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2025 Entrepreneurship Pelican Cup finalists announced; Awards Luncheon to be held Thursday, April 10

Published March 12, 2025

Pelican Cup 2025

 

MONROE, LA – 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 ULM campus. Tickets are on sale now for $100 for the public and $50 for students. Visit www.ulm.edu/pelicancup for ticket and sponsorship information. 

The finalists were announced in a video on March 7, 2025, by Dr. Michelle McEacharn, Dean of the ULM College of Business and Social Sciences. The video can be viewed at www.facebook.com/TheEntrepreneurshipPelicanCup  See below for a detailed list of the finalist teams.  

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.  

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.  

The competition requires a written formal business plan judged by business owners and investors.  The six finalists will compete in the oral finals on March 25 at ULM. Also, during the awards luncheon, each team will select one member to conduct a 90-second “Elevator Pitch,” and the winner will receive a $2,000 cash award.   

The 2025 Entrepreneurship Pelican Cup Competition is the largest yet, with 34 entries from eight universities across Louisiana. “We 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!” said Dr. Michelle McEacharn, Dean of the ULM College of Business and Social Sciences. “A 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,” she added.  

This year’s cash prizes include: 

First Place                           $50,000 

Second Place                       $25,000 

Third Place                           $10,000 

Elevator Pitch Winner         $2,000  

First, Second, and Third Place faculty advisors to receive $3,000.   

Finalist Teams 

Amber Accessories (Grambling State University)Team Leader: Flyness Namatama Team Members: Tanyaradzwa Mangundhla, John Mosopefoluwa, Oladele Emmanuel, Daniel Osuoha Advisor: Derrick Warren 

Farm Smarter.ai (Louisiana State University) Team Leader: Grant Muslow Team Members: Cole Lacombe, Colin Raby, Julius Pallotta Advisor: Fahimeh Abbasi 

Ishara (Grambling State University) Team Leader: David Nintang Team Members: Christotes Muange, Akorfa Dagadu Advisor: Derrick Warren 

SkillPlay AI (University of Louisiana Monroe) - Team Leader: Bipin Sapkota Team Members: Nischita Paudyal , Prabin Giri, Pradeep Poudel, Utsab Neupane Advisors: Prasanthi Sreekumari (Primary), Arturo Rodriguez (Secondary) 

SmartMatch (Grambling State University) - Team Leader: Nonso Duaka Team Members: Favour Aina, Samuel Torto, Oyindamola Balogun Advisor: Derrick Warren 

UDOIT (Louisiana State University Shreveport) - Team Leader: Khaled Saif Team Members: Dana Bader, Eman Bader (non-student), Xzayvier Ford-Smith Advisor: Mike McDaniel 

Sponsorships for The Entrepreneurship Pelican Cup Awards Luncheon are still available, but tables are expected to sell out. For more information about sponsorships, visit www.ulm.edu/pelicancup 

About The Entrepreneurship Pelican Cup 

Now in its fourth year, 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 that 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 2024, Mr. Thompson was inducted into the prestigious Arkansas Business Hall of Fame.  


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