Episode 9: Bursting the Bubble - How One Journey Sparked a Lifetime of Climate Action with Seabound's Alisha Fredriksson

“The only thing we can really do is try. We don’t know if and how all of our actions will amount to some sort of global solution, but we certainly need to try.”  

– Alisha Fredriksson, Seabound

What happens when a teenager ventures to the remotest continent on the planet and into one of Earth’s most fragile ecosystems? For Alisha Fredriksson, a life-changing expedition to Antarctica with Students on Ice didn’t just open her eyes to the beauty and vulnerability of our planet — it set her on a path to reimagine the future of one of the world’s most polluting industries.

In this episode, host and Students on Ice Founder Geoff Green sits down with Alisha, now the co-founder and CEO of Seabound, a London-based climate tech company developing cutting-edge onboard carbon capture systems for ships.

Alisha reflects on how the untouched landscapes of Antarctica and the mentorship she received on the expedition shattered her teenage “bubble” and sparked a sense of purpose. That experience fueled her drive to tackle global problems, eventually leading to the creation of Seaound, which is on a mission to decarbonize the shipping industry — responsible for nearly 3% of global CO₂ emissions, equivalent to the entire country of Germany.

Together, Geoff and Alisha trace the journey from seasick first days in the Drake Passage, to the awe of standing in an untouched frozen wilderness, to the welding floors of Seabound’s London workshop, where a new generation of carbon capture solutions is being built. This episode is a testament to how experiential education and early moments of inspiration can ripple outward to create lasting, global impact.

Alisha Fredriksson is the co-founder and CEO of Seabound, a climate tech startup committed to reducing global shipping emissions through onboard carbon capture technology. Her work focuses on developing modular systems that trap CO₂ directly from a ship’s exhaust, preventing it from entering the atmosphere.

From Vancouver, Canada, before founding Seabound, Alisha launched a climate program at Generation, a nonprofit founded by McKinsey & Company. She has been recognized as a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree (2023) and an MIT Technology Review Innovator Under 35 for her pioneering contributions to energy and sustainability.