Greg Trahan, 39
Director of economic development, LSU Office of Research & Economic Development
Greg Trahan has long been a driving force behind Louisiana’s economic development efforts by building business partnerships between various industry sectors. And in his new role as economic development director of LSU’s Office of Research & Economic Development, Trahan is helping match the university’s research and resources with industry partners. He also initiated the creation of LSU’s Technology & Cyber Research Center, an applied research unit to work with the defense community. Before joining LSU, Trahan began his career at then-tech startup Legacy.com and later became economic development director at LED, where he helped generate technology jobs for Louisiana.
NAME THREE MAJOR PROFESSIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
- Serving LSU in a newly-created role, translating research to industry and the defense community.
- Representing the state at Louisiana Economic Development, generating and working directly on projects that resulted in over 1,000 tech sector jobs for Louisiana, as well as helping stand up LSU’s applied research unit in cyber and defense.
- Being an early employee of then-small tech startup Legacy.com and helping it grow into a large and profitable company by building meaningful technology.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR VOLUNTEER & COMMUNITY AFFILIATIONS AND INVOLVEMENT.
I’m a board member for STEMup Baton Rouge and economic development chair for the Louisiana Optical Network Initiative (LONI) architecture.
NAME ONE BOOK THAT HAS INSPIRED YOU PROFESSIONALLY.
It’s not a book and barely a paragraph, but Heilmeier’s Catechism is saved on my desktop and I read it or think about it at least once a week.
WHEN YOU WERE A CHILD, WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP?
Archaeologist.
WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST JOB, HOW OLD WERE YOU AND WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM IT?
The first serious job: I was 18, serving as a student worker for two LSU chancellors. It wasn’t a normal student worker job, and I learned vision is an exercise in diligence, leadership can be messy, football tickets are sacred, and versatility is one of the most valuable skills you can develop.
WHAT IS THE STRANGEST JOB YOU’VE EVER HAD?
Editing and writing obituaries – it’s a humbling, clarifying experience. It was a constant reminder that life isn’t fair, and everyone has a story, even if it’s a short one.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PLACE FOR A BUSINESS LUNCH IN BATON ROUGE, AND WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE DISH THERE?
I prefer coffee to lunch because it’s better for conversation, and I like CC’s. If it is lunch, simple is better. Lit Pizza (anything) and City Pork (the Cubano) are favorites.
WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER YOUR GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT?
Building a good life with my amazing wife, and together raising kids who are bright, curious, funny and happy.
HOW DO YOU GET PUMPED UP BEFORE A BIG MEETING, PRESENTATION OR PITCH?
Homework. Presentations and pitches are just ways to share ideas, and the best way to work through an idea is to know what you know and what you don’t. As for the performance part, I’ve been (deservedly) booed for a stand-up routine by a crowd of 5,000-plus people – honestly, everything else has been relative.
WHAT HAS BEEN THE MOST FULFILLING MOMENT IN YOUR CAREER SO FAR?
The day LSU offered me the position. From having served as student government vice president to proposing in front of the clock tower, it’s hard to imagine where I’d be without LSU. I’m humbled and excited to represent the university in a new capacity, and forever a Tiger.
WHAT WAS YOUR PROFESSIONAL “AHA MOMENT?”
Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good, and don’t underestimate the hidden value (or costs) of a single person within an organization.
WHAT IS YOUR BEST PRODUCTIVITY HACK?
Keyboard shortcuts. Being able to quickly navigate between and through docs, files, applications and screens without touching the mouse probably saves hours per month and keeps me focused. It sounds boring until you’ve seen my Excel sorcery. Never mind, that sounds boring, too [hits Alt + F4].
WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED THE HARD WAY?
We all have finite time, energy and resources, and it’s a waste to expend any of them on people and things we can’t control.
WHAT ABOUT YOUR JOB WOULD SHOCK CUSTOMERS OR CLIENTS IF THEY KNEW ABOUT IT?
How vast LSU is with regard to people and functions – and that’s just the Baton Rouge campus. LSU is a decent-sized Louisiana city with its own health clinic, food and catering service, ice cream parlor, police force, libraries and museums and research lasers.
