SouthSea Rising is an emerging Caribbean-rooted youth initiative & nonprofit

Dedicated to art, agriculture, conservation, and entrepreneurship.

SouthSea Rising is an emerging Caribbean-rooted youth initiative and nonprofit dedicated to art, agriculture, conservation, and entrepreneurship.

Our mission is to connect youth, artists, and communities through culturally grounded programs that honor land and sea, nurture creativity, and equip the next generation to identify pressing challenges and design meaningful solutions. By centering environmental stewardship, cultural heritage, and opportunities within the blue economy, we strengthen community resilience and empower youth to imagine the futures they want to create.

SouthSea Rising builds a bridge between my home, St. Thomas, and my community in Atlanta. “I want Virgin Islands youth to see not only the richness of their own land and sea, but also the possibilities that come from connecting with a larger network,” said Founder Quianah Upton.

Through initiatives like Coral Rising, one of our flagship projects on the ground in the Virgin Islands, we introduce youth to challenges and opportunities in marine science, conservation, and sustainability, showing that their impact can extend beyond the islands while staying rooted in Caribbean culture.

In Atlanta, we are currently piloting our dual flagship program, SOIL to CEO, while building toward nonprofit status. Through SOIL to CEO, youth explore the full cycle of entrepreneurship, identifying challenges, harvesting resources, creating products, branding, and sharing their work, rooted in land, culture, and community.

Through a fiscal sponsorship model, we are already able to accept support as we grow SouthSea Rising into an independent organization with the power to sustain land and sea, nurture culture, and empower community-driven enterprise.