INNOV8 Award Winners Announced

(Lafayette, La.) —  INNOV8 Lafayette is proud to announce the winners of the 2013 INNOV8 Awards. A project of the Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce, the INNOV8 Awards are given each year to recognize the top innovations in Acadiana to showcase the innovative spirit and inspire new innovators to dream big.

A diverse group of seven local business people met and evaluated the INNOV8 Award applications and chose four outstanding innovations to be recognized. This year’s winners, by category, are:

Nonprofit: Evangeline Area Boy Scouts – Atchafalaya High Adventure Swamp Base
The Evangeline Area Boy Scouts will convert several acres of Atchafalaya Basin into a high adventure base that will be available to scouts and outdoor enthusiasts around the world. This project will make a positive economic and environmental impact on the basin area and will leave a legacy for many years to come. www.eacbsa.org

Business: McBraun Industries – BluDri Product Line
Two local women have developed a home solution product that absorbs residual moisture in front load washing machines, reducing mildew and mold growth inside the machine. www.bludri.com

Education: UL Lafayette CBIT – Cajun Code Fest at INNOV8 2012
Established in 2012, Cajun Code Fest is a free two-day coding competition that focuses on transforming data into health care solutions. Programmers organize themselves into teams and over a 27-hour period, build exciting new prototypes and tools to improve access to health information. www.cajuncodefest.org

Medical: Lafayette General Medical Center – Telemedicine Clinic at Stuller, Inc.
The first telemedicine clinic in Acadiana was established in May 2012 at Stuller, Inc. Through two-way audio and HD video, Stuller’s 1,200+ employees now have access to primary care physicians and other LGMC resources without leaving their workplace. www.lafayettegeneral.com

The innovators behind these projects will be showcased during INNOV8 at a premier INNOV8 Awards ceremony from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on April 22, 2013 at Acadiana Center for the Arts. For more information, visit innov8lafayette.com.

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The INNOV8 Awards are part of INNOV8, a project of the Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce. INNOV8 is an eight-day festival of innovation and creativity hosted by the community of Lafayette, Louisiana from April 19-26, 2013. For an event schedule and more information, visit innov8lafayette.com.

INNOV8 is made possible by the support from our sponsors and community volunteers.

Presenting Sponsors include Allen & Gooch, Lafayette Convention and Visitors Commission, and Winrock International. Media sponsors include Cox Communications, Ind Media, KADN Fox 15, KATC-TV3, KLFY TV10, KPEL 96.5FM, Lamar Advertising, LUS Fiber, The Daily Advertiser, Tristar Graphics Group and Vidox Motion Imagery. Organizational Sponsors include Acadiana Center for the Arts, GLCC, Lafayette Economic Development Authority (LEDA), Louisiana Immersive Technologies Enterprise (LITE) and The University of Louisiana at Lafayette. In-Kind Sponsors and Event Organizers include, Acadiana Entrepreneur Group, BBR Creative, CBIT, Downtown T’s, Graham Group, iCandy Labs, InventureWorks, Lafayette Entertainment Initiative, MEPOL, Opportunity Machine, Petroleum Club, Pixus Digital Printing, Prejean Creative, the705, and the Tipitina’s Music Office Co-Op.

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Uros House Artist, Grimanesa Amoros, to Lecture at LITE
INNOV8 – Eight Days, Infinite Possibilities

(Lafayette, La.) — Renowned Peruvian artist Grimanesa Amoros will present a lecture on April 19 at 2:30 p.m. in the Louisiana Immersive Technologies Enterprise (LITE) Theatre as a part of INNOV8 Lafayette. Amoros will discuss how she uses sculpture, video and lighting techniques to create works that illuminate our notions of personal identity and community.

Amoros’ installation Uros House, which has been most recently displayed at the Paul and Lulu Hilliard University Art Museum located at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, will be featured at LITE during her lecture to showcase how she blends art and technology. Uros House, made of polyethylene, steel, metal and computer controlled LEDs, was inspired by structures built by the Uros Indians in Peru.

