Sea to Sale

Bringing Kelp to Market

This series is designed for anyone interested in transforming raw kelp into stable formats, developing kelp products, building market-based climate solutions, and answering the industry’s most pressing question: “What happens to all that kelp once it comes out of the water?”

Kelp requires zero inputs to grow — no freshwater, no fertilizers, no feed — making it one of the most sustainable ingredients on the planet, and a powerful climate solution. With myriad applications from food to plastic alternatives, nutraceuticals, animal feed, and soil amendments, kelp has the potential to revolutionize value-added products across sectors while providing an economic life raft to coastal communities.

Topics

Kelp Product Development

Tuesday, February 13, 2-3 pm ET

We’d love to hear from you. Let us know what you liked and how we can improve in the Feedback Survey.

Learn how successful food, materials, and agriculture companies develop, test, and improve their products and maximize the value of kelp.

This session will cover:

  • Tips to maximize the value of kelp, including markets to help you reach 100% utilization

  • Kelp as a beneficial ingredient in food, materials/cosmetics, and biostimulants and an overview of each market

  • Case studies on kelp product development with three industry leaders

  • Challenges and opportunities with kelp product development in each industry

Speakers:

Travis Bettinson, CEO & Director of R&D at Blue Dot Kitchen
James Dillard, Head of Product and Sales, Macro Oceans
Clare Bradley, CEO, AgriSea

Resources

How to Work With Farmers

Tuesday, March 12, 2-3 pm ET

We’d love to hear from you. Let us know what you liked and how we can improve in the Feedback Survey.

Understand the seaweed value chain and different models for working with kelp farmers and suppliers.

This session will cover:

  • The purchasing landscape and how a handful of companies contract, process, and sell most of the farmed seaweed in the US

  • How independent farmers are eager to form direct relationships with buyers, but a third party is often needed to support with processing

  • How first-time buyers can work with farmers, including how to plan forward contracts and other recommendations for direct trade

Speakers:

Liz MacDonald, Seaweed Supply Director, Atlantic Sea Farms

Victoria Solbert, Sustainability, Social Impact, and ESG Consultant

Avery Resor, Co-Founder, Daybreak Seaweed Co.

Cale Herschleb, Co-Owner, Royal Ocean Kelp Co.

Quality Control: Sourcing Consistent Kelp

Tuesday, April 23, 2-3 pm ET

We’d love to hear from you. Let us know what you liked and how we can improve in the Feedback Survey.

Put processes in place to secure supply, ensure high-quality kelp, and obtain certifications to create high-value products.

This session will cover:  

  • How to ensure quality standards and why they matter 

  • How to understand sourcing specs, grading, certifications, and contracts, with sample contracts, recommendations for testing your kelp, and details about organic certification

Speakers:

Lia Heifetz, Co-founder, Barnacle Foods

Suzie Flores, Founding Member, Sugar Kelp Cooperative

Levi Fredrikson, Applicant Experience Specialist, Oregon Tilth

Metrics that Matter: Kelp Impact Reporting

Tuesday, June 18, 2-3 pm ET

We’d love to hear from you. Let us know what you liked and how we can improve in the Feedback Survey.

Learn about ecosystem services and how to measure and communicate kelp’s impact.

This session will cover:  

  • How to design ecosystem metrics and reporting

  • How to set up a systematic analysis of the potential environmental impacts of products or services during their entire life cycle

Speakers:

Tiffany Waters, Interim Global Aquaculture Director, The Nature Conservancy

Mitchell Lench, CEO, Ocean’s Balance

Miranda Gorman, Head of Climate Solutions and Science, Planet FWD

Anjali D. Boyd, Research Scientist Intern, Planet FWD

Get Them Hooked! How to Market Your Products

Tuesday, July 16, 2-3 pm ET

We’d love to hear from you. Let us know what you liked and how we can improve in the Feedback Survey.

Get your target audience hooked on kelp with researched-backed guidance on crafting compelling kelp communications.

This session will cover:  

  • Communication as advocacy in an emerging industry

  • Storytelling techniques to support your brand

Speakers:

Kidest Fikremariam, Research Associate, Food for Climate League

Thao Trinh, Marketing Manager, BettaF!sh

Alyssa Pace, Communications Lead, Sway

Thriving in the Blue Economy

Tuesday, August 13, 2-3 pm ET

We’d love to hear from you. Let us know what you liked and how we can improve in the Feedback Survey.

Get the business development support you need through accelerators, financing, and value chain coordination services.

This session will cover:  

  • How to ensure financial sustainability in your planning efforts

  • How to take advantage of all available resources in a new economy

Speakers:

Camila Vega, Solutions Portfolio Manager, Sustainable Ocean Alliance

Jason Ingle, Founder & Managing Partner, Third Nature Investments

Aleks Gosiewski, Co-Founder & COO, Keel Labs

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