Stephenson Disaster Management Institute (SDMI)

What Stephenson Disaster Management Institute (SDMI) does

The Stephenson Disaster Management Institute (SDMI) is a university-based applied research institute within Louisiana State University, established in 2007 through a donation from LSU alumni Emmet and Toni Stephenson. SDMI provides consulting, executive education, and research services in disaster management, homeland security, and national security to state agencies, parish governments, school districts, tribal communities, and federal homeland security clients. Core offerings include FEMA-compliant Hazard Mitigation Plans (80+ delivered), Emergency Operations Plans, Continuity of Operations Plans, school safety planning, cybersecurity services, and dedicated programs for tribal and coastal community resilience.

SDMI's technology stack pairs AI/ML with GIS, remote sensing, and operational storm-surge and loss-estimation models (ADCIRC, ASGS, Hazus) to produce pre-storm impact projections, post-disaster damage assessments, and risk visualizations across 143,000+ critical infrastructure data points. The institute operates an FAA Part 107 compliant unmanned aerial systems (UAS) program with multi-rotor and fixed-wing drones for 2D/3D imagery and damage assessment, alongside GIS-based active shooter response tools for schools. Research staff hold PhDs in fields such as oceanography and geography, and senior leadership combines decades of GOHSEP and U.S. Marine Corps experience.

The institute operates on a hybrid funding model combining federal grants and contracts (DHS Science and Technology Centers of Excellence, NSF CoPe HUB) with fee-for-service consulting engagements from Louisiana state agencies, parish governments, and increasingly private sector and tribal clients. Its go-to-market is direct, relationship-driven enterprise engagement anchored in GOHSEP and parish-level government relationships, with 60 of 64 Louisiana parishes served in its HMP book of business. As a non-profit university entity, SDMI does not disclose financial results and is not equity-financed.

Name

Stephenson Disaster Management Institute (SDMI)

Legal name

Louisiana State University

Website

https://sdmi.lsu.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Stephenson Disaster Management Institute (SDMI) is a Louisiana State University research institute providing FEMA-compliant planning, AI/ML and GIS-enabled decision support, and UAS drone-based damage assessment to state agencies, parish governments, school districts, tribal communities, and federal homeland security clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disaster Management Services

NAICS

Computer Systems Design and Related Services (5415)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

Emergency Management & Disaster Response (EOC, Civil Defense) (BPAIAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Natural Disaster Preparedness & Recovery (Storm/Flood/Wildfire) (BPABANAI), Backup, Disaster Recovery & Business Continuity (BCDR) Services (BPAEABAH)

Keywords

• Emergency management planning
• Hazard mitigation planning
• Disaster response services
• School safety planning
• GIS disaster analytics

Headquarters

HQ city

Baton Rouge

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and Contracts: SDMI operates primarily through government funding including grants from U.S. Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Centers of Excellence (Coastal Resiliency Center, Maritime Security Center). Projects funded by federal agencies for research and development of decision support tools.
2. Fee-for-Service Planning Services: SDMI provides planning services (hazard mitigation plans, emergency operations plans, school safety programs) to local, state, and private sector organizations. Services follow FEMA guidelines and result in FEMA-approved plans.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

SDMI is a university-based disaster management institute delivering professional services to government agencies, schools, tribal communities, and private sector organizations across the full emergency management cycle (prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, recovery). Core offerings include cybersecurity services, data visualization, custom software development, comprehensive planning services (Hazard Mitigation Plans, Emergency Operations Plans, Continuity of Operations Plans, School Safety Programs, THIRA, Resiliency Plans), all-hazards exercises, unmanned aerial systems (drone-based damage assessment), and applied AI/ML research combining AI, GIS, and remote sensing for pre-storm impact projection and post-disaster analysis.

