Louisiana Small Business Awards 2023 Celebrates Entrepreneurial Resilience and Diversity, Baton Rouge Leaders Honored

All products recommended by Bizreport are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Louisiana Small Business Awards 2023 Celebrates Entrepreneurial Resilience and Diversity, Baton Rouge Leaders Honored (1)

The Louisiana Capitol Park Museum was abuzz last week as the Louisiana Economic Development (LED) and the U.S. Small Business Administration honored business owners and supporters at the 2023 Louisiana Small Business Awards ceremony. The event celebrated the entrepreneurial resilience and diversity that drives the state’s economy, with a special focus on four Baton Rouge business leaders recognized for their entrepreneurial excellence.

LED Secretary Don Pierson’s Gratitude

LED Secretary Don Pierson expressed his gratitude to the small business owners, stating in a prepared statement that the awards honored people who “exemplify Louisiana’s entrepreneurial resilience.” In 2022, LED and the Louisiana Small Business Development Center Network served 15,786 small businesses and individuals, resulting in 1,047 new jobs, 1,460 retained jobs, and the launch of 160 new businesses representing over $97 million in capital formation.

Baton Rouge Award Recipients

The Baton Rouge award recipients included Craig Stevens, founder of Genesis 360, who was named Veteran Small Business Champion; Ada Womack-Bell, director of the Louisiana Small Business Development Center at Southern University, who received the SBDC Excellence & Innovation Center Award; Sherilyn Hayward, owner of Leroy’s Lipsmack’n Lemonade, who was honored as the LED Small and Emerging Business of the Year; and Lakeisha Robichaux, CEO of Chief of Minds, who won the LED Outstanding Small and Emerging Business Development Graduate Award.

Governor John Bel Edwards’ Acknowledgment

Governor John Bel Edwards acknowledged the challenges faced by businesses in recent years in a video address, saying, “Sustaining business stability and growth has never been more challenging than in these last few years.” He congratulated the Small Business Award recipients for their skill, determination, resourcefulness, and optimism, which embody the best of Louisiana’s business community.

Highlighting the Importance of Small Businesses

The awards ceremony highlighted the vital role small businesses play in Louisiana’s economy and the importance of supporting their growth and success, with a special emphasis on the achievements of Baton Rouge’s entrepreneurial leaders

Share:
Share

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Chinonso Dioha
Chinonso Dioha, MBA
Business Advisor & Analyst
Chinonso Dioha is a highly-skilled professional SEO article writer, data analyst, and web content specialist with over 3+ years of experience writing viral articles, SEO articles, blog posts, marketing articles, health articles, and financial articles. He possesses thorough expertise in high-quality research, meeting and surpassing editorial objectives, and delivering high-quality service. Specialities include metaverse, e-commerce, technology, business, call-to-action, buying guides, how-to – articles, product reviews, sales and lots more.

ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Kristina Knight-1
Kristina Knight, Journalist , BA
Content Writer & Editor
linkedin
Kristina Knight is a freelance writer with more than 15 years of experience writing on varied topics. Kristina’s focus for the past 10 years has been the small business, online marketing, and banking sectors, however, she keeps things interesting by writing about her experiences as an adoptive mom, parenting, and education issues. Kristina’s work has appeared with BizReport.com, NBC News, Soaps.com, DisasterNewsNetwork, and many more publications.

+ 3 sources

Bizreport Advisor adheres to strict editorial integrity standards avoids using tertiary references. We have strict sourcing guidelines and rely on peer-reviewed studies, academic research. To ensure the accuracy of articles in Bizreport, you can read more about the editorial process here.

  1. 2023 Louisiana Small Business Award Winners Honored at Capitol Park Ceremony. www.opportunitylouisiana.gov. Published May 4, 2023. Accessed May 12, 2023. https://www.opportunitylouisiana.gov/led-news/news-releases/news/2023/05/04/2023-louisiana-small-business-award-winners-honored-at-capitol-park-ceremony
  2. Narveson DB. Four Baton Rouge small business leaders honored with awards. Baton Rouge Business Report. Published May 11, 2023. Accessed May 12, 2023. https://www.businessreport.com/business/four-baton-rouge-small-business-leaders-honored-with-awards
  3. Gov. John Bel Edwards delivers his last “state of the state” address. KATC News. Published April 10, 2023. Accessed May 12, 2023. https://www.katc.com/news/covering-louisiana/gov-john-bel-edwards-delivers-his-last-state-of-the-state-address