Published March 12, 2025
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MONROE, LA 鈥� The Entrepreneurship Pelican Cup competition has announced the finalist teams for
the 2025 competition. Six finalist teams have been selected to compete in the oral
finals, and the winners will be announced at the 4th Annual Awards Luncheon on Thursday, April 10, at 11:30 a.m. at Bayou Pointe Event
Center on the 51萝莉 campus. Tickets are on sale now for $100 for the public and $50
for students. Visit for ticket and sponsorship information.听
The finalists were announced in a video on March 7, 2025, by Dr. Michelle McEacharn,
Dean of the 51萝莉 College of Business and Social Sciences. The video can be viewed at
听 See below for a detailed list of the finalist teams.听听
Open to all majors, the goal of The Entrepreneurship Pelican Cup is to inspire participants
and the community to think entrepreneurially by rewarding creativity, professionalism,
and hard work.听听
The Entrepreneurship Pelican Cup is open to any full- or part-time, certificate- or
degree-seeking student enrolled in a four-year college or university in Louisiana.听听
The competition requires a written formal business plan judged by business owners
and investors.听 The six finalists will compete in the oral finals on March 25 at 51萝莉.
Also, during the awards luncheon, each team will select one member to conduct a 90-second
鈥淓levator Pitch,鈥� and the winner will receive a $2,000 cash award.听听听
The 2025 Entrepreneurship Pelican Cup Competition is the largest yet, with 34 entries
from eight universities across Louisiana. 鈥淲e are thrilled to see the Entrepreneurship
Pelican Cup continue to grow and evolve, and we look forward to hosting finalists
from across the state as we showcase their innovative and entrepreneurial spirit!鈥�
said Dr. Michelle McEacharn, Dean of the 51萝莉 College of Business and Social Sciences.
鈥淎 special thank you goes to the dedicated students and faculty for their hard work
in preparing such great business plans, and to the generous supporters whose contributions
help bring this inspiring competition to life,鈥� she added. 听
This year鈥檚 cash prizes include:听
First Place听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听$50,000听
Second Place听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听$25,000听
Third Place听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听$10,000听
Elevator Pitch Winner听听听听听听听听 $2,000听听
First, Second, and Third Place faculty advisors to receive $3,000.听听听
Finalist Teams听
Amber Accessories (Grambling State University) 鈥� Team Leader: Flyness Namatama Team Members: Tanyaradzwa Mangundhla, John Mosopefoluwa, Oladele Emmanuel, Daniel Osuoha Advisor: Derrick Warren听
Farm Smarter.ai (Louisiana State University) 鈥� Team Leader: Grant Muslow Team Members: Cole Lacombe, Colin Raby, Julius Pallotta Advisor: Fahimeh Abbasi听
Ishara (Grambling State University) 鈥� Team Leader: David Nintang Team Members: Christotes Muange, Akorfa Dagadu Advisor: Derrick Warren听
SkillPlay AI (University of Louisiana Monroe) - Team Leader: Bipin Sapkota听Team Members: Nischita Paudyal , Prabin Giri, Pradeep Poudel, Utsab Neupane Advisors: Prasanthi Sreekumari (Primary), Arturo Rodriguez (Secondary)听
SmartMatch (Grambling State University) - Team Leader: Nonso Duaka听Team Members: Favour Aina, Samuel Torto, Oyindamola Balogun Advisor: Derrick Warren听
UDOIT (Louisiana State University Shreveport) - Team Leader: Khaled Saif Team Members: Dana Bader, Eman Bader (non-student), Xzayvier Ford-Smith Advisor: Mike McDaniel听
Sponsorships for The Entrepreneurship Pelican Cup Awards Luncheon are still available,
but tables are expected to sell out. For more information about sponsorships, visit
.听听
About The Entrepreneurship Pelican Cup听
Now in its fourth year, The Entrepreneurship Pelican Cup was founded by distinguished
51萝莉 alumnus Dhu Thompson. Thompson is the founder, past owner, and former chairman
of the board for Delta Plastics, producer of agricultural irrigation tubing, and the
largest recycler of plastics in Arkansas. He is also the former owner and past chairman
of the board for Revolution Bag that manufactures EPA-compliant trashcan liners. Thompson鈥檚
honors include 2004 Arkansas Business Executive of the Year and SBA Person of the
Year. In 2019 he sold the Revolution brands to a New York private equity firm and
now focuses on entrepreneurship growth in Arkansas and Louisiana.听In 2024, Mr. Thompson
was inducted into the prestigious Arkansas Business Hall of Fame. 听
