Inspired by impact, driven by sustainability, and rooted in collaboration.
This article was originally published on the website of Maastricht University. The article was produced in collaboration with the Maastricht University School of Business and Economics.
Maastricht University has recently received recognition in the Corporate Knights Better World MBA Ranking, emphasizing the increasing significance of sustainability-focused business education. This international ranking evaluates MBA programmes based on their contributions to social and environmental impact and inspired this impact story.
One individual exemplifying this impact-first mindset is Bart Oor, an alumnus of MaastrichtMBA, which is part of UMIO, Maastricht University’s executive education institute.
When Bart talks about climate change, his perspective quickly zooms out, literally. If meaningful action is needed, he believes, it must focus on the oceans, which cover more than 70% of the Earth’s surface and directly support around 80% of humanity. This systems-level view lies at the heart of Balean, a newly launched non-profit platform dedicated to ocean sustainability through awareness, visibility, and funding.
Founded together with his co-founder Sander Brienen, Balean is still young, its first minimum viable product went live only weeks ago but its ambition is anything but small.
The origin story of Balean
The concept for Balean began to emerge in the summer of 2024. Bart, who has a background in consumer goods and product development, had always felt uncomfortable with the idea of “less bad” sustainability. Even in industries commonly seen as environmentally friendly, like bicycle manufacturing, he observed that making small reductions in environmental impact could never fully address the broader effects of mass consumption.
That discomfort crystallized during his MBA at Maastricht University, where Bart was enrolled in a MaastrichtMBA programme, offered by UMIO. The concept of True Sustainability (Dyllick & Muff, 2015) proved to be a turning point. Bart encountered a framework that distinguished between organizations that merely reduce harm and those that exist to create positive impact, where profit is not the goal, but a means.
“That was an eye-opener,” Bart explains. “I realized that we shouldn’t consider sustainability as a side activity. t It should to be at the core of what we do, because it is our core.”
Rather than continuing a conventional corporate career, Bart decided to flip the script: to dedicate his professional life to impact creation. Balean became the vehicle for that ambition.
What Balean does and why it matters
Balean is a fully digital, open-source platform that connects ocean-impact organizations, projects, volunteers, scientists, donors, and investors. Its mission is simple but powerful: to address the three structural bottlenecks faced by nearly all sustainability initiatives in the ocean domain:
- Awareness – Too few people know these organizations exist
- Visibility – Their stories and impact remain fragmented
- Funding – Lack of scale prevents meaningful growth
While well-known initiatives like The Ocean Cleanup dominate public attention, Bart and Sander discovered through their research that thousands of smaller organizations are doing extraordinary work, often with equal or greater potential impact but remain invisible.
“We don’t want to compete with existing initiatives,” Bart says. “We want to connect them.”
Balean democratizes access to impact. Whether you are an individual volunteer, a researcher, a student, a donor, or a professional investor, everyone can participate and deserves to be part of the solution. Everything happens in full transparency: even Balean’s source code is open-source.
A golden duo: Bart and Sander
The partnership behind Balean emerged closer to home than expected, literally next door. Bart and Sander were neighbours, brought together by conversations during dog walks. While Bart brings experience in product development, strategy, and stakeholder engagement, Sander contributes deep expertise in IT, systems thinking, and years of experience running digital organizations.
Their shared frustration with the excesses of the consumption-driven economy sparked long discussions about climate systems, societal responsibility, and scalable solutions. Those conversations evolved into action.
“We complement each other,” Bart reflects. “I like to connect people and ideas; Sander builds the systems that make them work, and together we define our strategy.”
Building impact without naivety
Balean operates as a non-profit foundation, but its founders are pragmatic. To ensure financial sustainability without compromising their mission, Bart and Sander created a small consultancy BV that generates just enough income to sponsor Balean’s core activities.
“We quite literally flipped it around: Starting with impact at our core, with the BV, we simply created what was needed to for Balean”
Alongside this, Balean relies on a growing network of volunteers, students, and early adopters. One example includes collaboration with student teams and applied cases with institutions such as the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, allowing students to contribute directly to real-world impact.
The biggest challenge so far? Scale.
“There is no shortage of ideas, passion, or talent,” Bart notes. “What’s missing is the ability to scale those ideas fast enough.”
MaastrichtMBA & UMIO Influence
Bart sees a direct link between his MBA experience and Balean’s existence. MaastrichtMBA, delivered through UMIO, combines strong academic grounding with deep personal reflection and a clear emphasis on sustainability and responsible leadership.
“The MBA made me ask not just what I can do, but what I should do.” Bart believes UM alumni have a unique role to play: “If you have had the privilege of this education, you also carry responsibility. Impact shouldn’t stop at theory, and the benefits should not be limited to an individual.”
Advice to students and young professionals
For students and early-career professionals who want to make a difference, Bart offers honest advice:
- You don’t need to have everything figured out
- Impact requires personal sacrifice and tough conversations
- Start small, and start intentionally
- Find people who resonate with your values
“The worst thing that can happen is that you try,” he says. “The best thing is that it works and becomes bigger than you.”
How you can get involved
Balean is actively looking for:
- Students and alumni who want to contribute their skills
- Organizations willing to collaborate, sponsor or (co-)invest in ocean-impact
- Volunteers, researchers, and storytellers
- Partners who believe in open, digital, and inclusive impact
As Bart puts it: “We’re supporting over 10 global impact initiatives. Amazing people, technology and organizations, in need for your support. “If you have a good idea, bring it. If you think you’re a competitor, even better, let’s talk.”
About Balean
Balean is a non-profit digital platform dedicated to accelerating ocean sustainability by connecting awareness, visibility, and funding. Learn more at www.balean.org.