“We are all excited that LITE will be the new location for Uros House,” said Dr. Kam Ng, CEO. “We are honored to welcome Grimanesa Amoros and Uros House to our facility and highlight why Lafayette is the premier location for innovation in art.”

Amoros’ lecture will be one of the events associated with INNOV8 Lafayette. INNOV8, a project of the Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce, is an eight-day festival of innovation and creativity hosted by the Lafayette community.

This event is FREE and open to the public, but due to limited seating, registration is recommended. You can register online at liteuroshouse.eventbrite.com. Media attendance is welcome. For more information regarding this event, please contact LITE at 337.735.5483 or by email at learnmore@lite3d.com.

LITE is a 3-D immersive visualization resource center, hosting clients in commercial industry, government and university sectors. LITE’s leading-edge facility features a comprehensive set of advanced visualization systems. Conceived as a magnet for economic development, LITE’s advanced facilities and expert staff is available to your business or organization to help transform the process of innovation and accelerate the time to discovery.

Grimanesa Amorós is an interdisciplinary artist with diverse interests in the fields of social history, scientific research and critical theory, which have greatly influenced her work. She often makes use of sculpture, video, and lighting to create works that illuminate our notions of personal identity and community. Amorós was born in Lima, Peru but lives and works in New York City.

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This event is a part of INNOV8, a project of the Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce. INNOV8 is an eight-day festival of innovation and creativity hosted by the community of Lafayette, Louisiana from April 19-26, 2013.

For an event schedule and more information, visit innov8lafayette.com.

INNOV8 is made possible by the support from our sponsors and community volunteers. 

Presenting Sponsors include Allen & Gooch, Ind Media and Vidox. Corporate Sponsors include Hub City Ford, Lafayette General Medical Center, LUS and Postlethwaite & Netterville. In-Kind Sponsors include BBR Creative, Downtown T-Shirts, Graham Group, iCandy Labs, InventureWorks, Petroleum Club, PIXUS, Prejean Creative and Tristar Graphics Group. Media Sponsors include Cox Communications, KADN, KATC, KLFY, Lamar Advertising, LUS, The Daily Advertiser and Townsquare Media. Organizational Sponsors include Acadiana Center for the Arts, GLCC, Lafayette Convention and Visitors Center, Lafayette Economic Development Authority (LEDA), Louisiana Immersive Technologies Enterprise (LITE) and The University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

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CajunCodeFest 2.0 in Silicon Bayou
Coding Competition Aims to Transform Data into Health Care Solutions

(Lafayette, La.) — For eight days in April, Lafayette, LA will host INNOV8, an annual festival of innovation and creativity showcasing talented thinkers and entrepreneurs who make the region a unique place to live and work. From April 24 at 6:00 p.m. until April 26 at 7:00 p.m., CajunCodeFest will return as a major component of the festival.

The free, nearly three-day coding competition aims to transform data into health care solutions. Focused on creating solutions that encourage patients to “Own your Own Health,” participants will organize themselves into teams before the event, and over a 27-hour period build exciting new prototypes and tools for improved health care.

Following last year’s Cajun Code Fest, U.S. Chief Technology Officer Todd Park tweeted, “Silicon Bayou–aka Lafayette, Louisiana– is the best kept secret reservoir of innovation mojo in America.”

Many generous prizes will be awarded to outstanding participants, including a first place $25,000 cash prize for most innovative solution that encourages patients to “Own your Own Health.” The event will also feature a number of guest speakers discussing cutting-edge issues in health care technology. The following speakers have been confirmed for the event:  Dr. Farzad Mostashari, National Coordinator for Health Information Technology; Bryan Sivak, Chief Technology Officer, US Health & Human Services; Kathy Kliebert, Interim Secretary of Louisiana Department of Health & Hospitals; and Greg Trahan, Director of Business Development, Louisiana Economic Development.

Interested parties may find more information and register, with our without a team, at www.cajuncodefest.org. The maximum number of members per team is seven. Individuals can attend the team building session on Wednesday, April 24 to network and obtain team members.

