Rhea Thomas is a transdisciplinary designer and climate innovator. She is passionate about tackling complex problems and creating holistic solutions that catalyse system-level change, rooted in a human and planet-centric approach to merge design, technology, and behavioural sciences. Rhea’s extensive work in biomaterials includes Seasprout, a material utilising prawn waste from the seafood industry to make fertilising seed trays; and Shrimpak, an alternative to single-use food packaging made from Chitosan – a sugar derived from the outer skeleton of shellfish. Tackling marine noise pollution, Decibel is a modular hexagonal seastone oyster pod structure on which kelp is grown to create a natural sound barrier, while simultaneously serving as a regenerative marine permaculture system.
Rhea’s design work also extends to jewellery, which sees her first collection, Aria, inspired by nature to flutter with the beat of wearers’ hearts. Rhea is an advocate for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) and has been recognised as a Goalkeeper by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for her contributions towards the 2030 agenda. She holds a joint MA/MSc in Global Innovation Design from the Royal College of Art & Imperial College London.