海角社区

BATON ROUGE - Thirty students from 海角社区鈥檚 E. J. Ourso College of Business provided research and strategy support for three local companies and one organization as part of the Venture Capital Apprentice Program (VCAP). Nexus Louisiana, Innovation Catalyst and the Red Stick Angel Network formed the project in collaboration with the E. J. Ourso College, 海角社区 Innovation Park and the Louisiana Small Business Development Center.

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

Since the program's inception in 2020, 322 students have worked on 74 separate projects/deliverables in the 10 VCAP cohorts. 

The student teams tackled a range of projects for their partner companies, including the analysis of a company鈥檚 funding needs, equity crowdfunding comparative market analysis, competitor and market analysis, an analysis of industry regulations and private equity firms, and a financial proforma.

"Rather than working through hypothetical case studies, our students had the chance to engage directly with leadership teams from real companies. That kind of hands-on experience鈥攁pplying what they鈥檝e learned in class to real-world business issues鈥攊s one of the most impactful ways we can prepare them for the challenges of today鈥檚 financial landscape," said Professor Yingmei Cheng, Lloyd F. Collette Endowed Chair of Financial Services and chair of the 海角社区 Department of Finance.

In the spring of 2025, students in the venture capital course taught by Michael Kirby, retired co-founder of private equity firm Stonehenge Capital and 海角社区 Finance Department instructor, participated in the VCAP鈥檚 10th cohort. The students worked with the following local companies and organizations, spanning a variety of industries, including software development, artificial intelligence solutions, renewable energy and economic development: ApplicaRAD, CodeGig, Encore CO2 and Future Use of Energy in Louisiana.

鈥淭he deep dive the students did provided an immense amount of data and clarity for my company, not only about potential growth areas but about our competition. I did not expect that they would be that driven or that the data they provided would be so important to me,鈥� said Kellen Francis, CEO and co-founder of CodeGig. 鈥淭hey really brought the noise. I wish I would have had them sooner.鈥�

"VCAP offers students the opportunity to gain the kind of experience you might receive in a professional internship. In most classes, we work through a lot of theoretical problems, how to find the ideal answers to the challenges of an abstract company," said Brennan Davis, a junior majoring in finance. "VCAP takes a more practical approach. The program teaches you things you can't learn in a classroom, the obstacles a real client faces in the real marketplace, when neither the company nor the solutions are perfect. I came away with the hands-on skills and insights that employers value."

鈥淭he students in the VCAP program took on a big task looking at the role of energy in our state and how companies can take advantage of the opportunities. The depth and breadth of their research was indicative of students who cared,鈥� said Adam McCloskey, center director of the Louisiana Small Business Development Center at 海角社区.

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About

Created by the Louisiana Legislature, Nexus Louisiana is a nonprofit dedicated to fostering high-tech entrepreneurship and innovation. In partnership with 海角社区, Southern University, and local economic development organizations, Nexus supports the growth of Louisiana鈥檚 innovation economy through programs, resources, and events that empower emerging tech leaders.

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 men and women 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. Concentrating 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. The park offers access to experienced business consultants, services, and resources in the Capital region and throughout the state. The park also houses the Louisiana Small Business Development Center (LSBDC) headquarters and the LSBDC at 海角社区.
 
About
ApplicaRAD is developing a commercial-grade sensor device with onboard artificial intelligence that can be used in various commercial applications to assist with carbon emissions tracking. The device will be small and low power for strategic placement at locations anywhere there are suspected carbon emissions.

About
CodeGig's mission is to become the leading industrial digital platform by providing the most advanced Industrial AI Platform-as-a-Service solution on the market. The company achieves this by leveraging integrated AI professional services and Software-as-a-Service delivery, utilizing its proprietary models and data with maximum scalability.

About
Encore recycles CO2 into high-value products.   The technology uses only CO2, water and zero-emission energy sources to make two-carbon products via electrolysis. These intermediates are common building blocks for hundreds of carbon products including polymers, textiles, adhesives and detergents.   The key advantage is the carbon intensity.  Encore makes the same carbon products we use every day but with zero or negative emissions.   

About
Future Use of Energy in Louisiana (FUEL) is a transformative, collaborative initiative led by 海角社区. Bringing together universities, community and technical colleges, state agencies, industry partners, and capital investors, FUEL is focused on shaping the future of energy in Louisiana.

Backed by up to $160 million in funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) through the NSF Engines program鈥攁nd an additional $67.5 million from Louisiana Economic Development (LED)鈥擣UEL will drive innovation across the state鈥檚 energy sector. The initiative will support:

Cutting-edge energy research and development
Robust workforce training programs
Commercialization of advanced technologies
The growth and scaling of energy-focused startups
Over the next eight years, FUEL aims to support 100 innovative energy companies, guiding them from early-stage product development to full-scale demonstration.

We look forward to strengthening our collaboration with VCAP to help make this vision a reality.

If you have any ideas or concepts for launching or growing an energy company in Louisiana, we encourage you to reach out.
Contact: Girard Melancon, PhD 鈥� girardmelancon@lsu.edu