Congratulations to the Wolf Pack LaunchU 2026 Winners!

What a night! On Thursday, September 10, eight Wolf Pack LaunchU founders took the stage in Miller Hall to pitch for their share of nearly $50,000 in funding and support, presented by Dr. Bobby and Lori Kent Savoie. After months of building, launching, and refining, our 2026 Top 8 finalists brought their best pitches and four ventures walked away winners.

2026 Prize Winners

Savvy Socials (Founded by Savannah Hanson ’27. Winner of $15,000. Mentored by Marigny de Mauriac.)
A wedding content creation service that captures and delivers high-volume, candid photo and video content within 24–48 hours — so couples can access and relive their full wedding experience, fast.

Uptown Vending (Founded by Max Hemperley ’24. Winner of $9,000. Mentored by Denise (Denny) Bro.)
A modern vending company providing convenient snack and beverage options through smart machines — reimagining what it means to grab something on the go.

Future Pathways (Founded by Mia Javadpour ’29. Winner of $2,500. Mentored by Matt Glazer.)
A nonprofit advising program equipping high school students — especially those from underserved communities — with the guidance and resources to navigate college and career pathways with confidence.

Kiah's Coffee (Founded by Makiah Bonnette ’27. Winner of $7,500 and the Gauthier Award, with an additional $15,000 in unlockable support over the next year. Mentored by Trent Dang.)
A coffee space that creates a genuinely welcoming environment where people can relax, stay, and connect — without being rushed. Community first, coffee second.

Highlights from the Night

Savvy Socials took first place with a business built for speed — Savannah's wedding content service delivers candid, full-experience photo and video to couples within 24 to 48 hours, a turnaround that judges saw as both a clear market gap and a scalable service model.

Uptown Vending impressed judges with Max's reimagining of a known category: smart vending machines that make grabbing a snack or drink genuinely convenient, with a growth path judges saw as immediately executable.

Future Pathways Advising earned recognition for the depth of its mission — Mia's nonprofit venture gives high school students, particularly those from underserved communities, real guidance for navigating college and career decisions with confidence.

Kiah's Coffee closed out the night with the evening's biggest recognition. Makiah's vision for a coffee space built around community first, coffee second, resonated with judges as exactly the kind of founder-led, neighborhood-rooted business the Gauthier Award was designed to support.

A Note on the Gauthier Award

Named in honor of the Gauthier family's commitment to New Orleans and food entrepreneurship, the Gauthier Award goes beyond a cash prize — it unlocks up to $15,000 in additional support over the following year for the recipient. This year's award went to Kiah's Coffee, with judge Cherie Gauthier ('16) on hand to help present it.

2026 Panel of Judges

• Dr. Adam Mills, Ph.D. (Associate Dean, College of Business)
• Dr. Mazhar Islam, Ph.D. (Faculty Director, Center for Entrepreneurship and Community Development)
• Cherie Gauthier, '16 (Gauthier Family Foundation)
• Andrew Albert, '14 (Programs Director, The Idea Village)
• Camille Terk (Director of Capital Partnerships, Louisiana Innovation)

Huge thanks as well to the mentors of the rest of this year's finalists, who put in many hours behind the scenes: Andreas Pashos, Matt Glazer, Rick Mekdessie, and Brian Danos.

A Huge Thank You

To every team that pitched, applied, built, and showed up all semester — thank you. Congratulations again to our 2026 winners: Savannah Hanson (Savvy Socials), Max Hemperley (Uptown Vending), Mia Javadpour (Future Pathways Advising), and Makiah Bonnette (Kiah's Coffee), this year's Gauthier Award recipient.

Missed the pitches live? Watch the rewatch here. Follow along for what's next on Instagram and LinkedIn.