Albert Lepage Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Pitch Friday Finalists

The Albert Lepage Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Freeman School of Business brings together scholars, inventors, investors and students to solve problems and build businesses.

In all that we do, we strive to follow the guiding principles of Albert Lepage, whose gift made the Lepage Center possible.

“There is a real need for research in the best practices of entrepreneurship and growing a business. But it is also important to bring that expertise back into the wider community — both the under-served and well-served — to help entrepreneurs and innovators in New Orleans and the Gulf South achieve their goals and thrive.” - Albert Lepage

What We Do

The Lepage Center offers programs and resources geared toward the entire Tulane community, including faculty, staff, students and alumni both within Freeman and across campus. The Lepage Center offers a comprehensive ecosystem supporting Tulane’s entrepreneurial talent such as the student venture incubator for venture development, Innovators-in-Residence for mentorship, networking events with entrepreneurs and investors, and more.

Curricular

The Freeman School of Business provides exceptional entrepreneurship education and immersive student venture development opportunities. Students can earn a minor in Entrepreneurial Business which includes experiential coursework focused on core concepts and real-world application.

Signature offerings like the two-semester Student Venture Accelerator course allow students to take an entrepreneurial idea from inception to launch. Guided by faculty and mentors, students gain first-hand experience in opportunity assessment, business model development, venture planning, and go-to-market strategies.

With dedicated entrepreneurship education and experiential learning in venture creation, the Freeman School equips Tulane students to put their ideas into action. Students graduate ready to innovate, lead new ventures, and make an impact as entrepreneurial thinkers.

Extracurricular

The Lepage Center provides venture support and mentorship resources for Tulane's student entrepreneurs across all disciplines. Pitch competitions, like Pitch Fridays allow student startups to showcase their ventures and receive funding and feedback.

The Student Venture Incubator offers a collaborative workspace with tools, resources, and guidance to develop and launch student ventures. Spark Hours provide peer mentorship for students to hone their ideas and business models with Lepage Fellows. Students also gain invaluable expertise through accomplished Innovators-in-Residence and mentors.

First year students can join the Ignite Residential Learning Community to gain an entrepreneurial mindset through experiential learning and coursework. The Ignite RLC provides behind-the-scenes access to New Orleans' entrepreneurial ecosystem and startup community.

With a robust lineup of programs focused on real-world application, the Lepage Center empowers Tulane students to turn entrepreneurial ideas into impactful new ventures. Offerings equip students with first-hand experience in opportunity assessment, business model development, venture planning, and go-to-market strategies. The Lepage Center fosters the next generation of innovators, readying students to graduate as entrepreneurial thinkers able to put ideas into action.

Nationally, we host the Tulane Business Model Competition, one of the premier student venture competitions in the country, offering one of the largest all cash prizes of $125,000 spread across the top 3 finalist ventures. The competition draws aspiring student entrepreneurs from colleges and universities across the country to pitch their businesses, gain visibility, and win funding.

Community Engagement

The Lepage Center extends Tulane's entrepreneurial mission into the Greater New Orleans and Gulf South regions. Through our extensive network, we facilitate connections between local entrepreneurs and accomplished advisors to receive expertise in launching, operating, and expanding ventures. The Lepage Center also produces the Greater New Orleans Startup Report, a comprehensive benchmarking of the regional entrepreneurial ecosystem. With programs tailored to local entrepreneurs, Tulane supports an equitable, thriving innovation economy in New Orleans and the surrounding region.

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