The Next Wave: BlueSwell Cohort III

We’re catching up with Katherine Woolford, Program Manager of the BlueSwell Incubator as we recruit for BlueSwell’s Cohort III. Katherine told us about what tech is exciting her this year, what motivates her work, and much more. If you are an innovator interested in developing and commercializing an ocean sustainability startup, learn more about BlueSwell and apply today!

What inspired you to work in bluetech? 

So, I started off studying ecology and evolutionary biology doing research on mangroves, seagrasses, and coral reefs. I was figuring out how to protect and preserve these beautiful ecosystems. And at the same time, I was learning how valuable they were to the communities I was working in since they act as carbon sinks and help the local economies to grow. 

Spending that time in and among the mangroves, doing the research, I was like, all right, what can be done with this? Trying to figure out my first career move I had to think about if I wanted to spend my time adding to the knowledge? Or did I want to make practical use of that knowledge?  And I was enamored with the latter - finding solutions in the real world that positively impact both the people and the species that they live with. 

“I was enamored with the latter - finding solutions in the real world that positively impact both the people and the species that they live with.”

So, I went to work in venture philanthropy, supporting social enterprise entrepreneurs who had big ideas. They were putting to work practical climate change solutions that were focused on funneling the positive outcomes back into the communities most impacted by climate change. Then I got the opportunity to join SeaAhead to work on the BlueSwell program which gives me the chance to focus on oceans every day, while also catering to my social proclivities by building close relationships and community. I get to set up networking, tailor-made programming, and create connections to mentors, experts, customers and investors. I host weekly check-ins where the founders can share their wins and ask the tough questions of each other and our program partners. Managing BlueSwell keeps me on the pulse of cutting-edge innovations, and I get to support the businesses where more business means more positive impact for the ocean ecosystems I love.    

All in all, I love solving problems and I love the oceans, I see bluetech as the perfect marriage between what I studied in school and what I was looking for in my career. 

Katherine at the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Science measuring spectral reflectance of coral and algal communities.

What is your favorite part of working with entrepreneurs? 

I really enjoy getting to work with brilliant people that have such passion and determination to find solutions. There’s also so much variety in my day-to-day work – I get to see all of the different branches of space and I get to help them think through all sorts of different problems. I might talk with a founder about fundraising, waste management, and hiring culture, all in the course of a lunch.

“I might talk with a founder about fundraising, waste management, and hiring culture, all in the course of a lunch. ”

There’s also nothing quite like seeing someone really crack the nut they’ve been working on. I supported Gavin Andrews of Mabel Systems in researching the market opportunities to transition fish processing operations from pen and paper to camera-based inventory tracking. Based in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Gavin joined BlueSwell to break into the New England market, wondering if it would be similar to Canada’s. It turns out both were more alike, and typically smaller, than he’d set out thinking, and with that, he adjusted his product offering to cater to the needs of the smallest 2-4 person outfits, bringing them to digital before any talk of integrating camera automation. This market research and customer discovery in New England’s networks helped him hone the product-market fit to best serve these small businesses as they strive toward efficient, traceable processing.  

On one hand entrepreneurs are experts in whatever field they’re pursuing and at the same time they’re usually tackling all sorts of different questions on their day to day, both big picture and the minutia. Working with these entrepreneurs shows you the breadth and depth of what it'll take to solve these massive challenges. And the best part is that it's a really exciting dynamic where everyone is constantly learning and growing from one another.

Katherine speaking at Cohort II Demo Day at the New England Aquarium. Featuring Wes and Kate Newbury, co-founders of Cohort II company Aristotle’s Lantern.

What areas of bluetech are you most excited about this year? What is the “buzz” of bluetech? 

We are really excited about coastal resilience plays this year. Businesses with triple-bottom-line impact, that can have positive social, environmental, and financial effects, are what we’re on the lookout for. With rising sea level, coastal erosion, and the increased occurrence of extreme weather events resulting from climate change these solutions are more urgent than ever. Low-income communities and communities of color are hit first and worst by the impacts of climate change. Research paired with the stories from front-line communities has revealed that low-income communities and communities of color receive insufficient federal aid following natural disasters and have inadequate infrastructure to protect against dangerous storm events. All of these factors compounded make it harder for minority communities to recover after a large storm or flood event. Technologies that improve resiliency will have an outsized influence beyond just environmental impact.

“Businesses with triple-bottom-line impact, that can have positive social, environmental, and financial effects, are what we’re on the lookout for. ”

In addition to startups working on preventing loss of property and income, we are excited about companies that are focused on the offshore wind space. Biden’s 30 GW offshore wind target by 2030 means that there is going to be a huge opportunity for innovation and job growth in a relatively new industry. The early stages of this new industry have already started to reveal a complex set of challenges. Solutions in areas including coastal management, stakeholder engagement, operations, and maintenance will be critical to a successful path forward. Take workforce development, for instance, some estimates say that the offshore wind industry is on track to add more than 80,000 new jobs to support the growing industry which will require new skills and training. When we see companies that can help develop employment opportunities beyond the jobs within their teams, they can make an outsized and lasting impact on the community.  

Offshore wind is a big area of focus when we think about energy in the ocean, but there are other alternative energy applications out here too. For example, biofuel from sargassum seaweed is one application that is being explored. This solution is another with a potential triple bottom line impact since increased sargassum pileups are leading to stinky beaches that are damaging local tourist economies in the Caribbean. The smelly sargassum typically has to be shoveled off to landfills – so it’s also about finding alternative end-of-life uses in addition to fossil fuel displacement. 

Still thinking about fuel, there is a major incentive to decarbonize the shipping and maritime industry and it’s definitely an area that we want to see applications coming in from. Currently, maritime shipping accounts for 3% of global greenhouse emissions. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has a mandate to reduce GHG emissions from international shipping by 50% by 2050 (compared to 2008). Innovations in this area can take shape in a variety of ways including machinery to improve the energy efficiency of engines, propulsion and hull improvements, electrification technology, energy recovery technologies like sails or solar panels, and operation optimization tools.  

Carbon markets are certainly something that has been “buzzy” in the climate space recently, and that’s no exception in bluetech. Blue Carbon, carbon captured and stored by coastal and ocean ecosystems, is an area ripe for innovation. In order to have a carbon market, offsets must be verified, and if you think it's tricky to measure, report, and verify land-based carbon (which it definitely is), try doing it underwater. Even though it might be tricky to track, marine ecosystems have an outsized carbon sink potential, they sequester 10x more than terrestrial ecosystems. So, as ocean-based verification standards are implemented it will be exciting to see more startups entering this space. 

And these are just some areas that I have been thinking about a lot recently – but we look at ventures working across the entire breadth and depth of ocean innovation. From seafood and aquaculture, to ocean data, to plastic alternatives, we are excited about it all. 

Katherine diving in Akumal, Mexico.

What’s one thing about ocean innovation that you wish more people knew? 

It's all interconnected. Our continents and our oceans exist along this ridge to reef continuum, so what you may see as cleantech on land (wastewater or recycling) is also ocean tech. Sometimes upstream interventions have the greatest potential for downstream impact. At BlueSwell, we help enterprises find that ocean application, those stakeholders that need their intervention and open that market to them. 

Fast Pitch

Most recent show you binged? 

I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson 

Sweet or savory? 

Savory.

What’s your favorite way to spend a day off? 

Finding new favorite trails in the White Mountains.

What’s the best book you’ve read this year? 

A Girl is a Body of Water by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi

What’s your hidden talent? 

I do a pretty good Kristen Wiig impression.