Three Greater New Orleans founders competed for $50,000 at the We Love Us Marketplace Stage
NEW ORLEANS — Lo Williams-Thomas, founder of Zenistry Labs, won the inaugural 2026 New Voices NOLA POWER PITCH! powered by Startup Noir NOLA on Sunday at the ESSENCE Festival of Culture, taking home a $25,000 prize to accelerate the company’s growth. The competition, held on the We Love Us Marketplace Stage at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, marked a new partnership between the New Voices Foundation and Startup Noir NOLA, a GNO, Inc. initiative built to expand access to tools, capital, and networks for Black founders in the Greater New Orleans region.
“This moment is about so much more than winning a competition,” said Lo Williams-Thomas, Founder & CEO of Zenistry Labs. “As the founder of Louisiana’s first Black woman-owned cosmetic research, testing, and manufacturing company, this recognition affirms that science, innovation, and manufacturing deserve a larger place in the beauty conversation. Behind this moment are years of late nights, setbacks, uncertainty, and an unwavering belief that this vision was worth building. I built Zenistry Labs not simply to manufacture products, but to create access, expand opportunity, and help build an ecosystem where companies of every size can innovate and grow. I hope this moment reminds the next generation especially young Black scientists, entrepreneurs, and innovators that they don’t just have to build brands. They can build the laboratories, the manufacturing companies, and the industries that make those brands possible.”
Dr. Lana Joseph of JRUMZ EAR WEAR earned the $15,000 second-place grant, and Angelica Harris of Top Tutors For Us received $10,000 for third place. All three finalists will receive ongoing coaching and mentorship through the New Voices Foundation. The grants are non-dilutive, so each winner keeps full ownership of the company they built, and the coaching, mentorship, and connections continue well past the weekend.
“Top Tutors For Us, JRUMZ, and Zenistry Labs were built in this city and create products and services trusted across the country,” said Salem Habte, Business Development and Innovation Manager at Greater New Orleans, Inc. and Startup Noir NOLA lead. “Beyond non-dilutive funding, New Voices has given these founders something invaluable: access to a national network of startup champions. The NOLA POWER PITCH! was created to showcase the caliber of startups growing in New Orleans, and this year’s cohort did exactly that.”
For Startup Noir NOLA, the stage showcased Greater New Orleans as a destination where Black founders can build, fund, and grow companies. Every July, ESSENCE brings one of the largest celebrations of Black culture and commerce in the country to the city’s front door. Putting three homegrown founders in front of that national audience made the case in the most direct way possible: the talent is already here, and the region is investing in it.
“Launching the inaugural 2026 New Voices NOLA POWER PITCH! was a deliberate step in deepening our long-term commitment to the vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem here in Greater New Orleans,” said Marie Clark, New Voices Foundation. “By partnering with Startup Noir NOLA and GNO, Inc., we have been able to bring our signature P.A.C.E. model (Purpose, Access, Capital, and Expertise) directly to the local founders who are defining the future of this city. Showcasing this level of innovation on the national stage of the ESSENCE Festival of Culture – the cornerstone partner that helps make the New Voices Foundation’s work possible – is about more than just grants; it is about amplifying the exceptional talent that has been thriving in New Orleans and ensuring these founders have the resources to grow their companies.”
The three finalists, selected from a competitive applicant pool, each delivered a live pitch before a panel of judges and a festival audience of attendees who showed their support for New Orleans startups:
- Lo Williams-Thomas, Zenistry Labs – A beauty industry company focused on quality and innovation
- Angelica Harris, Top Tutors For Us – Founded by an educator and engineer, Top Tutors For Us empowers students through specialized, high-quality tutoring services
- Dr. Lana Joseph, JRUMZ EAR WEAR – An audiologist-founded consumer electronics company creating premium headphones and earbuds engineered for incredible sound and safer listening, bridging hearing healthcare and consumer tech
“Participating in the ESSENCE New Voices POWER PITCH was an incredible honor, and being awarded a $15,000 grant is a meaningful investment in the future of JRUMZ Ear Wear,” said Dr. Lana Joseph, Founder and CEO of JRUMZ Ear Wear. “As a Black woman audiologist and founder, it’s inspiring to see ESSENCE continue creating opportunities that empower Black entrepreneurs with the resources and visibility to grow. This support will help us bring our hearing-health innovations to more consumers, making it easier for people to enjoy great sound while protecting one of their most valuable assets – their hearing. I’m deeply grateful to the New Voices Foundation for believing in our vision and for investing in businesses that are creating lasting impact in our communities.”
“It was an incredible experience to pitch Top Tutors for Us at the New Voices NOLA POWER PITCH” said Angelica Harris, CEO and Founder of Top Tutors for Us. “I’m grateful to ESSENCE and New Voices for creating a platform that shines a spotlight on New Orleans entrepreneurs and invests in local businesses. Receiving a $10,000 grant is incredibly meaningful for a growing company like ours. We plan to invest the funding in expanding our technology platform and increasing our marketing efforts so we can reach more students. Programs like this are invaluable because they provide more than funding – they create visibility, meaningful connections, and a supportive network of fellow entrepreneurs.”
Since 2018, the New Voices Foundation has helped entrepreneurs build, grow, and scale through its P.A.C.E. model: Purpose, Access, Capital, and Expertise. The POWER PITCH! put all four to work in a single weekend. Founders told the story of the purpose behind their companies on a national stage, gained access to investors, retail buyers, and industry experts, competed for capital that requires no equity in return, and will carry that momentum forward with expertise from pitch coaching and ongoing mentorship. The competition brought that model to one of the country’s largest cultural gatherings, putting Greater New Orleans founders in front of a national audience in their home city.
Beyond the main stage, the New Voices Village hosted Office Hours from July 3 through July 5, matching entrepreneurs for one-on-one sessions with funders, investors, marketing and PR experts, and mass retail representatives, including Target. Those connections extend the reach of both organizations past a single event, turning a festival weekend into working relationships founders can build on.
About Startup Noir NOLA
Startup Noir NOLA, a GNO, Inc. initiative, is a concerted effort to present and promote the strengths and assets of the Greater New Orleans region, curated to amplify the ability for Black founders to access needed tools and to expand the pool of tools itself. Learn more at startupnoirnola.com.
About the New Voices Foundation
Since 2018, as a part of the ESSENCE and Sundial Media & Technology Group family, the New Voices Foundation has been dedicated to leveling the playing field for underserved entrepreneurs. By leveraging its signature P.A.C.E. model — Purpose, Access, Capital, and Expertise — the Foundation provides essential non-dilutive funding, business learning programming, coaching, mentorship, and vital networking opportunities. Through these comprehensive resources, New Voices empowers founders to scale their businesses and thrive for generations to come.
About Greater New Orleans, Inc.
GNO, Inc. is the regional economic development organization for Southeast Louisiana. GNO, Inc.’s mission is to create a Greater New Orleans with a thriving economy and an excellent quality of life, for everyone. More information can be found at www.gnoinc.org.