MANDEVILLE, La. – STartUP Northshore announced that Kinkz, a natural hair care line based in Slidell, La., is the winner of a $60,000 prize package of cash and services following a live showdown between the company and three other finalists in the first-ever NSpire Startup Slam pitch competition. The event took place Nov. 3 at the Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts in Hammond.
“Gratitude fills our hearts as we embark on this exciting journey, leveling up our business with the invaluable resources from NSpire Startup Slam,” said Alana Scott, founder and CEO of Kinkz, in a press release. “The experience of being surrounded by incredible, competitive founders has been nothing short of inspiring, propelling us toward our limitless potential.”
A panel of five business leaders from across the Northshore and the greater New Orleans Region served as judges and scored each contestant on categories including concept, business model, market, traction, team, and commitment to and potential impact for the Northshore.
“The NSpire Startup Slam’s debut was a powerful demonstration of the vision and talent of the four rising entrepreneurs that competed, as well as the energy and sense of community of the Northshore entrepreneurial ecosystem,” said Chris Masingill, CEO of St. Tammany Corporation. “Our regional collaboration with our colleagues in Tangipahoa and Washington Parishes and the partnership developed with The Idea Village have taken STartUP Northshore’s founding mission of enhancing the entrepreneurial ecosystem on the Northshore to new heights.”
Kinkz aims to “simplify hair care for women with curly hair with easy-to-use styling tools, including innovative Kinkz Hair Ties, for quick and damage-free styling in just five seconds.”
The prize package includes $25,000 in cash as well as in-kind services from the Bernard Group, Martin Business Solution and others.
Following two rounds of application and independent panel review, the four finalists were selected to advance to the main stage after pitching to a finalist selection committee made up of Northshore business leaders. Each startup received professional pitch coaching from Abbey Kish, founder of Kish Consulting.
In addition to Kinkz, the finalists who competed in the live competition were:
- Unique XP, based in Slidell, redefines fan engagement through personalized, real-time micro-experiences and itineraries, transforming passions into extraordinary adventures.
- 11th Haus, a modern alchemy and wellness brand based in Covington, is all about connection, creating high-quality pheromone products to enhance relationships, self-discovery, and connection with the world, inspired by astrology’s 11th house themes.
- uLand, an Australian-founded educational tech startup, offers engaging disaster preparation and sustainability education through storytelling and visualization, making learning impactful and user-friendly.
“What we saw on Friday night was the culmination of a tremendous effort to bolster entrepreneurship and innovation in our region through STartUP Northshore, a truly unique program that’s catalyzing entrepreneurship, innovation, and business formation in Tangipahoa, St. Tammany, and Washington Parishes,” said Ginger Cangelosi, executive director of Tangipahoa Economic Development. “Tangipahoa Parish Economic Development was so proud to host this event in Downtown Hammond, where four incredible entrepreneurs had the opportunity to make the case for their businesses surrounded by the startup community.”
The NSpire Startup Slam was supported by Chevron, Citizens National Bank, Cleco Power, Hancock Whitney Bank, the Northshore Community Foundation, Tangipahoa Economic Development Foundation, Stirling, and Northshore Media Group. Event partners included the Idea Village and Southeastern Louisiana University.
