The Urban League of Louisiana is expanding its entrepreneurial development efforts in Ascension and St. James parishes through a new cohort of its Scale Up! Louisiana program, designed to help established small businesses grow and become more profitable.
Wednesday is the last day to sign up for the summer 2026 cohort, which will run from July 7 through Sept. 1 and provide participating business owners with intensive training, mentorship, and business planning support to help them scale their operations.
Scale Up! Louisiana is a place-based entrepreneurial education program that targets growth-stage businesses. The program combines classroom instruction, virtual learning and individualized counseling to help entrepreneurs refine their business models and develop strategies for sustainable growth.
Up to 30 small business owners from Ascension and St. James parishes will be selected for the cohort through an application and interview process. Participants will be evaluated based on their eligibility, the growth potential of their businesses and their willingness to engage in an interactive learning environment.
The hybrid program includes three in-person sessions, seven virtual sessions and five pre-recorded web-based learning modules. In-person sessions will be held at Study Commons at the Wag Center in Donaldsonville.
In addition to coursework, participants will receive up to 12 hours of one-on-one and small-group business counseling during the program and for up to three months after completion. Business owners also will be required to complete assignments related to developing a customized Scale Up! Plan of Action.
To qualify, applicants must own and operate a business in Ascension or St. James parishes, have generated at least $50,000 in revenue during the previous tax year and have been in business for at least two years. Applicants also must demonstrate a desire to grow their business and have access to a computer with internet connectivity and a camera.
The program is one of several workforce and small-business development initiatives aimed at strengthening entrepreneurship and economic opportunity in Louisiana’s river parishes.
The series is sponsored by the Nasdaq Foundation, Louisiana Economic Development’s Small and Emerging Business Development Program, and funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. To participate, attendees must be certified by the LED Small and Emerging Business Development Program or become certified.
