When John Morello co-founded the cybersecurity startup Twistlock in 2015, he and his team turned to the Greater Baton Rouge Economic Partnership—then still known as BRAC—for guidance on where to plant their roots.
The Partnership helped identify an ideal site at LSU’s Innovation Park, a move that positioned Twistlock in close proximity to both academic talent and Baton Rouge’s emerging tech ecosystem.
“They were really helpful with the site selection piece,” Morello recalls.
The Partnership helped with more than just site selection, though. Morello says the organization “made a lot of connections” for Twistlock, including political connections. Then-Gov. John Bel Edwards even made a point of dropping by Twistlock’s Tel Aviv office when he traveled to Israel on a trade mission in 2018.
Morello also credits the Partnership with helping Twistlock build credibility in a region not yet known for its software sector. The company quickly became a leader in the cloud security space and was eventually acquired by Silicon Valley’s Palo Alto Networks for nearly $500 million in 2019, solidifying its status as a Baton Rouge success story. By the time it was acquired, it was serving 40% of Fortune 100 companies, including household names like Disney and Starbucks.
Though Morello’s current venture, another cybersecurity startup called Minimus, is still in its early stages, he’s confident the Partnership will be ready to assist should the need arise.
“We definitely have a good working relationship,” Morello says. “They’ve been very good about making sure we know they’re there and what they can offer. I have nothing but positive things to say.”
For Adam Beary, president and CEO of Bear Process Safety, the Partnership has been similarly helpful, though in different ways.
Beary was introduced to the Partnership in 2021 through Louisiana Economic Development’s CEO Roundtables program, which was hosted at the Partnership’s downtown office. That introduction, he says, opened the door to opportunities that have shaped both his company and his community outlook.
One such opportunity came in 2023, when Beary participated in the Partnership’s Leadership Baton Rouge program, an experience he describes as “heavily impactful.” It gave him a high-level view of the challenges the region was facing and inspired his company to engage more deeply in civic work.
“That program influenced not only the goals of our business but also what community organizations we support,” Beary says.
Through the Partnership, Bear Process Safety also participated in an internship program that placed high school students—often from under-resourced backgrounds—in a professional environment for the first time. More recently, the company has been involved with the Partnership’s Better in BTR campaign, through which businesses are empowered to share stories highlighting Baton Rouge’s strengths.
“It’s really been kind of a life cycle of support—business support, marketing help, promotion of the city,” Beary says. “Since the beginning of our engagement, it’s always been, ‘What do you need? And how can we help?’”
