It’s not every day you meet someone who inspires you to be better, think bigger and love the life you live—regardless of where you’re from and what you’ve done. For the longest time, and solely based on gut instinct, I knew that Julia Marsh would play this role in my life.
In my line of work, in both the ocean conservation and corporate strategy sectors, it’s not uncommon at all for me to reach out to those I seek collaborations with. But in spite of this and having followed Julia for years online, I had never reached out. For this particular person, it felt that doing so would require a really serendipitous degree of timing and context, and I’d honestly never found a solid reason to just go for it.
That was until our expedition was taking us to Monterey California, Julia’s hometown. But what exactly makes this connection so significant to me? Well, Julia hadn’t solely caught my attention as a fellow ocean enthusiast and ecopreneur. She had quite frankly caught the attention of the world. She and her partner, Matt Mayes, are the brains behind Sway, a seaweed-based innovation company looking to upend the single-use plastics industry once and for all.
Through the use of seaweed, this team has figured out how to create packaging that can replace plastics and ultimately help reduce this terrible waste plaguing our world. By the time I was reaching out, Sway was finding its way to prominent mainstages—winning prestigious awards and getting mentioned everywhere you turned, for those plugged into the world of ocean-tech forprofit startups. Because of Julia’s design expertise, and Matt’s operational background, this dynamic duo was on the cusp of pulling off something massive in a profoundly beautiful and thoughtful way.
So off to Sway Labs outside of San Francisco we went. Meeting the team, seeing the products and getting a look at the lab was exactly what we were hoping for—as it cemented the fact that these two, and their small yet wildly impressive collaborators, were on to something seriously cool. From their 100% renewable seaweed resin to their compostable seaweed packaging, these simple-looking yet highly complex materials made us feel like the fight to eliminate plastic waste was well on its way to victory. Getting up-close with each product, they proved to be just as visually stunning as they were to touch and experience.
But it wasn’t until we all ventured to Monterey, California together that we saw the heart and soul of Sway. Where it all began, and what drove Julia and her partner of eight years to go all in on seaweed. Julia showed us some of her favorite spots growing up and where she fell in love with the ocean. It was easy to see why this place opened her mind throughout her childhood—Monterey is perfect. Rain or shine, you could tell this place held a special power (and by the way, there was a LOT of rain while we were in California!)
Julia picked up pieces of seaweed from the beach, walking us through her favorite kinds and why. And between the intermittent lessons on seaweed, she also walked us through what life was like growing up here among the stunning beaches and redwood forests. Her days were often spent exploring tide pools with her father and hiking the hills of Big Sur, instilling a deep reverence for the environment. Her parents' values were often echoed through the mantra "leave it better than you found it." Her mother, a florist, and her father, a former landscaper (turned videographer later in life), both had profound knowledge of plants, which enriched Julia's connection to the natural world even further. This connection was deepened by frequent visits to the local Monterey Bay Aquarium—famed for its commitment to conservation. And this is where she conjured up her first dreams of committing her life to the natural world in one way or another. Time would only tell.
Despite her fascination with the ocean, it wasn't until later in her career as a designer that Julia found a way to integrate her passion for marine life with her professional endeavors. The turning point came when she recognized how her choices in materials could impact the environment. The ubiquitous presence of plastics in the ocean and the enormous environmental damage that resulted from it propelled her to take a dramatic step away from conventional materials. This ultimately led to the founding of Sway, a venture that not only addressed the severe impacts of plastics on the ocean but also embraced seaweed as a regenerative input alternative to petroleum.
As we walked down the beach, it was easy to see how seaweed loves to stretch and gel. It was this observation that led Julia to begin experimenting with seaweed-based prototypes of cups, bowls, and plates while she was pursuing her MFA in Design from the School of Visual Arts in New York—and what ultimately led to the founding of Sway. If she, as a designer, could create such prototypes, what could happen if she hired a team of brilliant material engineers and polymer scientists to advance this vision?
There is already a commercial industry dedicated to using seaweed extracts—agar, alginate, and carrageenan—as thickening agents in everyday products like toothpaste, lotion, and pastry glazes. Sway uses those same seaweed extracts as the basis of all their material formulations, combining them with other plant-based ingredients to create a range of scalable seaweed technologies that are already being adopted by fashion brands Noah, Graf Lantz, Ales Grey, Le Club, and many more in the pipeline.
