CEO Peer-to-Peer Learning Program Now Accepting Applications for 2023-24 Sessions

BATON ROUGE, La. – Louisiana Economic Development is now accepting applications for its 2023-24 CEO Roundtables series, the popular, yearlong program that provides a platform for leaders of second-stage companies to share insights and knowledge.

LED will select up to eight regional cohorts consisting of 15 to 18 qualified decision makers from companies that typically have annual sales of $600,000 to $50 million and employ five to 99 people. Four regional roundtables – in Baton Rouge, Lafayette, New Orleans and Shreveport – were convened in July 2022 and will conclude before the June 30 end of the fiscal year. The locations of the 2023-24 roundtables will be based on the number of qualified applicants in each region.

Beginning in July 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.

“LED’s CEO Roundtables program has demonstrated a high success rate in helping Louisiana small business owners gain valuable information from experienced peers,” LED Secretary Don Pierson said. “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. 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 nearly 500 small business executives from a broad spectrum of industries – from manufacturing to health care, energy to agriculture, advertising to accounting, arts and entertainment to information technology, and everything in between. Throughout the past eight years, participating companies have reported a combined 2,373 jobs created following completion of the program.

“The commitment I made to the CEO Roundtable Program was the best investment of my time,” said Dan Ducote, CEO of Enginuity Global. “Managing a business is difficult, but having 15 to 18 other CEO’s sharing their experiences and knowledge across multiple industries far exceeded my expectations. When you make the decision to give this program 100 percent of your attention, the returns to you and your organization are tremendous.”

Applications will be accepted through the end of March at OpportunityLouisiana.com/CEO-Roundtables. After the application period closes, LED-appointed regional vetting committees will review the applications and offer seats to ensure an optimal business mix in each region.

For more information, contact LED Small Business Program Manager Taylor Boudreaux at Taylor.Boudreaux@la.gov or 225-342-4680.