A photo recap of recent happenings in the Acadiana business scene, including the INNOV8 Awards, CajunCodeFest, the INDesign Awards luncheon and a groundbreaking ceremony for the expansion of Stella Maris' headquarters on Pont Des Mouton Road.
A project of the Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce, the INNOV8 Awards, held in conjunction with the eight-day festival of innovation and creativity each April, recognize the top innovations in Acadiana and inspire new innovators to dream big. In other words, they recognize the best and brightest ideas in our community. On April 22 INNOV8 Award recipients were honored with a custom designed trophy and participated in an on-stage question and answer session led by innovation guru Doug Hall at the Acadiana Center for the Arts. Hall opened the event with a stimulating presentation about the need for innovation, regardless of the endeavor. A diverse group of seven local business people met and evaluated the INNOV8 Award applications, selecting this year's winners:
Nonprofit: Evangeline Area Boy Scouts Atchafalaya High Adventure Swamp Base
Business: McBraun Industries BluDri Product Line
Education: UL Lafayette CBIT CajunCodeFest at INNOV8 2012
Medical: Lafayette General Medical Center Telemedicine Clinic at Stuller Inc.
Gary McGoffin and Keith Simon represented the Evangeline Area Council, Boy Scouts of America; Brian Kirk and David Callecod represented LGMC; Amy Braun and Heather Golden McDaniel represented McBraun Industries, makers of BluDri; and Cian C. Robinson and Geoff Daily represented CBIT (Center for Business & Information Technologies), organizers of the CajunCodeFest. The ceremony featured a short video presentation about the innovative projects of each group. Displays by the honorees were available for viewing before and after the ceremony in the AcA lobby.
1. Amy and Byron Braun, Carmen Nicholson and Monica Landry
2. Gerd Wuestemann and David Callecod
3. Heather Golden McDaniel, Amy Braun, Geoff Daily and Cian Robinson
4. INNOV8 Award winners
5. Gary McGoffin and Keith Simon
6. David Callecod and Brian Kirk
Lafayette was the epicenter of health care technology during the second annual CajunCodeFest**,** a free, three-day coding competition focused on transforming data into health care solutions. CajunCodeFest, also part of INNOV8, is a signature event for the Center for Business & Information Technologies at UL. More than 400 people from 42 cities, 12 states and two countries gathered at the Cajundome to create solutions and discuss the future of health care technology. Participants organized themselves into teams before the event and over a 27-hour period built exciting new prototypes and tools encouraging patients to Own your Own Health. Last year, the event spawned six potential startup companies through team collaborations.
1. Best in Show Grand Prize Winner & U.S. Ignite Best Software Defined Application - Team BreakFix: Bryan Sivak, Stacy Crochet, Bill Fentsermaker, Monica Suire, Amy Hanchey, Teri Leblanc, William Zhang, Michael Venable, Trent Poche and Clay Allen.
2. Best Student Team & Best Student Team Use of Microsoft HealthVault - Geaux KNEAS: Dr. Joe Savoie, Anh Do, Cory Etheredge and Brian Richmond.
3. The Opportunity Machine Best Market Ready Team & Best Chronic Disease Application using Microsoft HealthVault - The New Old Schoolers 2.0: Bill Fentsermaker, Luke Ashworth, Reza Jelvah, Bob Miller, Josh Bain, Kevin Webb, Geoff Daily and Clay Allen.
Lafayette Downtown Development Authority Executive Director Nathan Norris was in the final minutes of his Smart Growth presentation at the 9th annual INDesign Awards luncheon when he was interrupted by a slow drumbeat coming from behind an adjacent sliding door at the Petroleum Club. Norris had just begun listing assets that cities like Lafayette should foster to be successful in the coming decades, including cultivating "creativity everywhere." Suddenly, flutist Jenny Kreuger rose for a solo from her table, and throughout the room other members of The Acadiana Symphony Orchestra popped up among the audience, including conductor Mariusz Smolij. Soon, two dozen musicians streamed into the Petroleum Club's dining room performing Ravel's "Bolero."C'est What? A flash mob? Of classical musicians? At The INDesign Awards? If you haven't already, experience it for yourself on Youtube (INDesign Awards - Flash Mob with ASO). The Smart Growth Lecture and INDesign Awards are produced annually by IND Monthly to recognize excellence in architecture, interior design, historic preservation and urban planning. Nineteen awards were given out to local professionals at the April 19 event, sponsored by IberiaBank, Paul Michael Company, Tops and Van Eaton & Romero, in conjunction with INNOV8 Lafayette.
1. Symphony flash mob
2. Todd Zimmerman
3. Don Breaux
4. David Allain and Paul Allain
5. Mallory Jones
6. Stephanie Bordelon and Jake Grandon
7. Sarah Moss
8. Lauren Baker, Nancy Van Eaton Broussard and Gail Romero
9. Frank Neuner and Rob Eddy
10. Anne Pyle, Rebecca Doucet and Judi Lejeune
11. Christi Latour
12. Jeremy Durham, Steve Oubre, Lauren Boring and Mike Comeaux
13. Chad Abell and Eric Crozier
14. Mariusz Smolij
15. Steve Oubre, Jeff Ables, Jeffery Durham, and Rhett and Tiffany Wyatt
16. Donnie and Tonia Matherne, and Philippe Prouet
17. Jerry Vascocu and Frank Neuner
18. Pat Trahan and Greg Trahan
19. Symphony flash mob
20. Jenny Krueger
Stella Maris held a ground-breaking ceremony for the expansion of its corporate headquarters. The Lafayette-based oil and gas engineering and manufacturing company is expanding at 930 W. Pont Des Mouton Road. Completion of the project, which started in February, is expected for February 2014. On hand for the event were President Butch Ray, Vice President Paul Stutes and the company's employees. The event was also attended by City-Parish President Joey Durel, City-Parish Councilman Keith Patin, and Ryan LaGrange and Mark Mouton of LEDA. With a focus on manufacturing products like hydraulic power units, chemical injection skids and customized equipment, Stella Maris will not only increase the size of its existing 22,000-square-foot facility by an additional 23,000 square feet, but also its workforce, says Ryan Dugas, the company's director of operations.
1. Ceremonial golden shovels
2. Guests at the reception
3. Dinah LeBlanc and Cookie Tuminello
4. Butch Ray and City-Parish President Joey Durel
5. Rob Guidry, Cookie Tuminello and City-Parish Councilman Keith Patin
6. Stella Maris before expansion
7. Rendering of Stella Maris post expansion