In a world obsessed with headlines, Joseph Hernandez builds history. For more than two decades, he has moved between laboratories, trading floors, and boardrooms with a singular purpose—to construct the next generation of American enterprise. A scientist turned financier, and a builder turned civic leader, Hernandez bridges discovery and deployment, capital and conscience, innovation and impact.
Born in Cuba and raised in Miami after his family fled communism, Hernandez grew up watching his father wash dishes and his mother clean homes to give their children a better life. “My father loved this country with every breath,” he recalls. “He believed America was the only place on Earth where a man could start with nothing and still build everything.”
That belief became his foundation. “The American Dream isn’t an idea to me—it’s an inheritance,” he says. “This country gave my family freedom, and I’ve spent my career trying to build things worthy of that freedom.”
From Molecules to Markets
Hernandez began his career in biotechnology, helping shape diagnostic and therapeutic innovations that transformed modern medicine. He played a role in the early development of microarray technology, which revolutionized genetic testing and personalized medicine; the creation of the HPV diagnostic test that became the global standard for cervical cancer prevention; and a molecular test for thyroid cancer that spared countless patients from unnecessary surgery. Later, he worked on vaccine platforms for COVID-19 and influenza designed to accelerate rapid-response immunization worldwide.
These were not abstract projects—they were life-saving technologies brought from lab bench to marketplace through Hernandez’s ability to link scientific rigor with commercial execution.
He earned a B.S. in Neuroscience, an M.S. in Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, and an M.B.A. in Finance and Entrepreneurship from the University of Florida. He later completed an M.S. in Epidemiology at Yale University and is pursuing an M.S. in Global Healthcare Leadership at the University of Oxford. This multidisciplinary training shaped his unique approach to connecting science and strategy.
Reinventing Capital Formation
After more than a decade in biotechnology, Hernandez turned to finance with the same mission: to build infrastructure for innovation. As the architect behind multiple Blue Water SPACs, he redefined how growth companies access capital. Where others saw speculative vehicles, he saw engines of creation—tools to identify undervalued assets and align them with mission-driven investors.
Each SPAC under the Blue Water banner has targeted sectors defining the future: healthcare, artificial intelligence, and clean energy. His upcoming fourth SPAC continues that legacy, focusing on firms with strong fundamentals and scalable potential.
“For me, finance is a civic act,” he explains. “Capital isn’t just money—it’s a promise that we can build something together that lasts.”
Democratizing the AI Revolution
Hernandez’s latest project, the Blue Water Horizon AI ETF, reflects his belief that artificial intelligence is not a bubble but a new industrial revolution—one as transformative as electricity or the internet. The fund focuses on companies powering real AI infrastructure: semiconductors, data centers, robotics, and applied intelligence reshaping logistics, healthcare, and defense.
His goal is inclusion. “Technology should not be the privilege of the few—it should be the opportunity of the many,” he says. “The AI revolution will reshape everything from medicine to manufacturing, and every American deserves a stake in that future.”
Through this ETF, Hernandez aims to democratize ownership of the technologies defining the next economy—bridging Wall Street’s capital and Main Street’s aspirations.
Leadership That Lasts
Across ventures, Hernandez applies a single formula: identify inefficiency, apply structure, and scale with integrity. “The headlines come and go,” he says, “but what matters is what you leave standing when they stop talking about you.”
From Boardroom to City Hall
That same discipline guided his independent campaign for Mayor of New York City, grounded in evidence, efficiency, and accountability. He proposed using AI to modernize services, data analytics to reduce crime, and fiscal transparency to rebuild trust. His message—competence over ideology—drew praise from civic and business leaders, including radio host Sid Rosenberg and billionaire John Catsimatidis, who saw in him a rare blend of private-sector precision and public purpose.
“Public service and business are not opposites,” Hernandez often says. “They’re both about building systems that work—for people, not politics.”
The Vision Ahead
As he brings his next SPAC and AI ETF to market, Hernandez’s mission extends beyond commerce—it is a reaffirmation of belief in the American Dream itself.
“I came here from Cuba with nothing,” he reflects. “I’ve lived what America makes possible. I’ve seen what hard work, discipline, and faith in this country can build.”
To him, capitalism is not merely a system—it’s a story. A story about freedom, creativity, and the chance to build something greater than oneself. “I will always believe in America because I’ve seen what it does for those who believe in it. My father lived that dream, and I’m still building it.”
