REQUEST INFO
APPLY
VISIT

Nicholls State University

APPLY
DONATE

December 2019

Nicholls State University and Chevron are teaming up

College of Business /

Houma, L.a. – (Nov. 18, 2019) – Eleven contestants will pitch their small business ideas as a part of the Bayou Region Pitch Competition hosted by Nicholls State University and Chevron. The Competition will take place on Wednesday, Nov. 20 at 4 p.m. in the Duet Building in Houma as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week. This worldwide celebration of entrepreneurship brings together approximately 10 million people from over 150 countries to participate in more than 35,000 events every year. 

“We are excited to work with Chevron to host this competition. For us, this is a South Louisiana version of Shark Tank and each of the pitches are specifically designed to fill a local need,” said Dr. Marilyn Macik-Frey, dean of the College of Business Administration. “Our vision as a university is to the intellectual, economic and cultural heart of the Bayou Region. Helping local entrepreneurs fulfill their dreams is just one of the ways that Nicholls can help impact economic growth in the Bayou Region.”

Each pitch competitor will have five minutes to make their pitch followed by four minutes of questions from the judges. Judges are Dr. Marilyn Macik-Frey, dean of the College of Business Administration; Adrien Maught, instructor of marketing; Dr. Kristine Strickland, Fletcher chancellor; Katherine Gilbert, director of business retention for TEDA; Debi Benoit, director of research and sponsored programs; Amie Barton, an SBA lending specialist with Regions; and Hal Callais, CEO of Callais Capital Management. 

“Through the pitch competition, we hope to provide this group of local entrepreneurs with the resources, feedback and guidance needed to excel in their business ventures,” said Leah Brown, corporate affairs manager for Chevron’s Gulf of Mexico Business Unit. “At Chevron, we’re passionate about supporting the people and ideas that will create a brighter future for Louisiana and our region. We applaud Nicholls for their commitment to innovation.” 

The competition is broken up into two tiers of participants. The first tier are clients of the Nicholls State University Small Business Development Center. The first place winner will receive $15,000, second place winner will receive $10,000 and third place winner will receive $5,000. The second tier is for the general public and Nicholls students. Winners will receive $5,000, $2,500 and $1,000 prizes.  

First tier participants are Erineka Mulligan for D. Mulligan Trucking; Bonnie Soulet for Country Kids Learning Academy; Noah Lirette for Bayou Terrebonne Distillers; John Sewell for Creative Cajun Meal Prep; and Nicole Banks Nikki’s Indulgence. 

Second tier participants are Scott Green for Dat Sauce; Shantelle Abshire and Lah Porche for Root2Rise; Daryl Roy for 3D Media; Michael Conner for Conner’s Repair; Cynthia Moore for Rooted Things; and Troy Guerrero for DigiFX Technology. 

Other sponsors and partners include the Louisiana Small Business Development Center, Fletcher Technical Community College, the Terrebonne Economic Development Authority (TEDA) and Regions Bank. 

For more information on Nicholls State University and this event, visit nicholls.edu/business/

Nicholls State University and Chevron are teaming up Read More »

Nicholls Announces New Scholarship for South Lafourche Graduates, Maritime Students

College of Business /

THIBODAUX, La. — Mike and Blanche Callais  are honoring his grandfather with a new scholarship at Nicholls State University.

The donation will create the Abdon Callais Family First-Generation Endowed Undergraduate Scholarship for Maritime Management. 

Mike and his wife, Blanche, donated $80,000, with a $20,000 match from the Louisiana Board of Regents, to create the scholarship.

Callais promised he would create a scholarship when he ran for a seat on the Greater Lafourche Port Commission last year.

He named the scholarship after his grandfather, Abdon Callais. A former trawler and trapper with little formal education, Abdon moved over to oil and gas in the mid-1900s. The decision paid off and helped him put his children through college. Callais sees this as an opportunity to help students, Nicholls and the industry.

“My grandfather started from humble beginnings but he saw potential, took a risk, and it paid off for him. Now, the maritime industry is so important to the economy of Louisiana,” Callais said. “He had very little education, but he helped his children become first-generation college students. I want to help other South Lafourche youth be able to better themselves.”

Recipients must be:

  • a graduate of South Lafourche High School
  • a first-generation college student
  • a Pell Grant recipient
  • enrolled full time in the Nicholls College of Business Administration

Students in the maritime management program will receive priority.

Four recipients each academic year will receive $1,000 for the year. Recipients must keep a 2.66 GPA and can continue to receive the award for up to eight semesters.

The College of Business Administration offers the country’s only maritime management degree concentration designed and supported by industry leaders.

Nicholls Announces New Scholarship for South Lafourche Graduates, Maritime StudentsFor more information, contact the Office of Scholarships at 448-4411.

Nicholls Announces New Scholarship for South Lafourche Graduates, Maritime Students Read More »

The owner of this website has made a commitment to accessibility and inclusion, please report any problems that you encounter using the contact form on this website. This site uses the WP ADA Compliance Check plugin to enhance accessibility.