The five finalists of Startup St. Bernard have been announced by the pitch competition’s organizers, the Meraux Foundation and St. Bernard Economic Development Foundation. The live pitch competition, held in conjunction with New Orleans Entrepreneur Week, offers finalists the opportunity to compete for a prize package valued at over $100,000 including cash and in-kind services.
The finalists will pitch their businesses to a panel of judges from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on March 19, 2018, at the Arlene Meraux River Observation Center at Docville Farm (5128 E. St. Bernard Highway, Violet, LA.) The event is free and open to the public. Anyone interested in attending the “Shark Tank-style” business competition is asked to register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/4th-annual-startup-st-bernard-tickets-4226157751
Startup St. Bernard was open to any business that agreed to locate their base of operations in St. Bernard Parish and help improve its entrepreneur ecosystem. An independent scoring committee chose the following five finalists based on the criteria that included the quality of their business plan and impact on St. Bernard Parish.
Clean Course Meals is a community-based health and nutrition company committed to providing access to wholesome, nourishing meals while educating the community on the basis of living a healthier lifestyle.
Neutral Ground is a digital wood shop that specializes in using rapid prototyping technology to make affordable custom fabrication. Neutral Ground sells original artwork and home goods as well as partner with other businesses on their product, packaging, and signage needs.
Full Count Athletic Facility is a 10,000 square/ft. training facility that offers a central, indoor, climate-controlled location for guests to learn and practice their baseball and softball skills. The facility includes batting cages, pitching lanes and cages, skills area and equipment for speed and agility, and strength and conditioning training. In addition, Full Count offers specialized group coaching clinics, team skills training and one-on-one skills training.
Neptune’s Garden is a year-round hydroponic farm providing the highest quality and freshest produce that you can purchase. Neptune’s Gardens produce is hydroponically grown indoors in a controlled environment providing ideal conditions for the growth of beautiful produce completely without the use of pesticides. This enables the business to harvest the product and deliver it to the customer while it’s still alive maximizing the taste, nutrition, and value.
Pontchartrain Mushrooms is an urban farm in the greater New Orleans area committed to growing high quality, gourmet and medicinal mushrooms. We strive to provide a fresh, locally grown, nutritious food source, and use our knowledge of mycology to work towards a cleaner future for our community.
