not waiting for permission or policies to fix the problem. We’re out there every day pulling pounds, creating jobs, and working with companies to fund real cleanup operations.
What’s the best thing you do for your personal health everyday (mental or physical or both!) that allows you to be the best version of yourself?
I start every day with a workout. No phone, no emails, just movement. It helps stabilize my blood sugar (I’m a Type 1 diabetic), clears my mind, and sets the tone for the rest of the day. I also eat super clean, high protein, low carb, and Chomps fits perfectly into that.
How are you planning to challenge yourself in the next year?
Personally, I’m training for a few long distance events and trying to push myself physically in new ways. Professionally, I’m working on expanding our global cleanup operations and taking on even more plastic in some of the most polluted regions on Earth. We're also scaling our B2B partnerships to help companies offset their plastic footprints.
What is your favorite Chomps product?
How does Chomps fuel your lifestyle?
I’m constantly on the move, whether I’m on a cleanup trip, in the shop, or in meetings with partners, and Chomps is the easiest grab-and-go protein I trust. It's clean, it travels well, and it doesn’t mess with my blood sugar.
