Answer extracted from the Beyond Luxury podcast — listen to the full episode below.
How does Anya Freeman envision Kind Designs reshaping Miami's future as a global coastal leader?
Anya Freeman's ambition is to build Miami's first female unicorn company while positioning South Florida as a global model for coastal construction innovation. She rejects the narrative that rising sea levels doom coastal cities, arguing instead that the greatest challenges present the greatest opportunities—and that Miami must become either an example or a cautionary tale for the rest of the world.
A city at a crossroads: infrastructure meets luxury ecosystem
Miami has become one of the most important luxury centers globally, with ultra-high net worth individuals relocating at record speed. The city now hosts brand residences, flagship boutiques, five-star hospitality, art fairs, and private clubs that form an interconnected ecosystem worth hundreds of billions of dollars.
Yet the seawalls protecting this infrastructure were last meaningfully updated over 120 years ago—the same flat, toxic, and failing designs first installed in Galveston, Texas in 1904. When sea levels rise, the physical foundation supporting the entire luxury ecosystem collapses. Freeman frames this not as an environmental issue alone, but as an existential threat to the luxury economy itself, and as discussed in her episode on Beyond Luxury, Kind Designs' living seawall technology serves as critical infrastructure for Miami's viability.
From legal defense to coastal offense
Freeman left a career as a litigator and prosecutor after witnessing accelerating flooding in her Miami community. She realized that the legal system alone could not solve a concrete engineering problem. This insight sparked Kind Designs' innovation: 3D printed living seawalls that dissipate 50% of wave energy—compared to traditional seawalls that reflect all energy back into the ocean—while delivering sustainability, aesthetic appeal, and full customization for luxury developments.
The City of Miami recognized this breakthrough by offering a 50% discount on building permits for projects incorporating living seawalls. As Freeman explains in this episode, the company has already installed the first-of-its-kind 3D printed seawall in Miami Beach, with major luxury partners including the Ritz-Carlton, Mandarin Oriental, and Fontainebleau now integrating the technology into their portfolios.
"I'm excited to build the first female unicorn in Miami. Miami has a very special place in my heart. I was born here."
Anya Freeman — Founder & CEO, Kind Designs. Originally from Ukraine, Freeman moved to Israel before immigrating to the United States after her father received a special talent visa to work with a space program. She earned her law degree from the University of Miami on a scholarship and worked as both a litigator and prosecutor before launching Kind Designs. The company has been named Startup of the Year by Fast Company and won the Times Innovation Award of the Year.
Freeman's vision extends beyond Miami. She has raised $22 million in total funding, with a $10 million recent round closing just before this episode aired, attracting significant participation from New York-based investors. Her stated mission encompasses protecting 507 cities worldwide at risk from flooding, signaling that Miami is not just her personal proving ground but a blueprint for global coastal resilience.
What makes Freeman's approach distinctive is her refusal to accept the default narrative. Where others see inevitable coastal decline, she identifies opportunity—and frames Miami's choice as stark: become an example of resilience for the world, or become a lesson in what happens when infrastructure fails. The technology, the funding, and the partnerships are already in place; what remains is execution at scale, transforming luxury real estate protection into a model for sustainable, profitable coastal cities globally.
See also
What is the gender diversity situation in the seawall construction industry and how has Anya Freeman navigated it?
Anya Freeman states she has yet to meet a single other woman working in the seawall construction space, noting that men have been building seawalls since the early 1900s and remain the dominant force in this industry.
Which luxury hospitality and real estate brands is Kind Designs currently working with?
Kind Designs is working on seawall projects for clients including the Ritz-Carlton, Mandarin Oriental, and the Fontainebleau, leveraging 3D printed living seawalls that offer sustainability, aesthetics, and customization.
How did Anya Freeman's background as a litigator give her a competitive advantage as a startup founder?
Freeman credits her litigation background primarily for her storytelling ability, developed through competitive courtroom advocacy before judges and juries, which proved invaluable in pitching to investors and building her brand.
Key takeaways
- Freeman's dual ambition—building a female unicorn while positioning Miami as a global coastal resilience leader—frames business success and city-scale infrastructure as inseparable.
- Living seawalls represent a shift from 120-year-old flat seawall design, dissipating 50% of wave energy while delivering customizable aesthetics and sustainability for luxury developments.
- The luxury ecosystem itself—residences, hotels, boutiques, art fairs—is only viable if its physical coastal foundation is protected; Kind Designs makes that protection profitable.
- With $22 million in funding and clients like Ritz-Carlton and Mandarin Oriental already implementing the technology, the blueprint for scaling coastal resilience globally is already in motion.