5th Annual Launch Fest Impact Report

May 1st, 2014

The New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) hosted the conference during the 2nd week of Jazz Fest this year.

Over 300 attendees were given the opportunity to learn from dynamic speakers, hear pitches from local startups,

invest, network, and have an awesome time!

8 Incredible Speakers

Shared their stories of success

Robert StephensFounder of Geek Squad

Mike McDermentFounder of FreshBooks

The Presentations were Epic

Stories of failure were shared @ the first ever #failfest

“Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.” - Robert F. Kennedy

The Pitches7 incredible founders of companies emerging from Launch Pad

had 8 minutes to sell their creations.

“We believe that every single organization, every company, should have access to real-time information about how their most important assets, their people, feel.”

- Max Webster

Niko Niko is a mood tracking and analytics platform that makes it easy for managers and team leaders to get a quick pulse on their teams' emotions, morale, and productivity via customizable and user-friendly email and phone prompts.

Niko Niko presents team leaders with: 1) easy-to-use emotion data to overlay with the metrics that matter most to them (e.g. sales or employee retention) and 2) actionable management insights based in positive psychology.

Max WebsterCo-Founder of Niko Niko

“Engineers spend more time sourcing equipment than they do designing. We create a seamless design and purchasing process.”

- Chris Stuckey

Maritant is a SWBS based maritime equipment directory. They connect vendors with designers, engineers, and shipbuilders.

It is the Amazon.com for the shipbuilding industry. It contains a vast database of shipbuilding product specifications. The site is designed to connect manufacturers and distributors with designers and shipbuilders, enabling a seamless purchasing process. The idea is particularly suited to Louisiana, where the shipbuilding industry generates around $1 billion a year.Chris Stuckey

Founder of Maritant

“Every kid deserves an incredible personalized eduction. At mSchool, we make that easy.”

- Elliot Sanchez

After-school programs realize that students aren't getting the education they need during the day, but it's often unclear what to do about it. mSchool provides community centers with the nation's most effective online learning tools.

mSchool works specifically with after school programs to offer the most advanced adaptive platforms. That means students feel like they're just playing math games, but they're actually playing math games designed specifically for them, with exactly the lessons they're ready to learn next, that change every day in response to their needs.

Elliot SanchezFounder of mSchool

“Werkly aims to make a job easier, to hire somebody, manage the job and pay the workers.”

- Eric Bernstein

Werkly is an online community marketplace where you can find, hire and pay local labor.It is dedicated to creating a labor marketplace for the emerging DIY/Maker community.

It offers a peer-to-peer system to find available local talent. You can then sort the results by skills, ratings, price, social connection, and location.

Eric BernsteinFounder of Werkly.

“Teachers love our product because it makes their job easier. Students love the the music because it makes school fun.”

- Lorenzo Castillo

Education Everytime creates partnerships with schools to design, create, and implement classroom and school-wide routines using E² Music.

It uses educational music as a classroom management tool for teachers. Education Everytime won $50,000 in prize money by beating out 15 entrepreneurs at the Big Idea contest during New Orleans Entrepreneur Week.

Lorenzo CastilloFounder of Education Everytime

FundTag is a free mobile app that allows users to raise money for college and obtain donations for their favorite schools, churches and nonprofits by simply shopping at participating stores and restaurants.

FundTag’s primary customers are smartphone users who want to raise money for their children’s 529 Savings Plan and/or their favorite nonprofit (think moms raising money for their children’s school or sports team). FundTag users simply shop at participating stores or restaurants and snap a picture of their receipt, FundTag does the rest. We invoice the merchant and direct the funds to the user’s beneficiaries in their name.

Merchants are given a low CPA model to acquire and keep customers. The merchant’s cost is a small percentage of the customer’s purchase.The beneficiaries are an extension of FundTag’s marketing team, as they seek to maximize the number of users who support them through the app and drive supporters to shop at FundTag merchants.

“The pie is huge, the marketing opportunity is huge…This is the future of fundraising.”

- Robert Benson

Robert BensonFounder of FundTag

“We are launching into a white hot market.” - Blaine Lindsey

GetHealthy is an evidence-based health and wellness platform that develops customized solutions and services for:

- Direct Primary Care - Concierge Medicine - Accountable Care Organizations- Employers- Insurance Providers

GetHealthy drives engagement by delivering meaningful, peer-reviewed optimal health services through comprehensive, creative, and personalized interventions

Blaine LindseyCEO of GetHealthy

And it was AWESOME!

So then we celebrated….

Now the NOLA Startup Showcase Hits the RoadThe founders who presented at Launch Fest on May 1st, 2014 go to San Francisco and New York City to introduce their companies to investors, customers & partners in the important markets across the country.

San Francisco New York City

Sierra VenturesSan Francisco, California

Union Square VenturesNew York City, New York

GoogleSan Francisco, California

Williamsburg ParkNew York City, New York

Many thanks to our sponsors….Launch Fest is a community event that is only possible because of the support of our sponsors. Seriously, thank you.

Want to be part of Launch Fest 2015?

Contact us at katy@lp.co

Of course you do!