Lucas Center for Entrepreneurship

05/22/2026

🇺🇸 In observance of Memorial Day, the Lucas Center will be closed beginning Monday, May 25th, and will reopen Monday, June 1st.

This Memorial Day, we pause to honor and remember those who gave their lives in service to our country. During the week, our team will be recharging and spending time with loved ones.

Wishing you a safe and meaningful holiday!

05/19/2026

Have you had an idea for a business but aren't sure where to start? That's exactly what our Idea Bootcamp is designed for. 💡

In a single day, you'll go from idea to startup plan where you'll end the day as the founder of your very own business.

It's a proprietary, globally award-winning Lucas Center program. And the best part as always? This program is offered at no cost to participants! 🎉

Our next Idea Bootcamp: Brunswick, GA is Friday, June 5 at 9am to 4pm, and only a few seats are left. Light breakfast and lunch are included.

📍 Lucas Center Downtown Workspace
209 Gloucester Street, Suite 211
Brunswick, GA 31520

Your next move starts here 👉: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1984572712406

05/13/2026

Big things are happening in Historic Downtown Brunswick!

We are thrilled to celebrate the grand opening of La Playa Park! 🎉🎉

This brand-new indoor/outdoor event venue, food truck park, full bar, and local market is opening its doors on Saturday, May 16th beginning at 11am to 11pm.

✂️ Our team will be there enjoying the good vibes at the official ribbon cutting at 3pm located at 1617 Norwich Street, Brunswick, GA 31520.

This is exactly the kind of bold, community-centered entrepreneurship we love to champion. We're proud to share this celebration with Meredith Grill and Joe Cascio, Co-Founders of La Playa Park 🥳

For more information, follow La Playa Park or visit their website at www.LaPlayaPark.com 🔗

05/12/2026

Congratulations to Evie Staples, our 2026 Entrepreneur of the Year! 🎉

We're so proud to celebrate Evie and the incredible work she's doing through Empower the Future (ETF). A 2025 graduate of our 6SEED Program and first-place grant winner, Evie has continued to grow ETF into a force for impact in our community, and we couldn't be more honored to recognize her this year.

In this video, Evie shares her gratitude and reflects on how far ETF has come since her time in the program. Her journey is exactly why we do what we do.

👉 Watch Evie's message here:

ETF would like to thank the Lucas Center for Entrepreneurship for selecting Evie Staples as the 2026 Entrepreneur of the Year. Evie graduated from the 6Seed ...

05/08/2026

So yesterday we did a thing...
We competed in a pitch competition that was the culmination of an AMAZING 8 week course for nonprofits offered for FREE by the Lucas Center for Entrepreneurship - and we won!🥇
We were gifted $4,000 from the judges and $500 from the audience choice award - all of which will go towards our Healthy Heart Fund to treat heartworm positive shelter dogs with fast kill treatment to get them healthier and on their way to their best lives in a much shorter amount of time and with less damage to their hearts, lungs and blood vessels!♥
THANK YOU Lucas Center!! We were blessed to be part of the class and this is truly the icing on the cake! We will share photos of the dogs that get their treatment.🐶
And thank you to our awesome supporters who came out to watch and vote for us!🗳

05/08/2026

What an INCREDIBLE way to wrap up our celebration of ! 🎉

Our Spring 2026 Cohorts of 6SEED, ACCELER8 For Profit, and ACCELER8 Non Profit took the stage to pitch their businesses and organizations in front of real community investors — Shark Tank style!

Getting to that stage is no small feat. These entrepreneurs showed up week after week, dug into the curriculum, did the hard work behind the scenes, and pushed through every challenge the programs threw at them. The pitch is the moment we get to see the perseverance behind what makes it possible.

A HUGE thank you to the judges and audience members who showed up to listen, ask sharp questions, and back our entrepreneurs with their time and capital investment. And to our incredible program sponsors, Coastal Area District Development Authority - CADDA for powering ACCELER8 For Profit, One Hundred Miles and Wells Fargo for powering 6SEED, and Agio Restaurant for fueling is with snacks, none of this happens without your support and presence in our partner ecosystem.

