#22: Akua with Courtney Boyd Myers – How to build a seaweed brand, engaging with your audience and learning what they want, developing a kelp burger, sustainability and why people buy a product.

Courtney Boyd Myers (Founder & CEO of AKUA) is an entrepreneur, environmentalist, writer, and new Mama to Romy Ocean. Prior to launching AKUA, she helped build the Summit Community, a global network of founders, creatives, and innovators. Previously, she helped market companies such as Four Sigmatic and Unframed Ice Cream. She began her career as a journalist at Forbes Magazine and The Next Web and has been recognized as one of Fast Company’s Most Creative People in Business. She currently serves as an advisor to GreenWave.*Check out ⁠⁠Inside Seaweed Newsletter⁠⁠! Just one short email per month, no spam and you can cancel at any time.Would you like to get a super short email from me every month, with three actionable insights for your seaweed business? I will search the seaweed industry for the most important lessons, the most useful conclusions and relevant actions, condensed into a half page that I will share with you, each month. It's easy to sign up and just as easy to cancel. If you'd like to give it a try, head over to ⁠⁠insideseaweed.com ⁠⁠*2:55 Seaweed and food a one possible solution for climate change and environmental crisis5:10 The spark and hopes behind starting a food brand, Akua.10:30 Bringing an innovative product into the market: Akua's story and key lessons.14:00 The Kelp Beta Burger Club: how Akua engaged with their audience and learn what they wanted.17:05 How to build a successful food brand - advice for startups. 18:25 Does sustainability drives why consumers buy products?21:10 Measuring positive environmental impact for a food brand.22:15 Marketing and storytelling: how Akua's message and strategy evolved.35:05 The risk in forcing the climate and sustainability message.36:55 Dos, Don’ts and practical advice for entrepreneurs starting a food business.42:00 Potential for using different seaweed species and regenerative food sources.43:05 The importance of simplification where the seaweed supply chain is so complicated.44:15 How our brain works around food and how to change perception.*Useful Links:Courtney's presentation given at Seagriculture in Portland.Courtney Boyd Myers: LinkedIn, Website, Blog, Twitter.Akua: Website, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Tik Tok, Facebook.*Get in touch on ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠, or by emailing me directly at fed@insideseaweed.com - Please send in your feedback: what do you want to hear more or less of? any suggestions? Would love to hear what you think!*Next year Seagriculture conferences:Seagriculture EU: 18 - 20 June 2024, Tórshavn, Faroe IslandsEmbark on a journey that is truly one of a kind! Seagriculture EU 2024 is not just a conference, it i