The recipient entity's physical address:
           7117 Florida Blvd
Baton Rouge, LA 70806

The recipient entity's mailing address (if different):
           7117 Florida Blvd
Baton Rouge, LA 70806

Type of Entity (for instance, a nonprofit corporation):  Non-Profit Corporation

If the entity is a corporation, list the names of the incorporators:
          

The last four digits of the entity's taxpayer ID number:  7281

What is the dollar amount of the request?  $60,000

What type of request is this?  General Appropriation

Is this entity in good standing with the Secretary of State?  Yes

Provide the name of each member of the recipient entity's governing board and officers:
           PRESIDENT & CEO:
Genevieve Silverman
3119 Harrells Lane Dr
Baton Rouge, LA 70816

KEY PERSONNEL:
Wendy Overton
12334 Astolat Ave
Baton Rouge, LA 70816

DIRECTORS:
Chairman: Calvin Mills, Jr. (designee of Hon. Sharon Weston Broome, Mayor-President of the City of Baton Rouge and the Parish of East Baton Rouge)
CMC Technology Consulting
P.O. Box 83781
Baton Rouge, LA 70884

Vice Chairman: Dr. Michael Stubblefield (designee of Chancellor Ray Belton)
Southern University
730 Harding Boulevard
P.O. Box 9272
Baton Rouge, LA 70813

Treasurer: Dr. James Chappell (designee of Sec. Don Pierson)
Department of Economic Development, State Economic Competitiveness
617 N. Third Street, 11th Floor
Baton Rouge, LA 70802

Secretary: Mr. Isaac Thomas
7534 Chablis Court
Baton Rouge, LA 70817

Mr. Edmund J. Giering, IV
General Counsel
Baton Rouge Area Foundation
100 North Street, Suite # 900
Baton Rouge, LA 70802

Mr. Quentin L. Messer Jr.
President & CEO
New Orleans Business Alliance
935 Gravier Street, Suite 2020
New Orleans, LA 70112

Ms. Anita Tillman
3112 Keithway Drive
Harvey, LA 70058

Mr. Jerry W. Jones, Jr.
Executive Director, BRNEDD
616 Harding Blvd.
Baton Rouge, LA 70807

Ms. Barbra Barnett
Stone Pigman
909 Poydras St., Suite 3150
New Orleans, LA 70112

Ms. Stephanie Cargile
ExxonMobil
3329 Scenic Hwy
Baton Rouge, LA 70807

Dr. Stacia Haynie (desginee of King Alexander)
LSU 156 Thomas Boyd Hall
Baton Rouge, LA 70801

Mo Vij
CEO, General Informatics
One Smart Way
Baton Rouge, LA 70810

Provide a summary of the project or program:
           Now in its 5th year, the BizTech Challenge is a program created by NexusLA (trade name of Research Park Corporation) in 2016 to foster STEM-based entrepreneurship on the campuses of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (“HBCUs”) by providing students and faculty an opportunity to learn about the process of creating a STEM-based business. Students learn about the customer discovery process through two day-long workshops and weekly seminars as part of a summer intensive program called BizTech Fellows (created in 2019). The Fellows program is delivered by NexusLA and LSU’s Office of Innovation and Technology Commercialization, through the National Science Foundation’s iCorps program for tech commercialization. The entrepreneurship journey continues in the fall as all students are invited to create a pitch presentation to present their tech idea and business model to a panel of judges at the BizTech Challenge showcase event in New Orleans. The Challenge program challenges the students to work in multi-disciplinary teams of business and STEM majors to demonstrate the business model and market viability of their concept. Throughout both program phases, students are connected to mentors, industry professionals and investors to provide coaching and feedback as they develop their projects. Students completing the program are offered follow-on assistance by the NexusLA team to further develop their entrepreneurial aspirations and commercialize their ideas.

The BizTech Challenge & Fellows programs support high-potential HBCU-enrolled students throughout the state of Louisiana, in the fields of entrepreneurship, innovation and professional growth. Participants in the program must be students currently enrolled at a Historically Black College or University (“HBCU”), or a Predominantly Black Institution (“PBI”). Students enrolling in the BizTech Fellows program may register individually, but students entering the BizTech Challenge pitch competition are required to form multi-disciplinary teams of 3-5 students, with at least one business or law major, and at least one STEM major. Over the last 4 years the program has engaged student teams from all six HBCUs in Louisiana.
Louisiana has the second largest percentage of minority residents in the United States at 38%. Yet, only 6% of Louisiana businesses are owned by minorities and the percentage is significantly lower when looking specifically at STEM-related businesses. The statistics are similar when examining the percentage of minorities employed in STEM fields. This program is designed to provide support for diverse student populations to launch and grow businesses or enter STEM career pathways. Historically Black Colleges and Universities play an important role in the educational community, and this program augments the limited resources within HBCUs to provide support for minority entrepreneurship via hands-on learning and mentorship programs while students are in school.

