CleanFish

CleanFish

Tim O'Shea, 59, and Dale Sims, 61

www.cleanfish.com San Francisco, Calif.

Cleanfish co-founder and CEO Tim O'Shea likens large-scale commercial fishing to "Hoovering up ecosystems." Formed in 2004, the company connects small-scale fish suppliers with distributors to get sustainable seafood to restaurant kitchens and supermarkets, in an effort build a market for sustainable aquaculture and wild fishing that doesn't damage the environment. To do that, O'Shea has four full-time "cleanfish evangelists" among his 30-strong staff, separate from his sales force, who work to educate chefs and consumers about how they source their fish. The company's suppliers—24 artisan fish producers they call the CleanFish Alliance—have already been able to expand because CleanFish increased the market for their seafood. The company's revenue has been doubling each year for three years, and CleanFish expects to top $20 million in 2009.