HOW DO YOU TYPICALLY DRESS FOR WORK—CASUAL? PROFESSIONAL? BUSINESS CASUAL? OTHER?
Business casual to professional. I’m not even sure what “other” is but am guessing it’s been tried on campus.
WHAT PART OF YOUR JOB DO YOU LOVE? WHAT PART DO YOU HATE?
I couldn’t be a happier nerd – I get to interact with smart people in physics, chemistry, engineering, biology, computer science, mathematics and humanities across campus to see how we can tackle interesting problems for industry and government in ways that matter. There’s nothing to hate. I wish it were faster to move things forward sometimes, but even bureaucracy can be nothing more than apathy in practice, and that’s an opportunity for disruption.
WHAT IS THE BEST COMPLIMENT YOU’VE EVER GOTTEN FROM A COLLEAGUE OR BOSS?
On the day I left Legacy.com to move back from Chicago to Louisiana, the CEO gathered the whole company together to say goodbye and then unbuttoned his shirt to reveal an LSU t-shirt underneath.
MAC OR PC?
PC for productivity. Apple for consumption.
ARE YOU ACTIVE ON SOCIAL MEDIA? IF SO, ON WHICH PLATFORMS ARE YOU MOST ACTIVE?
No.
HOW MANY TEXTS DO YOU SEND ON AN AVERAGE DAY? HOW MANY EMAILS?
25 texts and anywhere from 50-100 emails.
HOW LOW WILL YOU ALLOW YOUR REMAINING PHONE OR COMPUTER BATTERY LIFE GET (IN %) BEFORE YOU HAVE AN ANXIETY ATTACK?
10%, and then the outlet sweats show up.
HOW MANY UNREAD MESSAGES ARE IN YOUR INBOX RIGHT NOW?
Plenty, but only because they’ve been read and marked unread to help triage. A better question is how many are read and simply not acted upon…
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE APP AT THE MOMENT?
A few: Evernote, Waze, Pandora and Radiolab.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT OF THE PAST DECADE?
Touch interface.
WHAT TECHNOLOGY DO YOU WISH WAS NEVER INVENTED?
Touch interface.
WHAT TIME DO YOU GET UP ON WORKDAY MORNINGS?
6 a.m.
BREAKFAST AT HOME? BREAKFAST ON THE GO? BREAKFAST AT YOUR DESK? NO BREAKFAST AT ALL?
Usually no breakfast at all, despite really liking breakfast. Instead, it’s Diet Coke or coffee or both, though I haven’t mixed them…yet.
THE SAYING GOES: ‘BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE IN THE WORLD.’ SPECIFICALLY, WHAT ARE YOU ‘BEING’ TO MAKE BATON ROUGE BETTER?
Effective at my job, hopefully. Louisiana has been losing bright people for years, leaving for better opportunities. If economic development is the engine then innovation is the fuel, and LSU must play a critical and foundational role as its supplier of ideas, solutions and talent.
WHEN DID YOU REALIZE YOU WERE “GROWN UP”?
Holding my daughter for the first time.
WHAT WAS THE BEST VACATION YOU HAVE EVER TAKEN?
A 3-week long, 30-plus state adventure of a drive to see everything from landmarks to national parks.
FAVORITE GIFT YOU WERE GIVEN AS A CHILD?
Legos. It’s a fun perk as the father of kids who love them, too.
WHICH TALENT OR SUPERPOWER WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO HAVE AND WHY?
I’ll say flight. Wingsuit videos are amazing, but I’m not crazy, don’t live in a mountain range and wouldn’t pay that insurance premium.
WHAT’S A NICKNAME YOUR FRIENDS OR FAMILY MEMBERS HAVE FOR YOU?
If they have one, they use it behind my back.
WHAT ARE YOU SUPERSTITIOUS ABOUT?
As a family, we have a little saying we use every time we travel – it’s not much more than a wish for a good trip, but it’s a reminder to hope for the best and acknowledge we’re doing something special together.
WHO FASCINATES YOU?
