NATCHITOCHES – A Northwestern State University student entrepreneur was named a finalist for the Entrepreneurship Pelican Cup, a business competition for college students intended to help students gain critical thinking, team building, presentation and other skills important to career growth.
Matthew Gamble is the team leader for Rise and Rotate, a device he and his stepfather designed and developed to assist individuals with limited mobility. Last year, Gamble won first prize in the NSU School of Business Inferno Pitch, a business plan competition that offers NSU students mentoring and skill-building for launching entrepreneurial ideas. Gamble is a senior business administration major from Shelbyville, Texas, and earned $3,000 for pitching a patented design and business plan for Rise and Rotate.
Winners of the Pelican Cup will be announced at an awards luncheon that begins at 11:30 a.m. Friday, April 21 at Bayou Pointe Events Center on the campus of the University of Louisiana-Monroe. During the awards lunch, each team will put up one member to give a 90-second elevator pitch and the audience will vote to select the winner of a cash prize. Winners of the Pelican Cup will be awarded $25,000 for first place, $15,000 for second place and $10,000 for third place, to be split between team members. Advisors of the first, second and third-place winners will receive $3,000.
Gamble, CEO and team leader, will be joined by team members Hayden Stanley, Chief Research and Development Officer, and Alexander Brown, Chief Information Officer. Dr. Elizabeth Prejean is faculty advisor.
Tickets to the lunch and more information is available at https://www.ulm.edu/pelicancup/. Tickets are $100 for the general public or $50 for students. Sponsorship packages are also available for individuals or businesses.
For more information about the event, contact Cathi Hemed, director of external initiatives, at (318)-342-1151 or hemed@ulm.com.
