MEET THE BLUSPACE TEAM
Sarah Patton
Founder and CEO
Sarah Patton is a marine scientist, systems strategist, and founder with over 20 years of experience advancing ocean innovation, marine science, capital mobilization, strategic alignment, and conservation impact. She leads BluSpace’s mission and strategy, driving investor-founder matchmaking, scientific and financial diligence, and trusted relationships across the blue economy.
Known for her ability to convene cross-sector stakeholders around complex challenges, Sarah has led the development of nationally adopted marine risk frameworks, advised public and private institutions at national and international scales, and founded ventures in both ocean innovation and the private sector. She is recognized for translating science into actionable strategy, aligning disparate interests, and shaping capital pathways that support credible, scalable ocean solutions.
A Rotary International Scholar with a Master’s in Marine Conservation Biology, she is currently completing her MBA at Cornell University. She also serves as Advanced Crew with the Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue, reinforcing her operational fluency and long-standing commitment to the maritime community.
Justin Manley
Senior Director, Strategic Partnerships
Justin Manley is a veteran technologist and executive with more than 30 years of experience in marine robotics, uncrewed systems, and ocean innovation. He brings strategic and technical insight to BluSpace’s high-touch matchmaking work - helping evaluate scientific credibility, guide investor-fit decisions, and surface aligned opportunities from across his expansive network.
Justin is a Senior Advisor to Oceankind, a Venture Partner at AiiM Partners, and a co-founder of Seahawk Robotics. He has held leadership roles at MIT, NOAA, and the Marine Technology Society, and currently serves on the Ocean Studies Board of the National Academies. His insight into frontier technologies and capital flows across the blue economy makes him a strategic contributor to BluSpace’s credibility, deal quality, and ecosystem reach.
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Luis Devis
Senior Advisor, Strategic Development
Luis Devis is a veteran investment banker and strategic advisor with over 30 years of experience in M&A, capital mobilization, and financial strategy across Latin America and Europe. At BluSpace, he supports founder ventures in shaping capital strategy, strengthening investor narratives, and preparing for scalable growth. He also advises on BluSpace’s strategic direction and evolving engagement across global investor networks.
Luis is the Founder and Managing Partner of Metis Advisors, a São Paulo-based investment banking boutique serving clients across sectors from agribusiness to technology. He has led over 75 transactions valued at more than $110 billion, including complex cross-border deals and structured capital raises. He previously held senior M&A roles at Groupe Casino and Banco Santander, and brings a track record in company building, investor advisory, and board-level engagement. He holds a degree in Industrial Engineering and is fluent in English, Portuguese, French, and Spanish.
Jess Scott
Director of Operations
Jess is a marine scientist with more than a decade of leading marine conservation programs, specializing in the mobilization of citizen science, the orchestration of cross-sector partnerships, and the execution of complex initiatives across government, non-profit, and industry sectors.
An innovator in marine technology designed to reduce whale–vessel interactions, Jess co-founded Ocean Wise’s Whale Report Alert System (WRAS), a real-time situational awareness tool used by more than 100 marine organizations across the Pacific Northwest to alert large commercial vessels to the presence of whales in real time. She brings a strong track record of strategic scaling, partnership development, and stewardship of complex funding portfolios from philanthropic, industry, and government sources.