Event to offer information, networking and inspiration for area entrepreneurs
Houma, La. February 12, 2015 - Area economic developers, education leaders, industrial leaders and others today announced the dates of SPARKFEST, a two-day event focused on providing resources and information to area entrepreneurs. Day one of the event will be tailored to area high schoolers enrolled in career and technical training as part of Jump Start curriculum, a career pathway designed to equip area high school students with work-ready skills. Sessions are designed to provide a practical look at the process of starting and operating a business across some of the area's key industries such as welding, plumbing, electrical, personal services and others. Day two will offer opportunities for the general public to tap into the knowledge of working entrepreneurs across a wide variety of industries such as: oil-and-gas service industries, retail, restaurants, technology, professional services and more. Sessions will also include practical "how-to" business sessions sessions with titles like, "Garage-Based Businesses. What to Do When Your Mom Makes You Move." or "Automation and Technology You Just Gotta Have." The event is designed to provide practical, hands-on information to support the growth of entrepreneurship in the region. According to Terrebonne Parish President, Michel Claudet, "Our region was just ranked as the 18th best-performing in the nation by the prestigious Milken Institute, just one of many economic accolades attributed to our region lately. A big part of that can be traced back to a culture of entrepreneurship that is the backbone of innovation and jobs growth in our area. SPARKFEST is designed to capture and nurture that entrepreneurial culture even further, and we are so pleased to be a part of this important event." More information will be available at www.spark-fest.com or by calling Katherine Gilbert-Theriot, SPARKFEST Chairperson at 985.873.6890. About SPARKFEST SparkFest is being coordinated by Terrebonne Parish Consolidated Government with assistance by Terrebonne Economic Development Foundation, a nonprofit economic development organization, as well as local and regional business and industry.

Additional Information

• Original Press Release