Announcing the 2024 Wolf Pack LaunchU Finalists

Since May, 21 teams have been working non-stop to create and develop their business plans and goals as part of this year’s cohort of Wolf Pack LaunchU, presented by Dr. Bobby and Lori Kent Savoie. Featuring a diverse array of members of the Loyola University New Orleans community - including current undergraduate and graduate students, alumni, faculty, staff, and even parents - this year’s cohort consisted of a robust variety of startups, small businesses, side hustles, and ideas. Having worked all summer with their paired mentors, 18 of the 21 teams submitted a first-round virtual pitch on Friday, August 23. After a rigorous (and very close) scoring of each submission over the weekend by a panel of judges, we have our final eight teams.

These eight teams, listed below, will now have the opportunity to pitch for their share of $30,000 in non-dilutive seed funding to take their projects to the next level! Join us here on campus on Thursday, September 5th to witness the excitement - RSVP here to attend, and read more about this year’s eight finalist teams below!

Brightspot People (founded by Madeline Chizmar, '12 and Jami Smith) is the HR solution for startups that don't quite need an HR team yet, but know that culture is an unbeatable competitive advantage. We're the experts on people strategy, compliance, recruitment, and employee engagement, and through our fractional work and consulting we help growing companies become marathon ready.

Cucuron (founded by Megan Manning, MBA ‘17 and Michael Manning) is a digital platform that helps artists reach buyers through collective marketing and services.

Half board game, half drinking game, and a whole lot of fun; Drunk & Board (founded by Austyn Malynn, ‘24) elevates any game night with hilarious conversations and lifelong memories.

English Linguaverse (founded by Katrina Schmidt, faculty, and Emma Rye) creates tailored English language content for professionals, leveraging social media presence and expertise in language learning, curriculum design and online course creation. As the team expands into the exponentially growing corporate English market, they aim to meet the rising demand for specialized English courses in specific industries, such as law or aviation, setting them apart from companies that focus on general English.

Gumbo Film Lab (founded by Hayden Parker, ‘24) is a local film lab that takes customers film and develops and processes them and plans to expand into placing vending machines in tourist heavy spots and filling them with disposable cameras and film, plus drop-off boxes to have film processed.

Hey Hey Honey (founded by Sean Mulligan, ‘22 and MBA ‘23) allows people to take the honey they love with them on the go without the fear of a potential mess. Their team works with food scientists and designers to make solid, mess-free honey in convenient and attractive packaging.

MELA (founded by Yulenda Timothy, ‘24) is a learning assistant app that helps college students improve their memory and reduce anxiety by minimizing digital distractions during scheduled read or study time.

RITUALI (founded by Brenna Kane, ‘10 and MBA ‘18)  is a holistic wellness platform that provides personalized matching to a curated network of high-quality practitioners.