Gulf Blue Navigator Cohort 4 Showcased Innovations at Demo Day
Thu, 05/21/2026 - 09:10am | By: Gabriela Shinskie
The Gulf Blue Team concluded a successful night with cohort four- made up of six startup companies.
The University of Southern Mississippi’s (USM) Gulf Blue® Navigator program concluded its fourth cohort with a public Demo Day on Wednesday, May 20, showcasing six startup companies developing technologies for the blue economy.
During Demo Day, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves and Jason Feifer, editor-in-chief of Entrepreneur Magazine, served as keynote speakers, where more than 200 attendees, including entrepreneurs, researchers, industry leaders, students and community members, attended the event. Each company had opportunities to connect with attendees.
The program highlighted companies advancing coastal resilience solutions during the event, part of Innovation Week.
Dr. Brian Cuevas, associate vice president for research and innovation at Southern Miss, emphasized the impact the Gulf Blue Navigator Program’s Demo Day had on the new cohort.
“Gulf Blue Navigator is about helping companies take the next step toward real-world application,” said Cuevas. “By connecting innovators with the right partners and real-world testing environments, we’re helping move these technologies closer to deployment where they can make a measurable difference for coastal communities.”
The four-month accelerator began in January and supported post-pilot stage companies focused on ocean-and-coastal-related-solutions. The program connected participants with research infrastructure, field testing opportunities and industry partners along the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
Cohort 4 focused on coastal resilience and included companies developing living shoreline technologies and related approaches aimed at reducing erosion, restoring habitats, protecting infrastructure and strengthening coastal economies through nature-based and data-driven methods. The selected companies represented a range of coastal resilience and sustainability solutions, including biodegradable materials for oyster restoration, artificial intelligence tools for marine data analysis, modular reef infrastructure systems and sustainable aquaculture approaches supporting ecosystem health.
The cohort included:
- Sandbar Oyster Company Inc. of Leland, North Carolina
- StrateSea Technology Inc. of Lake Oswego, Oregon
- GRoW Oyster Reefs LLC of Charlottesville, Virginia
- Sediment LLC of Greensboro, North Carolina
- Reef Arches of West Palm Beach, Florida
- Pursuit of Happiness Farms of Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Participants emphasized the program’s impact, including Johnnie James II, founder of Pursuit of Happiness Farms (PoH).
“Gulf Blue has been a transformative experience for PoH Farms. We have accomplished more in 12 days in Mississippi so far this year than in the past three years in Louisiana, thanks to the Gulf Blue Navigator. In my opinion, every single coastal region on this planet needs to figure out how they can emulate their own version of Gulf Blue as soon as possible,” said James.
Participants spent four months working with partners across government, academia and industry while operating from the Gulf & Ship Island Building in Gulfport, Miss. The program emphasized hands-on collaboration, field-based testing, and tailored technical and business support to help companies advance toward commercialization.
Each company maintains offices in Gulfport and is registered to do business in Mississippi through the Mississippi Secretary of State.
Natalie Guess, assistant director of innovation and impact in USM’s Office of Innovation Management, said the program continued to build momentum across the region.
“This cohort reflects the kind of innovation we’re seeing across the Gulf Coast,” Guess said. “Through Gulf Blue Navigator, companies are able to engage directly with partners, gain valuable insight and move their technologies forward in meaningful ways.”
The Southern Miss Gulf Blue Navigator program is in partnership with the Southern Miss Research Foundation, Jackson State University (JSU) and the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC). Both JSU and ERDC play a supporting, partner-based role in the Gulf Blue Navigator Cohort 4 with contributions expanding from funding, academic research collaboration and technical support. The partnerships help the Gulf Blue Navigator produce blue-tech startups from pilot stage to real-world deployment along the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
About Gulf Blue® Navigator
Gulf Blue® Navigator is a program of Gulf Blue, a collaborative initiative led by
The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) to advance innovation, entrepreneurship
and economic growth across the blue economy. Supported by the USM Research Foundation
and key partners, Gulf Blue® Navigator accelerates time-to-revenue for late-stage
blue technology startups by providing access to coastal testing environments, research
infrastructure and industry connections along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Through
this model, the program helps companies develop, test and scale solutions that address
challenges in ocean and coastal systems while strengthening the region’s role in the
national blue economy.
About the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC)
The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) is the premier research
and development facility for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. With more than 2,300
employees and an extensive network of laboratories, ERDC supports the Department of
Defense, civil works programs and a range of federal, state and local partners. Headquartered
in Vicksburg, Miss., ERDC plays a key role in advancing coastal, environmental and
engineering solutions that support national security and resilience.
About Jackson State University
Jackson State University, founded in 1877, is a historically Black, doctoral university
classified R2 by the Carnegie Classification for its substantial research activity
and doctoral degree production. Officially designated as Mississippi’s Urban University,
Jackson State plays a critical role in advancing research, workforce development and
economic growth across the region. Jackson State is recognized by the Association
of Public and Land-grant Universities as an Innovation and Economic Prosperity University,
affirming its leadership in connecting research, innovation and community impact.
For more information, visit research.jsums.edu.