Startup St. Bernard Finalists and Judges Announced
Entrepreneurs Compete for a $110K Prize Package at Live Public Event on March 23
Organizers of Startup St. Bernard announced the five finalists who will go on to compete for a prize package valued at $110,000. The package of cash and in-kind services is designed to help propel the winner’s business to the next level. The finalists will go on to pitch their businesses to a panel of judges at a live event on March 23 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Meraux Foundation’s Docville Farm at 5128 E. St. Bernard Hwy. in Violet. The event is free and open to the public. Anyone interested in attending the “American Idol-style” business competition is asked to register at noew.org.
Finalists were selected out of a pool of more than 60 entries that were submitted prior to the January 31 deadline. Startup St. Bernard was open to any business that agreed to locate their base of operations toSt.Bernard Parish, help improve St. Bernard Parish, and become part of the St. Bernard Parish entrepreneur ecosystem. Finalists were identified by an independent scoring committee based on the criteria published on the entry form, including the quality of their business plan and impact on St. Bernard Parish.
Startup St. Bernard was created by the Meraux Foundation to showcase the Parish as an ideal place for businesses, especially startups, to locate. The Meraux Foundation is joined by a deep bench of partners working together to make Startup St. Bernard possible, including The Idea Village™, St. Bernard Economic Development Foundation, The Entrepreneur Center at Nunez Community College, St. Bernard Chamber of Commerce, and Leadership St. Bernard.
Donors include the Meraux Foundation, Park Investments, Ltd., Mr. Wayne Landry, Palms Truck Stop, Sidney Torres, III, Mrs. Rita Gue, Mr. Floyd Gue, Palmisano Contactors, LLC, BPW, St. Bernard Tourism Commission, Nunez Community College Foundation, Mr. Terry and Mrs. Daryl Tedesco, Ms. Adele Faust, Gulf Coast Bank & Trust Company, John Brian White, Esq., InHouse Consultants, Inc., AdamsIP, LLC, Sherman Strategies, LLC, Ragusa Consulting, evanSchmidt Design, LLC, Person Huff CPA Group, Sidewise, Pel Hughes, Shine Productions, Outfront Media, St. Bernard Chamber of Commerce, Arc, Crave, Mr. Bill Haines, Printers Wholesale Group, and Arabi Food Store.
Startup St. Bernard is being held in conjunction with New Orleans Entrepreneur Week (NOEW), the annual festival celebrating business, innovation, and advanced thinking in New Orleans. Produced by The Idea Village, NOEW engages a dynamic global network of entrepreneurs, investors, corporations, nonprofits, students, and professionals to support growing companies and elevate entrepreneurial success through eight days of discussion, debate, education, competition and celebration. This year, the event will take place March 20-27, 2015 and 10,000+ are expected to be engaged through over 75 different events.
STARTUP ST. BERNARD FINALISTS (In alphabetical order):
40 Arpent Brewing Co.
40 Arpent Brewing Co. is an eleven-month-old micro-brewery, located on the Mississippi River, in St. BernardParish’s historic Old Arabi neighborhood. 40 Arpent brings the “Craft of Brewing Quality Beer” to this thriving arts district and surrounding region through its two flagship brews: New Basin Stout and Duckweed IPA. It entered Startup St. Bernard to help create a new tap-room that will attract beer enthusiast and tourist alike to the river front of Old Arabi.
Christie’s Dreams Seafood
Christie’s Dreams Seafood is an existing local business that entered Startup St. Bernard to help launch a new product line — St. Bernard Parish branded seafood. The company plans to freeze and package fresh shrimp and soft shell crabs locally caught in St. Bernard Parish waters using a flash freezing method that guarantees premium quality. In the initial stages the business plans to sell the product at local farmers markets throughout Louisiana and to their existing wholesale customers in Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. Long term, Christie’s Dreams Seafood will be create a web site to sell St. Bernard branded seafood throughout the United States.
Creole Tomato Project
There is a history of farming in St. Bernard. Its rich soil can produce as much as four crops per year. And there is a growing demand for local food. Yet there are not enough farmers to meet this demand. The Creole Tomato Project is a new business concept that will be the catalyst for getting local farming to return to StBernard Parish. It is projected to be a 5-10 acre multi-enterprise farm growing fruit, vegetables, egg layers, honey, fish, more. The business’ goal is to be a successful farm with a farmer who can make a living through farming. It is planned as the first of many to come.
Ruffstuff
Ruffstuff is a design and manufacturing business that is currently dedicated to its first product, the RUFFSACK, and its variations. The Ruffsack is an affordable cargo management system that is reliable, easy to use, and inexpensive. Ruffstuff has entered Startup St. Bernard to help advance its future goals to design and develop new storage and transportation concepts for everyday use in the personal, commercial, and industrial arenas.
St. Bernard Syrups
St. Bernard Syrups is a new business concept that will manufacture and sell high end, all natural sugar, flavored syrups for sweeting and flavoring coffee drinks. Syrups will be available to coffee shops and consumers. St. Bernard‘s sugar industry has been deeply ingrained in the Parish’s history for more than 200 years. A new flavored syrup company will take this sweet legacy into the future. The business is the brainchild of Kevin Pedeaux, the founder of Coast Roast Coffee.
STARTUP ST. BERNARD JUDGES (in alphabetical order):
Kerri Callais-Lubrano, Leadership St. Bernard
Michael Hecht, GNO, Inc.
Mark Romig, New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corp.
Carmen Sunda, Louisiana Small Business Development Center
Clayton White, South Coast Angel Fund
ABOUT THE ARLENE AND JOSEPH MERAUX FOUNDATION
The Meraux Foundation is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that was established by Arlene Meraux to benefit the community of St. Bernard Parish by leveraging its landholdings. Today, the foundation’s board of directors is presided over by Arlene’s niece, Rita Gue, and members Floyd Gue, Bill Haines, Chris Haines, and Sidney Torres, III. Guided by Arlene’s vision, the board is implementing an innovative strategy to create lasting change and build a better St. Bernard.
More at merauxfoundation.org and www.startupstbernard.com.
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