Sensori, co-founded by Shanna Watkins Pearre, Darean Rhodes, and Ashlyn Knox (far left), and The Blueprint University, an entrepreneurship hub founded by Kaila Cherie Wright (far right), are among five finalists in AT&T’s 2025 Small Business Contest. Also pictured: Bold Crumb House (Detroit), Nourish + Bloom Market (Fayetteville, Georgia), and SOJO Coffee Company (Los Angeles). [Photos: courtesy of AT&T; Composite image: DI Studio; Sources: berya113/istock, photos courtesy of AT&T.]
Two local startups have been named finalists in AT&T’s 2025 Small Business Contest, advancing from a “record-breaking” field of more than 11,000 applicants nationwide.
Dallas-based Sensori and The Blueprint University are among five finalists selected by AT&T judges for their community impact, innovation, and business models.
In January 2026, AT&T will announce its grand prize winner, which will receive $50,000, a year of AT&T service with a new device, and a featured content spotlight with one of AT&T’s athlete partners through the She’s Connected by AT&T series.
AT&T said all five finalists will receive $5,000 to invest in their businesses.
Sensori: Non-alcoholic beverages with functional benefits
Sensori Co-founder and CEO Shanna Watkins Pearre left a successful eight-year PR career to launch the non-alcoholic beverage startup that infuses functional botanicals designed to support cognitive function and deliver mood benefits without alcohol’s downsides.
Pearre, who most recently worked for Dallas’ LTK, has credited its co-founder Amber Venz Box for showing her that “turning a personal pain point could result in a multi-billion dollar business and kickstart an entire global economy.”
Mission matters, says Pearre, who co-founded the company with Darean Rhodes, and Ashlyn Knox. Launched in 2024, Sensori positions itself at “the intersection of wellness, culture, and conscious socializing,” according to the announcement.
Pearre believes that “feeling good—emotionally, physically, and socially—shouldn’t require alcohol or compromise.”
On LinkedIn, the entrepreneur describes the recognition as a “full-circle moment” she never saw coming. AT&T was Pearre’s first internship, and later, a corporate job.
“Much like AT&T, we’re focused on redefining how people connect—socially and in their self-care rituals—through a non-alcoholic beverage experience that still feels meaningful,” said Pearre. “AT&T’s belief that ‘connecting changes everything’ truly resonates with our mission.”
The Blueprint University: Innovation hub and trade school for entrepreneurs
Kaila Cherie Wright founded The Blueprint University in 2022 as an innovation hub and trade school for entrepreneurs, which now has campuses in Dallas and Gadsden, Alabama.
The organization aims to create pathways for founders to enhance economic mobility and access capital while bridging the gap between small businesses and major corporations.
“Connection is the currency of growth,” said Wright. “At Blueprint, we’re bridging the gap between small businesses and Fortune 500s—that’s the Blueprint way.”
The founder, who started her first business selling earrings at the age of 12, now equips entrepreneurs with practical tools for success, from access to capital to corporate partnerships.
More contenders for AT&T’s 2025 Small Business Contest
The other three finalists are Bold Crumb House in Detroit, Michigan; Nourish + Bloom Market in Fayetteville, Georgia; and SOJO Coffee Company in Los Angeles.
Bold Crumb House combines a bakery with storytelling and literacy workshops for children.
Nourish + Bloom Market operates what is described as the first 24/7 AI-powered grocery store in the U.S. that accepts EBT/SNAP benefits and gained attention after appearing on Shark Tank in Season 15.
SOJO Coffee Company specializes in Salvadoran coffee and created what it calls the world’s first canned cold brew made with 100% Salvadoran beans.
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