Translators. People like Elon Musk, Ray Kurzweil and Richard Feynman, who are/were able to translate and combine incredibly fundamental concepts into actual processes and practice, and vice-versa. It’s not what they think, it’s how – appearing to bend the boundaries of the possible, but it’s the opposite: it’s understanding the rules of what the universe provides and harnessing it to create something not just new, but valuable. I’m getting there, but with Legos.
WHICH FICTIONAL CHARACTER DO YOU MOST IDENTIFY WITH?
A mash-up of all of The Goonies, including Sloth. Ok, especially Sloth.
FAVORITE DRINK?
Diet Coke. Beer and wine and spirits are good, too. I haven’t mixed them…yet.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BAND OR SONG?
Too many to list. It’s easier to say what I don’t like, which is contemporary pop and country. Also, get off my lawn.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE?
I’m a big Star Wars fan, and might feel the same about Shawshank or Vertigo if they had laser swords.
WHO WOULD PLAY YOU IN A MOVIE?
A tired and wistful Robin Williams wearing an outfit made of Jim Gaffigan.
WHAT SCARED YOU AS A CHILD, AND WHAT SCARES YOU NOW?
As a child, it was failing. Now, it’s failing to prepare my kids for the world that awaits them.
IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE YOUR 18-YEAR-OLD SELF?
First, recognize time travel exists and study/invest accordingly. Second, be daring and trust your instincts. Third, get in the lab to start practicing science instead of just studying it. Spend some time with dad – he’ll be gone before you know it. Finally, that girl you think is pretty but who thinks you’re weird, well, you get to spend your life with her, and she’s worth knowing now.
PETS?
One dog, Lulu. She’s a tiny, furry, deranged hobgoblin with an underbite. The kids love her even when she is consuming their toys or a doorframe.
HAVE YOU HAD ANY MEMORABLE CELEBRITY ENCOUNTERS? WHAT HAPPENED?
I was in a green room with Slash for about 30 minutes – it was just the two of us. I tried to strike up a conversation, and he stared ahead in silence the entire time, likely thinking about shredding in a salt flat or on a mountain or something like that.
TELL US ABOUT A MOMENT THAT CHANGED YOUR LIFE.
Other events have been more special and meaningful, but no event was more impactful than driving away from my parents’ driveway for Chicago after graduating with no plan or job. It was crazy, exhilarating and terrifying. It was the moment I appreciated the things and people in my life, figured out what was important and owned all my decisions.
WHAT’S THE NEXT BIG PERSONAL OR CAREER CHALLENGE YOU PLAN TO TAKE ON?
Demystifying research, and helping align LSU’s best problem solvers and assets to drive innovation for the region and the state.
WHAT CONCERNS YOU MOST ABOUT THE FUTURE?
Words are losing their meaning. Not everything is nuanced; some things are stark, and they’re difficult. It’s getting harder to articulate the reality of problems when you can’t accurately describe them, and you can’t solve things you can’t clearly explain. Case in point: My answer to this question.
WHAT GIVES YOU THE MOST HOPE ABOUT THE FUTURE?
Our boundless creativity and the power of technology will start to converge, positioning us to solve problems in ways we can’t see yet.
WHAT WOULD BE YOUR ADVICE FOR FUTURE FORTY UNDER 40 HONOREES?
You’ve already done good work to get here; now go build families and raise kids who care about Louisiana. We have generational problems that will require generational solutions.
DO YOU PLAN TO BE IN THE CAPITAL REGION FIVE YEARS FROM NOW? WHY OR WHY NOT?
Yes. Louisiana is my home and where our family belongs, and there’s no shortage of important challenges and opportunities for progress.
WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST HOPE FOR BATON ROUGE?
That the city lives up to its promise and potential as the Capital Region of one of the most interesting states in the U.S. It sometimes feels as if we aspire to be somewhere else and end up focusing on somewhere instead of somehow. I believe LSU is an important piece of that puzzle and am looking forward to the work ahead.
DO YOU HAVE A BUCKET LIST? IF SO, WHAT ARE THE TOP 3 THINGS ON IT?
I don’t really have one, so I’ll say the first thing on the list is to make a bucket list. Second, be around to see what kinds of adults my kids become. Finally, I love to cook and would enjoy turning that into something tangible, like a restaurant or a line of meat-flavored candy.
