In November, we were proud to gather some of Mississippi’s best and brightest at the 26th annual Accelerate Conference—powered by mTrade and produced by Innovate Mississippi in partnership with the Mississippi Small Business Development Center Network. Over the course of two dynamic days (Nov. 11–12), founders, investors, ecosystem partners, and state leaders gathered at the Sheraton Flowood: The Refuge Hotel & Conference Center to reflect, connect, learn, and — most importantly — build momentum for Mississippi’s future of innovation.
From the moment the coffee started flowing and the doors to breakfast opened each day, it was clear from the crowds, vendors and speakers that the state’s entrepreneurial ecosystem is thriving and evolving. On Tuesday, the atmosphere struck an optimistic and practical tone, particularly for local small businesses: Sessions ranged from digital-marketing boot camps for small businesses to deeper dives into funding and exit-strategies.
That was followed by a cornerstone of each year’s program: CoBuilders Pitch Day on Tuesday. Thanks in part to generous support from Microsoft—our founding CoBuilders sponsor whose sustained commitment is having a huge effect on entrepreneurial growth in Mississippi—CoBuilders effectively prepares early-stage startups to pitch, get feedback and refine their business models. Working with mentors and supporters from our regional partners in the innovation ecosystem, the results speak for themselves. Several companies walked away with awards backed by Microsoft’s AI-focused funding, and the energy in the Grand Ballroom was electric, including these winners:
- Mississippi Polymer Institute – Outstanding Mentors Award ($500) sponsored by Jones Walker
- MagnoliaED – Microsoft AI Award ($2,500) sponsored by Microsoft
- Altude – Microsoft AI Award ($1,000) sponsored by Microsoft
- Altude – Every Detail Matters Award ($1,000) sponsored by BankPlus
- Vertical Take‑Off – Microsoft AI Award ($500) sponsored by Microsoft
Wednesday’s breakfast featured valuable content—talks on the economy for both the state (Lieutenant Governor Delbert Hosemann) and its capital city (Mayor John Horhn). After breakfast, the momentum carried over into programming focused on investor-driven, high-growth, and high-tech businesses. The Scale-Up Pitch Competition—powered by the Regions Foundation—brought the thrill of entrepreneurship front and center, including a $15,000 check for pitch winner Legalese and the announcement of a $100,000 Regions Foundation grant to Innovate Mississippi.
We offer a huge “thank you!” to Jewel Burks Solomon, whose Wednesday luncheon fireside chat with Ryan Miller set a powerful tone for what’s possible when Southern founders follow their dreams and dare to seek high growth for their companies—from pitch competitions to major funding rounds to high-dollar exits.
For the two-day event, the investor community showed up in full force. Mississippi’s own $26m InvestMS SSBCI Fund, the Mississippi Angel Network, the Mississippi Angel Fund, and Corridor Ventures were all represented, alongside national investors who traveled in to experience Mississippi’s momentum firsthand. Kicking off their involvement in the conference with an Investor Dinner, guests enjoyed a five-course experience crafted by Chef Damien Cavicchi at Hal & Mal’s and celebrated two special honors: Innovate Mississippi’s inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award, presented to Jan and Lawrence Farrington, and the Jan and Lawrence Farrington Investor of the Year Award, presented to John Fair. The energy in the room signaled something important: Mississippi’s investor community is growing, unifying, and making its presence known nationally.
In total, what’s clear this year is that Mississippi’s innovation ecosystem is scaling. With the kind of support we’re seeing from Microsoft, Regions Foundation, mTrade, and so many local and regional sponsors—not to mention our network of regional partners—this 26th annual edition of the Accelerate conference reaffirmed that our state is a serious contender in the tech and startup arena.
To all sponsors, speakers, mentors, investors, founders, and attendees: thank you for your energy, ideas, and commitment. Let’s build on this momentum and make 2026 an even stronger year for innovation in Mississippi.
Interested in getting more involved with Mississippi’s entrepreneurship community as a founder, investor, mentor or service provider? We’d love to connect with you. Share your interest here, and we’ll plug you in: https://www.innovate.ms/get-involved/.
