Frost Pitch Challenge: Ice Out the Competition
Several Centenary students put the versatility and real-world relevance of a liberal arts education on display this past year during the Frost Pitch Challenge sponsored by the College’s Frost School of Business and the Entrepreneurial Accelerator Program (EAP).
Video produced by Williams Creative Group and EAP.
EAP is an initiative of BRF, an economic development organization based in Shreveport, and serves as an accelerator for small businesses and entrepreneurs, matching them with resources and investors as they work to build sustainable and profitable companies.
The Frost Pitch Challenge, which encouraged participants to “Ice Out the Competition,” was open to all interested Centenary students. After completing an online application, students attended a series of workshops and received professional coaching from EAP and local business professionals serving as competition mentors. After their business plans were submitted, four finalist teams were invited to participate in the final pitch challenge to present their idea to a panel of judges that included both Frost School of Business faculty and community business professionals.
The four finalists competed for more than $5,000 in cash and prices at a special banquet and awards ceremony held at Centenary in November 2021. London Todd ’22, a biology/neuroscience major who also earned an MBA from the Frost School of Business this spring, won the top $3,000 prize for her business plan for Le Chic Piquenique, a luxury custom picnic service.
“The way that we gather and socialize has changed in the last year as many events were cancelled or postponed,” wrote Todd in her business plan. “Le Chic Piquenique was born from the need for people to be able to gather safely, yet simply, around an outdoor table.”
The second place prize of $1,000 cash went to Luke Royle ’22 and John Beaudion ’22, both business administration majors and teammates on Centenary’s 2022 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference championship baseball team, for their pitch for New Leaf Painting, a commercial and residential painting company.
Elizabeth Matthews ’22 won third place for her plan for Techno Code, a service geared toward helping lower middle class and working class individuals gain the computer or digital skills to allow them to stay competitive in the job market and increase their quality of life. Kile Mingo ’22 was awarded fourth place for his luxury clothing company, Loot Boys & Co.
All four teams also won professional services from EAP for six months following the conclusion of the Frost Pitch Challenge and received scholarships to the 2022 Louisiana Startup Prize to compete against other entrepreneurs for the chance to win $25,000.
Look for the Frost Pitch Challenge to return in fall 2022!