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Episode 274: Aleks Gosiewski – Seaweed Designer, Co-Founder of Keel Labs

Aleks Gosiewski, the Co-Founder and COO of Keel Labs, joins the show to share her journey from FIT to creating clothes out of seaweed. Hear why seaweed’s better for the environment, how Keel Labs makes Kelsun fiber, how to learn entrepreneurship and science at the same time, how to stay patient in a long-term business, and a little Bojangles. This episode covers everything from kelp to COOK OUT. Here’s a small sample of what you will hear in this episode:

• How often do people pronounce Aleks’s name wrong
• What’s the most intense thing about going to FIT
• How did seaweed catch Aleks’s interest
• Sea what’s going on here
• What are the use cases for Kelsun fiber
• How did the Keel Labs partnership with Stella McCartney begin
• What marine animal would Aleks be best friends with
• How often does she get COOK OUT

Connect with Aleks at KeelLabs.com and on social media.

Enjoy the shoooooow! Check out the show notes below for much more detail. You can also find the full transcript here.

Show Notes

• Intro & Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT)
  • [0:31] Email me at max@maxpodcasting.com to save time with your high-quality podcast and use it as a business-building tool
  • [0:47] Connect with Aleks at KeelLabs.com and on social media
  • [2:40] Coach K aka Mike Krzyzewski
  • [2:44] How often do people pronounce Aleks’s name wrong
  • [3:39] What was it like going to FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology)
  • [4:29] Liberal Arts Schools
  • [4:44] Greek Life
  • [4:47] Trade School
  • [5:52] Internship
  • [6:03] Was it devastating not participating in Sorority Rush TikToks aka Rushtok
  • [6:31] What’s the most intense thing about going to FIT
  • [7:35] What was the hardest project at FIT

• The Keel Labs Story
  • [8:33] What’s the difference between seaweed and kelp and algae
  • [9:18] Apple Screensaver Seaweed
  • [9:35] What is kelp
  • [10:04] Bazinga
  • [10:18] Order, Phylum, Genus, Species
  • [10:40] How did seaweed catch Aleks’s interest
  • [11:54] Mycelium, SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast)
  • [13:40] How does Keel Labs make Kelsun fiber
  • [14:20] Prototype
  • [14:44] Scientific Method
  • [15:21] How did Aleks learn entrepreneurship and science at the same time
  • [16:19] MAX
  • [16:46] Thesis
  • [18:01] How does Kelsun fiber work
  • [19:35] How much testing and learning does Keel Labs do
  • [20:24] Fire-Drill-Taking-Care-Of-ing
  • [21:00] Sea what’s going on here
  • [21:15] What are the use cases for Kelsun fiber
  • [22:32] Why is seaweed better for the environment
  • [23:54] SpongeBob watering plants under water
  • [24:32] How did the Keel Labs partnership with Stella McCartney begin
  • [25:33] What was Aleks’s first reaction when Keel Labs was featured at Paris Fashion Week
  • [26:24] What is the Kelsun T-Shirt
  • [27:00] Oh boy
  • [27:33] How do you stay patient in a long-term business
  • [28:19] Such an honor speaking at Podcast Movement ’23 in Denver! Sign up to grab the slides from my session at MaxPodcasting.com/PM23
  • [28:20] Sign up for the Podcasting to the Max newsletter at MaxPodcasting.com/Newsletter and receive How to Edit Your Podcast in Audacity

• Rapid-Fire Q&A
  • [29:07] Ted Lasso
  • [29:12] What marine animal would Aleks be best friends with
  • [29:42] What is the coolest place Keel Labs has taken Aleks to
  • [30:21] What’s the biggest difference between NYC and North Carolina
  • [31:09] How many times a week does Aleks have Bojangles
  • [31:51] How often does she get COOK OUT
  • [32:17] Connect with Aleks at KeelLabs.com and on social media
  • [32:48] What are Aleks’s Final Thoughts
  • [33:08] Follow the Wild Business Growth Podcast and tell a friend about the podcast. And show love (or roast me) by leaving 5 stars on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify
  • [33:34] Check out the Wild Business Growth Podcast on Goodpods, where you can see what your favorite people are listening to
  • [33:38] Connect with me on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter (aka X), and Threads @MaxBranstetter and TikTok @WildBusinessGrowth
  • [33:40] Save time with your high-quality podcast. Email me at max@maxpodcasting.com to bring your podcast to life and use it as a business-building tool
  • [33:44] Sign up for the Podcasting to the Max newsletter at MaxPodcasting.com/Newsletter and receive How to Edit Your Podcast in Audacity
  • Theme music: Freestyle Percussion Magik – “Jungle Tribe” – provided by Jamendo

What is the Wild Business Growth Podcast?

Wild ideas. Wild growth. Every Wednesday morning a new entrepreneur joins the Wild Business Growth Podcast to share the wildly creative and unusual ways they grew their business – and teaches you how to do it, too. Hear the minds behind WordPress, Stacy’s Pita Chips, Drybar, NFL RedZone, Big Mouth Billy Bass, the voice of Bart Simpson, and more Wild stories. Hosted by Max Branstetter (that’s me), Founder and Podcast Producer at MaxPodcasting.

How do you start a podcast?

Interested in starting a professional-sounding podcast for your brand, but don’t want to deal with the time commitment of all those behind-the-scenes details? I’ve got you covered. Email me at max@maxpodcasting.com to save time with your high-quality podcast and use it as a business-building tool.

Thanks for listening to Aleks Gosiewski on the Wild Business Growth Podcast. To hear more Wild stories like this one every Wednesday morning, follow the Wild Business Growth Podcast and tell a friend about it. And appreciate seaweed with them. Until next time, Let your business Run Wild…and Bring on the Bongos!!