The now Baton Rouge-based Josh Manriquez was born at New Orleans Charity Hospital to a heavy equipment operator and a social worker. Early on, his parents emphasized a strong education coupled with applicable skills such as heavy equipment operation, fabrication, and various construction trades.
Manriquez went on to attend the LSU College of Engineering while working as an Assistant Project Manager for a heavy/civil construction firm in Chalmette.
In July 2015, he started Leontos, LLC with the goal of eventually building a functioning, practical Hyperloop to connect Baton Rouge and New Orleans.
See how this native of Louisiana our All About You questions:
What city or region do you live in?
Baton Rouge
What is the most exciting thing you are working on right now?
Currently, we’re working on raising funds & filing permits to construct a working Hyperloop Test Track in Washington Parish as well as designing a prototype pod capsule for SpaceX’s Design Competition January 15, 2016.
If you wrote a regular column for Silicon Bayou News what would it be about and what would you name it?
I would most likely like to write about the rebirth of the NOLA Economy and call it EcoNOmics (cheesy, I know).
If you could win any award in the world, which would you be most proud to possess?
Fortune 500.
If you were stuck on an elevator for two hours, what one person (dead or alive) would you choose to be stuck with?
Bob Marley.
IYO, which institution is most due for disruption?
Transportation.
If you had to pick a drink to describe yourself (alcoholic or non-alcoholic) what would it be?
18 Year Dalmore Scotch.
Tell us about your biggest failure.
My biggest failure would be the lack of contracts awarded due to my efforts as a Project Estimator for a Heavy/Civil Construction firm. From that experience, I learned that it’s much more beneficial for an organization to concentrate on a few specialized markets & services as well as not to accept contracts that require floating outstanding costs longer than is comfortable for said organization.
What’s your favorite thing to do on a Sunday afternoon?
Watch the New Orleans Saints or reading something by Faulkner.
If you had to eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Eggplant Parmesan.
If you could live in any other time period, which would you choose?
1990’s.
What are you most excited about happening on the Silicon Bayou that you aren’t directly involved in?
One thing I’m really excited about is NOLATech Week in October. The opportunities offered to share ideas, network, and market are essential for the sustainability of Silicon Bayou.
The standard superpower dichotomy:
Be invisible.