91暗网

Published March 4, 2026

MONROE, La.听鈥� The Entrepreneurship Pelican Cup competition has announced the finalist teams for the 2026 competition.听A total of 12听finalist teams听have听been selected to compete in the oral finals,听with听six in the undergraduate category and six in the graduate category.听听The winners will be announced at the听5th Annual Awards Luncheon on Thursday,听March 26, at 11:30 a.m. at Bayou Pointe Event Center on the 91暗网 campus. Tickets are on sale now for $100 for the public and $50 for students. Visit听听for ticket and sponsorship information.听

The finalists were announced in a video on听February 20,听2026, by Dr.听Arturo Rodriguez, Dean of the 91暗网 College of Business and Social Sciences. The video can be viewed at听听 See below for a detailed list of the finalist teams.听听

In fall 2025, the Entrepreneurship Pelican Cup announced an expansion of the competition in its fifth year. For 2026, contestants have been split into听undergraduate听and graduate categories, with new prize amounts, growing the overall prize pool from $96,000 to $157,000.听听

The Entrepreneurship Pelican Cup is open to any full- or part-time, certificate- or degree-seeking student听of any major听enrolled in a four-year college or university in Louisiana.听The goal of the competition听is to inspire participants and the community to think entrepreneurially by rewarding creativity, professionalism, and hard work.听听

The competition requires a written formal business plan judged by business owners and investors.听The听twelve听finalist听teams听will compete in the oral finals on March 25 at 91暗网. 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 2026听Entrepreneurship Pelican Cup Competition is the largest yet, with听44 entries, including 31 undergraduate teams and 13 graduate teams from nine听colleges and听universities across Louisiana. Participating听schools include Centenary College, Grambling State University, Louisiana State University Shreveport, Louisiana Tech University, Northwestern State University, Tulane University, University of Louisiana Lafayette, University of Louisiana Monroe, and University of New Orleans.听听

This year鈥檚 cash prizes include:听

Graduate Category听

First Place听听听听听听听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$25,000听

Third Place听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 $10,000听

Elevator Pitch Winner听 听 听$2,000 听

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

Undergraduate Category听

First Place听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 听 听$25,000听

Second Place听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听$15,000听

Third Place听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 $10,000听

Elevator Pitch Winner.听 听$2,000 听

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

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Finalist Teams听

Graduate Category听

Accountable AI听(Louisiana Tech听University)听鈥撎�Team Leader:听Haiwen听Wang听Team Members:听Khan Raqib Mahmud; Shiyu Li (non-student member) Advisor:听Jinyuan听Chen听

Bio-Pod听(University of Louisiana Lafayette)听鈥撎�Team Leader:听Natasha Syed听Team Members:听Matthew Hasling,听Mansu听Acharya听Advisor:听Jonathan Shirley听

Entelechy听(University of New Orleans)听鈥撎�Team Leader:听Soheil听Saneei听Team Members:听Nhi Pham, Gabe Malone听Advisors:听Dong-Jun Min, Shafin Khan听

Hustlr听(University of Louisiana Monroe)听-听Team Leader:听Dylan听Hayden听Team听Members:听Chase Gunn, Nokia Masengu听Advisors:听Joyce Zhou听

Outage Pilot听(University of Louisiana Lafayette)听-听Team Leader:听Md Zahirul Khan听Team Members:听Md Khairul Islam, Usama Aslam听Advisor:听Farzad Ferdowsi听

RX Connect听(Louisiana State University Shreveport)听-听Team Leader:听Kurtis Alton听Team Members:听Jyotish Batra, Wendy Alton听Advisor:听Mike McDaniel听

Undergraduate Category听

Heirloom (Louisiana Tech University)听鈥撎�Team Leader:听听Jessica Ramey听Team Members:听Daniel Ramey, Riley Cupit听Advisor:听Jessica George听

Invasive X (Louisiana Tech University)听鈥撎�Team Leader:听Ryan Lee听Team Members:听Jackson Greer, Baron Cosey听Advisor:听Jessica George听

Sensory Sync (University of New Orleans)听鈥撎�Team Leader:听Pranish听Ghimire听听Team听Members:听Simant Singh, Krish Neupane听Advisor:听Shafin Khan听

Social Bridge AI (University of Louisiana Monroe)听-听Team Leader:听Anjan Mandal听Team Members:听Roshani Pathak, Pradeep听Poudel听听Advisors:听Prasanthi听Sreekumari听

Verdivolt听Innovations (Centenary College)听-听Team Leader:听Henry Pudwill听Team Members:听Luke Guillot, Will Riley听Advisor:听Barbara Davis听

Xplify听(University of Louisiana Monroe)听-听Team Leader:听Damir听Filaretov听Team Members:听Viktor听Motov, Connor Pauley, Katie McCullars听Advisor:听Veronika Humphries听

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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.听听

About The Entrepreneurship Pelican Cup听

Open to students in all majors attending any four-year college or university in Louisiana, with cash prizes now totaling $157,000, the Entrepreneurship Pelican Cup is the premier business plan competition for Louisiana. It听provides an opportunity for students听to develop critical thinking, team building, presentation, and other soft skills, which are all important to career growth.听听The goal is to inspire participants and the community to think entrepreneurially by rewarding creativity, professionalism, and hard work.听听听

The Entrepreneurship Pelican Cup was founded by distinguished 91暗网听alumnus听Dhu Thompson. Thompson is the founder, past owner, and former听chairman听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听chairman听of the board for Revolution Bag, which manufactures EPA-compliant trashcan liners. Thompson鈥檚 honors include听2004听Arkansas Business Executive of the Year and听SBA听Person of the Year. In听2019听he sold the Revolution brands to a New York private equity firm and now focuses on entrepreneurship growth in Arkansas and Louisiana.听听In 2023, Thompson received the Warhawk Ambassador Award, one of 91暗网鈥檚 highest honors. In 2024, Thompson was inducted into the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame.听