Published April 14, 2025
CAPTION:FarmSmarter.ai took home the first-place prize of $50,000. Pictured L-R: Entrepreneurship Pelican
Cup Founder and Premier Sponsor Dhu Thompson, team member Colin Raby, Acting ULM President Dr. Nick Bruno, team advisor Fahimeh Abbasi, team leader Grant Muslow, Dean of the ULM College of Business and Social Sciences Dr. Michelle McEacharn
MONROE, LA – The Entrepreneurship Pelican Cup hosted its fourth annual awards luncheon on April
10, 2025, at ULM’s Bayou Pointe Event Center. The luncheon was the culmination of
the entrepreneurship competition, with $96,000 in prize money awarded to the three
top teams, including their faculty advisors, and the winner of the live elevator pitch
competition, voted on by attendees of the luncheon.
FarmSmarter.ai, a team comprised of students from Louisiana State University, took
home the first-place prize of $50,000. FarmSmarter is an AI-driven agricultural consulting
tool that transforms complex farming decisions into accessible, actionable intelligence.
FarmSmarter.ai features team leaderGrant Muslow, team membersCole Lacombe, Colin Raby, Julius Pallotta, and advisor Fahimeh Abbasi.
“This is going to completely change the trajectory of our company so that we can add
all of the features that will really change farmer’s lives,” said FarmSmarter.ai team
leader Grant Muslow.
The second-place prize of $25,000 was awarded to UDOIT, a team from Louisiana State
University Shreveport. UDOIT is a mobile app that helps families connect through fun,
interactive physical activities, designed to make family time enjoyable for all ages
anywhere. UDOIT features team leaderKhaled Saif, team membersDana Bader, Eman Bader, Xzayvier Ford-Smith, and advisor Mike McDaniel.
Third place and a prize of $10,000 went to AmbER, a team from Grambling State University.
AmbER is a discreet, attachable safety device designed to provide immediate assistance
in emergencies. AmbER offers AI-powered alerts, real-time GPS tracking, and satellite-enabled
communication to ensure help is always within reach. AmbER features team leaderFlyness Namatama, team membersTanyaradzwa Mangundhla, Mosopefoluwa John, Emmanuel Oladele, Daniel Osuoha, and advisor
Derrick Warren.
The advisors from each of the top three teams also each received a $3,000 prize.
The winner of the live elevator pitch competition was Colin Raby from FarmSmarter.ai.
Raby won the $2,000 prize after receiving the most votes from attendees of the luncheon,
who voted online after hearing 90-second pitches from each team.
The Entrepreneurship Pelican Cup expanded is open to teams from any four-year university
or college in the state of Louisiana. The contest received 34 entries from eight universities,
including Grambling State University, Louisiana State University, Louisiana State
University Shreveport, Louisiana Tech University, Northwestern State University, Tulane
University, the University of Louisiana Monroe, and the University of New Orleans.
Dhu Thompson, Premier Sponsor and Founder of The Entrepreneurship Pelican Cup provided
remarks at the luncheon.
After thanking those who helped make the competition happen and recounting his own
entrepreneurial experiences, Thompson spoke directly to the student competitors. “The
Pelican Cup is not merely an event, but it is a snapshot of our future,” said Thompson.
“Entrepreneurship comes from a single idea, the dedication to continue, modify, and
grow that idea. There will be obstacles, and there will be failure, but many times
we learn the very most through our challenges,” Thompson added.
The luncheon also featured special guest speaker Rich Simmerman, CEO of Cantaloupe
AI, the winner of the 2024 Entrepreneurship Pelican Cup first-place prize. He shared
that future of tech innovation can exist in Louisiana. “Our win at the Pelican Cup
changed everything for us. And while, yes, the prize money was a huge help, it was
the people in this room who made the biggest difference. To the funders of the Pelican
Cup and the University of Louisiana Monroe, thank you for believing in slightly crazy
entrepreneurs like myself,” said Simmerman.
About The Entrepreneurship Pelican Cup
Open to all majors with cash prizes totaling $96,000, The Entrepreneurship Pelican
Cup is the premiere business plan competition for Louisiana. It provides an opportunity
for students to develop critical thinking, team building, presentation, and other
soft skills which are all important to career growth. The goal is to inspire participants
and the community to think entrepreneurially by rewarding creativity, professionalism,
and hard work. Thirty-four teams submitted written, formal business plans which were
reviewed and scored independently by a panel of twenty volunteer judges made up of
business owners and investors. The panel of judges later deliberated in groups to
select the six finalist teams.
The six finalist teams presented in-person oral presentations, held March 25th at The Hangar on the ULM campus. Seven volunteer judges dedicated their time to listening
to each team present their business plan and supporting visuals. The judges then deliberated
and selected the first, second, and third-place winners.
The Entrepreneurship Pelican Cup was founded by distinguished ULM 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, which manufactures EPA-compliant trashcan liners. Thompson’s 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. In 2023, Thompson received the Warhawk Ambassador
Award, one of ULM’s highest honors. Earlier in 2024, Thompson was inducted into the
Arkansas Business Hall of Fame.
For more information about The Entrepreneurship Pelican Cup, visit www.ulm.edu/pelicancup
To watch the video of the 2025 Entrepreneurship Pelican Cup Awards Luncheon, click
here.
