John Finger

Hog Island Oyster Co. - San Francisco, CA

John Finger grew up on the eastern end of Long Island, where a deep love of the ocean, and a marine biology degree, set the course for a life in aquaculture. In 1983, he returned from Europe to found Hog Island Oyster Company on Tomales Bay in Marshall, CA with $500 in his pocket and a $2,000 loan from his parents. What followed was a quiet revolution: at a time when Pacific oysters were destined for jars, John Finger helped pioneer their place on the half shell at Bay Area restaurants, and eventually sold West Coast oysters to the Grand Oyster Bar at Grand Central Station, a move unheard of at the time.

Today, Hog Island is recognized as a leader in sustainable aquaculture, driven by the belief that responsible stewardship of the sea is the only way forward.