October 7, 2025 (press release) – STartUP Northshore has announced that the NSpire Startup Slam business pitch competition will return to the historic Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts in Downtown Hammond for its third run on Thursday, January 8, 2026. Backed by renewed partnerships with Chevron as the Presenting Sponsor and Capital One as the Grant Prize Sponsor, the 2026 NSpire Startup Slam will once again provide entrepreneurs with a chance to compete for one of the region’s largest non-dilutive prize packages.
Since its launch in 2023, the NSpire Startup Slam has become one of the most highly anticipated entrepreneurial events in the Gulf South, drawing hundreds of attendees and garnering national recognition, including the International Economic Development Council Gold Award for Excellence in Special Events. During its first two years, the competition has distributed more than $170,000 in cash and in-kind prizes to local entrepreneurs which has fueled further growth, job creation, and new investment in the Northshore’s innovation ecosystem.