Lamar University Small Business Development Center

04/29/2026

Books, tea, and a little bit of dark, cozy magic… welcome to your new favorite spot in Nederland 📚☕✨

We’re proud to celebrate the grand opening of Odditeas Bookshoppe, owned by our SBDC client Kayzel Belgica, who brought a longtime dream to life with a beautifully gothic, storybook twist.

Cross the threshold into a realm of curated shelves, warm tea, and tales of far-off places, with a quiet sense of magic in every corner. A place for gathering and shared stories, where local authors are showcased, neighbors meet, and a little wonder is always close by. From unique finds to DnD campaigns that come to life at the table, each one easy to get lost in, every visit feels like stepping into something unforgettable.

It’s the kind of place you’ll keep coming back to, again and again.

Nederland just got a whole lot more enchanting!!

Congratulations to Kayzel, who poured so much into bringing this vision to life. We’re glad the SBDC could support her along the way and will continue to be a resource as she grows.

Have a tale of your own? See how the SBDC can help bring it to life. Register here: https://sbdc.uhbauer.org/reg.aspx?mode=counsel¢er=71080&subloc=0

04/02/2026

Big wins at the nClouds/AWS AI Pitch Deck Competition hosted by the Lamar University SBDC!

🏆 1st Place ($50,000): Luxury First Travel, LLC, led by Chuck Guilhas, for an AI-powered travel planning solution. Even more exciting, Chuck is partnering with former Shark Tank winner Cameron Cruse and The Refinery.Studio for marketing support.

🥈 2nd Place ($35,000 in services): Adam Loucks and Muntasir Hossain of SatLink AI for their Port Communication solution.

🥉 3rd Place ($25,000): Shahadat Hossain, Md Asfaqur Rahman, and Md Masum Billah of Red Elephant for their construction estimating solution.

Congratulations to these outstanding teams!

A big thank you to our judges Jonas Bull (nClouds), Kyle Scott (Lamar University Venture Center), and Mike Soniat (mJobTime)!

03/10/2026

The Lamar University Small Business Development Center will be closed March 11–13 for Lamar University’s Spring Break. Our team will be back in the office Monday and ready to help you move your business forward.

Ready to get started while we’re away? Go ahead and complete your registration here:
https://sbdc.uhbauer.org/reg.aspx?mode=counsel¢er=71080&subloc=0

We can’t wait to connect and help you start, grow, and strengthen your business.

03/03/2026

This week on the LU Moment, our own John Lee and Mark Speirs share more about the Small Business Development Center at Lamar University and the impact we’re making across Southeast Texas.

If you’ve ever wondered how the SBDC supports small businesses and entrepreneurs, this is a great listen.

A big thank you to John Rollins and the entire LU Moment team for highlighting the work happening in our community.

Tune in at https://lamaru.us/LUMoment

This week on the LU Moment, we sit down with John Lee and Mark Speirs to hear about the Small Business Development Center at Lamar University.

To listen to the LU Moment, visit https://lamaru.us/LUMoment or wherever you get your podcasts.

For the full transcription of this episode, visit https://lamaru.us/lumomenttranscript.

02/19/2026

Help us celebrate one year with Mark Speirs at the Lamar University SBDC!

Mark has been such a strong resource for small business owners across Southeast Texas, working one on one with clients and helping them move forward with confidence.

We are proud to have him on our team. ⭐⭐Congrats on year one, Mark!!

02/18/2026

Big things are happening in Southeast Texas.

The Spark Leadership Summit is bringing together leaders who are shaping the future of our region, and we are proud to see Kyle Scott representing the Lamar University Venture Center.

The Lamar University SBDC works alongside Kyle and the Venture Center to support entrepreneurs and small businesses across the Gulf Coast. Strong collaboration like this creates real momentum for our business community.

Excited to see this conversation unfold on Feb 26.

