NATCHITOCHES – Northwestern State University College of Business and Technology announces the return of the student Inferno Pitch, a business plan competition designed to empower the next generation of entrepreneurs.
Inferno Pitch is not just a competition—it’s a platform for NSU students to showcase their creativity, develop essential business skills and gain exposure to industry leaders. Participants will have the opportunity to work closely with experienced mentors, participate in business development workshops and present their business ideas to a distinguished panel of judges. The process involves mentorship, skill-building, networking opportunities and the chance to win cash in the statewide competition, Louisiana’s Pelican Cup competition.
“Inferno Pitch is a competition to encourage students to learn about and embrace entrepreneurship,” said Dr. Weiwen Liao, Inferno Pitch coordinator. “Anyone who has an idea for a product, service or new technology that could be transformed into a scalable business should apply.”
The competition is open to all NSU business students. Individual competitors must be from the School of Business and teams must consist or at least one student currently enrolled in the School of Business.
“The competition’s goal is to provide real-world education in entrepreneurship and boost awareness and innovation commercialization in our region,” Liao said.
In 2022, NSU’s team of Matthew Gamble (inventor and team leader), Hayden Stanley, and Alexander Brown made history by winning The Pelican Cup and securing $25,000 for their innovative project, Rise and Rotate, a mobility assistance device designed to help individuals with limited mobility transition from a bed to a chair.
Students can pitch their ideas, receive mentoring and compete for prizes through on-line enrollment in Moodle. For information, contact Liao at liaow@nsula.edu.
