Louisiana Economic Development is calling on CEOs and top executives to apply for their 2025 CEO Roundtables. The program, aimed at empowering leaders of second-stage companies, is accepting applications until March 31, 2025, according to the Louisiana Economic Development announcement the organization made recently.
The CEO Roundtables bring together business leaders across a spectrum of industries, like manufacturing, healthcare, and IT to engage in discussions about marketing, strategy, and more. Louisiana Economic Development's Josh Fleig highlighted the program's success, stating, "The CEO Roundtable program has supported over 600 companies since inception, driving job creation and business growth across Louisiana leading to a $9 return for every dollar spent on the program," in a statement obtained by Louisiana Economic Development. Participants, especially those seeking to expand their market reach beyond the state, can find significant value in the program.
Graduates from the program become part of the Louisiana Growth Network, a group of nearly 800 businesses that collectively generate $4.6 billion in sales and provide jobs to more than 24,500 employees. Former CEO Roundtable participant Dan Ducote cited the program as transformative, saying, "The experience provided invaluable insights from 15 other CEOs facing similar challenges. Additionally, it outlined a well-structured approach for positioning my business for sale." Louisiana Economic Development's selection process is set to include up to eight regional cohorts, each with 15 to 18 business leaders, with the criterion focusing on companies making $600,000 to $50 million in annual revenue, and staffed by five to 99 employees.
Once applications close, Louisiana Economic Development will organize regional vetting committees to review the submissions and form the CEO Roundtable cohorts, ensuring diversity and an optimal business mix in each group. For key decision-makers looking to develop their strategies and collaborate with peers, the CEO Roundtables offer a strategic opportunity for growth. Interested candidates can apply through OpportunityLouisiana.com's CEO-Roundtables section, where the locations of the 2025-2026 CEO Roundtables will ultimately be decided based on the number of, qualified applicants in each region.
