Oxford Lafayette Incorporated (OLinc), in partnership with Innovate Mississippi, the University of Mississippi, and the Mississippi Small Business Development Center Network, invites you to the 5th Annual Oxford Pitch Competition, held Thursday, June 11, 2026, from 1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. at the Oxford Conference Center.
Oxford Pitch Competition
Thursday, June 11, 2026, 1pm - 6pm
Oxford Conference Center
102 Ed Perry Blvd. Oxford, MS 38655
This competition is free and open to the public. Come and go as you please! Help us celebrate entrepreneurship, innovation, and small business growth across Mississippi and the Mid-South.
The Oxford Pitch Competition serves as one of seven regional qualifying events for Innovate Mississippi’s CoBuilders Accelerator, a statewide entrepreneurial development program designed to help startup and small business founders grow scalable companies through mentorship, coaching, and access to capital and business resources.
This year’s competition will feature two tracks: an SBDC Track focused on traditional and growth-oriented small businesses, and an Innovate Track focused on high-growth and innovation-driven ventures.
A total of $25,000 in prize funding will be awarded during the event.
2026 Oxford Pitch Competition Finalists will include:
SBDC Track
- OK Thanks!, LLC — Erik Hom and Georgianna Schroeder
- Munchies Chicken and Waffles — McClain Schieltz
- Easy Offer Acquisitions — Nyseer Fullwood-Theodore
- Custom Threads — James “Jackson” Parks
- Memphis Sippi — Davondre “Dre” Bassett
Innovate Track
- American Drone Solutions — Lt. Col. Leonard Boothe
- Vero Transportation — Barrett Lott
- Drape — Omeyimi Dimowo
- Interbeat Industries — Garrett Bradham
- PleXene Technologies LLC — Keerthin Karthikeyan
- Formenos Industries — Ashton Rowland
Participants will pitch their businesses before a panel of judges representing entrepreneurship, investment, business leadership, and economic development from across the region.
The Oxford Pitch Competition will be held at the Oxford Conference Center located at 102 Ed Perry Blvd., Oxford, Mississippi.