LAFAYETTE, LA (KLFY) -- The 2nd Annual Elevate Entrepreneurship Pitch Competition took place this week, where eight finalists presented their business ideas to a panel of judges. The contestants were given four minutes to pitch their businesses, as well as three minutes for the judges to ask questions and discuss their strategies.
This year’s judges were Nate Moore, founder of Moore Consulting; Holly Howat, founder of Beacon Community Connections; and Kristi Anderson, chief strategy officer for the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
The winners of this year’s competition were Karen Dugas with Above the Limit, Nina Charles with Nina Creole, and Raquel McCorvey with BeLuxxe Health & Wellness.
Above the Limit is an educational company offering tutoring services for students in grades K-12 and an ACT preparation program designed to help students qualify for scholarships. Founded in 2017 by Karen Dugas, who has over 20 years of experience teaching in both public and private school systems, the company is dedicated to supporting student success.
Above the Limit provides one-on-one tutoring for K-12 students, as well as ACT and SAT preparation, and college and career counseling. It also offers informational workshops for families and educational sessions where parents and students can access resources to enhance the learning experience.
Above the Limit received a $5,000 award, which Dugas plans to use to open a computer lab at the Above the Limit Education Center, located at 105 Independence Blvd., Ste. 3, in Lafayette.
Nina Creole is a food truck that offers Creole cuisine with a unique twist, including a variety of stuffed egg rolls, along with vegetarian, vegan, and kid-friendly options. Founded in 2021 by Nina Charles, the business started after she began experimenting with new recipes during the COVID-19 pandemic. This led her to quit her corporate job to focus on cooking full-time, which eventually led to an appearance on the Netflix show Is It Cake? after gaining popularity on social media.
Nina Creole received a $2,500 award, which will be used for shipping and stocking. The food truck will be at this year’s Acadiana Eats Festival, happening Saturday, Oct. 26, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the West Village Development in Scott.
BeLuxxe Health & Wellness provides medical-grade spa services with a focus on holistic care. The business was founded in 2023 by Raquel McCorvey, a dual-certified family and psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. McCorvey decided to go back to school to become a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner after being laid off during the COVID-19 pandemic.
After attending a Black Nurse Entrepreneurs conference in 2022, she was inspired to open her own medical spa. The spa offers services such as weight management, vitamin therapy, massage therapy, and medical-grade skin care.
BeLuxxe Health & Wellness received a $1,000 award. McCorvey wants to continue empowering women of color to look and feel their best. It is located at 106 Oil Center Dr., Ste. 104B in Lafayette.
The business pitch competition offers local entrepreneurs who have completed the Accelerate Northside and Accelerate Women’s Entrepreneurship programs a chance to pitch their businesses shark tank style to a panel of judges for feedback. The competition also offers participants the opportunity to gain visibility, refine their business strategy, and expand their network.
The competition was coordinated by the Lafayette Economic Development Authority and Opportunity Machine, in partnership with the Louisiana Entrepreneurship and Economic Development Center. The competition recently won two national awards from the International Economic Development Council, and is part of LEDA’s ongoing efforts to support local small and minority-owned businesses.
