NATCHITOCHES, La. – Northwestern State University announced the winners of the 2025 Inferno Pitch Business Plan Competition, an annual program aimed at encouraging student entrepreneurship and innovation.
Following a series of pitch presentations on Nov. 12, three teams were selected as top finishers. TableHero, an intelligent reservation platform designed to increase venue revenue, won first place. The venture was pitched by Valeria Mendieta Montoya of Pereira, Colombia.
Smart Farm, a smart collar and mobile application intended to monitor farm animal health and location, earned second place. The team included Angee Mariana Bedoya Rivera of Natchitoches, the team lead, along with Katherine Clary of Natchitoches and Maria Camila Valencia Gonzalez of Pereira.
Prism Analytics placed third with a pitch for an affordable data analytics service for small businesses and startups. The venture was presented by Santiago Tobon Cardona of Pereira.
Finalists presented to a panel of judges that included Frances Buffin, human resources administrator for the BRF; Matthew Gamble, entrepreneur and co-founder of Collins & Gamble; Leslie Oglesby, manager of economic development and research at the Natchitoches Area Chamber of Commerce; Joanna Washington, vice president and senior deposit operation specialist at City Bank and Trust Co.; and Ronnie Williams Jr., mayor of Natchitoches.
“We are incredibly proud of our students for their creativity and professionalism. Inferno Pitch provides a platform for students to transform ideas into actionable business plans, and this year’s winners truly exemplify entrepreneurial excellence,” said Dr. Weiwen Liao, associate professor and coordinator of Inferno Pitch 2025.
The competition is sponsored by the Entrepreneurial Accelerator Program, a division of the Biomedical Research Foundation.