An Ocean of Opportunity to Make a Difference

Cape Cod has been central to the life of Patrick Clarke ’09. “A lot of my best memories are there,” he says. Growing up, Clarke made regular visits with his family to East Falmouth on the Cape from their home in Rhode Island. 

After graduating from Babson, Clarke spent 10 years working in finance in the Boston area. But what he really loved was introducing friends to the natural wonders of the Cape. “I’d show them my favorite outdoor spaces and the beaches,” he recalls, “or take them out on the boat, and show them clamming, lobstering, fishing, all the stuff that you can do by the water.”

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As a Babson grad, Clarke was always watching for potential entrepreneurial ventures. So, when he spotted a unisex bracelet made with cotton cord and a fishhook clasp, he was inspired to create a similar bracelet with a clasp in the shape of Cape Cod. The resulting company, Cape Clasp, was a side venture for a while. 

“It started as kind of an exercise in getting people outside,” he says. For example, he would tuck the bracelets in geocaches near trails on the Cape Cod National Seashore, sharing clues about their location via social media. Within a few years, Cape Clasp grew to the point that Clarke left his job at a corporate bond firm to work on the business full time.

“It started as kind of an exercise in getting people outside. … Our marketing approach is to tell a really cool story of a nonprofit and the work they do.”
Patrick Clarke ’09 of Cape Clasp

Today, he describes Cape Clasp as “a purpose-driven brand that makes products that give back to ocean and marine life causes.” Available online and at dive shops and ocean resorts, its products include bronze and silver jewelry that features sharks, sea turtles, and whales; cuff bracelets and sunglasses made of plastic litter harvested from the ocean; and limited-edition apparel created in partnership with nonprofit organizations. 

“Our marketing approach is to tell a really cool story of a nonprofit and the work they do,” Clarke says. For example, the Alvin Tracker Tee celebrates the 60th birthday of a submersible used by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, with a portion of profits going back to the institute. At least 15% of Cape Clasp’s profits go to ocean conservation efforts, and to date, the company has donated more than $200,000 to nonprofits such as the Cape Cod National Seashore and Atlantic White Shark Conservancy. 

Clarke says his core customers are “eco-conscious ocean advocates.” Early on, they pushed him to adopt plastic-free packaging materials and led him to create pieces that are both recycled and recyclable.

One of the gifts of this career, Clarke says, is that the work means a lot to him. “I wasn’t super passionate about the corporate bond market,” he notes, with a smile. “But I really love getting up and working on this stuff every day.”

Posted in Entrepreneurial Leadership

Tagged Entrepreneurial Leadership, Social Innovation, Alumni

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