Nexus Louisiana Announces Ignition 2.0 Cohort

BATON ROUGE – Ignition 2.0 puts local founders on the path to commercializing their products.

Ignition 2.0 is a nine-week, in-person program designed to help companies commercialize their products, ending with a Demo Day at the Goodwood Library on Wednesday, May 25. All participants will be invited to pitch, and the winner will receive a $10,000 investment courtesy of Innovation Catalyst. Participants are paired with one other company, and together they share a mentor, providing opportunities for peer learning and facilitating relationships with prominent local business figures.

“It’s not just about the curriculum or what’s being taught; it’s also about networking and meeting people you never would have run across on your own,” said Stephen Loy, executive director of the Louisiana Tech Park. “That’s the value of bringing people together in a setting like this. You just start learning from each other.”

The companies in this cohort include:

• • Accelerant Education LLC: Founded by Joshua Anderson, Accelerant Education LLC helps school districts provide equitable access to foundational computer science education via teacher training, project-based learning and a program customized to your district’s needs.
• • Bluefin Data LLC: Founded by Andrew Petersen, Bluefin Data LLC aims to make substantial improvements to the seafood industry. VESL, the company’s proprietary software system, helps the seafood industry input and manage fisheries data required by government agencies.
• • Directed Analytics: Founded by Jody Mitchell and Brenton Moss, Directed Analytics specializes in consulting and developing technical solutions to help organizations reach their goals. The company’s proprietary software solution, 4SightGPS, lets clients visualize goal attainment.
• • Jade Systems: Founded by Victoria Liu and Samuel Meyers, Jade Systems is a wetland monitoring and prediction software. The company applies AI technology to solve the problem of coastal erosion.
• • Pali Inc.: Founded by Mark Champagne and Jonathan Farnet, Pali Inc. provides an easy way for users to instantly list and book parking spots.
• • Port LookOut: Founded by Srinee Bajaj, Port LookOut is a cloud-based collaboration platform designed to optimize the port call process. The platform decreases manual tasks and human error while increasing transparency to keep distribution running smoothly.
• • Rx Interactive Inc.: Founded by Del-Metri Williams, Rx Interactive Inc. is devoted to increasing patient adherence by improving the health literacy of patients with chronic diseases. The app gamifies patient compliance and rewards patients for healthy lifestyle choices.
• • Speechibi: Founded by speech-language pathologist Leah Singh, Speechibi aims to help individuals for whom English is a second language overcome speech impediments. The product includes digital speech models and flash cards.
• • Team Factor: Founded by Jennifer Macha and Nely Ward, Team Factor aims to help young athletes stay active and healthy. The software applies data science to set individual performance metrics and customize practice plans.
• • Thumb: Founded by Spencer Mounger, Dr. Aimee Russo-Mounger and Marcus Mounger, Thumb is a ride-sharing app for college campuses and surrounding rural areas aiming to keep college students safe from drinking and driving.

By the end of the program, I’m hoping to have a clear direction for developing Port LookOut’s MVP and a go to market strategy.” said Port LookOut’s Srinee Bajaj.

“This is Ignition’s most diverse cohort to date,” said Na’Tisha Natt, Nexus Louisiana’s director of marketing and communications. “We’re excited to support women- and minority-owned startups on their journey to commercialization.”

Nexus Louisiana’s mission is to accelerate the growth of high-potential, technology-enabled companies by providing them with coaching, capital and connections. Our programs leverage regional collaboration to foster mentorship, investment and opportunity for local entrepreneurs to grow their ideas and transform the technology industry in Louisiana.

Founders Jody Mitchell and Brenton Moss of Directed Analytics set out to change that statistic by developing a product to help businesses track and achieve their goals. “That is basically the core of Directed Analytics,” Mitchell says, “helping organizations get from where they are to where they want to be.” They developed proprietary technology, 4SightGPS, to create actionable roadmaps. “4SightGPS takes the practitioner’s expertise and organizes that information in a way that can optimize their system to find the quickest path to reach their goals,” Moss explains.

Here’s how Mitchell and Moss relied on process and experimentation to define and achieve their own goals.

Jody Mitchell, founder of Directed Analytics, knows a few things about reaching your goals. Mitchell and his cofounder Brenton Moss developed proprietary software to help organizations understand the factors that contribute to their goals and optimize performance toward achieving their goals. “That is basically the core of Directed Analytics,” Mitchell says, “helping organizations get from where they are to where they want to be.”

Mitchell was recently selected to participate in some prestigious business accelerator programs. Here’s how he’s taking advantage of opportunities to set the stage for long-term business growth.