NEW ORLEANS – After years of helping families recover from catastrophes across the country, Mariel Campbell is turning what she learned on the front lines of disaster response into New Orleans technology startup EFFECT CO.
Campbell founded the company to address a problem she said she repeatedly encountered during disaster recovery: Organizations responsible for responding did not always have an accurate picture of what affected people needed, while those seeking help often felt their experiences were not being heard.
“I learned the concept of resilience by surviving what I never should have had to survive alone, and by watching people beg for help while the world moved too slowly or looked away completely,” Campbell said.
Campbell said her catastrophe and crisis management work took her to disaster sites across the country, where she listened to people trying to navigate the aftermath of losing their homes and determine where their families would stay and how they would recover.
“After years of helping people in devastating situations where they often felt confused, alone, voiceless and hopeless, I formed EFFECT CO. to resolve the broken, ineffective systems and processes used in both the public and private sectors of catastrophe management,” Campbell said.
EFFECT CO. is developing a platform designed to give individuals a way to document their experiences while giving companies, nonprofits, government agencies and other organizations tools to analyze that information, identify needs and coordinate resources.
EFFECT CO.: Turning Experiences Into Information
Users will be able to register online or download the app to document their experiences, see what others are experiencing and connect with people facing similar situations. The platform will display shared experiences visually and update as new information is added.
Users will also be able to track what happens after sharing an experience, including which participating organizations received the information and what they are doing in response.
Companies, government agencies, nonprofits and other organizations will be able to integrate customized versions of the system into their workflows. Campbell said the platform is intended to provide a more direct view of people’s experiences than traditional customer surveys or social media monitoring.
“Institutions will be able to analyze the shared experiences through the platform to effectively prepare, coordinate resources, reduce response and recovery times, and increase the accuracy of resource allocation,” Campbell said.
Campbell said giving individuals visibility into what happens after they share their experiences is an important part of the system.
“This bridges the gap from frustrating, ineffective communication to actually making an impact and showing people that their experiences can truly make a difference,” Campbell said.
The company has developed a minimum viable product, or MVP, and is currently beta testing it. Campbell said the initial version is expected to become available before the end of 2026, with additional capabilities to be disclosed closer to the public launch.
A Global Entrepreneurship Program
Campbell recently completed Women in Tech Global’s inaugural Entrepreneurship Program, a 10-week online program. The program ran from July 14 through Sept. 18 and included 20 sessions covering topics including customer and market validation, business models, product and MVP development, marketing, startup finance, legal basics and pitching.
“The benefits I have gained include valuable mentorships, networking with founders from around the world, engaging workshops that have helped me build my startup and gain traction, detailed processes for each step of startup development, introductions to experienced leaders, and opportunities to pitch to investors and leaders globally,” Campbell said.
She said workshops covered customer acquisition, market validation, validation strategies, developing a unique value proposition and methods for developing an MVP.
Campbell said she was the only Louisiana founder in the cohort, based on the program’s private membership group and participant map.
According to Women in Tech Global, participants also have an opportunity to pitch at the organization’s 2026 Global Awards in Paris before international investors.
The Women in Tech program is the latest in a series of opportunities that have connected Campbell and EFFECT CO. with startup, economic development and international organizations. Campbell completed The Idea Village’s IDEAinstitute program in spring 2026 and is a Louisiana Economic Development Louisiana Storyteller.
Her work has also taken her beyond Louisiana. Campbell attended the World Bank and International Monetary Fund Annual Meetings in Washington, D.C., in 2025, where she said she discussed resilience with attendees.
