When I was a kid, all of my friends wanted to grow up to be lawyers, doctors, astronauts, and ballerinas. I wanted to be an entrepreneur. From as early as 9 years old I remember starting companies, door knocking for sales, learning how to write proposals, and creating marketing materials. 

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By high school, I was already discouraged at the idea of being a Founder in Louisiana. I would regularly hear people tell me that being an entrepreneur just meant I would always be broke, living with my parents, and I'd probably end up just working at Walmart (I heard them all). So at 18 years old I left the city I grew up in to look for something better. And while I found massive opportunities, I never found the community. 

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In 2020, I temporarily moved back to Baton Rouge with the idea of leaving as soon as the pandemic slowed down. It was during that year that my friend, Joshua Anderson, invited me to attend an entrepreneurship conference. I can't describe what I felt leaving that room.

 

I felt seen for the first time in my hometown. 

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From that one event, I leaned in, poured into the ecosystem, and built invaluable connections that are allowing me to live my childhood entrepreneurial dreams right here in my city.

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I'm forever grateful for that event and the community behind it. Now I'm so incredibly honored to add to all the incredible things happening in our city for entrepreneurs with Founders Fest. 

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