OUR MISSION AND GOALS CAN ONLY BE REALIZED THROUGH THE HARD WORK OF A DEVOTED TEAM. MEET OUR FOUNDERS AND BOARD MEMBERS HERE.
BART KEY, Founder
Bart grew up in SC and the Lowcountry, where oysters share a special place in the culture of the towns & people. Weekend oyster roasts, fishing & hunting in and around marshes, creeks and rivers were a way of life for Bart and his family.
A generation later Bart's coastal lifestyle inspired him to create a pattern that would truly represent the lifestyle of the coastal waterman. Due to their history and relevance in southern cuisine and culture, oysters were the obvious choice. Bart founded Tideline Outfitters in 2012 and Oystaflage was born.
From the beginning Bart knew the ultimate goal of Tideline Outfitters was to develop a non profit platform to encourage an awareness and appreciation of the importance of oysters in the estuarine & marine environment. When contacted by oyster aficionado Kevin Joseph, Bart knew the time had come to put his desire to make a difference into action. They slowly worked out some common goals and the two formed Oysters Unlimited in July of 2017, but didn't actually meet in person until May 2018!
KEVIN JOSEPH, FOUNDER
Kevin's passion for all things oysters led him to google the term Oysters Unlimited in 2016 when he was thinking of starting a non-profit. The domain was taken. So he reached out to the owner, Bart Key, and not long thereafter the two joined forces.
Kevin is the Founder and CEO of Empire Oyster, a vertically integrated oyster company with catering, hospitality and consulting operations nationwide.
Kevin is known for his innovative oyster service and for creating Oyster Related Marketing which is similar to Cause Related Marketing, where oysters (something affluent, interesting & influential consumers often love), oyster service & oyster experiences, are used as a vector to engage & enchant high-value, value-driven consumers.
He delivers on this for brands who seek the attention of those consumers with The OysterHood which is the producer of New York Oyster Week & Miami Oyster Week as well as International Oyster Day & Jingle Shells...among other oyster-centric events and event series.