Entrepreneurship on the Seashore: A Startup Fights Against Erosion
Editor’s note: Babson College has been named the No. 1 school for entrepreneurship by U.S. News & World Report for 30 consecutive times. This ongoing series, Startup Stories, highlights the entrepreneurs who have been shaped by their Babson experiences.
Nick Bourdon ’20 used to be a software developer. Then he watched the rise of artificial intelligence and how it began to alter the industry around him. That’s when he decided to make a pivot.
Leaving behind a career defined by the digital, he moved to something much more concrete and weighty. Literally. “I saw what was going on,” he recalls. “I said I’m moving to infrastructure.”
Today, Bourdon is the co-founder of Reef Arches, a venture that aims to protect coastlines against erosion, a relentless and never-ending issue potentially facing anyone living along a coastline. “As long as you have sand, waves, and the moon, you will have erosion,” he says. “It’s a global problem costing hundreds of billions of dollars. That’s not an exaggeration.”
To protect the beaches, homes, roads, underwater pipes, resorts, military bases, and anything else at risk to erosion, the venture supplies giant concrete arches weighing from 1,200 pounds to 3 ½ tons. Placed along shorelines, connecting in a line like Lego bricks, the arches reduce the power of waves that can steal away sand.
At the same time, the arches aren’t entirely impervious. Holes in the structure allow water and light to pass through, which makes the arches hospitable to the surrounding marine life.
Founded in 2023, at a time of rising sea levels, Reef Arches already has seen much success, working on current and future projects with the government, military, and private developers. Based in West Palm Beach, Florida, with an office in Miami, Reef Arches has received multiple patents. For his work, Bourdon was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list.
In this latest installment of Startup Stories, a series dedicated to Babson-born entrepreneurs and their entrepreneurial journeys, Bourdon talks of the challenges he has faced, the approach that Reef Arches takes to sales, and the role that Babson and its community have played in the company’s growth.
What makes Reef Arches approach to erosion different?
“Legacy solutions have been rocks or wall installations that are extremely costly. Reef Arches flipped the model because it is both effective and faster to install, allowing for dollars to go into the product that’s doing the protection and not the labor.”
How many projects has Reef Arches undertaken so far?
“We are at a dozen government projects to date and have one military base coming soon in the first quarter of 2027. Also, for 2027, our goal is to focus on resorts and coastal hospitality groups across Latin America to protect their beaches.”
What challenges have you encountered, and how have you overcome them?
“Once we got our product approved by engineering firms, the next thing to do was to scale sales. We found that rather than having ourselves sell the product, we directly incentivized contractors to purchase our product directly at a 15% discount. That allows the contractors to make more margins and create a salesforce for us. That has been one of the biggest reasons for our growth.”
How has Babson impacted your venture and your entrepreneurial journey?
“A startup is inherently getting exposed to multiple, multifaceted issues, but Babson has taught me how to be resilient and adaptable. I took classes like supply chain management, business law, and managerial accounting, and those were instrumental in preparing the initial business model and structure for the company.
“The Babson Miami campus has directly helped Reef Arches grow deeper into the startup ecosystem here. It’s been huge to have Babson in my hometown of Miami. Babson has been excellent in helping Reef Arches scale into Latin America’s resorts and hospitality sectors.
“The Babson network in Miami has also been phenomenal. It has been a great way to get connected with other founders. We can brainstorm together and alleviate some of the growing pains. It’s the Babson community that is a scaffolding that supports ventures inside and outside the campus.”
What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs, especially those trying to solve a societal problem?
“It’s tricky, but I found the best way is you must solve two things at once. You first need to have a core offering that is substantially better than market alternatives. Then you inspire potential customers with your mission and prove that you have a measurable impact for every dollar that you earn.”
Startup Stories is our ongoing series that highlights the entrepreneurial journeys of Babson-born ventures and entrepreneurs. To recommend a venture for consideration, please email us here.
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