LSU Shreveport students have flexed their entrepreneurial muscles for the past few years as part of Pilot Pitch, a competition in which students present their business ideas.
Pilot Pitch is seeking LSUS participants from all disciplines to participate in this year’s series, which includes guided workshops and mentorship from LSUS faculty and local business leaders.
These mentors help students mold their idea into a viable business plan, which students will then “pitch” to an expert panel with winners earning cash prizes.
An informational session is scheduled for Wednesday (11 a.m. in person at the LSUS Business Engagement Center and 5:30 p.m. virtually) with the first business development workshop occurring Sept. 23.
The deadline to complete an intent to enter form is Sept. 30.
Two more business development workshops occur in October, where finalists will be selected to compete in graduate student and undergraduate student categories on Nov. 13. Prizes for the top three finishers range from $500-$3,000.
Dr. Mike McDaniel, director of Pilot Pitch and program director of LSUS’s Master of Business Administration, invites LSUS students from all backgrounds to compete.
“Entrepreneurs come from all disciplines, not just the College of Business,” McDaniel said. “Especially with the increasing speed of technological advancement, students from (Management Information Systems) and the sciences, for example, have great ideas.
“Students from all disciplines can enter.”
Students who entered Pilot Pitch separately have often teamed up on major projects after the competition.
Computer science student Jyotish Batra brought his technical expertise like app building and AI knowledge to MBA student Kurtis Alton’s business idea.
The result is Rx Connect, a medical app powered by artificial intelligence that is designed to help patients, doctors, pharmacies, and insurance companies navigate the prescription medication system.
The pair won the top prize of $50,000 at Louisiana Monroe’s Pelican Cup this past spring.
Other successful Pilot Pitch projects didn’t tackle such grandiose problems.
Father Khaled Saif wanted to use technology to connect with his toddler daughter, and his team created the app “UDoIt,” where parents and children imitate dance-like moves after watching animated characters perform those moves. Saif’s app took second place at the 2025 Pelican Cup, winning $25,000.
“Students are beginning to realize that there’s bigger money out there beyond our own competition, but that Pilot Pitch is a great way to refine your idea and get valuable feedback from business owners in the area,” McDaniel said.
Undergraduate winner Paige Schuldt refined her business idea “The Nurture Nook” through Pilot Pitch.
Nurture Nooks, furnished pop-up pods that allow breastfeeding mothers and other caretakers to more easily attend festivals, have appeared at events like Mudbug Madness and the Louisiana Peach Festival in the past year.
Pilot Pitch is a collaboration between the LSUS College of Business, the LSUS Foundation, and the Entrepreneurial Accelerator Program, a northwest Louisiana organization that helps launch and mentor small businesses.
Business leaders from the community serve as mentors, helping students identify strengths and challenges of their business model.
For more information about serving as a business mentor, contact Mike McDaniel at [email protected].