Ole Miss Student Entrepreneur Places Third at SEC Competition

Bourgeois presented his Apple Watch and iPhone app, Ball AI, at the Oct. 16 event. It is one of the latest developments the computer science major's co-founded business Automatic AI, which produces sports training apps.

"For Automatic AI, I write most of the front-end code for our app, and we've been working hard to keep things moving these past few months." said Bourgeois, of Metairie, Louisiana.

"Honestly, when they announced me as a finalist, I was coding on my laptop and completely caught off guard. One second, I'm fixing bugs, the next I'm being told to get on stage and pitch in the finals."

Bourgeois joined student entrepreneurs from each of the 14 Southeastern Conference universities who competed at the annual event.

Ball AI uses phone cameras, sensors and artificial intelligence to track and analyze basketball shots in real time. The app records basketball data, such as makes and misses, shot location, angles and intensity levels. Then it shares detailed insights for athletes and coaches, Bourgeois said. It includes a team dashboard where coaches can invite players, track statistics and monitor progress.

Bourgeois is working with the Mississippi Association of Coaches to expand the platform's reach among high school basketball programs across the state.

He worked closely with mentors from the UM Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship to refine his pitch before representing the university in the conferencewide competition.

"This result reflects Julien's initiative and the growing strength of our campus entrepreneurship ecosystem," said Tong Meng, the center's director of programs.

"Our mentors and faculty are proud to support students who combine innovation and hard work to make an impact."

Bourgeois' business ideas for Automatic AI earned him a spot in the Rice Business Plan Competition earlier this year. Bourgeois credits the CIE with helping him become the first Ole Miss student chosen to participate in the world's largest student startup contest – and for sharpening his latest successful pitch.

"From the day I arrived on Ole Miss' campus two years ago, the CIE has believed in me, my ideas and my startups," he said.

"Huge shoutout to Tong Meng, Owens Alexander, Joise Burks, Caitlin Moak and everyone from the Center of Innovation and Entrepreneurship that I have worked with over the past few years. From providing me with office spaces to guiding me throughout my journey, the CIE has truly changed the trajectory of my life and career as a young, aspiring entrepreneur."

Top: Ole Miss entrepreneur Julien Bourgeois (top) delivers his Ball AI pitch at the SEC Student Pitch Competition in Nashville. Bourgeois has spent nearly two years refining the venture with mentors from the university’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Submitted photo