The Iceland Ocean Cluster recently hosted a series of hands-on mentoring sessions through the BlueBioClusters project. Focused on early-stage ocean entrepreneurs, the 101 Mentoring Series delivered practical guidance in the areas of sales, fundraising, and sustainability. Each session was led by an experienced mentor and designed to help startups navigate key milestones as they grow their ventures in the blue economy.
Sales 101: “We grow through action, not perfection”
The Sales 101 session was led by Gunnar Jónsson, CRO of LearnCove. Drawing on more than 30 years of experience in sales leadership, Gunnar provided participants with a structured and engaging session on how to build a strong foundation for sales. The session focused on shifting mindsets to prioritize income generation alongside innovation, and introduced clear strategies for organizing internal processes, building a sales pipeline, and tracking expressions of interest. Founders gained practical, repeatable tools they could implement even before their product was ready for market.
Fundraising 101: Thinking like an investor
The Fundraising 101 mentoring session, hosted by investor and Startup Iceland founder Bala Kamallakharan, focused on understanding the mindset of investors and building confidence in the fundraising process. Through a mix of storytelling, slide-based insights, and practical exercises, Bala walked founders through the key ingredients of an investor-ready business. Topics included when and why to raise capital, how to build a compelling pitch, and how to navigate key terms and conversations. Bala also highlighted the importance of strategic timing, clear value propositions, and strong founder narratives. The session helped participants evaluate their own readiness and reflect on how to position their startups for sustainable funding opportunities.
Sustainability 101: Building for impact
The final session of the series, Sustainability 101, was delivered by Terence Berkleef of Arctic Edge Consultants. Focused on making sustainability practical and actionable, this session introduced early-stage founders to ESG frameworks, stakeholder mapping, and key regulatory developments shaping the future of the blue economy. Participants were guided through interactive exercises and real-life scenarios to help connect sustainability goals with core business strategies. The session provided a clear roadmap for embedding sustainability from the start, transforming it from a buzzword into a value-adding business practice.
This mentoring series marked an important step in supporting emerging companies within the bue economy. Each session offered a space for open dialogue, shared learning, and new perspectives on key aspects of business growth. From structuring sales pipelines to crafting investor pitches and embedding ESG, the workshops were designed to meet founders where they are and give them the tools to move forward with confidence.
The 101 Mentoring Series was supported by the European Union through the BlueBioClusters EU Horizon project. Their support made this valuable exchange possible.
