Learn more about the obama foundation
Donate

A Day in the Life: Nima Tisdall

Stories

April 4, 2019
Share
The sun hits Nima Tisdall’s face as she sits on a dock.

Finding Nima

Nima Tisdall was inspired to co-found  Blue Lobster Opens in a new tab , a tech startup that allows local fishermen to sell directly to consumers and businesses in Denmark, when she saw local fishermen being forced out of business by big industrial fisheries and fishmongers. We spent a day with her to see how her app is making it easier and more affordable to buy sustainably caught seafood.

A native of Snekkersten, a small fishing town in northern Denmark, Nima and her business partner, Christine, created Blue Lobster to make it easier and more affordable to buy fresh, locally sourced seafood.

This is a collage of two photos. On the left, there is a small red and white boat in a body of water, approaching a fenced pile of stones. On the right, there is a light skin toned man dressed in an orange rubbery jumpsuit, standing in a boat shaking hands with a woman leaning over the dock.
A light skin toned woman with dark hair pulled into a ponytail is holding a wide rectangular box with hands on either side in front of her. The woman is wearing a scarf, jacket and blue jeans. There is a fisherman in the background and a man to the left of the image holding a toddler in an orange coat. Another woman has her back turned to the camera on the left of the image.
1
Two light skin toned women with brown hair are standing in front of an open gray box. The woman to the right is holding a fish in her hands.
2
Two smiling women with light skin tones and brown hair are walking down the sidewalk carrying a gray plastic box between them. The women are wearing jackets, scarves and jeans. There are cars parked to the left of the sidewalk and colored stone buildings on the right of the image. The women are approaching a picnic table holding two wine glasses in the front of the image.
3
A light skin toned man with ear length black hair is reaching into a gray box on a restaurant kitchen countertop. Two light skin toned women with brown hair stand on either side of him, looking into the box as well with smiles on their faces.
4
1.

The Blue Lobster app allows fishermen to record their catches and sell them in real time, bringing consumers face to face with local suppliers at harbors in their local communities.

2.

“Despite actions to combat overfishing, industrial ships still go out and fish an obscene amount in an unsustainable way. They’re driving down the price of fish in the process, making it harder for local fishermen to compete.”—Nima Tisdall

3.

Blue Lobster is redefining the way people enjoy the fruits of the sea—sourcing seafood locally by working with small scale fisherman whose practices are more sustainable.

4.

Nima and her business partner, Christine Hebert, brought freshly caught cod and lumpfish to head chef Rita Chen at Manfreds in Nørrebro, Copenhagen. "You can tell it is so fresh," Chen said.

A green and gray scaly fish is being cut with a knife. Two medium skin toned arms are shown, the right arm has a colorful tattoo and the left hand is wearing a black latex glove. The left gloved hand is holding the fish by its head and mouth, the right hand is holding the knife. The fish rests on a black surface.
1
Light skin toned person with ear length black hair standing at a countertop in dark kitchen space. The person is wearing a white short sleeve shirt and green apron, using a large pair of tweezers to place greens and light-colored meat on a green plate. There are sauce bottles, skillets and several clear containers with ingredients on the countertop.
2
A light green ceramic plate with cooked greens to the left and two pieces of lightly browned meat to the right. The plate is atop a dark wood surface.
3
Four light skin toned people with dark hair are sitting and standing around a table covered with wine glasses, plates and utensils. Two of the people are women with long blond hair sitting under a red light fixture. A man is standing to their right in a green apron demonstrating something with his hands. The fourth person is turned away from the camera and is wearing a green apron.
4
1.

“We connect fishermen and fishmongers with local restaurants by allowing them to see where and what fresh seafood is available.”

2.

Head chef Rita Chen prepares a dish with the cod that Nima and Christine delivered to the popular neighborhood restaurant Manfreds in Nørrebro, Copenhagen.

3.

The cod was served with cabbage sprouts and sheep butter.

4.

“I believe that if you create sustainable economic models to support social, environmental, and economic causes, you can use business for good.”—Nima on her dedication to creating positive social impact through entrepreneurship and innovation.