The Rural Economic Development Innovation Initiative Roadshow Begins in Abbeville next week.
Organizers say this traveling workshop is designed to provide communities across Acadiana with the resources and training needed to transform their concepts into marketable products and businesses.
The first in a series of free, one-day events, the REDII Roadshow is a hands-on learning experience meant to connect the resources, training, and expertise of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette to rural communities, increasing business and economic growth.
The first stop on the Roadshow will take place on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, from 10:00AM – 4:30PM at the Abbeville Public Library located at 405 East Saint Victor Street. Entrepreneurs, students, and community leaders are invited to participate.
Hosted by the Louisiana Entrepreneurship and Economic Development (LEED) Center and the Office of Innovation Management (OIM), participants will receive live demonstrations, one-on-one guidance, and learning experiences tailored specifically to their community needs. Sessions will offer practical guidance on topics ranging from starting and growing a rural business to intellectual property protection and funding.
“REDII is about more than business, it’s about empowering entire communities,” said Dr. Geoff Stewart, Interim Vice President for Strategic Impact and Economic Development at UL Lafayette. “When rural entrepreneurs succeed, their communities gain jobs, pride, and long-term resilience.”
By creating a single platform where entrepreneurs, educators, and local governments can collaborate, each Roadshow stop will serve as a launchpad for ongoing engagement, connecting rural residents to regional networks of support, mentorship, and funding.
“It’s not ideas rural innovators lack, it’s access,” says Chad Lacomb, Director of UL Lafayette’s OIM. “Through REDII, we’re breaking down barriers and connecting people to the tools, expertise, and networks they need to turn local ingenuity into sustainable businesses.”
Participants can register by visiting this link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/redii-entrepreneurship-and-innovation-roadshow-tickets-1982197938393?aff=oddtdtcreator
Here's a flyer:
Stewart, Ph.D. serves as Interim Vice President for Strategic Impact and Economic Development at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and holds The Moody Company/BORSF Endowed Chair in Regional Business Development. He also directs the Louisiana Entrepreneurship & Economic Development Center (LEED) and serves as Assistant Vice President for Innovation and Economic Development and Associate Professor.
The Louisiana Entrepreneurship and Economic Development (LEED) Center serves the entire state of Louisiana providing technical assistance and support to businesses and economic development agencies, entrepreneurs (students, faculty and within communities) that are not connected to economic development resources and regional commercialization efforts.
LaComb is a regional leader in innovation, economic development, and community impact with more than a decade of experience advancing major initiatives across Acadiana and Louisiana. He currently serves as Director of UL Lafayette’s Office of Innovation Management, overseeing technology transfer, intellectual property, research commercialization, and industry partnerships. His career includes significant roles in regional planning, broadband expansion, brownfields redevelopment, and major economic development projects, earning multiple national awards for innovation and community impact.
The Office of Innovation Management (OIM) focuses on technology collaboration, innovation, and commercialization. We enable potential partnerships between industry and the university’s various research institutes, centers, colleges, and departments. We also provide guidance to UL inventors on intellectual property protection, technology licensing, and/or the creation of start-up companies. And we encourage and broadcast learnings on innovation best practices from within the university and from external sources.
