Nexus Louisiana Extends Technology Cup Application Deadline
The application deadline for Nexus Louisiana’s inaugural Technology Cup has been extended by one week to May 7, according to Nexus CEO Tony Zanders. As of the latest count, the event has garnered around 40 applicants, but Zanders expects this number to nearly double to about 100 as the new deadline approaches. Notably, one university has three teams ready to compete, although they have yet to submit their applications.
The decision to extend the deadline was made to accommodate teachers and students who were out of school due to recent holiday breaks. The Technology Cup is scheduled to take place over three days from June 17-19 in Baton Rouge. Participants will compete in one of three tracks: high school, college, and an open track, with both hardware and software categories within each track, making a total of six categories.
Thirty finalists, with five selected from each category, will be invited to the in-person event. These finalists will have five minutes to demonstrate their projects to the judges. To be eligible, applicants must submit original projects that have been primarily developed by team members. They must also be prepared to compete in person on June 18 for hardware projects and June 19 for software projects.
The eligibility criteria include submitting an application and presentation by the respective deadlines, agreeing to the event’s code of conduct and intellectual property policies, and designating a team lead. The audience will also have a say in the competition by voting for the Most Innovative Award.
A keynote speaker, described by Zanders as “Baton Rouge’s most successful software entrepreneur,” will be announced and will speak on June 18. The Technology Cup is a new event that replaces Baton Rouge Entrepreneurship Week, announced by Nexus in March.
Zanders’ inspiration for the event stems from his personal experiences competing in science fairs during his upbringing in New Orleans. He recalls the excitement of reaching the citywide competition held at UNO Lakefront Arena and the subsequent state-level competition at LSU. Another source of inspiration was when he took his daughter, a student at Baton Rouge High, to a hackathon at the Goodwood Library. There, he was impressed by students who had developed an app that connected to Entergy consumer utilities dashboards, sending text alerts when electricity usage exceeded a certain level.
This experience made Zanders realize the potential of students across different parishes in Louisiana. “What if we were to see who’s doing that across all the parishes? Not just at the high school level, but keep following that train of thought,” he said.
For more information about the Technology Cup, including how to apply, visit the Nexus Louisiana website.
