CIE: Fostering Future Business Leaders

October was a busy month for CIE. During the week of October 20, staff and 12 students traveled to New Orleans to explore local businesses. They visited River Construction Inc., Café Beignet, Leblanc + Smith, Canal Barge, and GMFS Mortgage. At each stop, company owners and presidents welcomed the group, shared insights, and gave students a behind-the-scenes tour of their operations.

The following week, CIE hosted its Shark Tank–style contest, Servin’ the South. The competition drew 56 entrants from 21 universities nationwide. More than 30 distinguished donors and alumni served as judges, making the event not only a showcase of student talent but also a valuable networking opportunity. The finalists included…

• Atlaris Med Tech | University of Arkansas | James Hobbs, Lance Lockwood- focused on making healthcare more patient centric focused through medical tools/devices
• Saturday Co. | Auburn | Harrison Irby- fun-spirited collegiate apparel
• Just Sip | Ole Miss | JD Hnabery, Savannah Hardin- clean, zero-sugar, low-calorie hydration brand
• Mednetic | Ole Miss | Ross Cohen, Thomas Archer, Charles Jackson- goal to design hardware and programming for routine monitoring systems that assist patients with conditions such as dementia
• Trailblaze | Ole Miss | Adam Perez- networking tool for college organizations
• Soleluxe | NYU | Cherish Alston- elevated sneaker brand
• Munchies | Ole Miss | McClain Schieltz, Brett Doherty- chicken and waffle food truck

Altaris MedTech claimed first place, earning a $10,000 cash prize to fuel their business growth. They were not the only winners, six other contestants also walked away with funding to invest in their ventures, proving that innovation at Servin’ the South creates opportunities for many.

• Best Visiting Team | $2,500 | Soleuxe
• US Veteran’s Entrepreneur Award | $2,500 | Charles Jackson
• Best Technology Utilization and Development Prize | $4,000 | Trailblaze
• Best Consumer Facing Prize | $4,000 | Pink Antique (Emily Deutsch)
• The Alex and Amy Knight 3rd place prize | $2,500 | Munchies LLC
• 2nd place award | $5,000 | Saturday Co.

On October 30, CIE hosted the REDe Summit, featuring two North Mississippi entrepreneurs, the founder of Gunner Kennels and Farmstead Florals. The event drew an impressive crowd of more than 180 students eager to learn from their experiences. Caitlin Moak, CIE’s Director of Internal Marketing and Communications, shared the vision behind the summit: “Our goal for the REDe Summit is to inspire students with varied academic backgrounds, such as in the arts, engineering, pharmacy, or business, to engage in entrepreneurship.”

In 2015, Addison Edmund founded Gunner Kennels after his dog, Gunner, escaped from a truck-bed kennel. What began as a personal need has grown into a company dedicated to producing safe, durable kennels and a variety of dog products. At the heart of Gunner Kennels is one clear mission: keeping dogs and their owners safe. Katherine Sharp launched Farmstead Florals in 2016, between her junior and senior year at Sewanee: The University of the South.

Katherine started with just three-quarters of an acre has now expanded to seven acres, thanks to her passion and hard work. Today, Farmstead Florals offers wholesale flowers, self-serve stands on the Square and campus, products at the farmer’s market, Chickory Market, and Chaney’s Pharmacy, as well as florals for weddings, events, and custom wreaths.