Luke Holden grew up a third generation lobsterman in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. He attended Georgetown University, where he received his bachelor’s degree. Once completed, Holden moved to New York to start a career in investment banking. While living in New York, he was remiss to discover that every lobster roll available was overpriced, drowning in mayo, or diluted with celery. He craved a real, Maine-style lobster roll and simply couldn’t find one in the Big Apple. In 2009, Holden rekindled  his relationship with the Maine lobstering community with the goal of bringing Maine’s lobsters to the heart of New York City.

Holden’s company, Luke’s Lobster, has grown beyond New York City, reaching Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Chicago, Boston, Las Vegas, Miami, San Francisco, Tokyo, Singapore, and Maine. The company chooses partners who uphold their commitment to sourcing superior and sustainable ingredients. It also strives to support other small businesses. Luke’s Lobster is dedicated to the health of the shellfish and the fishermen who live off them, allowing for the success of future populations and ecosystems,thus ensuring the ocean to continue to exist as a key source of food and livelihood for people all over the world. In March 2020, Holden launched an eCommerce business, shipping sustainable seafood directly to consumers across the U.S. from fishermen in the Gulf of Maine.

Holden sits on the Board of the Gulf of Maine Research Institute and the Tenants Harbor Fisherman’s Co-op, which he co-founded. In 2018, Luke’s Lobster became a certified B Corporation. In the same year, Luke’s Lobster was named the Global Supplier of the Year by Whole Foods Market and received the Purpose Driven Empowerment Award from the retailer. Luke’s Lobster was listed in Inc. 5000 list in 2018Over the years, Holden has also been included on Forbes’ 30 under 30 list, Inc’s 30 under 30. He was most recently interviewed on NPR’s “How I Built This” podcast. He has been named one of the Real Leaders Top 100 Impact List in 2018. He currently lives in South Portland, Maine with his wife, Laisee and daughters, Poppy and Banks.