Sea of opportunity

Autumn Blum was struck with her latest business idea during a 2014 scuba diving trip in Palau.

While sitting in the boat in the western Pacific Ocean, Blum noticed a big oil slick in the water surrounding a group of about 100 snorkelers. She paid close attention to it for the rest of the week. Blum's discovery: It was from their sunscreen.

With a background in organic chemistry and experience starting and selling companies, Blum immediately approached the problem with a business mindset. “I was trying to find the next thing, and I just knew this was it,” she says.