Getting Into the (Sea)Weeds with Keel Labs’ Aleks Gosiewski and Tessa Callaghan Artwork

Biophilic Solutions: Nature Has the Answers

A podcast about the human connection to nature. Biophilia is the innate connection that human beings seek with the natural world. Every other week, hosts Monica Olsen and Jennifer Walsh sit down with thought-leaders and experts across a wide range of industries to discuss the impact that nature has on our wellbeing, why we need nature in order to thrive, and what steps we can all take to live in harmony with the natural world. They pose questions centered around finding common-sense solutions to some of society's biggest problems. Asking guests, how can we take local and global actions that nurture the living, social, and economic systems that will sustain future generations? Faced with challenges like climate change and an ongoing pandemic, reconnecting with nature has never been more imperative. We hope you’ll join the conversation around the growing biophilic movement and come along on our biophilic journey. Subscribe, follow and listen today, because nature has the answers. Learn more at biophilicsolutions.com

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Biophilic Solutions: Nature Has the Answers

Getting Into the (Sea)Weeds with Keel Labs’ Aleks Gosiewski and Tessa Callaghan

September 26, 2023 • Serenbe Media Network • Season 3 • Episode 62

For the future of sustainable textiles, should we look no further than … the ocean? Today we’re speaking with Aleks Gosiewski and Tessa Callaghan, the founders of Keel Labs, a sustainable materials company built on regenerative principles. Keel Labs’ signature product is Kelsun, a seaweed-based yarn with a significantly lower environmental footprint than traditional fibers.

Alex and Tessa met as design students at the Fashion Institute of Technology and went on to win the first-ever Biodesign Challenge in 2016. In the years since they founded Keel Labs, both women have been named as one of Forbes’ 30 Under 30. In this episode, we chat with Tessa and Aleks about the promise of kelp as a regenerative raw material, the process of turning kelp into a functional textile, and we dive into - no pun intended - the challenges and rewards of building a company with sustainable innovation at its very core.

Show Notes

Keel Labs
Forbes’ 30 Under 30 2022 (Manufacturing)
Would You Wear a Sweater Made Out of Seaweed? (HighSnobiety)
A new material made from seaweed will transform the entire textile industry by Tessa Callaghan (Upworthy)
Keel Labs on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, TikTok, LinkedIn
Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT)
The Biodesign Challenge

Key Words: Keel, Keel Labs, Ocean, Seaweed, Kelp, Algae, Fashion, Design, Fashion Design, Textiles, Materials, Sustainability, Regenerative, Regenerative Materials, Environment, Climate, Climate Change, Climate Solutions, Biophilia, Biophilic Design, Biodesign

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People on this episode

Jennifer Walsh

Co-host

Monica Olsen

Co-host