Graduate student Keegan Jalbert ’23 (CLAS) ’27 MS has always been interested in agriculture, food, and innovation. Today he is finding new ways to grow oysters and share his love of seafood with customers who live far from the ocean.
Jalbert is the founder of AccessFlora, a sustainable aquaculture company with a proprietary omega-3 aquafeed for raising oysters in purified water at a hatchery. The outcome is a larger and healthier shellfish that isn’t confined to the coast nor dependent upon favorable ocean conditions.
“I think what keeps me going as an entrepreneur is that this work is very fun,’’ says Jalbert, who is pursuing a master’s degree in nutritional science. “My greatest motivation is the impact on how we source omega-3s as a critical nutrient for our human health and for agriculture. What’s helped me so much with the startup is that I love my work, and because of it I’ve developed great personal connections.’’
Startup to Compete in Wolff New Venture Championship
AccessFlora is one of five UConn-affiliated startups participating in the Wolff New Venture Competition next Tuesday, Oct. 13, at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford.
The competition, now in its 11th year, is hosted by the Connecticut Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CCEI). The event will include awards of more than $150,000, including a $40,000 grand prize for the first-place finisher. Jalbert says whatever money AccessFlora wins will help ramp up production.
“In terms of shellfish farming, yes, what we’re doing is revolutionary,’’ Jalbert says. “Shellfish are not raised in land-based aquaculture because the omega-3 feed would be too expensive. On one hand, that makes shellfish really great, because they can grow out in the ocean without being fed and they are great for the environment. But on the other hand, this cultivation method takes a long time, it is labor intensive, and it is vulnerable to unpredictable ocean conditions. While our technology will not replace traditional shellfish farming, it does provide a highly resilient and quick way to raise oysters, independent of ocean access, allowing this to be done inland.’’
“The way that this technology works is that we have a healthy microalgae that we use to convert vinegar into omega-3 in controlled conditions, kind of like yeast turns sugars into alcohol,’’ Jalbert says. “This gives us a clean DHA omega-3, the nutrient that makes seafood such an important part in our diet.’’
But that’s just one step for the company.
“Our longer-term plan is for this to not just be raising oysters, but to be serving as an omega-3 source in enriched/fortified plant-based foods,’’ Jalbert says. “This is because that is a large market that our technology is really well suited for, especially now that the majority of U.S. population is deficient in omega-3.’’
Jalbert Brings Extensive Experience to His Work
Jalbert’s startup won the 2025 Innovation Quest competition at UConn and a $15,000 grand prize. He has partnered with professor Mingyu Qiao, in the Department of Nutritional Sciences in the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources, who is a leader and innovator in sustainable food systems.
In addition, Jalbert took advantage of UConn’s co-op program and worked with both the Boston Beer Company, in new product development, and as a microbiology intern at the U.S. Department of Energy. Through exchange programs, he has learned about shellfish aquaculture in Melbourne, Australia, Manabi, Ecuador, as well as here in Connecticut.
Summer Accelerator: ‘I Must Have Learned 100 Things’
Part of Jalbert’s entrepreneurial journey included attending CCEI’s eight-week Summer Accelerator, which offers promising startups $15,000 in non-dilutive funding, mentorship, access to masterclasses and workshops, and pro-bono legal, accounting, marketing, product development, and banking services.
“Summer Accelerator is like a summer camp for startups,’’ Jalbert says. “It packs a lot into eight weeks. This summer we were testing how we can distribute our omega-3 product and learning the cost structures and economics of getting product to customers. I must have learned 100 things during Summer Accelerator, but the biggest thing was unit economics and cost structure of bringing the product to market.’’
With the oyster feed gaining traction, AccessFlora is focusing on educating people on the seafood nutrient. Jalbert just hired his first employee to work on business outreach. “We are in real talks with restaurants and agricultural experts,’’ he says.
AccessFlora also manages a food trailer, called Reef-to-Table, which caters weddings and other events. Although that isn’t the primary focus of the business, it is a terrific outlet for Jalbert.
“It’s a good way of having direct interactions with consumers. I enjoy it so much,’’ he says. “I have to be conscience of my time commitments, but if it could be my weekend hobby, I’d do it. The raw bar business is a ton of fun and already profitable.”
The Wolff New Venture Competition will be held on Tuesday (Oct. 13) at Pratt and Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford from 5 to 9 p.m. The event is free to attend and all are welcome. Pre-registration is required at https://luma.com/i2690pqa.
The Wolff New Venture Competition is supported by the generosity of the Wolff Family as well as wiggin(x), Fiondella, Milone & LaSaracina LLP, Sardilli Produce and Dairy Co., Prime Materials Recovery Inc., Big Bang, Baystate Financial, Webster Bank, Mark and Jamie Summers, Putnam Plastics, Eric Marziali, Bob and Linda Delisle, Dick and Carol Stewart and Event Resources.
