To provide female seaweed farmers with a reliable marketplace for their produce, Nancy founded Healthy Seaweed Co. The company buys and processes seaweed. It also offers women in the seaweed industry training on farming best practices, technical support and financial literacy.
At the Summit in Belfast, Nancy attracted investors that helped her grow her business internationally and gain recognition as a global advocate for seaweed. After the Summit, she maintained her relationship with her partner dsm-firmenich. The organisation’s SVP of Talent and Culture later joined her in Tanzania to certify divers, enabling ocean access and creating more opportunities in the blue economy sector for 26 young people in the country.
The company currently partners with 130 women. It offers 13 seaweed-based products, with stockists in South Africa and Ghana, and ships internationally. Over the past year, it has processed 80 tonnes of seaweed, an estimated 9.88 acres of seaweed cultivation, and built a customer base of 5,000 returning buyers.
Healthy Seaweed Co. benefits consumers as well as producers. Consuming seaweed contributes to a balanced diet and boosts immunity.1 Nancy’s awareness campaigns have educated people on how seaweed can reduce non-communicable diseases by promoting balanced nutrition, reaching over 500,000 people.
