.webp){kind=logo}
Mississippi Entrepreneurs Take Center Stage at The Bean Path Pitch Competition
- Bean Path
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Two emerging entrepreneurs walked away as first-place winners at The Bean Path Pitch Competition, highlighting innovation, problem-solving, and the growing startup ecosystem developing across Mississippi and beyond.
Summar McGee, a native of Edwards, captured first place in the Lifestyle category with The M-Pad LLC, a menstrual health company creating organic, size-inclusive menstrual products designed specifically for people with chronic conditions such as PCOS, fibroids, endometriosis, and heavy menstrual cycles.
Meanwhile, Omar Lewis earned first place in the Tech category for Litverse, an audio-only social networking platform designed to transform spoken voice conversations into interactive content and community engagement.
The competition brought together founders from across multiple industries including wellness, artificial intelligence, logistics, education, cybersecurity, drone technology, and consumer products — all competing for visibility, mentorship, and the opportunity to scale their businesses.
For McGee, the pitch competition represented more than recognition. It represented momentum.
“As a person with PCOS myself, I wanted to bridge the gap and create a solution for a problem that I currently have,” McGee said. “Winning this competition allows us to move forward with our first production run and get our products on shelves.”
McGee, who is also connected to the business school at Brown University, said she learned about the competition through a collaboration between The Bean Path and Innovate Mississippi.
Lewis said his inspiration for Litverse came from wanting a more authentic and accessible way for people to connect online without the pressure of traditional social media.
“Social media is so atomized and lonely,” Lewis explained. “I wanted to create something that allows people to connect through voice and personality while making content creation easier and more natural.”
The competition showcased a diverse range of founders and ideas, reinforcing The Bean Path’s growing role in supporting entrepreneurship, innovation, and technology-driven economic development throughout Mississippi.
Winners were broken into two categories and received monetary prizes and ongoing coaching and support.
High Growth Innovation & Technology
First Place—Litverse
Second Place—Veteran’s Drone Company
Third Place—VigilNet AI
Lifestyle Companies
First Place—M Pad, LLC
Second Place—Black Excellence Water
Third Place—Herbarn Skin Bar
Companies Featured in The Bean Path Pitch Competition
Founded by Curtis Bordenave, the company is a purpose-driven bottled water brand built around the mission to “Hydrate + Educate.” Through its Black Excellence Black Facts™ platform, the brand combines hydration with culturally impactful storytelling and community empowerment.
Created by Jasmine Dodd, Herban Skin Bar is a holistic wellness and beauty space offering apothecary-style skincare services, clean beauty retail products, and self-care experiences designed to make wellness accessible and sustainable.
Jet Setter LLC
Founded by Javien Barnes, the company is developing Sovereign Logistics Infrastructure through a hardware-based local AI assistant called Felicity. The platform is designed to help independent truckers manage freight logistics, compliance, and operations without depending on third-party platforms.
Led by Omar Lewis, Litverse is an audio-only social networking platform where conversations become content. Users communicate through voice messages that can be packaged, shared, and expanded into ongoing public discussions.
Founded by Ettamarie Jackson, the microschool serves neurodivergent students through customized educational support designed to meet students where they are academically and developmentally.
Founded by Summar McGee, The M-Pad creates clinically informed organic menstrual products specifically designed for plus-sized individuals and those experiencing chronic reproductive health conditions.
Veterans Drone Company
Founded by Leonard Boothe, the company focuses on workforce development and drone industry expansion by equipping schools and military organizations with drone technology training and infrastructure.
Founded by Thierry Mbelli, VigilNetAI is an AI-powered cybersecurity platform that autonomously detects and responds to cyber threats using federated learning and explainable AI technologies.
As Mississippi’s startup ecosystem continues to grow, events like The Bean Path Pitch Competition are becoming critical spaces for entrepreneurs to refine their ideas, gain exposure, and connect with investors, mentors, and strategic partners. From healthcare innovation to artificial intelligence and community-centered education, this year’s competition demonstrated that the next generation of founders is already building solutions with both local impact and national potential.
Comments