Loyola Center for Entrepreneurship and Community Development

10/30/2026

Gulf South founders, how much could $20,000 do for your venture right now? 👀

Applications are OPEN for the 2027 IDEAcorps MBA Consulting Challenge, and we're looking for startups and growing businesses ready to think bigger!

Here's how it works:

🎓 You get FREE consulting. We'll pair your business with a team of MBA students from a top university. Over six weeks, they'll work with you to tackle a real business challenge and develop a customized strategy for growth.

🏆 Your MBA team competes. At the end of the consulting period, the MBA students pitch their proposed scale-up strategy to a panel of judges during New Orleans Entrepreneur Week.

💰 Your business could win $20,000! If your MBA team takes home the grand prize, your company receives $20,000. Two runner-up companies receive $2,000 each.

That's six weeks of fresh perspectives, a growth strategy built around YOUR business, and a chance at $20,000. All completely FREE for participating founders!

Ready to apply? Priority deadline is December 4, 2026.

🔗 Apply here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc_a7EVl0l2VjU7Rn7syCnsrmbnI8Q9nTXHgDh0sqrezOvUtA/viewform

10/27/2026

Sign up by Oct 30 (https://forms.gle/VmPVy5Wh3aTgJ4sZ8)! Join us to shop and support on Nov 17 (RSVP here: https://luma.com/jj2qxhkw)

10/22/2026

Calling all Gulf South startups! Apply for IDEAcorps: https://forms.gle/aoV3kWVf6oSRCFz88

10/15/2026

Check out this exciting upcoming workshop with Girl Scouts Louisiana East!

💡 Have an idea that could make a difference? Let’s build it! Join Girl Scouts Louisiana East and Loyola Center for Entrepreneurship and Community Development for an interactive Entrepreneurship Workshop on November 21!

Work alongside inspiring women entrepreneurs, collaborate with other Girl Scouts, and discover how an idea can grow into a real solution to something you care about. Whether you already have your big idea or you’re just getting started, you’ll build confidence, think creatively, and leave with tools to keep developing it. 🚀 Lunch and Entrepreneurship Badge Included!

To Register for the Loyola Entrepreneur Event: See our Website Calendar in our Link in Bio

10/15/2026

Hey, Wolf Pack! Got a side hustle? Turn it into $2,500 in scholarship money. 💰 Sign up at https://forms.gle/32jcnEt2X8wRd4xN6 today!

10/09/2026

Your idea belongs at Side Hustle Expo 6.0!

Side Hustle Expo returns Tuesday, November 17 (12:00-2:00 PM, St. Charles Room, Danna Student Center), and student entrepreneurs from every college and major are invited to claim a spot. Part pop-up market, part science fair, the Expo gives you a free tri-fold display board, coaching on telling your story, an optional pre-Expo photo shoot (sign up now to be considered for the photo shoot!), feedback from alumni and community leaders, and a chance at $2,500 in scholarships. Sign up by Friday, October 30 at 4:00 PM, then invite your friends to shop and vote for the People's Choice Award on Expo day.

Sign up by Oct 30 to present at Side Hustle Expo 6.0 - https://forms.gle/MPKbUJPxLVUMb9bN8.

RSVP to attend Side Hustle Expo on Nov 17 - https://luma.com/jj2qxhkw

10/02/2026

At Loyola's Center for Entrepreneurship and Community Development, we’re hosting crucial conversations on how capital works for scaling companies. Next week, Dr. H. Dennis Park joins us in Miller 112 to break down Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) by exploring how corporate investment offers startups far more than funding, including technical resources, industry access, and market acceleration.

🗓 Thursday, October 8, 2026 | 12:30 PM – 2:00 PM
📍 College of Business, 112 Miller Hall
✉️ RSVP: https://luma.com/jg4wxm7f

09/30/2026

Our first innovate.LOYNO event of this year was chock-full of Wolf Pack wisdom!

Thank you to Cristy Cali '12 (Cristy Cali Jewelry), Devin Hildebrand '12 (Turtle Creek Gear), and Lindsey Steel '06 (Daycare.com) for opening up about the moments they realized they were entrepreneurs at I Didn't Know I Was an Entrepreneur!

A few gems we're still thinking about:
💡 Purpose and service can build real community, and you're the one who cares most about your work, so find people you trust over time.
💡 Face failure with courage, and budget for the transition when you shift from one income stream to another.
💡 Great mentorship can change everything (shoutout to Techstars!), and the next generation of entrepreneurs is watching and learning from us.

If you caught yourself nodding along, you might already think like an entrepreneur. Got an idea brewing? Side Hustle Expo 6.0 is Tuesday, Nov. 17, and sign-ups are open until Oct. 30 at https://forms.gle/1QMPHmJuHC36Jhye8.

09/28/2026

Big news for the Wolf Pack! 🐺✨

Loyola University New Orleans has been ranked No. 32 nationally for Undergraduate Entrepreneurship in the latest U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings!

Our entrepreneurship program shines through active real-world engagement and practical ex*****on. Rooted in core Jesuit values, our students work directly alongside local business owners, industry consultants, and the Loyola Center for Entrepreneurship and Community Development to bring bold ideas to life.

We are also proud to celebrate our top-ranked business specialties:
🌍 International Business – No. 17
📈 Marketing – No. 28
📊 Analytics – No. 30
👔 Management – No. 37

Congratulations to our faculty, students, mentors, and alumni who continue to build a world-class business community!

🔗 Read more about our rankings: https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/loyola-university-new-orleans-2016/overall-rankings

09/25/2026

Think you’re not an entrepreneur because you haven't launched a tech startup? Think again. Whether you’re freelancing, creating art, organizing community events, or just side-hustling your way through college, you’re already doing the work.

Come grab a FREE LUNCH and hear how three Loyola alums and founders realized their projects were real-deal businesses:

Cristy Cali – Founder & Designer, Cristy Cali Jewelry

Devin Hildebrand – Founder & Head of Sales, Turtle Creek Gear

Lindsey Steel – CEO, Daycare.com

📅 Tuesday, Sept 29

⏰ 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM

📍 Miller Hall 112 (College of Business)

Space (and food) is limited—RSVP now (https://luma.com/nhm77yfj) to claim your spot and your lunch!