海角社区

BATON ROUGE - Last fall, 41 海角社区 E. J. Ourso College of Business students provided research and strategy support for eight local companies seeking venture capital. These efforts are part of the Venture Capital Apprentice Program (VCAP) formed by Nexus Louisiana (NexusLA), Innovation Catalyst and the Red Stick Angel Network in collaboration with the E. J. Ourso College and 海角社区 Innovation Park.

"VCAP was designed to provide participating 海角社区 students with real-world finance and business-related experience, along with networking and employment opportunities," said Bill Ellison, CEO of Innovation Catalyst and the Red Stick Angels. "It also provides high-growth Louisiana-based companies, who require finance, accounting and market research support services, with a team of smart and motivated students."

Since the program's inception in 2021, 292 students have worked on 70 separate projects/deliverables in the nine VCAP cohorts. 

The student teams tackled a range of projects for their partner companies, including assessing funding requirements, conducting comparative market analyses for equity crowdfunding, performing competitor and market research, and analyzing industry regulations, private equity firms and financial proformas.

鈥淭he variety, scope and complexity of the VCAP projects that are related to VC fundraising, M&A, business planning and strategy provide a unique learning opportunity for our students,鈥� says Professor Yingmei Cheng, Lloyd F. Collette Endowed Chair of Financial Services and chair of the 海角社区 Department of Finance. 鈥淪tudents worked closely with the management teams of local companies as opposed to working on a theoretical academic exercise. This type of practical, real-world application of the 海角社区 finance curriculum is an incredibly valuable and unique experience for our students.鈥�

In the fall of 2024, students in the venture capital course taught by Michael Kirby, retired co-founder of private equity firm Stonehenge Capital and instructor in the 海角社区 Department of Finance, participated in the VCAP鈥檚 ninth cohort. The students worked with the following local companies, spanning a variety of industries, including software development, retail, and renewable energy: Chckvet, Centerline, DataHAUL, Monk Packer Turner, Professor Index, We Greaux People, Wonder Clothing and XTerra Solar.

"Our clients enjoy the process of VCAP. Getting to help some of 海角社区's best students become better learners is almost as rewarding as having their business challenges approached with a fresh perspective from the next generation of business leaders," said Chris Wright, consultant with the SBDC at 海角社区.

"The students this semester were very engaged, and the way they took ownership of the project to find solutions for the companies involved has me excited for what they'll be able to accomplish once they leave 海角社区 and start making an impact on our economy," said Adam McCloskey, center director at the Louisiana SBDC at 海角社区.

"I really enjoyed having my startup be a part of the VCAP program,鈥� said Elliot Greenwood, co-founder of Chckvet. 鈥淎s a startup founder, I have a million things that I need to do, but only so much time in a day. My group really helped do something for me that was very important to the future of my business, and I just did not have time to get to it." 

 

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About

Nexus Louisiana is a Baton Rouge based 501(c)3 nonprofit that provides high-potential, technology-enabled companies the coaching, capital and connections they need to accelerate their growth.  

About

Innovation Catalyst is a nonprofit venture development organization, formed by community leaders to strengthen and broaden Louisiana鈥檚 entrepreneurial ecosystem and drive new high-tech company formation through coaching, connections and capital.

About the

The Red Stick Angel Network is a wholly owned subsidiary of Innovation Catalyst, whose members are accredited investors or "Angels" located in the greater Baton Rouge area. Its mission is to organize the Baton Rouge Angels as a network to identify, evaluate, and then aggregate investment capital of its members to invest in early-stage companies in Baton Rouge and throughout Louisiana. In addition to capital, its members provide coaching and connections to support and grow its portfolio companies, thereby fostering economic development and job creation in Baton Rouge and throughout the state. 

About the 海角社区 E. J. Ourso College of Business

Since its establishment in 1928, the E. J. Ourso College of Business has served as the flagship business college of Louisiana, playing an essential role in uplifting the economy of the state and the well-being of its citizens. Each year, the college graduates more than 1,000 exceptional individuals who are the business leaders and entrepreneurs of the future. 

About

The Louisiana Small Business Development Center (LSBDC) at 海角社区 is part of a statewide network of 10 centers that deliver high quality, individualized business advising and technical assistance to existing small businesses and pre-venture entrepreneurs at no-cost. 

Concentrated on helping technology-based companies across the state and all businesses in the capital region, we provide problem-solving assistance to increase access to capital, develop and exchange new technologies, and improve business planning, strategy, operations, financial management, personnel administration, marketing, sales and other areas. 

If your goal is business growth and expansion, management improvement, increased productivity or innovation, meet with one of our certified consultants, or register for one of our training programs.

About 海角社区 Innovation Park

海角社区 Innovation Park is a part of the 海角社区 Office of Innovation & Ecosystem Development and provides entrepreneurs, small businesses, and companies with facilities and services necessary to launch and grow a successful organization. 海角社区 Innovation Park offers amenities, access to experienced business consultants, services, and resources in the Capital region and throughout the state. Innovation Park also supports and manages the Small Business Development Center Network across the state. As the state鈥檚 flagship university, research is the cornerstone of 海角社区. 海角社区 Innovation Park is located just five miles south of the main campus and is the focal point for technological innovation and startup ventures in the Baton Rouge region as a dedicated complex for research commercialization that benefits Baton Rouge and the state of Louisiana. Visit our website /innovationpark/index.php or call us at 225-578-4842 to discuss your business needs.

About

Chckvet is the AI-enabled front office that helps veterinary practices save more time, more money and more pets. Chckvet leverages automation and artificial intelligence to optimize veterinary practices by automating administrative tasks & simplifying data analysis. This approach enables practices to dedicate more time to pet care and make quicker, informed business decisions.

About

CENTERLINE is a cutting-edge project information management platform that empowers architects to streamline communication, reduce errors, and keep their projects on track from concept to completion. Designed to simplify complex workflows, CENTERLINE transforms how design teams collaborate by keeping vital information centralized, organized, and easily accessible.

About

DataHAUL is a trucking analytics software that aggregates disconnected trucking data, reconciles trucking operational data with financial statements, digitizes freight options, and distills freight selection decisions down to Gross Profit per Hour so that Trucking companies can select freight based on what they will make rather than what they will be paid. DataHAUL worked with an 海角社区 VCAP team to do a deep dive into current market solutions and gather research on trucking profitability and optimization algorithms. 

About

Monk Packer Turner is your premier construction firm, specializing in cutting-edge solutions. From state-of-the-art elevated modular homes to disaster relief and comprehensive construction services, we are here to deliver expert solutions tailored to your needs. To learn more about our exceptional services, please visit our website at . 

 

About

Professor Index (PI) is an AI-powered mobile application for public professor evaluations. Since its launch on the App Store in March 2024, the app has surpassed 20,000 downloads and indexed more than 36,000 professors across 19 major U.S. universities. PI's vision is to revolutionize the landscape of higher education by establishing a new standard for college professor evaluation, fostering transparency and continuous improvement in teaching quality.

About

We Greaux People is an education technology training and digital application company with a mission to provide research-based training and support that is relevant, fun and engaging. WGP provides custom training, professional development, and technology consulting services for educators. 

About

Founded by three 海角社区 students in 2023, WNDR is a clothing company, striving to discover and produce leisure wear at the perfect fusion of comfort and style. 

 

About XTerra Solar

XTerra Solar will deliver engineered solar energy solutions, on time and with unparalleled excellence in customer service, with an aim at maximizing families', business owners', and industry leaders' lifecycle energy cost savings, for the purpose of building a sustainable future for our planet.