Product overview

SDMI is a university-based disaster management institute offering an integrated portfolio of professional services focused on saving lives of people and animals through applied research and executive education. The core offerings include Cybersecurity (Risk Management Framework, Penetration Testing, Business Continuity), Data Visualization, Software Development, Planning Services (covering COOP, EOP, Hazard Mitigation, School Safety, THIRA, Resiliency, Evacuation, and more), All Hazards Exercise programs, Unmanned Systems (drone-based 2D/3D imagery and damage assessment), and AI/ML Research combining artificial intelligence with GIS and remote sensing for predictive analytics, pre-storm projections, and post-disaster analysis. These services work together to provide comprehensive disaster management support from prevention through recovery for government agencies, schools, and private sector organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Planning Services Comprehensive emergency management planning services for any local, state, international, or private sector organization, covering Continuity of Operations Plans (COOP), Crisis Communications Plans, Cyber Response Plans, Debris Removal Plans, Disaster Recovery Plans, Emergency Operations Plans (EOP), Evacuation Plans, Hazard Mitigation Plans (HMP), Homeland Security Strategy Plans, Hurricane Evacuation Studies, Incident and Function Specific Plans, Resiliency Plans, School Safety Planning Programs, and THIRA (Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment).
• Cybersecurity Services Risk Management Framework implementation, penetration testing, and business continuity and disaster response planning for government and private sector organizations.
• Data Visualization Visual analytics and mapping services for disaster management data, supporting decision-making during emergencies and planning exercises.
• Software Development Custom software solutions for disaster management including web applications, database administration, and GIS support systems.
• All Hazards Exercise Emergency preparedness exercises following FEMA's six-step planning process covering prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery phases for natural, human-caused, and technological disasters.
• Unmanned Systems (UAS) Services Multi-rotor and fixed-wing drone fleet services for 2D imagery collection, 3D modeling, post-disaster damage assessments, and event-related objectives, managed by FAA Part 107 certified pilots.
• AI/ML Research and Development Applied artificial intelligence and machine learning research combining AI/ML, GIS, and remote sensing to enhance disaster mitigation and response efforts, including pre-storm impact projections, enhanced post-disaster damage assessments, and water quality monitoring.
• Remote Sensing Satellite oceanography and remote sensing services for ocean color analysis, sediment movement monitoring, coastal process analysis, and environmental hazard assessment.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80+ FEMA-approved hazard mitigation plans
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability7 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Chitimacha Tribe of LouisianacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership involving disaster response, hazard mitigation, and cultural preservation. Stuart Nolan serves as Principal Investigator for Coastal Indigenous Fisheries Assessment (CIFA), a project integrating archaeology, biology, and environmental science to address water quality concerns of the Tribal community. Also collaborated on NSF CoPe HUB project working with indigenous tribes to address acute and chronic hazards.
• National Park ServiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on research initiatives involving disaster response, hazard mitigation, and cultural preservation projects.
• United States Geological Survey (USGS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on research initiatives involving disaster response, hazard mitigation, and cultural preservation.
• NSF CoPe HUB (Coastal Science, Engineering, and Education for Racial Equity)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStuart Nolan serves as Co-PI on NSF CoPe HUB project, collaborating with indigenous tribes to address acute and chronic coastal hazards. Focus on enhancing community resilience and addressing environmental justice concerns.
• U.S. Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Centers of ExcellencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch funded through Coastal Resiliency Center and Maritime Security Center. Projects focus on development of decision support tools for disaster response and maritime security enhancement.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Natural Hazards Center (University of Colorado Boulder): University-based hazards research and policy center that, like SDMI, produces applied research and convenes practitioners in disaster management; serves as a peer university research hub rather than commercial competitor.
• ImageCat: Risk and disaster response technology firm specializing in remote sensing, catastrophe modeling, and post-disaster damage assessment — overlapping with SDMI's AI/ML, remote sensing, and drone-based damage assessment capabilities.

Broad incumbents

• AECOM: Large infrastructure and environment consulting firm with a disaster resilience and emergency management practice addressing hazard mitigation, coastal resilience, and FEMA-funded work at national scale.
• ICF International: Large federal contractor with a substantial emergency management, homeland security, and disaster recovery practice serving FEMA, DHS, and state agencies; competes with SDMI for federal resilience contracts while offering a much broader portfolio.
• Esri: Dominant GIS software provider whose ArcGIS platform underpins much of SDMI's hazard mitigation, critical infrastructure, and decision-support work; a key infrastructure/technology peer rather than direct competitor.
• Tetra Tech: Global consulting and engineering firm with major emergency management, disaster recovery, and water/coastal practices that compete with SDMI on FEMA, state, and resilience planning engagements.
• Booz Allen Hamilton: Top-tier federal contractor with deep emergency management, homeland security, and climate resilience practices serving DHS, FEMA, and state agencies; overlapping with SDMI's federal grant-funded R&D and planning work.

Direct peers

• Center for Advance Infrastructure Technology / Mississippi State University: Mississippi State University research center applying transportation, geospatial, and infrastructure expertise to disaster response and resilience — closely comparable to SDMI as a university-based disaster research and applied services unit in the Gulf region.
• Hagerty Consulting: Private emergency management and disaster recovery consulting firm that provides preparedness, response, and recovery services to government agencies and corporations — directly competing with SDMI for the same state, local, and federal emergency management planning work.
• Witt O'Brien's (now part of Tetra Tech): Specialized emergency management, disaster response, and resiliency consulting firm serving government and private clients with planning, training, and exercise services that closely mirror SDMI's planning portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stephenson-disaster-management-institute-sdmi-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Stephenson Disaster Management Institute (SDMI)