ReefCycle

As a recent transplant to North Carolina, I’ve been deeply moved by the generosity, creativity, and shared sense of purpose that thrives here. The Research Triangle blends the best of entrepreneurial spirit and academic excellence with a uniquely Southern warmth—and a whole lot of trees 🌲. At this year’s UNC CleanTech Summit, I was honored to receive UNC's Entrepreneur of the Year Award. I also joined Lawson Carmichael from LongLeaf Studios for a panel on entrepreneurship in the Triangle with Brian Worfolk and Taylor Shropshire. A personal highlight? Watching Judy Ledlee, Ph.D., P.E., Helen B. Whiteley, and Alexis Carpenter's brilliant students from Duke Design Climate take ReefCycle’s biocement and build new use cases—exploring its application as a self-healing paving for the built environment. By studying the healing properties of the materials to reduce cracking, they've identified an industry need for crack-resistant cement. Seeing our ideas evolve through the hands of emerging engineers is a powerful reminder that innovation is a collective act. Shout out to Gabriel Sandoval and Haoyue (Nora) Zhang 📸 From Keel Labs’ ocean-grown fibers to Eric Henry’s regenerative cotton, to TerraSafe Materials, Inc.’s plastic-free packaging—we’re in the midst of a local renaissance for climate solutions. There’s more to say, but for now: I’m grateful, inspired, and more hopeful than ever. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, IE Cleantech Corner Initiative & Cleantech Summit

LongLeaf Studios’ Lawson Carmichael moderated a closing session for the 2025 UNC Clean Tech Summit on the amazing opportunities and support ecosystem for climate tech founders across the state! Patient capital and greater access to corporate partners and test capabilities will continue to be needed. Talent, research institutions and advanced manufacturing continue to differentiate NC Amazing founders and insights from Mary Lempres, Brian Worfolk and Taylor Shropshire #climatetech

At ReefCycle, we stand on the shoulders of the women who’ve led the way—scientists, designers, and entrepreneurs who refused to accept the status quo. Their resilience empowers us to dream bigger, build boldly, and create solutions that work for people and the planet. This #IWD25, we celebrate the power of female leadership—not just for the barriers it breaks, but for the doors it opens, the voices it lifts, and the future it builds for generations to come. 🌊💙 A special thank you to the women who inspire us daily— Laura E. Dalton, Ph.D., Paola Antonelli, Theanne Schiros, Amanda Sturgeon, FAIA, Sabine Marcelis, Julie Crowe Willoughby, PhD, Aradhita Parasrampuria, Aleks Gosiewski, Natalya Wallin, Bénédicte Quinta, Ilse Nava-Medina, Jennifer Zhu, Ph.D., WEDG, Sarah McInerney, Maëlys Renaud, Beth Esponnette, Alexia Akbay, Dr. Ulrike Pfreundt, evelyn tickle, Rachel Simister, Paige Perillat-Piratoine, Tugce Akbulut, Carla Rotenberg Taboada, namita bhatnagar. Your work reminds us that leadership is about empowerment, impact, and reimagining what’s possible.

When people ask me about my first foray into entrepreneurship at Carbon Insights (acquired by Aspiration) I often tell people I was a bad entrepreneur. That statement is not the best personal branding, but honestly, it's the truth. What I mean by this is that I was a bad entrepreneurial student. I failed to take many of the brilliant courses offered at Duke by Jesko von Windheim and the broader Duke University ecosystem. Instead, I stubbornly took my bullheaded approach to "learning on the job" and trying and failing, repeatedly. Certain time-consuming and costly mistakes could have been avoided. However, now more than ever, I believe, I am better off because of it. This time around with ReefCycle I am translating those hard-earned mistakes into valuable lessons. That's why I am so excited for us to get another pilot in the water. Our partnership with Nicolás Dávalos and Galapagos Reef Revival marks the next milestone in validating our product market fit and the efficacy of our novel industrial-cement-free material as a restoration solution. We've been scrappy and we've been crafty in figuring out how to move our technology forward with low resources. We couldn't be more thrilled to celebrate our progress early this year and welcome you all to celebrate alongside us!

How do sea creatures build shells out of minerals from the water? Marine invertebrates like corals, mollusks, and sea urchins create stunningly complex skeletons and shells through a process called biomineralization. This biological mechanism allows these organisms to extract calcium from seawater and use it to form hard structures such as exoskeletons and shells. These structures not only protect the organisms but also support marine ecosystems by creating habitats for other species, contributing to biodiversity, and playing a role in global carbon cycling. Thank you The Biomimicry Institute for creating this beautiful illustration of the biological process that inspires our technology! 🪸🌊 Learn more about how we're harnessing processes from nature to mimic and expedite shell formation in order to create a new class of cement: https://lnkd.in/e5SXdQpv

Nature produces durable materials without harming its surrounding environment. At ReefCycle, we've developed a method to expedite and streamline the production of shell material to create a new class of cement. Inspired by nature? Check out our The Biomimicry Institute Ask Nature page to read more about how our innovation is inspired by nature and to explore a curated library of technology that harnesses nature's efficiency. https://lnkd.in/gRYR5WbD

ReefCycle's building a reef in South America! We're thrilled to be partnering with Galapagos Reef Revival to test our material as a substrate for coral reef restoration. Pictured is our industrial-cement-free material serving as a substrate for coral colonization. By mimicking shell formation to produce nature-inspired materials, we're demonstrating that nature-based technology holds inherent superiority over man-made materials, and that its ready to pilot and deploy to accelerate climate resilient technology transfer. Thank you Nicolás Dávalos for capturing this monumental moment as we plant seeds of change!

2025 is going to be a big year for the ocean. As we reach the half-way point of the #OceanDecade, here are some of the key moments for the global ocean community to look out for this year. Find us at these events and join the conversation as we continue our journey toward a healthier ocean! Stay tuned for updates, and let’s make waves together in 2025 🌊 #OceanScience

Our newest coral reef prototypes are in Riviera Maya, Mexico this week with our partner Nicolás Dávalos of Galapagos Reef Revival for the Reef Futures Global Symposium hosted by Coral Restoration Consortium! If you haven't had a chance to see our material solution first hand, we'd love to connect over the next two days to share how we're mimicking coral reef formation to create durable, low-emissions material that supports nature and replaces cement. Drop us a note if you're at #ReefFutures ! Duke University Nicholas School of the Environment Fernando Bretos rrreefs Shannon Parker Mary Lempres Elizabeth Kroger

Nature's been in R&D for millions of years developing resilient materials to construct reefs and shells. Why can't we use the same process to construct our built environment? Our process leverages evolution to accelerate the growth of shell materials into a new class of cementitious materials. Meet the world's first enzymatic cement ✨ 🌊 🚀 Our foundation in biomimicry enables durable materials to be grown at room temperature, without fossil fuels. We're on a mission to build better 💡. Thank you Jessah Serafini and The Biomimicry Institute for capturing these iconic photos of our bio-inspired innovation this fall!