North Louisiana’s Tech Community Gets a New Name and a Bigger Mission

Greater Shreveport Tech Connect unites technology professionals, employers and educators 
under the Greater Shreveport Chamber, building on the legacy of TechBy20

SHREVEPORT, La. — On Thursday August 13, the Greater Shreveport Chamber announced the launch of the Greater Shreveport Tech Connect, a new initiative uniting the region’s technology professionals, employers and educators under one platform built to grow North Louisiana’s I-20 technology corridor.

Greater Shreveport Tech Connect builds on years of grassroots work by TechBy20, the technology-focused program of the North Louisiana Economic Partnership (NLEP) and BRF, which brought together partners including AT&T, Lumen (formerly CenturyLink), GDIT, Praeses, Vaco and area universities to support the region’s growing technology workforce.

Tech Connect carries that community forward under the Greater Shreveport Chamber’s Business Development Connection, with a formal governance structure and an expanded slate of programming.

“The Chamber’s job is to make sure the businesses driving our economy forward have the room and the resources to grow. Technology is doing that here — has been quietly for years — and it deserved a real home. Greater Shreveport Tech Connect gives us the structure to support that growth intentionally, instead of just watching it happen.” said Dr. Tim Magner, President, Greater Shreveport Chamber.

Greater Shreveport Tech Connect is organized around three core areas of focus, networking, continuing education and peer engagement designed to serve technology professionals and the companies that employ them. Initial programming will include the regular Greater Shreveport Tech Connect Mixers, a Bites with Byte lunch-and-learn series on technology topics, and a CIO Council to facilitate peer-based interactions across industry sectors.

“North Louisiana has quietly built a real technology sector, from cybersecurity work tied to the Cyber Innovation Center and Barksdale Air Force Base to a growing base of software and telecom employers. Tech Connect gives that community a home and a clear plan to grow,” said Mack Slaughter, Chair, Greater Shreveport Tech Connect Executive Committee. “We’ve supported TechBy20 since its early days because talent is the single biggest factor in our growth plans here. Greater ShreveportTech Connect is a natural next step, and we’re glad to help build it.”

Additional details on Greater Shreveport Tech Connect and related programming will be forthcoming in the weeks ahead.
To receive regular updates on Greater Shreveport Tech Connect, please register at:
https://web.shreveportchamber.org/atlas/forms/general/1060