Inferno Pitch teams advance to finals, one team wins $3,000 for entrepreneurial idea

Inferno Pitch teams advance to finals, one team wins $3,000 for entrepreneurial idea

NATCHITOCHES - Six teams have been named finalist in the 2024 Inferno pitch, an entrepreneurial business competition hosted by Northwestern State University's College of Business and Technology.

"This is the ultimate platform for student entrepreneurs to showcase their innovative ideas and compete for valuable prizes and industry recognition," said Dr. Weiwen Liao, associate professor of business. "After an intensive selection process, we are proud to present six finalists who will be advancing to the final pitch event Nov. 13."

Inferno Pitch finalists are as follows.

1. Team 1 - Christopher Compas of Stonewall (team leader), Alizabeth Boyles of Many, Jacob Cater of Natchitoches, Kora Fry of East Wenatchee, Washington; Kamile Fuselier of Alexandria and Katie Murray of Pleasant Hill. 

2. Team 2 - Emarion Powell of Ferriday

3. Team 3 - Jackson Phelps of Natchitoches

4. Team 4 - Logan Carter of Converse (team leader), Solome Aristizabal of Santa Rosa de Cabal, Columbia; Maria Camila Valencia Gonzalez of Pereia, Columbia, and Angee Mariana Bedoya Rivera of Dosquebradas, Colombia. 

6. Team 6 - Valeria Mendieta Montoya of Pereia, Columbia

The Final Pitch will begin at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 13 in the David Morgan Auditorium (Room 107) of Russell Hall.

During the final pitch event, each finalist will pitch their business model to a panel of judges. Each finalist will be allowed 10 minutes to present, followed by a 5-minute Q&A session. The winner(s) will be announced and awarded. 

7. 1st Place - $3,000 cash, 6 months of professional services from the Entrepreneurial Accelerator Program.

8. 2nd Place - $1,000 cash, 6 months of professional services from the Entrepreneurial Accelerator Program.

9. 3rd Place - $500 cash, 6 months of professional services from the Entrepreneurial Accelerator Program.

Guest judges will be Stephen Goodfellow, financial advisor, Entrepreneurial Accelerator Program (EAP) of BRF; Natchitoches Mayor Ronnie Williams, Joanna Washington, vice president, senior deposit operation specialist, City Bank & Trust Company, and Matthew Gamble, entrepreneur, co-founder of Collins & Gamble, winner of 2022 Pelican Cup.

This year, the final pitch event will be open to the public and live streamed via Webex. Join online at: https://nsula.webex.com/nsula/j.php?MTID=m4ab30dea66d0c7a5f1bfafa3f1de93bf
Meeting number: 2485 676 6994
Passoword: QBedRMdq683

The Inferno Pitch is a north Louisiana entrepreneurial and business development event that is currently open to all NSU business students encouraging students to learn about and embrace entrepreneurship. Students can submit models for new businesses in any industry and receive coaching from industry experts and sharpen their entrepreneurial skills, including real world experience in the startup and capital raising process, networking with industry experts and seasoned entrepreneurs, collaboration with other like-minded participants and a chance to take a business idea from a concept to commercialization. 

The initiative is sponsored by the Entrepreneurial Accelerator Program (EAP), which is a division of BRF, former known as Shreveport's Biomedical Research Foundation, created as an economic development organization with the mission to diversify and grow the region's economy. EAP's mission is to build an inclusive Entrepreneurial eco-system in North Louisiana.

For more information about the Final Pitch, contact Liao at (318) 357-5692 or liaow@nsula.edu.

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