Caroline Slootweg

(Currently exploring fractional roles and project work as I've stepped aside from Kelp Blue)

My co-founder journey was (for me) an unexpected one. I never set out to work in seaweed, but looking back, everything in my life was preparing me for that path. I’m a connector of worlds — science and business, coastal communities and global capital, ambition and care. I believe deeply that business must be a force for good. And it's outdoors where you’ll find me happiest.

My career before co-founding Kelp Blue included roles at Unilever and WPP across New York, London, Bangkok, Singapore, and Amsterdam. Those years taught me how to scale brands, translate across cultures, and bring clarity to complexity. But what excites me now is helping people see what’s possible — pushing teams beyond safe zones and turning uncertainty into purpose-driven momentum.

At Kelp Blue, I helped lead the transformation of kelp ecosystems — from licensing to R&D to global partnerships. I helped our ventures raise €23 million, build 80 new jobs, and license 60,000 hectares of ocean. I’ve worked across North and South, weaving together university research, tribal organisations, governance, and policy to shape new markets in biomaterials, carbon, biodiversity and nature-based solutions.

What I’m most proud of isn’t metrics, but the people. The mentors I get to be. The teams I help find their edge. The unexpected ideas that become reality.

When I’m not thinking about how I can have the largest possible positive impact, I’m foraging, hiking—or literally cooking up something new. I also serve as Board Chair of the Kelp Forest Foundation, a not-for-profit advancing kelp ecosystem research and impact.