A special thank you to the DoubleTree by Hilton Brunswick for welcoming us into your space! This will not be our last visit 🤝

Congratulations to every single one of our entrepreneurs! We are rooting for your continued success. 🎉🎉🎉

Curious what these programs entail? Visit lucascenter.com to learn more.

04/28/2026

We're less than ONE WEEK AWAY from in the Golden Isles! 🎉

We're kicking off a week-long of curated entrepreneurial events to honor and celebrate the businesses who continue to invest in our communities. Get your calendars ready because the first even begins in just 1 week!

- Tuesday, May 5 | 4:30p to 5:30p | Market Ready: A Marketing Panel Built for Small Business Owners @ 209 Gloucester St, Suite 211

- Wednesday, May 6 | 9a to 10a | Lucas Forum & 2026 Entrepreneurship Awards @ 209 Gloucester St, Suite 211

- Wednesday, May 6 | 10:30a to 12p | Small Business Certifications | GT APEX Accelerator @ 209 Gloucester St, Suite 211

- Wednesday, May 6 | 4:30p to 6p | Women in Business Happy Hour @ Driftwood Wine & Cocktails

- Thursday, May 7 | 10a to 12p | ACCELER8 NonProfit: Business Pitch Competition at the DoubleTree by Hilton Brunswick

- Thursday, May 7 | 1p to 3p | ACCELER8: Business Pitch Competition at the DoubleTree by Hilton Brunswick

- Thursday, May 7 | 4p to 6p | 6SEED: Business Pitch Competition at the DoubleTree by Hilton Brunswick

The best part? All of these events are FREE and OPEN to the community to attend. Learn more at lucascenter.eventbrite.com to stay up-to-date on all of our events.

Questions? Email us at [email protected] or call 912.254.7921.

04/22/2026

Nominations for the Entrepreneurship Awards close TONIGHT at MIDNIGHT!

Know a entrepreneur that embodies the entrepreneurial spirit?
Categories include:
- Entrepreneur of the Year
- Student Entrepreneur of the Year
- Woman Entrepreneur of the Year
- Non-Profit Leader of the Year
- Family Business of the Year

Selected nominees with the most votes will be invited to our next Lucas Forum to receive their award and share insights from their business, as well as receive professional photos from the event.

👉 Nominate someone here: https://forms.monday.com/forms/1cf246c9f01aabf27ff903ea71147f52?r=use1&entrepreneur_awards=&2026=

04/21/2026

Are you a food and beverage entrepreneur?

The Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership (GaMEP) is offering an incredible opportunity to get your operation FDA-compliant.

The FSMA Training Cohort Program walks small and medium-sized companies through creating a Food Safety Plan that meets the FDA's FSMA Preventive Controls for Human Food (PCHF) Rule. Over six weekly classes, you'll build out your plan alongside expert guidance that also include one-on-one consulting calls.

Complete the program and earn your Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI) certificate from GaMEP (not applicable for meat/seafood companies or food service: restaurants, catering, food trucks).

Cost: $100/per person

Upcoming Virtual Cohorts (9am–4pm ET):
🌱 Spring Cohort: April 30, May 7, 14, 22, June 4 & 11, 2026
☀️ Summer Cohort: August 4, 11, 18, 25, Sept. 1 & 8, 2026

🔗 Learn more & register: https://gamep.org/food-safety-cohort/

Questions? Reach out to Wendy White at [email protected].

04/14/2026

AI is on everyone's mind these days, and next Wednesday, you can find out exactly what that means for your business, for free.

Aracari Studios is hosting an intimate (15-person max!) evening at Silver Bluff Brewing Company where founders Rodrigo Morán and Michael Waidmann sit down with Justin Henshaw, founder of GAGE, will have an honest conversation about what custom tech and AI actually cost, what it's worth, and what's working for other local business owners right now.

This is not a seminar. Just a real conversation about AI in business.

📆 Wednesday, April 22nd | 5:30pm to 8pm at Silver Bluff Brewing in Historic Downtown Brunswick

Secure your spot: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ai-has-made-tech-accessible-to-every-business-is-yours-ready-tickets-1986941296906