Louisiana Catalyst

Louisiana Catalyst "Accelerating Business in North Louisiana"
We're here to help you grow by connecting you to the right resources to accelerate your business.

Small business owners: Don’t miss out on this opportunity tocollaborate, network and grow your business.The CEO Roundtab...
03/18/2026

Small business owners: Don’t miss out on this opportunity to
collaborate, network and grow your business.
The CEO Roundtables program application closes March 31.
OpportunityLouisiana.gov/CEO-Roundtables

02/25/2026

We could not have asked for a better event with the Energy and Manufacturing Collider!

We’re proud to have hosted conversations about what it looks like to build here, to scale here, and to strengthen Louisiana’s future.

Thank you to everyone who participated. Let’s keep the energy going from here.

02/19/2026

This is what it looks like to have a room full of people willing to put in the work!

Join us for FUEL Tank Pitch Competition this Tuesday, February 10th! GET YOUR TICKET HERE: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/...
02/08/2026

Join us for FUEL Tank Pitch Competition this Tuesday, February 10th!

GET YOUR TICKET HERE: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-energy-and-manufacturing-collider-tickets-1981430828948?aff=oddtdtcreator

This is a veteran-led, live pitch competition where companies present to a panel of industry leaders and investors. Founders receive direct feedback, increased visibility, and real exposure to potential partners and sources of capital.

FUEL Tank will be held within our Energy and Manufacturing Collider from 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM.

EMCEE: 🐙Landon Durr

OUR PANEL OF JUDGES:

• Destin Ortego - Opportunity Machine, Executive Director

• Brent Upshaw - Grind Ventures, GP

• John Roberts - Boot64, Managing Partner

• Stephen Loy - FUEL Director of Technology Commercialization

• Geoffrey Stewart - UL Lafayette LEED Center Director

OUR PITCH LINEUP:

1. Tom Barnett - NovaSpark, Strategic Innovation & Deployment Lead, US Army Retired Col

2. Jesse Stephens - A.R.C., CEO, US Marine Corps Veteran

3. Daryl Roy - SENTI FIBER/ STRUXION, Founder, US Army Veteran

4. Brandon Hotard MBA - AquaShield-X, CEO, US Marine Corps

5. James Hess - Unknown Cyber, CEO, US Marine Corps and US Army Veteran

6. Demilade Oloyede - AquaGuard, CEO, US Navy Veteran

7. Todd Buckman - Roadrunner Mobile Disaster Unit, CEO, US Army Ranger Veteran

We hope to see you there this Tuesday!

Tickets:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-energy-and-manufacturing-collider-tickets-1981430828948?aff=oddtdtcreator
Future Use of Energy in Louisiana Opportunity Machine University of Louisiana at Lafayette

LAFAYETTE ARE YOU READY? The agenda is officially set for the Energy and Manufacturing Collider this Tuesday, February 1...
02/08/2026

LAFAYETTE ARE YOU READY? The agenda is officially set for the Energy and Manufacturing Collider this Tuesday, February 10th.

GET YOUR TICKET HERE: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-energy-and-manufacturing-collider-tickets-1981430828948?aff=oddtdtcreator

1:00–1:05 PM

Welcome & framing for the day.

1:05–1:15 PM

FUEL: Four Corner Strategy for Founder’s with Girard Melancon, Ph.D. (Future Use of Energy in Louisiana)

1:15–2:05 PM

Panel 1: Future Use of Energy in Louisiana and Department of War

Emcee: Girard Melancon, Ph.D.

• Tom Barnett

• Christopher Allard

• Gerald Goodfellow

• David Katz

• Stewart Hamel

2:15–2:30 PM

Nathan Carmichael: A Founder Story, Carmichael's Honey

2:30–2:45 PM

Break.

2:45–3:45 PM

Panel 2: Energy Infrastructure, Reliability & Deployment

Emcee: Grant Rogers

• Scott Rogers

• Madeline Trudeau Kawanaka

• Doug Harvey

• Senator Michael "Big Mike" Fési

• Mark Zappi

• William H. McClendon IV

• Scotty Robinson

3:45–3:55 PM

Serving Those Who Served: Veteran Outreach in Louisiana with Larry Williams, MPA, PHR (Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs)

3:55–4:00 PM

Break before FUEL Tank Pitch Competition.

4:00–5:00 PM

FUEL Tank: Veteran Pitch Competition

Emcee: 🐙Landon Durr

Seven veteran-led companies pitch their solutions:

1. Tom Barnett

2. Jesse Stephens

3. Daryl Roy

4. Brandon Hotard MBA

5. James Hess

6. Demilade Oloyede

7. Todd Buckman

4:50 PM

Judges' Deliberation and Winners Announced.

5:00 PM

Event concludes.

We're looking forward to seeing you all there at 1 PM this Tuesday!



SkyRunner Future Use of Energy in Louisiana Carmichael's Honey LLC Metal Shark Boats Louisiana Economic Development Lumen Technologies Baker Hughes University of Louisiana at Lafayette

02/03/2026

Have you ever wondered what America's largest solar panel factory looks like?

This massive facility in New Iberia, Louisiana is so big you could fit 11 Super Domes inside it.

Just try to picture that for a second.

It's a solar manufacturing giant sitting on 55 acres under one single roof.

02/02/2026

If you want to see what's being built in Louisiana before everyone else does, join us February 10th at the Energy and Manufacturing Collider.

The core highlight is FUEL Tank. This is a live competition where companies pitch in front of industry leaders and investors. Founders get honest feedback, visibility, and a chance to connect with people who can actually help move their technology forward.

Don't miss out!
📍 LEED Center UL Lafayette
🗓 February 10, 2026
⏰ 1:00–5:00 PM

01/30/2026

Join us February 10, 2026 at ULL for the Energy and Manufacturing Collider!

We will bring together Louisiana energy and manufacturing companies, alongside founders, investors, and researchers for an afternoon focused on one simple goal: accelerating licensed IP that has dual-use capabilities.

01/22/2026

TEA matters. Techno Economic Assessments are how the Department of Energy separates promising research from ideas that can actually scale.

If taxpayers are funding innovation, it has to be feasible, adoptable, and commercially viable. That is where partnerships between researchers and industry come in and where groups like Louisiana State University can help turn strong concepts into real-world impact.

01/20/2026

Creating your own luck starts with what you already have.

Louisiana brings together veterans, researchers, and proven technology to move ideas from exposure to ex*****on. When innovation is proven, opportunity follows.

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1700 Oaklawn Drive
Monroe, LA
71201

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