Lia Heifetz, Co-founder, Barnacle Foods, USA
Speaker
Speaker
Seagriculture USA
11 - 12 September 2024
Ketchikan, Alaska, USA
About speaker:
Lia Heifetz is a lifelong Alaskan, born and raised in Juneau. In 2016 she co-founded Barnacle Foods - a Juneau-based company that makes shelf-stable, everyday foods out of Alaska-grown kelp. Along with overseeing general business growth and strategy, Lia oversees marketing and communications -- telling the story of Alaska-grown kelp. Lia’s motivation to grow Barnacle Foods comes from her interest in helping to scale the emerging kelp industry’s positive impacts to rural communities and on our collective future. For the six years prior to starting Barnacle Foods, Lia was a founding member of the Sustainable Southeast Partnership – a collective impact network made up of local and regional Tribal governments, Native Corporations, community-minded organizations, and businesses. Lia worked within this network supporting priorities set by rural communities related to food security and community economic development. When not eating, thinking about, or talking about kelp… you can find Lia cooking with friends; hunting, fishing, or berry picking; skiing or running on trails; and unplugging in remote places around Alaska.
Company:
Barnacle Foods was founded in 2016 in Juneau, Alaska, and is on a mission to do good for our oceans, community, and collective future. Barnacle Foods is the creator of shelf-stable food products that feature Alaska-grown kelp as the primary ingredient. They make award-winning Bullwhip Kelp Hot Sauce, Kelp Chili Crisp, Seasonings, Salsa, BBQ Sauce, and more. The team at Barnacle Foods has brought to market over 20 products featuring Alaska kelp as the primary ingredient, worked with new and existing kelp farmers, developed supply chains and logistics for transporting and processing kelp in Alaska, built a kelp processing factory that operates year-round, and sells kelp products to customers around the country via their direct to consumer business and through their network of thousands of wholesale partners.