Six StartupBuses, including the Louisiana StartupBus, rolled into Baton Rouge on Wednesday night for a welcome party at the Varsity Theatre.
The StartupBuses carry entrepreneurs from all over the country in technology-packed buses, according to a Baton Rouge Area Chamber news release.
There are 11 buses touring the country, the release said. The bus passengers are competing in an entrepreneurial competition where six groups per bus create a startup company during three days on the road.
The start-up businesses launch when the buses arrive in Austin for South by Southwest.
“The vision is to empower the people that create change in the world and who can disrupt the status quo,” the release said.
Terry Jones, managing director of the Regional Innovation Organization and Louisiana StartupBus conductor, described the competition as “25 entrepreneurs on a bus traveling 60 miles per hour, and they have 72 hours to create, build and launch a start-up.”
“They literally get on board and pitch their ideas,” Jones said.
The Louisiana bus is carrying passengers from all over the state, as well as a few entrepreneurs from Chicago, Arkansas and Silicon Valley, Jones said. The start-ups range in function from changing the way Twitter is used to changing consumer behavior.
Jones said about 180 entrepreneurs/passengers attended the Varsity meet-up.
The Louisiana bus has been traveling across the state over the past two days, and after the stop at the Varsity it will head to Austin for the South by Southwest competition.
 
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Contact Emily Herrington at [email protected]