Clara Sieg is the Co-founder and CEO of Loonen, a glass-bottled water company rethinking hydration through spring-sourced, purified water, third-party testing, and transparent quality reports. In her role, she guides the brand’s vision, product standards, retail growth, and consumer education, ensuring every decision reflects Loonen’s commitment to clean water without plastic packaging. As a former partner at Revolution Ventures, Clara spent more than a decade investing in early-stage consumer brands before launching Loonen after her pregnancy sharpened her concerns about plastics, toxins, and everyday water quality.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

• [2:13] Clara Sieg shares the personal IVF and pregnancy experience that sparked her concerns about plastics, toxins, and everyday water quality
• [7:39] Why transparency matters in bottled water, from comprehensive quality reports to testing for forever chemicals and other contaminants
• [9:48] How Loonen sources, filters, mineral-balances, and tests its spring water every production run
• [13:20] The thoughtful design behind Loonen’s glass bottle, from a car cup holder fit to a wider mouthfeel
• [15:47] What Clara learned about caps, microplastic contamination, and building a “cap car wash” into production
• [18:18] The meaning behind the Loonen name, the loon icon, and the brand’s connection to water purity
• [25:45] What future innovation could look like, including smaller formats, new sizes, and organic juice-based flavors
• [37:25] Clara’s advice for emerging founders: specialist expertise, gritty teamwork, demos, route rides, and staying close to consumers

In this episode…

The products we use every day often feel simple because they are so familiar. Water, in particular, can seem like the most basic choice on the shelf, yet its sourcing, packaging, and testing tell a much deeper story. What happens when a founder starts questioning not just what we drink, but what our water passes through before it reaches us?

The answer starts with treating water as a product that deserves the same scrutiny as food, beauty, and home care. As a former consumer investor and founder focused on safer everyday essentials, Clara Sieg brings a deeply informed perspective to bottled water, from contamination risks to packaging tradeoffs. She explains why transparency matters, how comprehensive finished-goods testing can build trust, and why glass packaging requires just as much attention to caps, transit, and production systems. Clara’s insights point to a larger shift: consumers are looking for proof, not just purity claims.

In this episode of the Brand Alchemist Podcast, Taja Dockendorf talks with Clara Sieg, Co-founder and CEO of Loonen, about rethinking bottled water through purity, transparency, and plastic-free packaging. Clara shares how pregnancy shaped the brand’s mission, why testing matters, and how thoughtful design improves the everyday experience. She also touches on founder lessons, retail growth, and future innovation.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Taja Dockendorf on LinkedIn
• Pulp+Wire: Website | Email
• Clara Sieg on LinkedIn
• Loonen: Website | Amazon Store

Quotable Moments:

• “We never have any chemical intervention, never any plastic piping, never any, any municipal piping.”
• “We really believe in not just claiming purity but in actually proving it.”
• “We all do the work that nobody wants to do.”
• “It’s so fun seeing people love the product and believing in what we’re doing.”
• “Be crazy about your water if you’re going to be crazy about anything.”

Action Steps:

1. Question what goes into everyday essentials: Looking closely at products like water, food, beauty, and cleaning supplies can reveal hidden exposure points. Small, informed changes can help reduce unnecessary contact with plastics, toxins, and other contaminants.
2. Prioritize transparency over marketing claims: Look for brands that provide clear testing, sourcing, and quality information rather than relying on vague promises. Proof helps build trust and gives consumers more confidence in what they choose.
3. Design every detail around the consumer experience: Packaging, usability, durability, and convenience all shape how people interact with a product. Thoughtful details can turn a simple purchase into a product people return to again and again.
4. Build around what you don’t know: Recognizing gaps in your own expertise makes it easier to bring in the right partners, advisors, and team members. This creates stronger decisions and prevents avoidable mistakes as a brand grows.
5. Stay close to your customers and partners: Demos, retail visits, and direct conversations help founders understand what people actually need and value. Those insights can guide smarter marketing, stronger relationships, and more meaningful growth.