NEW ORLEANS – The 5th Annual Startup St. Bernard competition is being held in conjunction with New Orleans Entrepreneur Week on Thursday, March 28, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. The three finalists, announced previously, will compete for a chance to win a grand prize valued at over $90,000. Details were shared in a press release.
Breathing Waters, Da Parish Kayaks, and Schmelly's will pitch their businesses to a panel of judges and a live audience at the Arlene Meraux River Observation Center at Docville Farm (5128 E. St. Bernard Highway, Violet, LA) for a chance to win a grand prize package of cash and in-kind services. All finalists will receive at least $5,000 to fund advancements in their business.
Startup St. Bernard is free and open to the public. Click here to register to attend. We are thrilled to offer one of the largest prize packages in the region thanks to the generosity of our donors and supporting partners. Top donors for the 2019 prize package are the Meraux Foundation, Park Investments, Ltd., St. Bernard Parish Government Department of Tourism, Associated Terminals, United Steelworkers, Palms Truck Stop, Sidney Torres Law Firm, and St. Bernard Community Foundation.
Additional funds are provided by Mrs. Rita Gue, Mr. Floyd Gue, Sherman Strategies, Nunez Community College Foundation, The Ranch Studios, Southern Insurance Agency, Frederick J. Sigur Jr., Palmisano, Sheriff Jimmy Pohlmann, BERG Services, Reactive Digital Systems, District Attorney Perry Nicosia, Representative Ray Garofalo Jr., St. Bernard Economic Development Foundation, and Senator Sharon Hewitt. The winner will receive a cash prize of $40,000. $10,000 will be divided between the two runners up.
Primary contributors of in-kind services include Gulf Coast Bank & Trust Co., Sherman Strategies, Ragusa Consulting, Biz New Orleans, evanSchmidt design, LLC, Shine Productions, Outfront Media, Bernard Franks, A Corporation of Certified Accountants, and Eric Nunez Photography. Additional in-kind services are being provided by Kushner LaGraize, The Meraux Foundation, St. Bernard Chamber of Commerce, BaumTech, Crave, Grow St. Bernard, and Leadership St. Bernard. The suite of in-kind services is valued at over $43,000.
The winner of the 5th Annual Startup St. Bernard competition will be determined by a panel of judges including Mindy Nunez Airhart, President and CEO of Southern Services and Equipment, Inc., Kristen Essig, Co-Chef and Partner of Coquette, Andy Kopplin, President and CEO of the Greater New Orleans Foundation, and Blake J. Stanfill, Director of Growth at trepwise. Should a tie occur between the four judges, an audience vote will determine the winner of the grand prize.
