ABOUT US

Seagreen Insights is a nonprofit organization working towards the expansion of seaweed as a biomass to make products. We research and analyze the global seaweed trade, from farm to retail shelves, working collaboratively with producers, researchers, other support organizations and government officials. Our work is based on deep experience in global supply chains and trade, consumer product goods (CPG), food science and industrial relations. We recognize that the sector, globally, is accelerating innovation and applications of seaweed biomass and we hope to support that growth through greater awareness among consumers, policymakers and entrepreneurs and investors. Ultimately, we believe seaweed is a more environmental-friendly resource whose importance as a nature-based solution must be further promoted and adopted.

WHO WE ARE

  • Mike Blakeley co-founded Seagreen Insights on his belief that seaweed is one of the most important biomasses for our future. He has a deep understanding of ocean value chains having founded and managed his own seafood company that exported products to markets in Japan, the U.S. and Europe.

    Mike went on to receive his MA in International Policy Studies before going to work for an international consultancy that advised governments on trade policy and industry promotion. Among his many achievements in this role was the management of a Hong Kong-based industry trade group that served the world’s largest apparel brands. He also ran a program in Morocco that led to several agriculture products breaking into the U.S. consumer packaged goods (CPG) markets.

    In addition to his role at Seagreen Insights, Mike serves as the CEO of the Marin Economic Forum, a nonprofit think tank in the San Francisco Bay Area that advises elected officials on economic policies. In this role he oversees the organization’s many reports and strategies while presenting at conferences and webinars.

    Most of all he loves the ocean, is an experienced paddleboarder and is passionate about the Blue Economy.

  • With a M.A. in International Policy Studies from Middlebury Institute of International Studies of Monterey, Elaine has worked in the domestic and international nonprofit sector for more than 20 years. She has lived and worked in different countries, such as, Ireland, Romania, Madagascar, Morocco, and Thailand, which gives her a global perspective on the climate crisis and how it is impacting our world.

    Over the past decade, she has founded two small batch baking companies, one in Bangkok, Thailand and the other in Marin County, California. Currently, she is experimenting with Dulse, Kombu and Nori in a variety of vegan-highly-nutritious baked goods with an emphasis on unique flavor pairings and environmentally friendly ingredients.

    “My earliest memories are of swimming in Santa Cruz’s beaches with my dad. When I learned that I could eat the beautiful seaweed that I swam through, it changed my life. It is a healing agent, an alternative biofuel, a bio-stimulant all the while it cleans the ocean—everyone needs to know this.”

SEAGREEN INSIGHTS

 

Marin County, CALIFORNIA