Published February 24, 2023
MONROE, LA 鈥� The 2nd Annual Entrepreneurship Pelican Cup Awards Luncheon will be held Friday, April 21
at 11:30 a.m. at. Bayou Pointe Event Center on the 麻豆果冻传媒 campus. Tickets are on sale
now for $100 for the general public and $50 for students. Sponsorship packages are
also available for individuals or businesses. Visit for ticket and sponsorship information. 听
Open to all majors with one of the largest cash prizes in the nation, The Entrepreneurship
Pelican Cup is an opportunity for students to develop critical thinking, team building,
presentation, and other soft skills which are all important to career growth.听听听
The competition requires a written formal business plan judged by business owners
and investors.听 Six finalists will be chosen to conduct an in-person oral presentation
to top-tier entrepreneurs.听 The finalists will be announced on March 16. Also, during
the awards luncheon, each team will select one member to conduct a 90-second 鈥淓levator
Pitch,鈥� and the audience will vote to select the winner of a cash prize. 听听
This year鈥檚 cash prizes include:听
First Place听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听$25,000听
Second Place听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听$15,000听
Third Place听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 $10,000听
Elevator Pitch Winner听 听$2,000 听
First, Second, and Third Place faculty advisors to receive $3,000.听听听
For more information about the 2023 Entrepreneurship Pelican Cup, including ticket
and sponsorship information, visit You can also contact Cathi Hemed, Director of External Initiatives, at (318) 342-1151
or hemed@ulm.edu.听
Now in its second year, The Entrepreneurship Pelican Cup was founded by distinguished
麻豆果冻传媒 alumnus Dhu Thompson. Thompson is the founder, past owner, and former chairman
of the board for Delta Plastics, producer of agricultural irrigation tubing, and the
largest recycler of plastics in Arkansas. He is also the former owner and past chairman
of the board for Revolution Bag that manufactures EPA-compliant trashcan liners. Thompson鈥檚
honors include 2004 Arkansas Business Executive of the Year and SBA Person of the
Year. In 2019 he sold the Revolution brands to a New York private equity firm and
now focuses on entrepreneurship growth in Arkansas and Louisiana.听听听