What is the budget relative to the project for which funding is requested?:
          Salaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . $84,000
          Professional Services. . . $3,500
          Contracts . . . . . . . . . . . $0
          Acquisitions . . . . . . . . . $0
          Major Repairs . . . . . . . $0
          Operating Services. . . . $29,350
          Other Charges. . . . . . . $0

Does your organization have any outstanding audit issues or findings?  No

If 'Yes' is your organization working with the appropriate governmental agencies to resolve those issues or findings?
          

What is the entity's public purpose, sought to be achieved through the use of state monies?
          The organization's state statute charges it with the purpose of promoting the development of high-tech industry and research in the state of Louisiana. The organization is also charged with promoting and assisting institutions of higher education under the management of the Board of Supervisors of Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College and the Board of Supervisors of Southern University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in the field of research and development. This project works with Southern University, among other HBCUs, to foster the development and commercialization of innovative technology and assist in the creation of new tech-based businesses, bringing employment and wealth to the State of Louisiana.

What are the goals and objectives for achieving such purpose?
          The primary goal of these programs is to create a system of support, mentorship, connections and learning to help diverse student populations launch and grow successful tech-based businesses while they are still in school or upon graduation. By connecting these students to resources via a collaboration between our state’s HBCUs, our state’s Research 1 flagship university, LSU, and the entrepreneur, investor and mentor networks of NexusLA, we believe we can make it easier for these entrepreneurs to commercialize technology and grow business and jobs for the state.
The secondary goal of the program is professional growth of the students served. Students learn how to work as a team, how to create a revenue-generating business model for technology concepts, and build presentation skills, resume elements, and LinkedIn profiles to stand out to employers, investors, and business partners. These skills are applicable to any future career pathway, from launching a new business to developing a new product line at a Fortune 500 company.
We track the following activity metrics:
• Number of students registered for and completing the Fellows and Challenge programs
• Number of mentors, advisors, judges, coaches and professors providing guidance to participants
We also conduct pre and post surveys of participants to measure student learning and overall program impact:
• Comfort level and knowledge level as it pertains to starting a business
• Increase in specific skills levels, such as working as a team, creating a business model, and delivering a presentation
• Each team is also asked to present a “Lessons Learned” presentation, reflecting their original business model hypothesis, how it shifted over the course of the program, and what they learned.
• Each Fellow is also asked to write an essay to personally reflect on what he or she learned.

What is the proposed length of time estimated by the entity to accomplish the purpose?
           12 months

If any elected or appointed state official or an immediate family member of such an official is an officer, director, trustee, or employee of the recipient entity who receives compensation or holds any ownership interest therein:
     (a) If an elected or appointed state official, the name and address of the official and the office held by such person:
                
    
     (b) If an immediate family member of an elected or appointed state official, the name and address of such person; the name, address, and office of the official to whom the person is related; and the nature of the relationship:
                

     (c) The percentage of the official's or immediate family member's ownership interest in the recipient entity, if any:
                

     (d) The position, if any, held by the official or immediate family member in the recipient entity:
                 

If the recipient entity has a contract with any elected or appointed state official or an immediate family member of such an official or with the state or any political subdivision of the state:
(a) If the contract is with an elected or appointed state official, provide the name and address of the official and the office held by such person: 
               

(b) If the contract is with an immediate family member of an elected or appointed state official:
          Provide the name and address of such person:
              

          Provide the name, address, and office of the official to whom the person is related:
               

          What is the nature of the relationship? 

(c) If the contract is with the state or a political subdivision of the state, provide the name and address of the state entity or political subdivision of the state:
                 Research Park Corporation has a Professional Services Contract with the Louisiana Workforce Commission, 1001 N. 23rd St., Baton Rouge, LA 70802

(d) The nature of the contract, including a description of the goods or services provided or to be provided pursuant to the contract:
               The Professional Services Contract with Louisiana Workforce Commission is to run an IT apprenticeship program, to provide workforce training to individuals to fill technology jobs at Louisiana employers.


Contact Information
name:  Genevieve Silverman 
                                       address:  3119 Harrells Lane Dr
                                       phone:  (225) 215-0087
                                       fax: 
                                       e-mail:  gen@nexusla.org
                                       relationship to entity:  CEO