Published Oct. 18, 2021
A press conference announcing the new Entrepreneurship Pelican Cup business competition
will be at 10 a.m., Friday, Oct. 22, at Laird Weems Center.
By ULM Office of Marketing and Communications
MONROE, LA – Innovation, fostered in a culture of expanding ideas and pushing established
boundaries, leads to the changes in business, healthcare, and technology which propel
society past the normal and into the incredible.
To encourage students to develop their innovative ideas, the university, with a key
partner, announces the Entrepreneurship Pelican Cup.
At 10 a.m. Friday, Oct 22, 2021, a press conference will be held at Laird Weems Center
to introduce the Entrepreneurship Pelican Cup business competition developed by ULM
in partnership with sponsor Dhu C. Thompson, founder and retired CEO of Delta Plastics.
Thompson is providing $50,000 in prize money to be presented to students and faculty
advisers for first place ($25,000), second place ($15,000), third place ($10,000),
elevator pitch ($2,000), and $3,000 to faculty for first, second and third places.
The 2022 competition is open to all ULM and VCOM students, with future competitions
open to all colleges and universities in Louisiana. A website will be launched containing
more information about how to enter the Entrepreneurship Pelican Cup.
The Entrepreneurship Pelican Cup is a real-world entrepreneur education opportunity
for college students. Whether they are serious about launching a startup or they want
to learn more about entrepreneurship, competitors will gain a greater appreciation
of the challenges and opportunities of starting a viable business.
There is no cost to enter the competition. Teams are not required to launch their
businesses to compete. Students and their faculty advisers are rewarded for the rigorous
work accomplished throughout all phases of the competition.
Thompson is a distinguished ULM alumnus and founder, past owner, and former chairman
of the board for Delta Plastics, producer of agricultural irrigation tubing, and the
largest recycler of plastics in Arkansas. He is also the former owner and past chairman
of the board for Revolution Bag that manufactures EPA-compliant trashcan liners. Thompson’s
honors include 2004 Arkansas Business Executive of the Year and SBA Person of the
Year. In 2019 he sold the Revolution brands to a New York private equity firm and
now focuses on entrepreneurship growth in Arkansas and Louisiana.
