Shreveport-Bossier City, LA — The Louisiana Startup Prize is scheduled to host their final Qualifying Event of 2016 this weekend (June 10-12). New to this event, the Louisiana Startup Prize together with the The Entrepreneurial Accelerator Program have coordinated to bring the heads of all of Louisiana’s angel investor networks to one location for the Startup Prize’s Final Qualifying event. The group, with representatives from the New Orleans Angel Network, Angels of Southwest Louisiana, Innov8 Acadiana and investors from Baton Rouge, Monroe and Lafayette, represent approximately 300 accredited angel investors.

“To have the heads of all of these angel groups together as a resource for our area’s entrepreneurs is unprecedented. This is an incredible resource for our startups,” said Dave Smith, Entrepreneurial Accelerator Program Executive Director. “Where else could you get this kind of access to accredited investors?”

The angel representatives are a part of Saturday’s Angel Investor Super Summit, where entrepreneurs will hear from actual investors what they’re looking for when considering an investment in a startup.

Angels will be on hand to explain how their respective funds work, common pitfalls that lead to startup failure, how to achieve success and what entrepreneurs should consider before moving forward with their ideas.

Entrepreneurial mentors, marketing experts, and accelerator gurus from across the country — Washington D.C., New Orleans, and Memphis — are venturing to Shreveport, Louisiana, to provide mentoring to our entrepreneurs for the final qualifying event. This gives the entrepreneurs participating, the opportunity to network with successful entrepreneurs from all over the nation, as well as provide the guidance necessary for professional development.

“It’s amazing to see how far the Louisiana Startup Prize has progressed in three short years,” said Gregory Kallenberg, Executive Director of the Startup Prize. “We are now the place to be if you’re an entrepreneur wanting to find knowledge and investment. We are also becoming the place for investors to find some of the best startup investments in the country.”

The Louisiana Startup Prize is an educational and competitive event featuring a $75,000

grand prize in cash and professional consulting services with the purpose to energize and incentivize local, regional and national entrepreneurs who are in the early stages of developing a new business or want to start one. The goal of the startup competition is to evolve businesses through a series of Qualifying Events consisting of these various keynotes, panels, mentor sessions, and $500 mini-competitions. In addition to the grand prize, participants and their businesses gain exposure to potential investors.