Despite being a thriving industry that employs over 2.5 million people in Ghana, the fishing community faces some serious challenges. Although there is an abundance of fish, there is no way to track them. Fishers often struggle to get fair payment for their catches, and consumers are left with unhygienic fish due to poor practices.
Without transparency in the supply chain, there’s no accountability for how fish are handled between the ocean and the dinner table. This lack of traceability leads to unhygienic meat, overfishing, and health risks, while fishers get little in return for their hard work. The result is a broken system where the people doing the hardest work often receive the smallest share of the profits.
Caroline Pomeyie, founder of Oceansmall, saw the wasted potential in the fishing industry and turned it into an opportunity for improvement. Pomeyie’s solution connects fishers directly with markets through technology to ensure fair prices, improve hygienic practices, and empower local African communities. She enrolled in the Masters of Business Creation (MBC) Global program at the University of Utah’s David Eccles School of Business to further expand her company and achieve her goals. The MBC program provides founders with one-on-one mentorship, applied curriculum, and more.
Through her work with Oceansmall and the support of the MBC program, Pomeyie is nnovating a rich industry while proving that tech can uplift traditional economies. Her mission is driven by the deep belief that when local communities are given the tools to lead, sustainable growth naturally follows.
Pomeyie’s entrepreneurship journey began at Harvard, where she studied business and supply chain management, along with receiving a degree in development communication. “Over the years, I’ve spent time working in the fisheries sector, where I saw firsthand the inefficiencies and missed opportunities — especially for small-scale fishers,” she said. “That experience sparked something in me, and I knew I wanted to build a solution that was impactful, practical, and scalable. That’s what led me to co-found Oceansmall.”
Oceansmall created an app that allows fishers to track their transactions, upload catch information, get sales data, and receive payment. “We’ve built the Pinwheel platform — a tech tool that helps us track supply, plan menus, and give clients recipe ideas, creating a seamless experience from sea to plate,” Pomeyie said. In addition, Oceansmall gives fishers access to cold storage, which greatly improves the quality of the fish.
“I enrolled in the MBC program because I wanted to sharpen my business acumen and connect with mentors and peers who are on similar paths,” Pomeyie said. “Running a startup can feel like you’re constantly building the plane while flying it, so I needed a program that could offer structured learning, support, and community all at once. The MBC felt like the right fit, especially with the reviews I got from a friend who had been in the program.”
Pomeyie has big dreams for the future of Oceansmall. She sees it becoming the go-to brand for high-quality, traceable seafood across Africa. Beyond that, she hopes her company can create sustainable jobs, especially for women and youth in fishing communities, while improving sustainability and boosting incomes. Pomeyie also envisions their digital platform empowering other businesses with tools that improve their efficiency, making them more profitable.
Learn more about Oceansmall at theoceansmall.com
