The pandemic put entrepreneurship in perspective. Thousands of people across Louisiana realized that they wanted to start their own businesses and are looking to learn more.
“Entrepreneurial efforts are exploding right now,” says Wendy Overton, director of strategy and development at Nexus Louisiana. It’s why she is excited about the next Baton Rouge Entrepreneurship Week (BREW), which will be held live and in-person this October 4-6 at the Bon Carre Business Center.
The goal of BREW 11 is to foster connection, community, and education. Unlike other business events where people may be squirreled away in separate conference rooms, BREW 11 will have one stage that creates a shared, communal experience for entrepreneurs and supporters this year. “It’s been a long time since people have been able to meet face to face, and we want to maximize that experience for our community this year,” Overton says. The event is planned to be live-streamed for those who may not be able to attend in person.
BREW 11 will feature both local and national keynote speakers who are successful entrepreneurs; the line-up will be announced later this summer.
BREW 11 will kickoff with an Opening Night to showcase our community’s most innovative companies, to be held at the Bon Carré Business Center. “It’ll be a chance to highlight some of the best and brightest ideas that entrepreneurs have been working on,” says Overton, who is organizing BREW 11.
BREW Opening Night will be more like a cocktail party than a conference networking event. Entrepreneurs will showcase their businesses to potential investors and the public in a social setting. “Opening Night is about mixing and mingling,” Overton says. “It’s a great place to meet people, and we will have free exhibit space for our entrepreneurs.”
The opening night event is not for selling; it’s more about helping the community understand and appreciate new and innovative companies. An application for BREW Opening Night will be available later this summer.