Today, U.S. Senator Landrieu is in Opelousas co-hosting a workshop along with the Louisiana Municipal Association and the Louisiana Business Incubation Association titled “Business Incubators and Accelerators: Igniting Louisiana’s Economy and Creating Jobs.” The event will be held in the civic center, bringing together local officials and a number of successful incubators and accelerators from across the country to give presentations.
Some of the event objectives include introducing the incubators and accelerators to best practices from around the state, describing how local officials on how Federal programs can help start and support these programs, and discussing federal funding opportunities. Additionally, the event hopes to describe relevant programs and spread the word on national/statewide best practices among business incubators and accelerators, economic development administration programs, the Department of Agriculture Rural Development programs, and the Delta Regional Authority programs.
The event will be host many speakers and a number of panel participants, including:
- Chris Masingill, Federal Co-Chairman; Delta Regional Authority
- Kathy Dedrick, Senior Advisor, Economic Development Administration
- Clarence Hawkins, State Director, USDA Rural Development
- Tim Rowe, Founder, Cambridge Innovation Center
- Steve Berger, Senior Advisor, JumpStart America
Although Senator Landrieu is primarily in D.C., she is working towards stronger programs and support closer to home in Louisiana. “As Chair of the Senate Small Business Committee, I’m focused on giving our startup companies and entrepreneurs the tools necessary to grow their businesses. Business incubators and accelerator programs are both proven models that help new companies succeed and create additional jobs,” said Senator Landrieu. “Louisiana’s estimated 30 business incubators and 8 accelerators stand to benefit greatly from this workshop on funding opportunities and best practices. I look forward to co-hosting the Opelousas Summit to ensure these groups and their local officials can fully utilize these resources and exchange ideas.”
For more information about this event, visit sbc.senate.gov.