FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, July 17th
MONROE, LA - Louisiana Catalyst in partnership with Louisiana Economic Development (LED) launches Northeast Louisiana's first LED CEO Roundtable. This LED initiative brings together groups of 15 to 18 key decision-makers from Louisiana-based small businesses 10 times a year for collaborative, growth-oriented roundtable sessions that support a trusting environment in which CEOs can safely explore business and personal issues with the guidance of experienced facilitators.
Participation in the roundtables provides access to numerous benefits, including peer-to-peer learning through discussion, interaction, and sharing experiences that allow participants to learn from each other's achievements and mistakes; and support through a highly qualified facilitator, expert guest speakers, and connection to various small business resources.
Louisiana Catalyst Founder and President Quentin Durr said this is the first LED CEO Roundtable established in the region since inception in 2014. He said, "Louisiana Catalyst's ability to work with LED further validates our efforts to ensure small businesses in Northeast Louisiana are succeeding."
"As a relatively new entrepreneurial-focused entity in the region, we've worked extremely hard to establish the necessary relationships at all levels and across industries to identify needs and position all with the resources so that everyone has a better chance of improving our regional economy," Durr said. "The formation of this roundtable also speaks to the entrepreneurs' desire for growing and innovating."
Louisiana Catalyst promoted the program application period and urged many businesses to apply for the roundtables earlier this year. LED and LA Catalyst then selected 14 companies in Northeast Louisiana that are defined as second-stage businesses which typically have annual sales of $600,000 to $50 million, employ five to 99 people, and export products and services outside their region or state.
Last year, LED successfully conducted four regional roundtables in Baton Rouge, Lafayette, New Orleans, and Shreveport. This year, Louisiana Catalyst adds a fifth for Northeast Louisiana. The locations of the 2023-24 roundtables were based on the number of qualified applicants in each region.
Beginning this week and continuing into the second quarter of 2024, LED will convene each regional group 10 times for roundtables of peer-to-peer learning, networking, and sharing of best practices for accelerating growth. Seasoned facilitators will guide participants through topics such as problem-solving in marketing, strategic planning, human resources, leadership, and financial management depending on the needs of each regional group.
LED Secretary Don Pierson said the "LED CEO Roundtables program has demonstrated a high success rate in helping Louisiana small business owners gain valuable information from experienced peers. LED is proud to offer a program that has helped leaders in the business community gain the confidence and support needed to accelerate their growth," Secretary Pierson said. "The lessons learned from fellow business owners can prove invaluable to those wanting to take their business to the next level."
Since 2014, CEO Roundtables have helped over 500 small business executives from a broad spectrum of industries – from manufacturing to healthcare, energy to agriculture, advertising to accounting, arts and entertainment to information technology, and everything in between. Throughout the past nine years, participating companies have reported a combined 2,683 jobs created through their participation in the program.
LED and La Catalyst hope to make the Northeast CEO Roundtable a sustainable initiative for years to come. For more information, contact DeRon Talley at louisianacatalystforbiz@gmail.com or visit LED’s official website at www.opportunitylouisiana.gov/ceo-roundtables.