Entrepreneurial Accelerator Program

📣 Exciting News for Our Entrepreneurial Community! 🚀 We are thrilled to announce that Brigadier General (retired) Gerald Goodfellow has generously donated $180,000 to the Entrepreneurial Accelerator Program (EAP) through the Dolores George LaVigne Endowment. This incredible contribution will help us continue our mission to foster entrepreneurship and drive economic growth across the region. Goodfellow, a decorated veteran and successful entrepreneur, attributes his business success to the support he received from BRF and EAP, sharing, “Dave Smith and his team provided me with the tools I needed to turn my vision into a reality. It is my honor to give back to a program that has given me so much.” This donation will enhance our capacity to mentor and support local entrepreneurs by providing them with critical resources, guidance, and access to capital. We are deeply grateful for this support and look forward to continuing to empower the next generation of business leaders! #EAP #Entrepreneurship #SupportLocal #EconomicGrowth #GivingBack #ThankYou

Join us this week for our May gathering of 1 Million Cups, featuring EAP Financial Analysts, Julie Gilley Milam and Tyra Kidd, MBA! Julie and Tyra will be discussing how NorLaunch and NorCap can benefit both entrepreneurs and investors in our region. Let us know you'll be there at the link below! https://lnkd.in/e8tWU29y

Sarah Lowder , cofounder of Lowder Baking Company, was this month’s guest speaker for 1 Million Cups. Sarah spoke about her journey going from baking hundreds of king cakes at her home to owning multiple manufacturing facilities and a storefront with her husband, Preston. Thank you to Sarah and everyone who attended despite the weather. Next month’s gathering will be May 8th at Andress Artist & Entrepreneur Center.

BRF is an awardee of two grants totaling $2 million from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) to accelerate technology entrepreneurship in North Louisiana by increasing inclusive access to entrepreneurial assistance and startup capital. The grants will be used by BRF’s Entrepreneurial Accelerator Program (EAP) to provide startup services to entrepreneurs and small businesses in North Louisiana, and will establish two avenues within EAP to help the program serve small businesses and entrepreneurs. BRF is one of 60 organizations across the country to receive a Build to Scale grant in the most recent cohort. More at the link below.

“In addition to their efforts in the AFWERX proposal space, CCIT is recruiting cutting edge companies through their annual showcase events and continual tech scouting. The BRF, Entrepreneurial Accelerator Program, and Small Business Consulting Corporation (SBCC) teams have been instrumental in their support of these activities. Over the past 30 months, the CCIT brought 45 new technologies and over $100 million in contracts to Air Force Global Strike Command and is already moving 10 companies to transition.”

Leaders from BRF, Entrepreneurial Accelerator Program and Shreveport Next met with Speaker Mike Johnson, Senator Bill Cassidy, and Congresswoman Julia Letlow, Ph.D. while in Washington, D.C. this week. The BRF team is joining others from across Louisiana in the Washington Mardi Gras celebrations.

Join us tomorrow for our first 1 Million Cups event of the year, featuring guest speaker, Dr. John George. RSVP below! -- About 1 Million Cups: 1 Million Cups is a free entrepreneurial event seeking to change conditions, address root causes, and break down systemic barriers so that all people -- regardless of race, gender, or geography -- have the opportunity to achieve economic stability, mobility, and prosperity. https://lnkd.in/dsiSSzyq

'Tis the season for SUGAR! Our On The Cusp guest knows a lot about the sweet and sticky goodness - Owner and Operator of Shreveport's Streetcar Snoballs, Erica Gilliam walks us through the secret behind a perfect Snoball, how she has grown her business from a trailer to a storefront, and the advice she'd give to all aspiring entrepreneurs. Tune in! Listen here: https://lnkd.in/ekVApMdM Watch here: https://lnkd.in/e7mCXD52

With the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl taking place in Shreveport this Saturday, there's no better guest to have on our On The Cusp podcast this week than Bill Bailey, CEO of Radiance Technologies. Bailey's journey from young airman at Barksdale Air Force Base to chief executive officer of a $200 million company is one you'll want to tune in for! Listen here: https://lnkd.in/dWUWiCTu Watch here: https://lnkd.in/dxr9cFfC

Owner of Pinpoint Local Marketing LLP, Pinpoint Events LLC, Turf Bros LA, and Cohost of EAP’s On The Cusp podcast, Matt Snyder, shared his passion and purpose for continuing to create exciting events in Northwest Louisiana at today’s gathering of 1 Million Cups. Save the date for next month’s gathering on January 10 featuring guest speaker Dr. John George, CEO of BRF!