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Meredith Waguespack builds a brand
With a goal in mind of organically expanding her customer base, Meredith Waguespack—owner of the nine-year-old lifestyle T-shirt brand Sweet Baton Rouge—has tapped into...
Entrepreneur: Mike Juneau & Jason Engen
BLUEPRINT PLANS
Growing up in a family of developers, Mike Juneau fondly recalls trekking through construction sites alongside his father and aspiring to go into...
Executive Spotlight: Todd Foust
Position: Founder and CEO
Company: The Foust Group
Age: 51
Family: Wife, Stephanie, and four children: Madison, Caroline, Gabrielle and Andrew
Hometown: Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Education: Marketing degree from LSU
In the...
Franchisee: John Schexnaildre
Garage Experts of Baton Rouge
Port Allen
Based in Anaheim, California, Garage Experts began franchising in 2008 and has since expanded to more than 80 locations....
Entrepreneur: Damien Mitchell
EARLY SKETCHES
Growing up in Rayne, Damien Mitchell began making things at a young age, often things his parents wouldn’t buy him. When they wouldn’t...
Executive Spotlight: Bryan Naquin
Position: President and CEO
Company: Acadian Home Theater & Automation
Age: 42
Family: Wife, Stacey, and son, Cade (20)
Hometown: Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Education: Attended high school (didn't graduate)
In the...
Entrepreneur: Derrick and Tessa Holloway
OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS
In 2005, Tessa and Derrick Holloway were confronted with a not-so-uncommon problem: They needed to find an early childhood development center for their...
Executive Spotlight: Chris Van Pelt
Position: Owner
Company: M&M Glass Company
Age: 54
Family: Wife, Penny Van Pelt, and two children: Caleb and Madeline
Hometown: New Orleans, Louisiana
Education: Attended LSU
In the news:
Since its...
Entrepreneur: Andrea Leyerle
JUST A SPOONFUL
Nine years ago, Andrea Leyerle was a stay-at-home mother of three young children who was interested in living a more self-sufficient lifestyle....
Executive Spotlight: David Facey
Position: CEO and president
Company: SellSwipe Inc.
Age: 28
Family: Father of two, Naomi, 9, and Ahren, 5
Hometown: Chicago
Education: Baton Rouge Magnet High School; B.S. in Finance from...
Entrepreneur: Brenda Goff
SEEDS
Brenda Goff got her first taste of the garden industry while working at a local nursery for four years. While she enjoyed assisting amateur...
Executive Spotlight: Scot Guidry
Position: Manager and principal
Company: Derbes Falgoust Commercial Real Estate
Age: 54
Family: Wife, Sandy, and two children, Berton and Hadley
Hometown: Baton Rouge
Education: LSU
In the news:
In January, commercial real...
Entrepreneur: Paul and Michael Mladenka
PREP WORK
Paul Mladenka has been around food preparation since he was tall enough to stand at the kitchen counter with his mom. “Being in...
Executive Spotlight: Scott Taylor
Position: President and COO
Company: Walk-On's Enterprises
Age: 55
Family: Wife, Michelle, and two children: Clay (15) and Savannah (13)
Hometown: Virginia Beach, Virginia
Education: Bachelor's degree in technical writing/English from...
Entrepreneur: Trent Luecke and Chris Fairley
ATHLETIC AMBITIONS
For as long as he can remember, Chris Fairley has always been involved in something athletic. From playing collegiate soccer and serving in...
Executive Spotlight: Shawn Usher
Position: President and CEO
Company: Sparkhound
Age: 50
Family: Wife, Jennifer, and four children: James, Mary Elizabeth and Aimee
Hometown: Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Education: LSU; bachelor's degree in Quantitative Business Analysis...
Entrepreneur: Jeff Herman
SWEET EPIPHANY
A Sunday morning sweet tooth in 2011 turned Jeff Herman from an aspiring entrepreneur into a purveyor of some of Baton Rouge’s most...
Executive Spotlight: Brian Nizzo
Position: Vice president-Chief lending officer
Company: First American Bank
Age: 35
Family: Wife, Brittney, and two daughters: Caroline, 9, and Lucy, 4
Hometown: Donaldsonville, Louisiana
Education: Marketing and banking degrees from...
Entrepreneur: Clyde Bass
GOING ELECTRIC
Clyde Bass has been lighting up restaurants, movie sets and businesses in the Baton Rouge area for nearly a decade. As the owner...
Executive Spotlight: Trey Beall
Position: President
Company: Gulf Coast Office Products
Age: 52
Family: Wife, Shelly, and two daughters, Brianna and Londyn
Hometown: Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Education: Bachelor's degree from LSU (general studies major, psychology minor)
In...
