Norfolk, Va. – A single storm in Virginia’s Blue Ridge can trigger flooding, landslides, road closures and communications failures. RISE Resilience Innovations named four finalists tackling that kind of cascading risk in its 2026 Blue Ridge Regional Resilience Challenge.

Finalists will compete for a share of more than $500,000 in pilot funding, technical assistance and access to RISE’s accelerator program. Selected solutions will be deployed in Blue Ridge communities to demonstrate real-world impact.

“What’s happening in the Blue Ridge isn’t unique, but the response has to be,” said RISE Executive Director Paul Robinson, Ph.D. “These finalists understand that resilience in this region means solutions built for small staffs, tight budgets and a geography that can make coordination difficult.”

The Challenge focused on three priority areas:

Post-event recovery and debris management
Integrated systems for situational awareness and coordination
Frameworks that quantify the economic value of resilience investments

Each finalist proposed solutions designed to function under real-world constraints: limited staffing, degraded communications and complex coordination across jurisdictions. Finalists are also advancing tools that assign a dollar value on resilience itself, giving local leaders concrete data to make the economic case for investment before the next disaster.

The 2026 RISE Blue Ridge Regional Resilience Challenge finalists include:

Shepherd.AI by ParaWave

Lighthouse by Mērak Labs

FloodMapp

Impact Circle by Zero Circle

Finalists will begin RISE’s accelerator program this summer, working with RISE staff and mentors to refine their proposals. Teams will submit deliverables and present their projects to a panel of judges, with winners expected to be announced in the fall. Selected teams will receive implementation funding to deploy pilot projects in partnership with Blue Ridge communities, moving solutions from concept to real-world testing.

The Blue Ridge Regional Resilience Challenge builds on prior RISE competitions in Northwest Virginia, Southwest Virginia, and the Roanoke Valley. Finalist solutions reflect a shift toward addressing multiple hazards as interconnected risks rather than isolated events. The Challenge also recognizes that disasters often cross county and jurisdictional lines, and that solutions should, too.

For more information about RISE and the Blue Ridge Regional Resilience Challenge, visit www.riseresilience.org/blue-ridge-regional-resilience-challenge

About RISE Resilience Solutions

RISE is a Virginia-based nonprofit that partners with communities to address the disasters and disruptions threatening their futures. Working directly with local leaders to identify their most pressing threats, RISE uses its Innovation Challenge model to source, fund, and pilot practical solutions. RISE has awarded more than $10 million in catalytic funding and support to small business innovators and launched 50+ pilot projects. RISE-funded businesses have raised more than $50 million in follow-on funding and created more than 180 jobs.

RISE Names Four Finalists In Blue Ridge Regional Resilience Challenge

Four finalists have been selected for the 2026 Blue Ridge Regional Resilience Challenge, advancing innovative solutions focused on flooding, landslides and regional resilience across Virginia’s Blue Ridge communities.