Opportunity Machine

Congratulations to the Techneaux Technology Services team on the grand opening of their new office space! ✂ Thank you for helping drive forward Lafayette's tech community! 👏

Meet our OM accelerator mentor, Doug Payne, a Medical Technology Expert!💉 As COO of Tides Medical, Doug brings over 20 years of experience in the medical device and regenerative medicine industries, including product management, strategic market analysis, and development with companies such as Medtronic, US Spinal Technologies, and Spinal Elements. His passion for innovation and community involvement make him a tremendous asset to the Opportunity Machine mentor network. Thanks for being a great mentor for OM members, Doug!👏 #MedicalTechnology #MedTech #Mentor

With Opportunity Machine, Byline is working with five talented UL Lafayette Computer Science interns this fall. They’re diving into everything from developing our web-based platform to integrating AI-powered tools and payment systems. As a non-technical founder, it’s been incredible watching these students collaborate and create more efficiencies for all future users. tinyurl.com/3ypwaxh4

Last night, we hosted 2nd Annual Elevate Entrepreneurship Pitch Competition, coordinated by Lafayette Economic Development Authority (LEDA) and Opportunity Machine, in partnership with the LEED Center - Louisiana Entrepreneurship & Economic Development Center! Congratulations to all 8 of the finalists who took the stage to pitch last night (Southern Kreole' Cravings & Pastries, Parc De Oaks, Nina Creole, Ebony's Beauty Hair and Skin Care Natural Health and Beauty Products, BeLuxxe Health & Wellness, Connect Chiropractic, AJC Business Solutions, & Above the Limit, LLC)! And a big round of applause for our winners: 🥇 1st Place: Karen Dugas with Above the Limit 🥈 2nd Place: Nina Charles with Nina Creole 🥉 3rd Place: Raquel McCorvey with BeLuxxe Health & Wellness We'd also like to thank our amazing panel of judges, Nathaniel T. Moore ( Moore Consulting Investment Group), Holly K Howat (Beacon Community Connections), and Kristi Anderson (University of Louisiana at Lafayette), for helping us make this event a success! #ElevateEntrepreneurship #PitchCompetition

There's still time to get your free tickets & attend the Elevate Entrepreneurship Pitch Competition THIS WEDNESDAY at 6pm at Opportunity Machine!🎟️ This event brings together an incredible group of 8 entrepreneurs who have completed the Accelerate Northside or Accelerate Women's Entrepreneurship programs. See more about each finalist & their business in the graphics below 👇 Register to attend 👉 https://lnkd.in/g4STcSu9 #elevateentrepreneurship #smallbusiness #minorityownedbusiness #pitchcompetition #empoweringentrepreneurs

There's still time to get your tickets & attend the Elevate Entrepreneurship Pitch Competition next Wednesday!🎟️ 📆 Wednesday, October 9 ⏰ 6:00 - 8:00 PM 📍 Opportunity Machine Register to attend 👉 https://lnkd.in/g4STcSu9 Don't miss your chance to support these entrepreneurs as they pitch their business - Southern Kreole Cravings, Parc de Oaks, Nina Creole, Ebony's Beauty Hair & Skin Care, BeLuxxe Health & Wellness, Connect Chiropractic, AJC Business Solutions, & Above the Limit! #elevateentrepreneurship #smallbusiness #minorityownedbusiness #pitchcompetition #empoweringentrepreneurs

Exciting news for OM alumni, Keepers! 📣 This summer, Keepers partnered with 6 students from UL Lafayette to enhance AI-powered features of its housekeeping app through a collaboration facilitated by Dr. Henry Chu (Executive Director of the Informatics Research Institute at UL Lafayette) and Opportunity Machine. Student Nathaniel L Agee said, "This internship enlightened me on the necessary steps of building an AI model and how much data it takes to train such a model." The app now uses powerful AI models to track objects through segmentation. Using the generative conversational AI module from Gemini, the app analyzes each household item to assess its positioning and cleanliness level. This allows for a fast and effective mobile application that guides housekeepers in their tasks. Read more 👉 https://loom.ly/40uEgac

Join us on October 9 at 6 pm for an exciting evening showcasing local entrepreneurs at the 2nd Annual Elevate Entrepreneurship Pitch Competition! 🚀 This event brings together an incredible group of entrepreneurs who have completed the Accelerate Northside or Accelerate Women's Entrepreneurship programs put on by the LEED Center. Watch as 8 talented finalists pitch their business, aiming to impress the judges and secure cash prizes to help grow their business! Register to attend here 👉 https://lnkd.in/g4STcSu9 This opportunity is coordinated by Lafayette Economic Development Authority (LEDA) and Opportunity Machine, in partnership with the LEED Center - Louisiana Entrepreneurship & Economic Development Center.

The Elevate Entrepreneurship Pitch Competition is back for a 2nd year, and we are excited to announce this year's top 9 applicants, who were selected to compete in the final pitch competition on October 9th! Congratulations to the following finalists: 👏 🔹 Parc De Oaks LLC – Founded by Andrea Amos 🔹 Ebony’s Beauty Hair & Skin Care – Founded by Ebony Robert 🔹 Nina Creole – Founded by Nina Charles 🔹 Attakapas Outpost – Founded by Erica Fox 🔹 BeLuxxe Health and Wellness LLC – 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 – Founded by Logan Alfred To learn more about the competition, 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 - Louisiana Entrepreneurship & Economic Development Center. #elevateentrepreneurship #smallbusiness #minorityownedbusiness #pitchcompetition #empoweringentrepreneurs

The Elevate Entrepreneurship Pitch Competition, a program led by Lafayette Economic Development Authority (LEDA) in partnership with Opportunity Machine and the LEED Center - Louisiana Entrepreneurship & Economic Development Center, was recently recognized with two Excellence in Economic Development Awards— a Silver Award for Excellence in Economic Equity & Inclusion and a Bronze Award for Excellence in Entrepreneurial and Small Business Development. The second round of this pitch competition will take place on October 9, 2024. Stay tuned over the next week to hear who this year's finalists are!👀 Read more here 👉 https://loom.ly/VDtmWRQ