This summer, Under30CEO launched a nationwide campaign to discover the most promising young entrepreneurs from all across the United States. The goal of the Under30CEO Awards is to highlight the next big innovators, leaders, and world changers from our Top 10 Cities for Young Entrepreneurs.
In order to qualify, the entrepreneurs had to meet revenue requirements of between $50,000 and $10,000,000 (OR) over 10,000 users, (OR) have between $50,000 and $10,000,000 in funding, under the age of 30.
The following are the 2012 Under30CEO Award Winners from New Orleans. New Orleans’s young entrepreneurs had over $14,000,000 in revenues, $1,200,000 in funding and employed over 164 people. Congratulations to all of the winners!
Beau Button & William Sossamon
Age: 29 & 29
Company: Archon Information Systems, LLC
Description: We provide all levels of government and governmental agencies with comprehensive, progressive tax related and treasury management solutions.
Our company’s philosophy is to provide clients with the highest quality products, services, and counsel, on a timely and responsive basis, while upholding the highest ethical standards. Our CivicSource® (www.civicsource.com) platform is a leading provider of delinquent tax collection, online property tax auctions and tax collection software.
Reid Stone & Shaun Walker
Age: 29 $ 28
Company: HERO|farm
Description: An old saying goes, “In seeking happiness for others, you find it for yourself.” We truly believe that, which is why our experience over the years has geared up toward making it our mission to give back and accomplishing more than just doing a job. We founded HERO|farm with a simple philosophy: Do great work for good people. And we’ve discovered that when following this principle, everything else seems to fall into place.
Joe McMenemon and Brendan Finke
Age: 27 & 24
Company: Chapter Spot
Description: ChapterSpot’s web application solves the universal problems of group management. Using ChapterSpot, member-based organizations can develop and customize a private social network which streamlines communications with their members, facilitates member dues collections, and organizes member data. To date ChapterSpot has signed exclusive contracts to service large international organizations like Delta Tau Delta and Delta Kappa Epsilon.
Drew Franzo
Age: 28
Company: eSyncs
Description: eSYNCS was founded on January of 2011, we initial business plan focused on web design and social media/email marketing management for businesses. We have since branched out into a completely uncharted area of digital signage for businesses… our unique product called “The Social Pixel Network – www.SocialPixel.me” allows for businesses to cross advertise, self promote and create a new revenue stream through our profit share plan. Our three person team sits on the following boards: Chamber of Commerce, Habitat for Humanity, Rotary to just name a few, and we were the winners of the 2011 New Business of the Year with our Chamber of Commerce.
Douglas Jacobs
Age: 28
Company: Aquaponic Modular Production Systems (AMPS)
Description: AMPS designs, builds, and operates recirculating farms that sustainably grow greens and other vegetables, onsite for grocery stores, farm to fork restaurants, educational institutions, and community groups. Since conception, AMPS has developed the first supermarket rooftop aeroponic farm program. We are developing containerized farming systems to provide fresh produce in urban and rural areas.
Jolie Bensen & Sarah Elizabeth Dewey
Age: 28 & 25
Company: Jolie and Elizabeth
Description: Since starting up in 2009, Jolie and Elizabeth has designed and manufactured 3600 dresses, contributing over $250,000 to the local New Orleans economy. Sarah Elizabeth was Jolie’s intern at BCBG, they ditched their NY corporate jobs for New Orleans, found a factory struggling to get back on its feet after Katrina and starting designing dresses. Focusing on filling a void in the market- Made in America and refreshingly respectful, well made work dresses, seersucker suiting- far from the over trendy, over saturated apparel they were immersed with in NY. By stimulating every avenue of apparel sales, wholesale to over 50 boutiques across the country, direct to college campuses and sororities, they’ve found the most success in E-commerce- and by designing the website themselves, their success is about as hands on as it gets.
Donnie Thomas
Age: 25
Company: Thomas Inc. DBA The Crystal Plantation
Description: The Crystal Plantation is a full service reception hall. We specialize in weddings, anniversaries, business parties, and birthday parties.
Jon Swift
Age: 29
Company: Centurion Risk Associates, LLC
Description: We are a class action administration company that provides notice, claim form data collection, and settlement disbursement services for class action lawsuits that settle with hundreds to tens of thousands of class members.
Andrew Larimer
Age: 27
Company: FatHappy Media
Description: FatHappy Media has changed the audience engagement game for many New Orleans organizations. By being selective early adopters, we are able to utilize the right new tools to create high quality web video content at low cost. We empower organizations to engage their audiences in a sensory-rich way, making social media touches more impactful and memorable.
Martin Roth & Michael Angle
Age: 23 & 27
Company: Giftmeo
Description: Giftmeo is a shared-gifting platform that allows multiple people to pitch in toward a gift for a common friend or loved one. Giftmeo’s platform combines and consolidates transactions of all sizes (even as little as $1) in the form of a gift card. Through Giftmeo’s web application, this technology allows multiple users to combine individual gifts to create a single, larger gift for a common friend.
Jason Nicosia
Age: 27
Company: Connect for a Cause
Description: We help networkers get meetings with influential people by supporting the causes they care about. Think Linkedin meets Ebay for Social Good. The high bidder gets to take the VIP to lunch and the higher the winning bid, the more money goes to the sponsoring nonprofit. Been in beta for 2 months. Launching version 1.0 soon!
Simon Marthinsen
Age: 25
Company: Plebu
Description: Plebu is a really simple website builder. We make it easy for small businesses and creative professionals to create a website that looks great on desktop, tablet, and mobile devices.
Billy Bosch & Matt Mouras
Age: 29 & 29
Company: Be Well Nutrition, Inc.
Description: Be Well Nutrition is an innovative health-product company working to fulfill our mission to create nutritionist developed and recommended, all-natural, functional health products. The company is currently launching “ICONIC” – an all-natural protein drink that satisfies hunger, provides healthy energy, and increases focus.