Register here:
https://www.cognitoforms.com/BBBForms/_2026TheSparkLeadershipSummit2026RegistrationIndivdiuals?fbclid=IwY2xjawQC1aVleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETJvWXFDSHJKRmtSWkhqR0JJc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHmzPiIngsJm_w46KfEQpJvQhXG4ZQV3oKgaq-59mA6cIPiPasKSHpcBb0LRs_aem_YOhdURQneWFmCXck4kC-8w

02/03/2026

Save the date, Southeast Texas entrepreneurs

The Amazon Web Services AI Pitch Competition is coming to Beaumont, and the Lamar University SBDC is proud to host this exciting event in partnership with Predictif, nClouds, and AWS.

Innovative startups and small businesses will have the opportunity to pitch their AI-powered ideas and compete for up to $50,000 in AWS Partner Funding.

📅 March 31, 2026
⏰ 5:00–7:00 PM CST
📍 Lamar University
5091 Rolfe Christopher Dr
Room 113, CICE Building
Beaumont, TX 77705

Whether you are building with AI, exploring cloud solutions, or just getting started, this is an event you do not want to miss.

More details coming soon. Stay tuned and start preparing now.

🔗 https://shorturl.at/Us5ew

01/27/2026

🔔 NEW DATE ANNOUNCEMENT

📅 March 31st

If you’re building with AI or just starting to explore what’s possible, this is where ideas turn into momentum.

The Amazon Web Services AI Pitch Competition brings together startups, small businesses, enterprise teams, nonprofits, and researchers to pitch AI-driven solutions and gain access to up to $50,000 in AWS Partner Services.

Location:
5091 Rolfe Christopher Drive
Lamar University – CICE Building
Beaumont, TX

Whether you’re early-stage or scaling, this is a room worth being in.

Apply here:
https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=ZB4my-Oq8EiYrMYqKQMc-e_LMto5MWVBjoKHB3shd1dUMDQzODFXVzlSSEpCNERaRkRMRFNQTldFQy4u&fbclid=IwY2xjawPmHJRleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFRS29Oa25iUW9jcEE5amxOc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHhiAHF_UAXQgBBPilwTxBSpuypE2DR3JzCfgCMWZ1p8jct8x7Z_Ovhi86k43_aem_NeDbJfnHhJjXHPSF8FfECA

01/23/2026

Great event by Lamar University Venture Center!

We were glad to support Real Estate to Enterprise: The Entrepreneurial Edge and see such a strong turnout of 45+ attendees and excellent speakers.

Thank you to The Venture Center for hosting and to all of the speakers who shared valuable insights on finance, scaling systems, ownership mindset, and branding & marketing.

We also appreciate the sponsors and partners who helped make this event possible, as well as everyone who attended and engaged in the conversation.

Events like this strengthen our local entrepreneurial ecosystem, and we’re always happy to support opportunities that help businesses grow.

01/23/2026

***NEW DATE*** ***MARCH 31ST*** ***Registration still open***

Have an AI-powered idea or solution? Pitch it for a chance to receive up to $50,000 in AWS Partner Funding.

📍 5091 Rolfe Christopher Drive, Lamar University, CICE Building. Beaumont, TX

This competition is ideal for startups, small businesses, enterprise teams, nonprofits, and researchers looking to scale AI-driven innovation.

👉 Apply now:
https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=ZB4my-Oq8EiYrMYqKQMc-e_LMto5MWVBjoKHB3shd1dUMDQzODFXVzlSSEpCNERaRkRMRFNQTldFQy4u

01/12/2026

***POSTPONED*** ***Registration still open. New date TBA.***

Being in the room matters.

The AWS AI Pitch Competition brings participants together with AI specialists, AWS leaders, and industry experts who provide real-time feedback and perspective.

👉

January 29, 2026 | 4:00-6:00 PM EST  Please complete the form below to apply for a pitch slot, and compete for the chance to win up to $50k in funding to bring your AI Vision to life.