President and Chief Executive Officer

Nexus Louisiana —a Baton Rouge-based tech incubator, accelerator, and innovation engine closely aligned with the city’s research universities and economic development activities—seeks a strategic leader to serve as its President and CEO. Reporting to the Board of Directors, the President and CEO will provide visionary and consultative leadership; assess and align the organization’s structures; and advocate passionately for Nexus Louisiana’s position as a driver of innovation in the city, the region, and across the state now and in the future. 

Nexus Louisiana houses accelerator programs and connections to capital that position technology startups for growth across Baton Rouge and beyond. The organization has over $15M in assets and a $2M annual operating budget. Its approximately 15 staff oversee a range of programs that provide mentorship, investment, and opportunity for local entrepreneurs to grow their ideas, engage with expertise, connect with capital, and leverage community assets. It is closely tied with Louisiana State University (LSU)—the state’s land-grant, R1 flagship university—as well as with Southern University and A&M College (Southern)—Louisiana’s 1890s land-grant HBCU. 

The President and CEO will address Baton Rouge’s needs to support new ventures and startups on the path to growth and sustainability to advance the capital region's broader economic dynamism. They will cultivate the entrepreneurial ecosystem of the Baton Rouge area, which in 2023 was among the fastest-growing metro areas in the country. They will leverage the political capital and material resources of Nexus Louisiana and its Board in new and effective ways; facilitate connections and cross-pollinating activities across the region; and devise new marketing and communications strategies to broadcast and celebrate the work of the organization and the city. With a range of other organizations and institutions in the region that provide services, education, funding, and advice to support technology startups, Nexus Louisiana has a unique role to play in convening and coalescing these components to sustain a robust innovation ecosystem.  

The successful candidate for the President and CEO role will be a convener, motivator, and relationship builder with the strategic vision and managerial acumen to position Nexus Louisiana for bold and meaningful impact. In this role, the President and CEO will fuse their knowledge of the innovation economy, early-stage investments, private sector business development, public funding models, and university-based tech transfer with the managerial acumen and political skill needed to ignite a new era of growth in Baton Rouge.

Inquiries, nominations, referrals, and applications (including CVs and two- to- three page letters of interest responding to the opportunities, challenges, and qualifications outlined in the full description below) should be submitted electronically below. 

Rebecca Kennedy and Vijay Saraswat are leading this search with Nella Young and Elizabeth Arvanitis.

Nexus Louisiana is an Equal Opportunity Employer.