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EAP celebrates two years of operation with Wall of Entrepreneurial Achievement unveiling

EAP marks two years of launching high-growth local startups

The Entrepreneurial Accelerator Program (EAP) celebrated its second year of operation and successful launch of local high-growth startups with the unveiling of the EAP Wall of Entrepreneurial Achievement.

The newly installed wall, located at Biomedical Research Foundation’s (BRF) InterTech 1 facility, 2031 Kings Highway in Shreveport, features 13 of EAP’s portfolio companies that have been established in Caddo Parish and completed a capital raise and/or received capital investment from local accredited investors.

“The companies we’re recognizing as we celebrate two years of helping entrepreneurs are those that have received EAP services, we’ve worked closely with to create good, high-paying jobs, that have solid business plans, good mentors and that are working to advance key milestones to continue growth and add to the local tax base and diversify Northwest Louisiana’s economy,” said Dave Smith, EAP Executive Director.

In two years, EAP, a BRF initiative and public/private partnership between BRF, the Caddo Parish Commission and the City of Shreveport, has screened 326 companies and provided services to 112.

The companies EAP has helped launch have created 76 local jobs.

“The City of Shreveport saw the need for EAP and has partnered with them since the program’s inception. It is important that we provide entrepreneurs the services they need to succeed locally,” said Jeff Everson, Shreveport City Councilman.

“In two years, EAP has gone above and beyond its original goals for the program and experienced great success in building Northwest Louisiana’s entrepreneurial ecosystem,” said John F. George, M.D., President and CEO of BRF. “We anticipate adding many more companies to the EAP wall in the coming years. Congratulations to these companies that have made the leap into entrepreneurship. We will continue to support them as they prosper here.”

EAP Wall of Entrepreneurial Achievement startups

CyberReef Solutions, Inc. – Hilton Nicholson, Founder

  • Technology company that makes machine-to-machine communication more secure

Embera NeuroTherapeutics, Inc. – Nicholas E. Goeders, Ph.D., Founder; Ross Barrett, Founder and Board Chairman; Robert Linke, Chief Executive Officer

  • Clinical stage pharmaceuticals company focused on smoking cessation, cocaine dependence and other addictions

EndoPRO Solutions – John Mark Provenza, M.D., President; Randy Rossi, Board Member and Medical Device Advisor

  • Medical technology company fighting obesity

Highly Favored Creations, LLC (PABS) – Dexter Blanch, Founder and Owner

  • Pet product company specializing in pet health and longevity

Innolyzer, LLC – John Chidlow, Ph.D., Founder and CEO; Kevin Pavlick, Founder and COO; Chris Kevil, Ph.D., Founder and Chief Scientific Advisor

  • Science technology company offering a “lab on a chip” concept that measures hydrogen sulfide

Lagniappe Labs – Ross Barrett; Brad Swearingen; Rod Taylor; Justin Byers; Michael Ostendorff; Joe Bartlett

  • Research company that takes the guess work out of determining the value of privately held companies

Mainspree – Dalton Dean, Founder; James Jezewski, Founder

  • E-commerce platform for small retailers using social media

Perceptive Intelligence/L.E.N.S.S. – Robert Fortune, Founder; Russel Sarpy, Founder

  • Law enforcement intelligence products, including LENSS, a law enforcement software networking solution, and training and consulting services focused on improving communication and collaboration between law enforcement agencies

Red River Brewing – Jared Beville, Founder; Robert McGuire, Founder; Beau Raines, Founder

  • Beer brewing company with a retail line of craft beers and local tap room

RNvention – Dawn and Wayne Nix, Founders

  • Medical device specification company developing products to improve care efficiencies

Segue Therapeutics, LLC – Jim Cardelli, Ph.D., Founder

  • Biotechnology company discovering and commercializing repurposed drugs for human medical conditions

SkyCoach, LLC – Keith Simpson, Founder

  • Software company aiding coaches in capturing and analyzing plays

Swaybox, LLC – Arthur Mintz, Founder; Theresa Andersson, Founder; Noah Scruggs, Founder; Chris Armand, Founder

  • Film and TV media technology studio that specializes in puppetry

About EAP

The Entrepreneurial Accelerator Program was created to diversify the regional economy, grow jobs and expand the area’s tax base by providing services to innovative startups that have high growth potential.

EAP analyzes the viability of ideas and products, matches them with informed investors and nurtures them through the critical steps toward market.

EAP provides a suite of services to build sustainable and profitable companies in northwest Louisiana while stimulating economic development and enhancing the regional innovation entrepreneurial ecosystem.