Created as a project of the Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce, INNOV8 includes a variety of events focused on innovation in the areas of entrepreneurship, health care and technology, education and the arts. INNOV8 2013 will take place from April 19–26. Attendees will also have an opportunity to enjoy south Louisiana’s distinctive culture at Festival International, the nation’s best world music festival, which will kick off on April 24.
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CajunCodeFest 2.0 is a part of INNOV8, a project of the Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce. INNOV8 is an eight-day festival of innovation and creativity hosted by the community of Lafayette, Louisiana from April 19-26, 2013. For an event schedule and more information, visit innov8lafayette.com.

INNOV8 is made possible by the support from our sponsors and community volunteers.

Presenting Sponsors include Allen & Gooch and Lafayette Convention and Visitors Commission. Media sponsors include Cox Communications, Ind Media, KADN Fox 15, KATC-TV3, KLFY TV10, KPEL 96.5FM, Lamar Advertising, LUS Fiber, The Daily Advertiser, Tristar Graphics Group, and Vidox Motion Imagery. Organizational Sponsors include Acadiana Center for the Arts, GLCC, Lafayette Economic Development Authority (LEDA), Louisiana Immersive Technologies Enterprise (LITE) and The University of Louisiana at Lafayette. In-Kind Sponsors and Event Organizers include Acadiana Entrepreneur Group, BBR Creative, CBIT, Downtown T’s, Graham Group, iCandy Labs, InventureWorks, Lafayette Entertainment Initiative, MEPOL, Opportunity Machine, Petroleum Club, Pixus Digital Printing, Prejean Creative, the705, and the Tipitina’s Music Office Co-Op.

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LITE and UL Lafayette to Host 2nd Annual iOpener
INNOV8 – Eight Days, Infinite Possibilities

(Lafayette, La.) — Louisiana Immersive Technologies Enterprise (LITE) and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette will be featuring an open house style event on Saturday, April 20, that will showcase the innovation and technology that is happening each day at LITE and at the University. Working in partnership with INNOV8 Lafayette, an eight-day festival of innovation and creativity hosted by the community of Lafayette, this event is free and open to the public of all ages.

iOpener is a one-day open house that invites all members of the community to visit the Research Campus and main campus of UL Lafayette and see all of the new projects that have been completed within the last year. Participating organizations include LITE, Pixel Magic, Picard Center, Abdalla Hall, Academy of Interactive Entertainment (AIE), UL Lafayette Engineering and more.

“This is a great opportunity for our community to visit our visualization facilities and to get a better understanding of what we do here at LITE,” stated Dr. Kam Ng, LITE’s CEO.

Attendees will have the opportunity to experience a number of displays to include playing a newly created video game where your opponent is music, driving underwater robots, getting inside LITE’s virtual reality CAVE, getting an opportunity to see the visual effects behind major Hollywood movies and even a chance to lift over 5,000 pounds of concrete in a human powered crane. There are a total of 30 different displays total that will be available for iOpener!

“We pride ourselves in the innovation that happens in both the Research Park and main campus of the university, and the iOpener is a great opportunity to showcase what we do at UL and how our research matters to this community,” stated Dr. Ramesh Kolluru, interim vice president of research at UL Lafayette.

This event is FREE, open to the public, and ALL ages are encouraged to attend. Lunch will also be available by Lafayette’s famous food trucks in the LITE parking lot. Due to the number of displays this year, there will be iOpener demonstrations at both the UL Lafayette Research Campus located on Cajundome Blvd., and Rougeau Hall. Parking will be available at both locations.

The full agenda and registration information can be found on the LITE Website at www.lite3d.com/iOpener. Media attendance is welcome. For more information regarding this event, please contact LITE at 337.735.5483 or by email at learnmore@lite3d.com.

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iOpener is a part of INNOV8, a project of the Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce. INNOV8 is an eight-day festival of innovation and creativity hosted by the community of Lafayette, Louisiana from April 19-26, 2013. For an event schedule and more information, visit innov8lafayette.com.

INNOV8 is made possible by the support from our sponsors and community volunteers. 

