We’re excited to celebrate the winners of the Mississippi Polymer Institute’s (MPI) fourth annual Business Pitch Event, which took place on May 15, 2025, at The University of Southern Mississippi’s Innovation and Commercialization Park. This year’s competition drew 41 applications with 18 startup founders selected to pitch in one of two perfectly named tracks: “Bankable” (small businesses) or “Investable” (high-tech, high-growth potential businesses). And because of additional support from the Mississippi SBDC Network, the Mississippi Development Authority, and federal and state partners, Innovate Mississippi was able to help MPI double the prize pool to $20,000. People’s Choice Awards were added to both categories, creating even more opportunities for founders to be recognized and rewarded.
Dr. Monica Tisack, MPI’s executive director, said that this year’s growing number of startups, judges, mentors and sponsors shows real momentum for Hattiesburg’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
On the Bankable track, First Place went to TJ’s Animation Workshop, founded by Terrence Green. Glowing Embers Candle Studio, led by DaMeka Felder and Quiera Montgomery, took Second Place and earned the People’s Choice Award. Lock_In Recovery, founded by Veronika Allen, rounded out the top three.
On the Investable track, Numadx, founded by Dr. Jeff Wiggins (USM professor) and Paul Thomas (Columbia Business School MBA candidate), took First Place. TreTech Inc., founded by Trenton Robinson, took Second Place, and MagnoliaEd, founded by Sugam Panthi (USM student) and Dr. Fan Zhang (USM professor), took Third. MagnoliaEd also earned the People’s Choice Award on the Investible side.
Caitlyne Shirley, MPI’s business development manager, said events like this are about more than prize money—they’re about building a pipeline for innovation and giving startup founders access to tools that can help them scale. MPI provides lab space, technical services, and a community of support for entrepreneurs working to bring new ideas to life.
We congratulate all the founders who pitched this year and the winners who stood out in a competitive field. Innovate Mississippi supports programs like this statewide that give startup founders a platform to launch their businesses and connect to funders, mentors and colleagues in the ecosystem. Innovate Mississippi is proud to partner with MPI and USM, and we’re thrilled to see how this event continues to grow as part of our statewide CoBuilders program. It’s a great example of what happens when entrepreneurship, innovation and community support come together in an inspiring space.
You can read the complete event recap from the University of Southern Mississippi here: https://www.usm.edu/news/2025/release/business-pitch-event.php.
This project is being supported, in whole or in part, by federal award number SSBCI-21034-0003 awarded to Mississippi Development Authority (MDA) by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
