Watch 5 finalists go head-to-head as they pitch their startup, competing for the title of 2025 Emerging Startup of the Year & over $20,000 in Cash Prizes!
2025 Judges Panel
Mike Georgoff
Founder of Lemonade Stand
Johanna Dutton
Business Consultant at Robinson Ventures
Byron LeBlanc
Gulf South Angels, Board of Directors - Public Policy, Marketing, and Public Relations Committee
Byron LeBlanc is the founder of LeBlanc & Schuster Public Relations, Inc., a highly regarded firm serving regional and local clients since 1976. A charter member and past chairman of the Jefferson Chamber of Commerce, Byron has been a leader in community affairs and civic engagement for decades. Byron now serves on the Board of Directors of Gulf South Angels, where he applies his expertise in marketing and public relations to support and grow the network.
2025 Pitchers
Blue Partner
Sarah Brasseaux
Byline
Shanna Dickens
DealFlow
Colby Sonnier
GlowSens
Noah Bergeron
Nestor
Jordy Davidson
Blue Partner
Sarah Brasseaux
Blue Partner develops innovative technology designed to enhance public safety and support law enforcement professionals.
Byline
Shanna Dickens
Byline is a two-way marketplace connecting local storytellers with media companies to create hyperlocal, engaging content. We empower communities to share their stories while helping newsrooms fill gaps in coverage.
DealFlow
Colby Sonnier
GlowSens
Noah Bergeron
GlowSens’ Glow-In-The-Dark Road Paint Additive helps Road Paint Companies offer rural municipalities a reduction in the cost, frequency, and severity of traffic accidents.
Nestor
Jordy Davidson
Nestor is the AI Assistant built for high-volume teams—smart enough to answer, route, and access key client info instantly. It’s like cloning your best front desk employee.
Destin Ortego
Executive Director, Opportunity Machine
Destin is the Executive Director of the Opportunity Machine, an organization that annually assists hundreds of startups and small businesses in their journey from concept to growth. Destin specializes in lean startup methodology, jobs-to-be-done theory, customer discovery, and business model testing. Throughout his career, he has spearheaded various entrepreneurial programs and events, including OM’s Innovate South, Tech Tank, Sprint to Solve, Launch Academy, and Builder Programs. Additionally, he has been honored with The Daily Advertiser’s Top 20 Under 40 award, acknowledged as one of the 100 most influential individuals in Louisiana’s startup ecosystem by Silicon Bayou, and named the Richard Baudoin Jr. “Friend of Business” for the Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame.
Mike Georgoff
Founder at Lemonade Stand
Mike is an experienced head of product with nearly two decades operating inside high growth technology startups. He founded and runs Lemonade Stand, which offers fractional product management, marketing, and strategy services for early and growth stage startup founders and CEOs.
Mike has been at the executive table and in the boardroom since the age of 25, when he was Chief of Staff at redbox. He then joined RetailMeNot, staying through the company’s unicorn IPO in 2014. From there, three consecutive CPO gigs, including co-leading digital transformation at H-E-B, one of the country’s largest retailers and privately held businesses.
Johanna Dutton
Business Consultant at Robinson Ventures
Dr. Johanna Dutton is a Principal at JD’s Advisory, where she provides consulting for healthcare and biotechnology companies. She has a Master’s in Analytical Chemistry and a PhD in Biomedical Engineering. After working for over a decade in the pharmaceutical industry and teaching biomanufacturing courses at NC State University, Johanna dipped her toes in the venture scene and hasn’t gotten out of the water yet. She lives in NC with her husband, two kids, two cats and a dog.
Tom Cox
Founder of Golfballs.com
Tom has been involved in launching and helping to start businesses for 25 years. He co-founded in 1995, and notably was one the first ecommerce businesses in golf. Golfballs.com has been named by Inc Magazine to the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest growing companies in America eight (8) times. With years of firsthand experience & success as an entrepreneur himself, Tom considers himself an advocate, advisor, and fan of startups and their founders.
Byron LeBlanc
Gulf South Angels, Board of Directors - Public Policy, Marketing, and Public Relations Committee
Byron LeBlanc is the founder of LeBlanc & Schuster Public Relations, Inc., a highly regarded firm serving regional and local clients since 1976. A charter member and past chairman of the Jefferson Chamber of Commerce, Byron has been a leader in community affairs and civic engagement for decades. Byron now serves on the Board of Directors of Gulf South Angels, where he applies his expertise in marketing and public relations to support and grow the network.