Presented by the Hayhurst Family and hosted by West Virginia University Extension & the Morris L. Hayhurst LaunchLab presented the Mountain State Innovators Summit in November of 2025, which included a collection of live pitch competitions to bring West Virginia entrepreneurs and businesses together, network, find funding, and grow.
The Morris L. Hayhurst Innovational, which was based on nominations from community members to spotlight business they felt deserved recognition. The finalists for this competition were Logan Cuvo; Best Dam Tape , Evan and Evan-Nicole Chapman; Loving West Virginia, Adam Payne; YNST Magazine, Luke McConnell; Nikola Landscape and Lighting, and Andy Henthorn; Buddy N Beast. Judges included Michael Costello; Lost Creek Farm, Kris Warner; WV Secretary of State, Jorge Atilies; WVU Extension, and Ariana Shive; Tech Connect WV.
Winners and award amounts:
1st Place: Andy Henthorn; Buddy N Beast - $100,000
2nd Place: Luke McConnell; Nikola Landscape and Lighting - $50,000
3rd Place: Adam Payne; YNST - $25,000
The Christy Hayhurst Davis Undergraduate Pitch Competition focused on undergraduate students in the state of West Virginia. The finalists for this competition were Jamila Fleet; Edara, Kassidy Blatt; GreenMatter, Maggie Jordan; Full Bloom Marketing, Mackenna Valasek & Logan Moiles; Simply Smoothies, Nola Todd; Goldenrod Kitchen. Judges included Jessica Ott; WVU Office of Commercialization, Erica Steratore; Vice President, WVU Innovation Corporation and Corporate Real Estate, Carrie White; Co-Founder, Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Experts, and Michelle Taylor; Associate Professor of Management in the Department of Business at Concord University.
Winners and award amounts:
1st Place: Nola Todd; GoldenRod Kitchen - $10,000
2nd Place: Mackenna Valasek and Logan Moiles; Simply Smoothies - $5,000
3rd Place: Kassidy Blatt; GreenMatter - $2,500
The James Davis Graduate Student Pitch Competition tailored to graduate students in the state of West Virginia. The finalists for this competition were Aryaunna Mosley; MUSEMO, Tafara Ushendibaba; FarmerzTool Technologies , Daniel Fournier; Market Leader Technologies/BotHQ-AI, Shon Rowan, Matt Smith, Carol Wright Becker; Procedure Chair, Juan Marino; Stud-IA. Judges included Bill Woodrum; Senior Program Officer at the Worthington Benedrum Foundation, Kevin O’Connor; Senior VP and WV Market Manager Partner Community Capital, Mark Burdette; Deputy Director of the West Virginia Small Business Development Center, and Michelle O’Connor; Director of INNOVA Commercialization.
Winners and award amounts:
1st Place: Tafara Ushendibaba; FarmerzTool Technologies - $10,000
2nd Place: Juan Marino; Stud-IA - $5,000
3rd Place:Daniel Fournier; Market Leader Technologies/BotHQ-AI - $2,500