Before starting Sway, Julia had amassed a decade of experience working with a diverse range of brands and design studios. This experience was crucial. It not only boosted her confidence in creating real-world solutions but also enhanced her ability to empathize with those unfamiliar with oceanic issues, allowing her to approach her work with sensitivity and intention. Her company mission was always aimed towards reinventing how materials are perceived and utilized—not just by those who are already immersed in the eco narrative but also for those who are far from it.
Julia's connection to the ocean was always a source of inspiration, traced back to her childhood belief in the magic of nature—where selkies and mermaids were as real as the fish in the sea. But it was also her grandmother, Mary Burr, a former Broadway dancer, who was just as much a pivotal influence in her life, embodying the courage to transform one's passion into a meaningful and impactful career. To never lose sight of the magic that’s all around us. And in fact, to create your OWN magic that people can celebrate and use to their benefit. Mary was a firm believer in betting on oneself, remaining unapologetic about her dreams. Because of this, she became incredibly successful in life and career.
When talking to Julia about her beloved grandmother, she said, “I don't know where the little poem came from, but she used to always say: Stand not a beggar at the gate, for thought is form, and soon or late, what you believe you will create.” This type of thinking and believing was reflected in how she lived her life, as someone who was able to go very far with very little to start. Julia went on to explain that, “She left home at age 13 to join the ballet and wound up being a Broadway star. She was fiercely independent and creative. What she envisioned is what created.”
Now at the helm of Sway, Julia's leadership is not about being the most knowledgeable in the room but about fostering collaboration between diverse expertise to address the complex challenges of our plastic problem. During our beach walks with her, she emphasized the importance of embracing the unknown and the collective effort required to enact significant environmental changes. Navigating a career path often pushes the conventional notion of having a singular, linear trajectory. She explained that for her, embracing the unknown while recognizing that she does not have all the answers has been crucial to her business growth. But this perspective has taken time to truly come to fruition.
Her interest in tackling the plastic problem illustrates this point. It's a complex, technical challenge that one might immediately assume requires expertise in polymer science. However, Julia firmly believes that addressing this issue is as much about communication and design as it is about scientific innovation. The need for diverse skill sets—from accountants to operations teams—is critical, emphasizing that every component of an organization plays a vital role in achieving success. While Julia always envisioned herself as a creative director rather than a CEO, especially not at the helm of a highly technical venture like Sway, she’s taken the massive opportunity onboard with open arms. The shift in her career path was unexpected and required a new level of adaptability and confidence, which over the years she’s learned to love.
As a female founder who does not fit the traditional tech entrepreneur mold, Julia expressed that she faces unique pressures to conform to certain expectations. Yet, one of the biggest things I personally took away from our time with Julia is that she remains authentic to her laid-back Californian roots. She’s rejected the need to project an overconfident, larger-than-life persona to fit into the Silicon Valley tech world that she’s sitting right outside of—literally and figuratively. She was soft spoken, calm and almost whimsical herself—a word that she used quite frequently to describe the ocean and our natural world. It was clear to me that she had not lost sight of her “why” and is now focusing very much on how to blend that with her “how.” And to me, that’s what makes a good founder, leader and conservation front runner.
Even as the rain picked up, Julia continued her passionate survey of the beach’s seaweed with us. She described each and every piece emotively, as if each was a part of a larger more magical seascape that we stood humbly on the precipice of. And perhaps of all things, it was this childlike awe and wonder that Julia had that was the most exciting thing about her. After all these years, she still managed to find a way to view the world, the ocean, and her life’s work with a sense of passion, magic and limitless discovery.
Our team wanted more time. But one thing is for sure: we will continue to follow along the Sway journey, rooting for this creative-meets-science team. We believe in this with all of our hearts and cannot wait to see what this group of collective brains can do. How far this will go. How much will change for the better because of it. It's clear that their humble beginnings and core reasons for being will steadfastly guide their journey ahead, as it has done all along, which is the ultimate recipe for success.
My team and I left truly floored by what Julia and Sway had been able to create, and were honored to be welcomed into their world. She’s inspired us to think big in all that we do and relentlessly pursue a dream and passion, while never losing sight of why you got into this in the first place. We hope to share another magical walk along the shores of her forever home, someday. We knew it before, but now it’s certainly confirmed that Julia and her team have the power to truly Sway the future.
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