Founder and CEO Danielle Hodge launched Alma Ocean with the forefront of boosting the confidence of non swimmers in the Black community. When Danielle was younger she had a near death experience from falling into the deep end of the pool. Thankfully her older brother was close by and able to jump in and save her before it was too late. Not many make it out alive after an experience like hers.
Danielle overcame her near death experience and learned to swim during the summer with her siblings. They never took swim lessons with a swim coach, they taught each other right in her Moms backyard. Danielle would also go over to her schoolmates house and swim often after school. She became a strong swimmer and overcame her fear of her near death downing incident.
Fast forward to 2020 when the world became still, Danielle realized the marketing and advertising for water accessories didn’t cater to everyone and lacked representation to the same community struggling with drowning statistics, her own. Danielle became water safety certified and decided to be a part of the change missing in the swim community. She befriended swim coaches through social media and researched foundations that focus on water safety and drowning prevention. While browsing the site people can shop and have access to swimming resources on the "Community" tab and connect with swim coaches.
Danielle’s mission is to uplift and help non swimmers gain the confidence they need to enjoy being in or near bodies of water.