After seven years of encouraging students and community members to achieve success, Louisiana Looking Up 2011 brought together well-known businessmen and women and aspiring entrepreneurs at the Lod Cook Alumni Center on Thursday.
The LSU Flores MBA Alumni Association – Louisiana Chapter and the E. J. Ourso College of Business hosted seven speakers and more than 200 attendees.
Under the annual theme “Celebration of Entrepreneurship in Louisiana,” the event sought to accentuate Louisiana’s positive business news, serve as a venue to exchange business ideas and provide a premier networking opportunity.
This year’s speakers and panelists included Chancellor Michael Martin; president and CEO of Waste Management David Steiner; Raising Cane’s president and founder Todd Graves; president of Louisiana Industry for Film and Entertainment Patrick Mulhearn; president and CEO of Community Coffee Company Matthew Saurage; president, CEO, and co-founder of Trace Security Peter Stewart; and president and CEO of Baton Rouge Area Chamber Adam Knapp.
Each presenter spoke for about 20 minutes, followed by a question-and-answer session.
Timothy Rodrigue, assistant director for Alumni and External Relations for the College of Business, said this year’s speakers are an exceptional group.
“Speakers are a combination of people who we think will be interesting to hear success stories from and who we want to get to know,” Rodrigue said. “These are definitely people who have, for the most part, had life lessons along the way that put them on the path to where they are good.” Steiner said.
Graves, who brought along Cane, his restaurant’s namesake, developed his business plan in a University class. He said his success comes from the authenticity of the food and his fanaticism to Raising Cane’s work.
“We are a Louisiana success story,” Graves said. “We started at LSU. Anything that has LSU, business and entrepreneurship, we are happy to be a part of it. We hope to help people pick up a few good points to be a good business now and work to be a good business in the be.”
 
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Contact Morgan Searles at [email protected]