CEO Peer-to-Peer Learning Program Now Accepting Applications for 2022-23 Sessions

BATON ROUGE, La. – Louisiana Economic Development is now accepting applications for its 2022-23 CEO Roundtables series, the popular, yearlong program that provides a platform for leaders of second-stage companies to share insights and knowledge.

LED will select up to eight regional cohorts consisting of 15 to 18 qualified decision makers from companies with annual revenue of $600,000 to $50 million and staff sizes of five to 99 people. Five regional roundtables – in Alexandria, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, New Orleans and Shreveport – were convened in July 2021 and will conclude before the June 30 end of the fiscal year. The number and location of the 2022-23 roundtables will be based on the total qualified applicants in each region.

Beginning in July and continuing into the second quarter of 2023, LED will convene each regional group 10 times for roundtables of peer-to-peer learning, networking and sharing of best practices for accelerating growth. Seasoned facilitators will guide participants through topics such as problem-solving in marketing, strategic planning, organizational structure, cybersecurity and business continuity.

“LED’s CEO Roundtables program has proven to be one of our most popular offerings for small business,” LED Secretary Don Pierson said. “The roundtable sessions deliver a wide array of resources and support. Most importantly, they create an opportunity for small business leaders to share their experiences with other leaders. This invaluable collaboration provides leaders of growth-oriented small businesses with the confidence and the tools they need to get to the next level.”

Since 2014, CEO Roundtables have helped about 350 small business executives from a broad spectrum of industries – from manufacturing to health care, energy to agriculture, advertising to accounting, arts and entertainment to information technology, and everything in between.

“You can never quit learning in business,” said Tom Martin, CEO of Pod Pack International and a program alumnus. “The CEO Roundtable provided me the opportunity to step away from the day-to-day activities of running a business, so I could focus a half-day each month on thinking strategically and applying new skills and ideas to growing the business.”

Applications will be accepted through the end of March at OpportunityLouisiana.com/CEO-Roundtables. After the application period closes, LED-appointed regional vetting committees will review the applications and offer seats to ensure an optimal business mix in each region. For more information, contact LED Small Business Services Assistant Director Chris Cassagne at Christopher.Cassagne@la.gov or  225.342.5582.