Casey O’Banion has been tapped to lead the Young Entrepreneurs Academy of Baton Rouge, a program that offers high school students a unique opportunity to launch their own businesses over the course of an academic year.
O’Banion, a published author who teaches creative writing at LSU, most recently served as director of entrepreneurship at the Baton Rouge Area Chamber. He takes the reins from YEA BR founder Deborah Sternberg, who is moving to New York to be closer to family.
Daily Report sat down with O’Banion to learn more about his vision for the program. This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
What drew you to YEA BR?
I’m not originally from Baton Rouge. I came down here originally for college, and my wife and I decided to move back around 2016. We had opportunities elsewhere in different towns and cities, and whenever an opportunity came up outside of Baton Rouge, we looked at what Baton Rouge really had to offer. And one of the biggest things for us was really the size of Baton Rouge. It’s small enough that you can really make a difference, but it’s big enough that the difference you make is going to matter over time across the state and across the country.
I think YEA is one of those things that really adds to that and adds to what makes Baton Rouge Baton Rouge. It’s such an impactful organization not just within Baton Rouge but also within the entire Capital Region. The schools we focus on in YEA are not just private, not just public. We have charter schools and homeschooling organizations that are involved with us. Everyone is welcome here. It’s an opportunity to meet and impact every single kind of growing entrepreneur.
In what ways do you think your role at BRAC prepared you for your new role?
I’ve never actually owned a business. I’ve never been an entrepreneur. I would usually lead with that at the chamber. I would tell entrepreneurs, “Look, I don’t actually know the pain points you might go through, but I can help you in so many different ways with connections or pointing you in the right direction.” Connecting the dots, basically. What I really tried to do was develop an entrepreneurial ecosystem of people who have different ideas but are facing the same struggles. I tried to get them talking and helping each other.
I think that’s really one of the most valuable components of YEA. These entrepreneurs aren’t just developing an idea and gaining practical skills; they’re also learning the soft skills of working with each other. “Hey, this person has a completely different idea than I have, but maybe their launch could be the same or maybe their hiring or maybe their marketing.” There are so many different pieces that go into it and so many different opportunities to learn and collaborate with other people within YEA. I think that’s such a huge part of entrepreneurship and just business and life in general.
Are there any changes or new initiatives that you plan to implement?
My main focus is going to be unlocking the potential of these entrepreneurs. I think YEA has done that in the past, but I just want to make sure they understand and appreciate the practical, hands-on experience they’re getting.
I also want to make sure the local business community and our partners and stakeholders in the area feel like they’re being heard and have opportunities to give back. YEA has so many different opportunities for that, whether it’s through mentorship, graphic design, speaking or field trips. We wouldn’t exist without funding from the community, and we have so many different ways for people to get involved. The more our young entrepreneurs get to hear stories from the local people who have gone through this in their own town, the better.
When your hiring was announced, YEA BR said one of your main focus areas was going to be “deepening educational impact.” What does that mean to you?
There’s a push across the country right now to make high school more of a technical atmosphere, more of a business-connected atmosphere. Walker High School, just as an example, is a school where businesses are impacting the classroom. There are graphic design students, for instance, who are designing shirts that marketing students are then marketing, and then they’re selling them in a shop on campus. I want to see some of that outside of school, which is what YEA offers. I think we have the opportunity to make a big educational impact as far as that’s concerned.
The deadline to apply for YEA BR’s next cohort is Sunday, Aug. 17. Graduates qualify for three credit hours from the LSU E.J. Ourso College of Business. Learn more and apply here.
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