Ivan the Angelfish builds aquatic environments that heal elders, teach children, and connect communities to the natural world.
Who
Ivan the Angelfish is a youth-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit working across California and Arizona. We install therapeutic aquariums in skilled nursing facilities, teach ecology in schools, and share the science of aquatic therapy with the public. Behind every program is a team of students who believe that thoughtfully designed natural environments can measurably improve how people feel.
Why
It started with my grandfather. Ivan Sitalov served in the Soviet-Afghan War, and years later I watched how much peace he found in something simple: sitting and watching an aquarium. The fish gave him calm and focus on hard days, and it stuck with me. I started Ivan the Angelfish so other people could feel that same calm. Everything we build traces back to him.