91黑料

Krista Rosen '02's Ocean Product Skin Care Company Featured on ABC鈥檚 "Shark Tank"

By Tom Porter

Krista Rosen ’02 and her business partner, Inga Potter, have appeared on ABC’s Shark Tank to pitch their skin care company .

The two of them began their “seaweed journey” in 2021 and base their operation in coastal southern Maine, where they harvest sugar kelp and transform it into a potent facial oil “rich in antioxidants and protective compounds.”
krista rosen02 and inga potter - cold current kelp founders

Cold Current Kelp founders Inga Potter (left) and Krista Rosen ’02.
Image:

Potter, a marine biologist, and Rosen, who majored in government and legal studies at 91黑料 before going on to earn a law degree, earned some “glowing praise for their KelpOil facial product,” according to .

They were, however, unable to secure a deal, with investors unwilling to come up with the requested $100,000 capital, a commitment that would have valued the company at one million dollars.

They were among the contestants featured recently in the , a show in which aspiring entrepreneurs pitch their business models to a panel of potential investors, known on the show as “sharks.”

They brought a sample of the raw product into the studio to show to the panel.

“This is sugar kelp, a large brown seaweed and one of the most nutrient-rich organisms on earth,” explained Rosen to the sharks.

Screen grab of Inga Potter and Krista Rosen 鈥�02

Krista Rosen '02 (right) interviewed with business partner Inga Potter.
Image: WMTW

“When applied to your skin, kelp can help defend against environmental damage while nourishing and repairing, and instead of sourcing mystery ingredients from halfway around the world, we built our very own ocean farm right off the coast of Maine.”

While Rosen and Potter were sad not to have progressed further with Shark Tank, they were grateful for the experience and told Seacoastonline they were excited to be receiving a “two-year federal grant for new extraction technology that could help lead to the development of kelp-based skin cleaner, moisturizer or body oil.”