Lil Sharks was founded by Tidepool Tim, a marine biologist and president of Gulf of Maine Inc., a company dedicated to supplying marine specimens to scientists, educators, and artists.

While working along the coast of Maine, Tim noticed that many baby dogfish sharks—caught as bycatch in commercial fishing—were discarded. Determined to reduce this waste, he launched Lil Sharks to preserve these specimens and transform them into opportunities for learning and wonder.