LED honors small businesses at 2025 Spotlight awards | Business News

Louisiana Economic Development and its partners honored dozens of small business leaders for their community contributions and success on Thursday at the state’s annual Spotlight Louisiana award ceremony. 

“We’re here because we believe in positioning all of Louisiana to win, and at the heart of that vision is truly you,” LED Secretary Susan Bourgeois told attendees during the event in Baton Rouge. “It’s our entrepreneurs, our small businesses, our fearless founders. You are the bedrock of our communities, and you are the engine of the Louisiana economy.”

Small businesses employ nearly half of Louisiana’s workforce and generate more than $5 billion in sales annually, Bourgeois said. 

The Spotlight awards are the marquee event of the Louisiana Growth Network, a division of LED formerly called Small Business Services that provides businesses with coaching and capital. 

The top award of the night — the 2025 Louisiana Growth Leader Legend award — went to Techneaux Technology Services, a company founded in Lafayette by Ben Johnson that helps organizations collect, store and utilize data. 

“Louisiana’s small businesses represent what’s best about our state: risk-takers with perseverance, leaders with a vision, and employers who choose to grow right here, at home, in Louisiana,” Gov. Jeff Landry, who didn’t attend Thursday’s ceremony, wrote in a message to attendees. 

A panel of judges, comprised of economic development professionals, selected another 10 small business for the 2025 Louisiana Growth Leaders award. Criteria include growth, strategy, innovation, philanthropy, leadership and culture.

LED’s partner organizations, including the Louisiana Small Business Development Center, LCTCS Manufacturing Extension Partnership, National Federation of Independent Business, U.S. Commercial Service Louisiana and U.S. Small Business Administration, also handed out awards at Thursday’s ceremony. 

Detailed information on each of the honorees is available in the 2025 Spotlight Louisiana Publication. 

2025 Louisiana Growth Leaders:

• Be Inspired Counseling & Consulting of Pineville; Christy Pennison, founder and CEO
• Creativity Justified of Mandeville; Carrita Tanner-Cloud, CEO
• DDG of Thibodaux; Matthew Newchurch, CEO
• EPC of West Monroe; Caleb and Josh Etheridge, owner and CEO
• Family Resource Group Inc. of Baton Rouge; Brandon Foreman, CEO
• HiTech of Ruston; Richard Raue, CEO
• PERC Development of Lake Charles; Travis Manceaux, CEO
• Power Temp Systems of Broussard; Mark Mire, owner
• Stella Maris of Lafayette; James “Butch” Ray, president
• SYCON International of Lafayette; Eric Hayes, owner and manager

2025 Louisiana Growth Leader Legend

• Techneaux Technology Services of Lafayette; Ben Johnson, founder

Louisiana APEX Accelerator Government Contractor of the Year

• Ronald “Rocky” J. Ortego III – Red Bison Services, Kenner

LSBDC Excellence in Business Award

• Mitchell Rotolo, Angelica Manufacturing, St. Gabriel

LCTCS MEP of Louisiana Small Manufacturer’s Award

• Mateo Atwi, U.S. Frame Factory, New Iberia

NFIB Small Business Champion Award

• Christopher Weintritt, Davis Products Company Inc., Bogalusa

SBA Entrepreneurial Success Award

• Kristen Smith, Tre’s Street Kitchen, Baton Rouge

SBA Family-Owned Small Business of the Year

• Agnes, Kinda, and Nayo Andrews, Andrews Family Allstate, Baton Rouge

SBA Veteran Small Business Champion of the Year

• Grant Rogers, Precision Platform Solutions – DBA Maven Scouts, West Monroe

SBA Women in Business Champion Award

• Dr. Phyllis Donatto, FTH Dimension Solutions, Youngsville

Small Business Development Center of Excellence and Innovation Award

• Virendra Chhikara, Louisiana Small Business Development Center at University of Louisiana Monroe

Women’s Business Center of Excellence Award

• Dr. Carla Antoine, Women’s Business Resource Center, Urban League of Louisiana, New Orleans

SBA Small Business Person of the Year

• Ronald “Rocky” J. Ortego III, Red Bison Services, Kenner

State Trade and Export Program (STEP) New to Export Award

• Shuchi “SK” Khurana, Addiguru, Baton Rouge

STEP Market Expansion Award

• Brenda A. Stelly, Oil Center Research International, Lafayette

Louisiana Economic Development Corporation (LEDC) Fund of the Year

• Jon Atkinson, Momentum Fund I LP, New Orleans

LEDC Micro-Lending Partner Lender of the Year

• LaDonna Evans-Sutton, Essential Credit Union, Baton Rouge

LEDC Most Valuable Bank

• Christopher McManus, Citizens Progressive Bank, Rayville

Louisiana Growth Network Small and Emerging Business of the Year

• Adam and Sarah Lopez, Awardmaster, Lafayette

Louisiana Growth Network Small Emerging Business Development (SEBD) Graduate Award

• Krystal Placide-Taylor, Next Level Educational Services, LaPlace

Louisiana Growth Network Campus to Commerce Award

• Onega Ulanova, Grapheno, Ruston

Louisiana Growth Network Innovative Company of the Year

• Kyle Monti, Haptech Inc., New Orleans