The individuals who drive our passion & innovation
Mitchell Lench, CEO
Mitch Lench is the CEO and founder of Ocean’s Balance, a vertically integrated seaweed ingredients company based in Maine. With a passion for sustainable food systems and ocean conservation, Mitch has built Ocean’s Balance into a leader in the industry.
In addition to his role at Ocean’s Balance, Mitch has served on the board of the Maine chapter of The Nature Conservancy for the past 8 years.
Before founding Ocean’s Balance, Mitch served as the CEO of Treetops Capital, an early-stage impact investment fund focused on microfinance institutions in developing countries. Under his leadership, Treetops Capital was recognized by ImpactAssets as one of the top 50 global impact investment managers for several consecutive years.
Mitch has also held senior roles at global financial institutions, including Fitch Ratings, Credit Suisse, and Bank of America, where he honed his expertise in business and finance.
He holds a Master’s degree from the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University and a Bachelor of Arts from the State University of New York at Binghamton.
Lisa Scali, Co-Owner/ Director of Sales & Marketing
Lisa is a foodie at heart, growing up in an Italian family where food was the glue that bound everyone together, and living for years in France where she savored the cuisine with devout reverence. Having spent 20 plus years developing strong relationship and marketing skills in senior sales positions for large companies in complex industries, Ocean’s Balance has provided Lisa with a platform to unleash her tenaciousness and sales skills in a business that she feels incredibly passionate about that combines her love of food and protecting the environment. Besides building strong relationships with retailers, chefs, and distributors, Lisa loves creating new seaweed recipes and experimenting with new products. In addition to her sales and culinary abilities, Lisa developed some strong organizational skills working for multinationals, ones that help keep Ocean’s Balance operating efficiently. She also can be seen out on the water in the middle of winter helping on the farms, which is a far cry from dining in a Michelin-starred restaurant in Paris, but more rewarding in other ways.
Lisa earned a Master in International Political Economy from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs and a B.S. in Economics and French from Lehigh University. She is a board member of the Alliance Française du Maine.
David Labbe, Head of Aquaculture & Innovation
A generalist at heart, Dave has always been drawn to develop new skills through experiential learning. This has served him well and has helped him broaden his skill set. During college, Dave owned and operated a stage rental company providing installations in Maine and New England. After obtaining his degree, he took a job as Operations Manager for a seafood production company. During that time he honed his skills as a manager and gained valuable knowledge about seafood production and the seafood industry. In his spare time, Dave is currently continuing his education towards a masters degree in Project Management. His love for local food, nature, and conservation, coupled with his desire to work in a socially conscious and sustainable industry, has led him to Ocean's Balance where he plans to build a fulfilling career. In his free time, Dave can be found exploring the forests and beaches of Maine for edible plants, mushrooms, and algae.
Dave earned a B.A. in Business Administration from the University of Maine at Farmington and serves on the board of the Maine Seaweed Council.
Scott Murphy, Director of Operations
Scott was raised in the foothills of northwestern Connecticut and attended Central Connecticut State University. During his youth, he made a yearly trek north to visit family in Maine, a place that was always special for him. After college, he started a landscaping and garden design business, spending summers working in Connecticut and then winters in Maine, with the sole purpose of skiing as much as humanly possible. After a few years of seasonal back and forths, he eventually made the decision to relocate to Maine, a choice he considers the best he ever made.
An exciting opportunity presented itself, leading Scott to sell his landscaping business and take the helm of an up and coming dietary supplement company. Serving as the Director of Operations as well as Director of Sales & Global Distribution for nearly two decades, he played a pivotal role in the company's remarkable 1100% growth trajectory. Fast forward to present day, Scott has now joined Ocean's Balance in a leadership position and is excited for the opportunity to grow the brand globally.
Bonnie Tobey, Seaweed Farmer Services Coordinator
Bonnie proudly serves as the President of the Maine Seaweed Council. She has 15+ years processing and harvesting seaweed and provides a depth of experience with organic certification processes and meticulous record keeping.
Greg Tobey, Head of Sea Farming
Greg was raised on a tiny island in Harpswell, Maine, where he has spent his entire life on the water. With over fifteen years of experience in harvesting and processing seaweed, he is deeply skilled in the industry. In his free time, Greg builds and repairs his own boats and also serves as the treasurer for the Maine Seaweed Council.