The Silicon Bayou has been buzzing with tech and entrepreneurial news. Here are the most popular stories published on Silicon Bayou News in the past seven days:
Crowdfunding Update: Highlights from the JOBS Act: Guest contributor Mark J. Graffagnini summarizes the three major points from the recently signed legislation, Jumpstart Our Business Startup (“JOBS”) Act, including specific updates about crowdfunding.
LA Tech Awards $14,500 in Cash and Prizes at TOP DAWG Pitch Competition: Established in 2002 by Bulldog Entrepreneurs, TOP DAWG is an annual event encouraging innovation among students at Louisiana Tech University. Last week, a total of $14,500 in cash and prizes was awarded during the New Venture Championship. Winners include Haptic Unlimited, Blue Green Innovations, I-Chair, and Glo-Cam.
New Orleans entrepreneur creates business connections through charity auction: Adriana Lopez explains how LinkedIn meets eBay for social good with Connect for a Cause, an online platform that allows registered non-profits to raise money by auctioning one-hour lunch meetings with VIPs, celebrities, and business executives who support the organization. Founder Jason Nicosia is a member of the 2012 LaunchPad Ignition class.
All About You: Lem Sanders: Louisiana native Lem Sanders is back in state after a 10 year stint in NYC. As a technology and web enthusiast, he is interested in connecting local entrepreneurs with innovation teams within the life sciences space.
Martin Roth Speaks to the “Minimum Viable Product” Approach to Hiring a Developer: This post is an excerpt from a blog post by Martin Roth. He wrote it in response to an article by 37Signals which lays out some clutch items to look for when courting a potential developer.
BR Walls Project Surpasses Fundraising Goal with Pledge from Raising Cane’s: Todd Graves of Raising Cane’s has pledged to fund an entire wall on behalf of Cane’s as long as the rest of the community helps the Baton Rouge Walls Project reach the $25,000 goal. Through Kickstarter, the project has successfully raised a total of $37,140 to date.
Crescent Unmanned is Latest Portfolio Addition for South Coast Angels: The South Coast Angel Fund recently announced a new addition to the investment portfolio–Crescent Unmanned Systems, LLC. The company manufactures unmanned vehicles such as their UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) and sUAS (small-unmanned aerial system). The technology systems are used for law enforcement, commercial use, and other industries.
Business Information Sessions to be Hosted by City of New Orleans in May: A fourth round of business information sessions will be held throughout the month and hosted by Mayor Mitch Landrieu’s Office of Economic Development. The sessions will provide information, resources, and opportunities to help business owners and entrepreneurs. A meeting will be held in each City Council District and the first session begins May 2, 2012.
LSU’s Animation and Visual Effects Program Launches Digital Media Certificate: The Animation and Visual Effects program at Louisiana State University’s Shreveport location recently received funding to launch the Digital Media Certificate program. The year-long intensive program gives students training and rapid access to digital media careers through the 35 hour a week courses.
LA Tech Park Company Pixel Dash Launches First Game for iOS: Pixel Dash Studios released its first game for iOS devices called Fans vs. Franchise. The game, which is a comical tower defense-style game, pits a cast of football franchise inspired characters against oncoming fans of various shapes and sizes. It’s the first iOS game for Pixel Dash Studios and is available for download in the Apple App Store.
More on the JOBS Act: Crowdfund Your Next Round: In a guest post by Genevieve Silverman, Director of Finance at the Louisiana Technology Park in Baton Rouge, she explores the JOBS Act and how the new legislation paves the way for a new alternative called “crowdfunding”, which allows companies to solicit small investments from a large number of non-accredited investors.