Residential contractor course scheduled

The Louisiana Contractors Accreditation Institute has opened registration for its Residential Contractors Seminar, a 10-week web-based videoconferencing course.

The course will be offered June 3 to Aug. 7 on Mondays and Wednesdays, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. 

Topics focused on residential construction will include print reading; building calculations; site work, demolition and construction; foundations, formwork and retaining walls; finishes; roof structures; structural loads; wood framing construction; related trades; special construction and equipment; and safety codes.

Program and registration information are at opportunitylouisiana.gov/program/lcai-residential-contractors-seminar under the "Apply Now" link. A $350 fee covers the cost of the course and materials. The deadline to register is May 31.

Louisiana Economic Development, the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors and the Louisiana Community and Technical College System developed the institute. 

Speakers set for Baton Rouge Entrepreneurship Week

Dhiraj Mukherjee, co-founder of Shazam, and Felecia Hatcher, CEO of Black Ambition Prize, will serve as the headline speakers for Baton Rouge Entrepreneurship Week.

This will be the first time Mukherjee speaks in the U.S. After launching the groundbreaking music recognition app and selling it to Apple for $400 million, Mukherjee has invested in more than 250 startups.

Hatcher heads up Pharrell Williams' program that boosts Black entrepreneurs. She has invested in more than 100 start-ups that have raised more than $95 million.

The back-to-back keynote addresses will start at 8:30 a.m. May 9 at Mid City Tower, 5700 Florida Blvd.

BREW will be May 7-9 and is being put on by NexusLA, a small-business investment nonprofit. This year's theme is "Stayin' Alive," and the event will have a focus on resilience, adaptability and staying power. The event will conclude with the $100,000 high-stakes pitch competition at 5:30 p.m. May 9. The winner of the pitch competition will go on to compete for a $1 million price at the Startup World Cup Grand Finale in Silicon Valley, California.

Registration for entrepreneurship week is open, with daily passes starting at $45 and all access passes priced at $100. For information or to buy tickets, go to celebratebrew.com.