Presenting Sponsors include Allen & Gooch, Ind Media and Vidox. Corporate Sponsors include Hub City Ford, Lafayette General Medical Center, LUS and Postlethwaite & Netterville. In-Kind Sponsors include BBR Creative, Downtown T-Shirts, Graham Group, iCandy Labs, InventureWorks, Petroleum Club, PIXUS, Prejean Creative and Tristar Graphics Group. Media Sponsors include Cox Communications, KADN, KATC, KLFY, Lamar Advertising, LUS, The Daily Advertiser and Townsquare Media. Organizational Sponsors include Acadiana Center for the Arts, GLCC, Lafayette Convention and Visitors Center, Lafayette Economic Development Authority (LEDA), Louisiana Immersive Technologies Enterprise (LITE) and The University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

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The Vault: Seeking Innovators for $150K Live Pitch Event 
A Project of INNOV8

(Lafayette, La.) — InventureWorks, a Louisiana-based innovation-launching firm, will soon host one of the premier pitch events of the south: The Vault. Held during INNOV8, an eight-day technology and innovation festival in Lafayette, LA, The Vault is a live, rapid-fire pitch event with approved applicants vying for at least $150,000 in pledged commitments from a panel of angel investors.

Similar to the popular ABC show, Shark Tank, The Vault is designed to reward people and their big ideas with a shot at the big time: an opportunity for funding and the expertise to help bring their idea to market. “The Vault is for inventors, investors, growing businesses and anyone who dares to dream big,” says Event Chair and InventureWorks Chief Idea Officer Pete Prados.

On April 25, 2013 five qualifying contestants will present their product or business innovations in front of motivated investors and a cheering audience. A brief video of the product/business will precede a short live pitch followed by Q&A from the investors. If they like what they see and hear, groups will negotiate a deal on the spot.
The Vault will take place at Acadiana Center for the Arts auditorium at 101 West Vermilion Street in Lafayette, LA. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. and pitching will begin at 6:15 p.m.
Interested parties can apply by downloading the free InventureKit from www.inventureworks.com/submit, which contains a mutual non-disclosure agreement and application form. The deadline for entry into The Vault is April 12, 2013. Investors interested in participating should contact InventureWorks Chief Idea Officer Pete Prados at 337.205.8787 or via email: pete@inventureworks.com

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INNOV8 Festival Returns in April
Eight Days – Infinite Possibilities

(Lafayette, La.) — For eight days in April, Lafayette, LA will host INNOV8, an annual festival of innovation and creativity showcasing talented thinkers and entrepreneurs who make the region a unique place to live and work. Created as a project of the Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce, INNOV8 includes a variety of events focused on innovation in the areas of entrepreneurship, healthcare and technology, education and the arts. The festival provides an opportunity for those working in diverse disciplines to network, share information and exchange ideas.

INNOV8 is an all-volunteer community project with support from individuals, businesses, civic groups, nonprofit organizations, economic development groups, the University of Louisiana and all levels of government. INNOV8 2013 will take place from April 19–26. Attendees will also have an opportunity to enjoy south Louisiana’s distinctive culture at Festival International, the nation’s best world music festival, which will kick off on April 24.

This year INNOV8 will see the return of several popular and successful events: The Vault, where contestants pitch their ideas to investors as they vie for $150,000 in venture funding; iOpener, showcasing advanced research and technology from the University of Louisiana and the UL Research Park; and Cajun Code Fest, where programmers compete for a $25,000 prize in a 36-hour coding marathon aimed at creating an innovative healthcare solution. INNOV8 2013 will feature over 60 events and exhibits at venues throughout the UL Research Park, UL Campus, and Downtown Lafayette. A full list of events is available, along with other information, can be found at innov8lafayette.com. From behind the scenes of Hollywood special effects, to advanced scientific imaging, from workshops for entrepreneurs, to programs for educators and artists—INNOV8’s events are sure to provide an engaging experience.

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INNOV8, a project of the Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce is an eight-day festival of innovation and creativity hosted by the community of Lafayette, Louisiana from April 19-26, 2013. For an event schedule and more information, visit innov8lafayette.com.

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