LEED Center - Louisiana Entrepreneurship & Economic Development Center

The Elevate Entrepreneurship Pitch Competition is back for a 2nd year, and we are excited for our 9 entrepreneurs, who were selected to compete in the final pitch competition on October 9th! Congratulations to the following finalists: - Parc De Oaks– Founded by Andrea Amos - Ebony's Beauty Hair and Skin Care Natural Health and Beauty Products – Founded by Ebony Robert - Nina Creole – Founded by Nina Charles - Attakapas Collectivelective – Founded by Erica Fox - BeLuxxe Health & Wellness– Founded by Raquel McCorvey - Connect Chiropractic – Founded by Elizabeth Romar-Chavis - AJC Business Solutions – Founded by Aleisha Johnson Cook - Above the Limit, LLC– Founded by Karen Dugas - Southern Kreole' Cravings & Pastries– Founded by Logan Alfred To learn more, visit https://loom.ly/fUn8vP0 This opportunity is coordinated by the Lafayette Economic Development Authority (LEDA) and Opportunity Machine, in partnership with the LEED Center.

Vera Davis is the founder of The Cookie Door in Broussard. Since 2021, The Cookie Door has been a charming "Cookiery" that offers an array of flavors and a warm, welcoming atmosphere. Vera completed our Accelerate Women's Entrerpeneurship program in Spring 2023. We're excited to see what the future holds for her and The Cookie Door! To learn more about Vera, check out the article below. #EDAUnivCenters

Get to know Kevin Ardoin. Kevin learned the art of farming from his grandfather, igniting a lifelong passion. Today, he's the proud owner of Zydeco Farms and co-owner of Fightinville Fresh Market. He's also the new owner of Cafe 20.3, serving up local comfort food along the Bayou Vermilion. Kevin completed our very first #AccelerateNorthside program in Spring 2021. We've loved seeing Kevin grow his businesses over the past three years! #EDAUnivCenters

Happy University Center Week! The LEED Center is proud to be one of 72 EDA University Centers. The purpose of the University Center program is to enable institutions of higher education to establish and operate University Centers (UCs) focused on leveraging university assets to build regional economic ecosystems. In honor of University Center Week, LEED Center Operations & Community Engagement Coordinator Kevin Guillory shares some his favorite memories of the LEED Center. U.S. Economic Development Administration #EDAUnivCenters

On Monday, June 17th, LEED Center staff members Kevin Guillory and Jonathan Shirley, along with UL Lafayette Finance Professor Brian Bolton led a breakout session at the 2024 Black Male Summit in New Orleans. The session, titled "Entrepreneurship As a Means of Economic Empowerment" covered topics such as defining entrepreneurship, empowerment, mindset, resourcefulness, and creating action steps for launching a new venture. The feedback from attendees was positive, and we can't wait to do it again next year! #EDAUnivCenters

On Friday, June 7th, LEED Center staff members Kevin Guillory and Jonathan Shirley had the opportunity to speak to Leadership Lafayette Class 37. They discussed the mission of the LEED Center and highlighted the work we've accomplished over the past five years. Leadership Lafayette, the flagship program of the Leadership Institute of Acadiana, is designed to inform, educate, and connect the emerging and experienced leaders of the Lafayette region to some of our community’s biggest assets, most daunting challenges, and most interesting people. We are grateful to LIA for the chance to connect with Class 37! #EDAUnivCenters

Congratulations to all the students who participated in the Spring 2024 Inn-eaux-vate Pitch Competition!

Did you know the LEED Center has a YouTube page? There you will find videos from our Dream to Reality series. Don't forget to Like & Subscribe so you will know when more content becomes available! https://lnkd.in/gaSGVv94