Startup St. Bernard 2021

5124 East Saint Bernard Highway,Violet LA 70092

05 August, 2021

Description

Startup St. Bernard, the Gulf-South's largest "shark tank" style pitch competition, is back on August 5, 2021 for the 7th time! Startup St. Bernard, the Gulf South's largest "shark tank" style pitch competition, is back on August 5, 2021, for the 7th time! Glass Half Full, St. Bernard EcoTourism, and Nice Plants Good Pots have been selected to pitch their businesses to a panel of judges on August 5, 2021. This year's prize package includes over $101,000 in cash and in-kind prizes, with all three finalists receiving a cash prize of at least $5,000. In-kind donations include services ranging from legal and accounting to marketing and public relations. Finalists: Glass Half Full is a New Orleans-based glass recycling initiative located in Gentilly with the mission to “collect NOLA’s glass and convert it into beach-like sand and glass cullet that’s used for disaster relief, eco-construction, new glass products, and so much more.” Started by two Tulane students in the Spring of 2020, the company recycles almost 50,000 pounds of glass a week through both free drop-offs and paid pick-ups from residences and businesses. Glass Half Full’s founders also operate Glassroots, a nonprofit that “expands the accessibility of recycling through education, outreach, and the creative reuse of traditional waste.” Nice Plants Good Pots is a commercial plant nursery headquartered in Arabi that specializes in the collection and propagation of rare and endangered tropical and arid plants, with an emphasis on conservation and education. The company opened in the Fall of 2019 with a small $4,000 investment and two friends who had a passion for growing plants and educating others about how to grow them. All pots and ceramic accompaniments are handmade, as well. The company currently functions fully through e-commerce and pop-up locations around New Orleans and hopes to expand into St. Bernard with a full greenhouse, retail location, and event/education space. St. Bernard EcoTourism (SBET) is a local eco-tourism destination in St. Bernard for both tourists and locals alike. SBET offers guests the opportunity to experience local wetlands firsthand via air and pontoon boats, an outdoor event venue, and family events and parties. Open since 2019 but shut down due to the pandemic, the company reopened in May of 2021 to provide a fully immersive ecotour experience that educates and entertains all ages, giving everyone a taste of the wetlands. SBET also hopes to expand in the near future with a restaurant and lounge on the water. Sponsors: The Meraux Foundation is the presenting sponsor. Other sponsors include Associated Terminals, Bernard Franks - A Corporation of Certified Accountants, Biz New Orleans, CORE: Louisiana Counseling & Recovery Center, Ditto’s Printing & Copy Center, evanschmidt design, the Frederick J. Sigur Investment Company, the Ganon Group, the Greater New Orleans Foundation, Mr. Floyd Gue, Mrs. Rita Gue, Gulf Coast Bank & Trust Company, Mr. Joey Nieto, Leadership St. Bernard, the Nunez Community College Foundation, Outfront Media, Park Investments Ltd., Ragusa Consulting, Senator Sharon Hewitt, Sherman Strategies, Shine Productions, Sidney Torres Law Firm, Southern Insurance Agency, the St. Bernard Chamber of Commerce, the St. Bernard Parish Assessor, St. Bernard Parish Government, the St. Bernard Tourist Commission, The Palms too, The Ranch Studios, and Valero Meraux Refinery. Judges: Judging the pitches will be Andrea Chen with Propeller, Kevin Wilkins with trepwise, Allen Square with the Square Button Group, Jason Waggenspack with The Ranch Film Studios, and Desiree Young with VentureWalk Partners. Tom Gregory, the multiple Emmy award-winning host, writer, producer, and reporter will return to emcee the event.