A New Orleans startup focused on turning community experiences into actionable insight has earned a place on an international stage. Mariel Campbell, founder and CEO of EFFECT CO., has been selected as one of ten finalists in the entrepreneurship program run by Women in Tech Global.
Campbell is the only finalist chosen from the United States, according to a press release distributed through GlobeNewswire and published on Business Insider's markets site. As a finalist, she will pitch her company to international investors in Paris.
A Spot Among Ten Global Finalists
Women in Tech Global selected Campbell from a competitive cohort of entrepreneurs participating in its program. Only ten projects advanced to the pitch stage in the French capital.
Programme Director Nino Lortkipanidze informed Campbell of the result in an official notification. "Out of the whole cohort, your project was selected as one of only ten to pitch in Paris," Lortkipanidze wrote, describing the selection as recognition of her work and her venture's potential.
What EFFECT CO. Is Building
EFFECT CO. describes itself as building a platform for impact. The company aims to collect the firsthand experiences of ordinary people and convert them into insight that leaders and institutions can act on.
The stated goal is to help decision makers spot urgent needs, move resources more quickly and produce measurable change. The platform is positioned as a bridge between communities and the institutions meant to serve them.
The company frames its approach as a contrast to consumer technology products designed mainly to capture attention, focusing instead on public benefit and community strength.
Roots in Disaster Recovery
Campbell draws on a background in catastrophe management, having spent years helping individuals and families recover after major disasters. The company says its mission grew from that work and from her upbringing in the New Orleans area, where resilience is a familiar part of daily life.
Campbell has said her own experiences, and watching people struggle to get help after crises, shaped the company. She has described the platform as a response to the gaps she saw between those in need and the systems that responded too slowly.
Recognition at the Women in Tech Global Awards
As part of her finalist status, Campbell is a guest at the Women in Tech Global Awards. The event is being held at the Hôtel de Lassay, the official residence of the President of France's National Assembly, under the high patronage of French President Emmanuel Macron.
The awards honor founders, engineers, researchers, educators and policymakers working across science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics. Women in Tech Global counts the French Republic, La French Tech, UN Women, the World Economic Forum's EDISON Alliance, Microsoft and Amazon among its supporters.
A Signal for Louisiana's Startup Scene
The announcement presents Campbell's selection as a sign of growing momentum in Louisiana's innovation ecosystem and the broader Gulf South. The region is not typically counted among the country's major tech hubs, making international recognition notable for local founders.
Campbell credited a wide network of supporters, including Louisiana Economic Development, The Idea Village, GNO Inc.'s Startup Nola, Startup Northshore and the New Orleans Chamber of Commerce. She also cited organizations such as FEMA, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction and the World Bank as part of her professional journey.
What the Selection Means for Founders
Campbell's path shows how deep domain experience, in this case disaster response, can become the foundation for a technology venture. Founders working on civic and social problems may find that international programs offer visibility that is harder to secure in their home markets.
The Paris pitch gives EFFECT CO. direct access to global investors, though no outcome from the competition has been announced. For the New Orleans startup community, the selection adds another example of local companies reaching an international audience.
Source: markets.businessinsider.com
