Blue + Green Session 1: Seaweed Startups – Growing a Crop-Based Business

The Blue + Green 2022 webinar series will include 4 one-hour webinars scheduled Thursdays from June 2, 2022 – June 23, 2022 at 4 pm.  The goal of the project is to shine a spotlight on emerging aquaculture sector in our economy.  Aquaculture and the supporting technologies bring together all the key ingredients – future growth opportunities that support our coastal ecosystems the economy, jobs, and our communities.  This webinar series reimagines partnerships between business, government, universities, and communities through regenerative ocean research, exploration, and equity-based economic development.

Speakers:

Julia Marsh, Sway

Co-founder and CEO of Sway, a venture-backed materials company producing packaging made from seaweed. Julia is an interdisciplinary designer by trade, with over a decade spent building brand and packaging systems for consumer goods companies, technology startups, and design studios. Her career as a designer has been inspired by a lifelong affection for the ocean and the belief that designers must take part in solving the planet’s greatest challenges.

Sway is currently developing and scaling high-performance, home compostable, seaweed-based packaging. Sway packaging integrates seamlessly into existing plastic infrastructure, while simultaneously replenishing ocean health, sequestering carbon, and catalyzing a more inclusive environmental movement through regenerative design. In 2022, Sway was announced as a finalist in the Tom Ford Plastic Innovation Prize. In 2021, Sway was named as a winner of the Beyond the Bag Challenge, sponsored by Closed Loop Partners and a consortium of global retailers. Sway’s innovative work has been featured in publications including Vogue, Forbes, and Fast Company. The company is a member of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, the Sustainable Ocean Alliance, and 1% for the Planet.

Pat Schnettler, 12 Tides

Pat is a co-founder of 12 Tides and an ocean-enthusiast and conservationist. He founded 12 Tides after working in traditional seafood industries as a way to foster a more positive connection between our food system and the oceans. He is a rescue certified scuba diver and has been known to eat kelp straight out of the sea.

Ashlan Cousteau, SeaWeed Naturals

Journalist and Explorer Ashlan Gorse Cousteau travels the world in search of stories that captivate and inspire.  As a host, speaker, author and filmmaker, Cousteau uses the power of entertainment to save the world. As a social entrepreneur, Ashlan is the principal founder of SeaWeed Naturals, a first-of-its-kind wellness lifestyle brand, that is creating products that bring customers the established benefits of the cannabis plant, combined with the countless powerful effects of marine botanicals like algae and seaweed. Ashlan’s first book, Oceans for Dummies (Wiley Publishing), is a fun and easy to understand book explaining the entire ocean; its ecosystems, history, climate, currents, species and more, February 2021. Ashlan was the co-star of Travel Channel’s award-winning series, Caribbean Pirate Treasure for three seasons.  Her documentary, Nuclear Sharks, for Discovery Channel’s Shark Week 2016 premiered as the #1 rated show across all cable programming.  For over a decade, Ashlan worked as an on-camera correspondent and co-host for Emmy award winning entertainment shows E! News and Entertainment Tonight.

Cousteau’s endeavors go beyond the small screen.  Ashlan traveled to Antarctica to be a headlining speaker at TedxScottBase.  She has served as host for the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity and was selected by former Vice-President Al Gore to be the opening anchor for 24Hours of Reality. She is a voice for environmental issues on Capitol Hill through events, and briefings and serves on the advisory board of WWF, Ocean Unite and the Environmental Media Association. Ashlan graduated from the prestigious School of Journalism at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, daughter, rescue dog, and two chickens and has explored all seven continents.

Moderator:

Ann Carpenter, Braid Theory

Ann Carpenter is dedicated to building and fostering the global Blue Economy entrepreneur ecosystem. She serves as an advisor to deep tech companies in ocean/maritime, transportation and goods movement, and related industrial sectors. She brings more than 30 years of experience in strategic planning, marketing, business development, and community outreach. As co-founder and CEO of Braid Theory, a vertically integrated venture advisory, Ms. Carpenter is responsible for strategic partnership building with ports, public agencies, and private industry. She serves on the Boards of Directors of Smart Freight Centre and Ocean Exchange to further initiatives towards efficient and zero emissions global freight and logistics, and sustainable ocean solutions. Her civic appointments include Chief Innovation Officer of the City of Los Angeles, Council District 15; and Commissioner of the County of Los Angeles Small Business Commission. After graduating from the University of Michigan with a degree in Mathematics, Ms. Carpenter spent the first decade of her career in computer and aerospace industries.

Cover photo by Oleksandr Sushko on Unsplash