Opportunity Machine

Come out to see Louisiana's startup ecosystem at StateChain Summit ’26.

On Wednesday, September 30, at 10:05 AM, our Executive Director joins Louisiana ecosystem leaders on the "This Is How We Do It | Ecosystem Builders" panel at the LITE Center. The question on the table: how do ideas move from entrepreneurs and emerging technology into pilots, partnerships, companies, investment, and real economic activity?

On the panel with Destin:
» Paul Barrial, COO, GeauxScale
» David Smith, Executive Director, Entrepreneurial Accelerator Program
» Christy Alley Zeringue, President & CEO, COLAB
Moderated by Alicia Garza, CEO, Garza Group

When Day 1 wraps, the conversation moves downtown. Opportunity Machine hosts StateChain After Hours from 5:30 to 7:30 PM.

Founders, builders, mentors, and partners: this is a room worth filling. Come show up for the people doing this work in Louisiana.

StateChain Summit ’26
September 30–October 1
LITE Center, UL Lafayette

Register: https://loom.ly/rqCRNag

Session 3 of the Fall Builder cohort: the promise, the solution, and the test.

Recent UL Lafayette computer science grad Walter Morris learned customer discovery in one of the first university classes OM staff taught, put it to work with multiple companies as an OM Emerging Tech intern, and brought it into the Builder Program this summer. In his own startup, RealSpect, he tested his assumptions in 11 customer conversations, let the no's sharpen who he's building for, and built an MVP to learn, not to finish. Here are the five principles behind it. Swipe through. 👉

Builder alumni: what's one assumption a customer conversation broke for you? Tell the Fall cohort below.

When you join Opportunity Machine, you don't work through the hard parts alone.

Membership opens the door to our mentor programs: experienced people, each listed by what they know best, ready for the question you're actually stuck on.

This month, meet one of them.

Mentor of the Month: Bob Miller.

Bob has spent thirty years in tech, including multiple startups, and he has held most of the seats: founder, CIO, CTO, SVP, COO. His work spans software development, internet service, aerospace satellite, engineering GIS, on-demand delivery, and managed security. He is a patented inventor, and he has built here in Acadiana, in Chicago, and in Silicon Valley.

That range is why founders bring him their toughest questions: getting a first real version shipped, standing up technical operations that hold, and whether a patent is worth the time and money yet.
Our mentors don't do pep talks. They do the uncomfortable question.

Thank you, Bob.

One of the best parts of Acadiana’s startup community is how we show up for one another.

StateChain Summit brings together founders, speakers, builders, and partners who are working to move Louisiana forward. Once the sessions wrap, we want to keep that energy going—celebrating Michael, the speakers, and the whole community.

The best opportunities often start with a conversation: meeting someone new, sharing what you are building, and finding a way to give back.

Opportunity Machine is proud to be the official Accelerator After-Hours Network Host for StateChain Summit ’26.

What makes a startup community? People who keep showing up for each other.

Founders share what they’re learning. Mentors bring hard-earned experience. Members make introductions, open doors, and help each other move through uncertainty. Those repeated interactions build trust, and trust is what turns individual startups into a community.

That’s the Give First idea in practice: contribute before you need something back.

Builder 1.0 brings early-stage founders into that network in Downtown Lafayette.

Know someone building something in Acadiana? Tag them or send them this post.

StateChain Summit ’26 brings people working across technology, policy, capital, and company building to the LITE Center on September 30–October 1.
Opportunity Machine is proud to serve as the Official Accelerator After-Hours Network Host and to see members of our ecosystem on the published speaker lineup:

Chris Meaux of QiMana Inc.
Charles Beam of AcornBids
DaCoda Bartels of FlyGuys
Destin Ortego of Opportunity Machine
John Foval of Nurik
Josh Fleig of LED, LA.IO

The strongest ecosystems are built when founders, operators, and institutions make time for the same conversation. We’re looking forward to seeing that work happen here in Lafayette.

Register: https://loom.ly/rqCRNag

Yesterday, Opportunity Machine officially kicked off the Fall 2026 Builder Cohort!
Please join us in welcoming these founders, team members, and companies as the newest members of the OM startup ecosystem:
- Digitaura — Ethan Jordan
- Plush Percussion — Blake Berard
- Tree Risk Evaluation — David Barker
- Leauxcal Technologies — Kelby Daigle and Jeau Boudreaux
- BAYOU — Cameron Nelson
- NoteByNote — Calvin Gaiennie
- Quajanxa Energy Technologies — Vincent Amponsah
- Evanesce Ink — Zella Gabehart
- Omnichrome — Jackson Reed
- Somatic Compass, LLC — Kathryn Dietzway
- Scoutr — Logan Quebodeaux and Austin Thibodeaux
- ARK Projex LLC — Adam Beazley
- CAELUS Systems — Conor Mack
We’re excited to welcome this talented group into the Opportunity Machine community and support them as they build, test, connect, and grow.
Welcome to the OM startup ecosystem!

When Acadiana needed deeper engineering capability, James Palmer didn’t wait for someone else to build it. He stepped into the gap.

We’re proud to congratulate James, founder and “Chief Nerd” at Pelican Engineering, on being named one of Technical.ly’s 2026 Louisiana RealLIST Innovators.

Through Pelican Engineering, James has applied decades of electronics design experience to product development and manufacturing across defense, energy, healthcare, food safety, industrial controls, and more. His work has also helped establish advanced circuit-board design and manufacturing capabilities right here in Acadiana.

His impact extends beyond his company. James is an adjunct professor at UL Lafayette, an Opportunity Machine mentor, and a sponsor of Innovate South.

That combination of technical depth, entrepreneurial leadership, and commitment to his community makes this recognition especially well deserved.

Congratulations, James! We’re grateful to have you helping move Acadiana’s innovation ecosystem forward.

Read the full RealLIST Innovators 2026 feature:
https://loom.ly/6YBgVJE