Wolf Pack LaunchU, Presented by Dr. Bobby and Lori Kent Savoie
Turn Your Idea Into Something Real.
Wolf Pack LaunchU is Loyola University New Orleans' premier startup accelerator, helping students, alumni, faculty, staff, and parents transform ideas into ventures through mentorship, community, and hands-on learning.
Applications for the next cohort open each September following the Wolf Pack LaunchU Final Pitch Competition.
About Wolf Pack LaunchU
Whether you're exploring your first idea or growing an existing venture, LaunchU provides the mentorship, resources, and community to help you move forward.
Through a proven three-phase experience, founders build confidence, validate their ideas, and prepare to pitch for nearly $50,000 in funding and support.
Build. Launch. Pitch.
🧱 BUILD
Start with an immersive Bootcamp focused on business fundamentals, customer discovery, marketing, financials, and storytelling.
🚀 LAUNCH
Work alongside mentors, participate in workshops, and validate your venture through customer discovery and real-world feedback.
🎤 PITCH
Present your venture for the opportunity to advance to the Final Pitch Competition and compete for nearly $50,000 in funding and support.
Who Can Apply?
LaunchU is open to:
- Undergraduate Students
- Graduate Students
- Alumni
- Faculty
- Staff
- Loyola Parents
No business background required—just an idea and the commitment to build it.
What You'll Gain
- Five-day immersive Bootcamp
- Dedicated venture mentor
- Summer workshops and expert guidance
- Customer discovery support
- A community of founders
- Nearly $50,000 in funding and support opportunities
Congratulations 2026 Cohort
The 2026 cohort completed the Pitch phase on September 10, 2026 during the Final Pitch Competition. Congratulations to Savvy Socials (Savannah Hanson), Uptown Vending (Max Hemperley), Future Pathways Advising (Mia Javadpour), and Gauthier Award winner Kiah's Coffee (Makiah Bonnette).
A Proven Track Record
Now in its fifth year, Wolf Pack LaunchU has awarded over $129,000 in funding to ventures across the Loyola community — supporting founders at every stage, from early ideas to growing businesses.
Past LaunchU Winners:
2026:
Savvy Socials — $15,000 — Founded by Savannah Hanson
Uptown Vending — $9,000 — Founded by Max Hemperley
Future Pathways Advising — $2,500 — Founded by Mia Javadpour
Kiah's Coffee — $7,500 + Gauthier Award ($15,000 unlockable) — Founded by Makiah Bonnette
2025:
Katamaran Reptile Ranch - $15,000 - Kat Lee, '27
Breeze Shuttles - $7,000 - Tristan Sariego, '24
Fresh Dripd - Michelle Gauthier Prize for Emerging Food Entrepreneurs $7,000 - Aimee Alleman, MBA '05
Camila & Catherine Co. - $5,000 - Aja Cousin '23
2024:
RITUALI - $12,000 - Breanna Kane, '10, MBA '18
Hey Hey Honey - $7,000 - Sean Mulligan, '20, MBA '21
Drunk and Board - $7,000 - Austyn Malynn, '24
Gumbo Film Labs - $4,000 - Hayden Parker '24
2023:
Marcel's New Orleans - $10,000 - Ken Faucheux, '04, and Joy Bruce, WLA Cohort 2
DependentCares - $10,000 - Tom Daly, '98
Newrospace - $5,000 - Greg Buisson and Hannah Guihur, '23
HandOffur - $5,000 - Aubin Duchier, '22, MBA '23, Farah Wells, '23, and Gabriel Porges, '23
2022:
Port Lookout - $7,500 - Srinee Bajaj, '15
The Safety Pouch - $7,000 - David Price, '23
Beaucoup Beauty - $5,000 - Andreca Johnson, '22
Presson Productions - $4,500 - Jonathan Presson, '25
ceres - $4,000 - Rich Simmerman, '21
The Lovelace - $3,000 - Sal Mannino, Faculty
Ate It First - $2,000 - Andrea Alarcon, '17
SMOse - $2,000 - Aubin Duchier, '22
Ready to Take the Next Step?
Join us at the Wolf Pack LaunchU Final Pitch Competition this September and see what's possible. Applications for the next cohort open immediately following the event.