Mayor Lori Blong offered her congratulations to the winners of the 2025–2026 Midland Entrepreneurial Challenge.
The annual competition is a collaboration between the University of Texas Permian Basin and the Midland Development Corporation that was established in 2017. It aims to identify and nurture new businesses in Midland through business plan creation, market research, and financial training, according to information shared by Blong on Facebook.
The winners for this cycle are Contact Co., Floris Flight Services LLC, Lola & Tae, Tall City Cyber, and Twelve Gate Coffee Company. Each entity received part of the total funding pool. “Programs like the Midland Entrepreneurial Challenge play an important role in supporting the entrepreneurs who are building companies and creating jobs in our community,” Blong said in her Facebook post.
Blong also commented on the entrepreneurial spirit present in Midland. According to her, “Midland is a place where people are determined to turn ideas into reality,” referring to the challenge winners as proof. “These entrepreneurs are a great example of that spirit,” she said. Over the past decade, twenty-nine businesses have won the Midland Entrepreneurial Challenge according to Blong’s Facebook post.