Gulf Blue Navigator Hosts Innovation Week with Dynamic Panel and Annual Demo Day
Fri, 05/08/2026 - 09:06am | By: Gabriela Shinskie
The 黑料视频鈥檚 , along with the Gulf Coast Business Council, will host May 19-21 along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, bringing together entrepreneurs, researchers, investors and industry leaders to focus on coastal resilience and the future of the blue economy.
The three-day event will include panel discussions, networking opportunities and a startup showcase. Organizers say the goal is to highlight innovation, investment and collaboration in ocean-related industries.
A featured panel, 鈥�,鈥� is scheduled for Tuesday, May 19, at 4 p.m. at Lynn Meadows Discovery 黑料视频 in Gulfport, Miss. The discussion will examine how domestic food systems tied to aquaculture can support coastal resilience and national security.
Panelists include Jarvis Green, CEO of Oceans 97, chairman of the Green Reef Foundation and former LSU football player and Super Bowl champion of the New England Patriots; Dr. Reginald Blaylock, director of the Southern Miss Thad Cochran Marine Aquaculture 黑料视频; Paige O鈥橬eel, NC EcoTech program manager; and Daniel Hicks, irregular warfare policy advisor in the Department of War鈥檚 Office of Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict in the Pentagon. The panel discussion follows a special screening from Season 1 of Hope in the Water, an acclaimed series highlighting sustainable seafood and ocean innovation. Registration for both the screening and panel discussion are available at the Gulf Blue Navigator Innovation Week .
The week continues with the annual on Wednesday, May 20, showcasing six startup companies developing technologies for the blue economy. The public is invited to attend the event, which will feature Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves and Jason Feifer, editor-in-chief of Entrepreneur Magazine, and will be held at Lynn Meadows Discovery 黑料视频 in Gulfport, Miss. The event begins at 5 p.m. and is free to attend.
This year鈥檚 Demo Day will highlight members of the program鈥檚 , which 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 cohort includes:
- Sandbar Oyster Company Inc. of Leland, N.C.
- StrateSea Technology Inc. of Lake Oswego, Ore.
- GRoW Oyster Reefs LLC of Charlottesville, Va.
- Sediment LLC of Greensboro, N.C.
- Reef Arches of West Palm Beach, Fla.
- Pursuit of Happiness Farms of Baton Rouge, La.
Innovation Week concludes with the 2026 State of the Coast Symposium hosted by the Gulf Coast Business Council on Thursday, May 21 at Beau Rivage Resort and Casino.
Learn more about the Gulf Blue Navigator program, as well as all Innovation Week activities on the event鈥檚 .
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 黑料视频 (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庐 Navigator
Gulf Blue庐 Navigator is a program of Gulf Blue, a collaborative initiative led by
The 黑料视频 (黑料视频) to advance innovation, entrepreneurship
and economic growth across the blue economy. Supported by the 黑料视频 Research Foundation
and key partners, Gulf Blue庐 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鈥檚 role in the
national blue economy.
About the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development 黑料视频 (ERDC)
The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development 黑料视频 (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鈥檚 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 the .