2009 - 2010 Workshop Dates
Referral Form
ExcEL Client Application

Exceptional Entrepreneurs of LA (Excel) is a self-employment training program that addresses the diverse and specific needs of persons with disabilities. It was established in 1998 by the University of New Orleans Training, Resource, and Assistive Technology Center (TRAC), working in collaboration with the University of New Orleans College of Business Administration and the State of Louisiana Rehabilitation Services.

Headquartered in the award-winning, barrier-free Oliver St. Pe' TRAC facility on the University's Lakefront Campus, Excel is a statewide program offering training workshops and ongoing small business mentoring for persons with disabilities. Excel offers comprehensive two-week self-employment training seminars that include business development, entrepreneurial and management skills, technical support, networking and resources, assistive technology recommendations, and business startup information.

Excel graduates have established a variety of small businesses including a bread mix manufacturing company, a Jani-King franchise, a flower shop, a seafood processing plant, an online wedding boutique, an AutoCAD business, a management consulting firm, several recording studios, a video production company, and a wholesale supply business.

Excel received national recognition for successfully hosting a conference sponsored by the National Small Business Association and the President's Commission on the Employment of People with Disabilities. In April 2000, the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship named Excel the top collegiate Noncredit Specialty Program in Entrepreneurship in the United States. The award was accepted by Excel professors Dr. William Galle and Dr. Kenneth J. Lacho.

Excel Mission Statement: To provide self-employment opportunities that enable people with disabilities to achieve financial independence and contribute to the economic development of Louisiana.

ExcEL is a multifaceted program that will:

1. Provide training for LRS counselors in the area of entrepreneurship and self-employment, including a tool chest of strategies for assessing self-employment potential.
2. Offer clients interested in self-employment a workshop that provides a realistic overview, including benefits, drawbacks, and stringent requirements.
3. Conduct intensive, in-depth training for clients screened for self-employment potential.
4. Develop a follow-up, on-site support program, that includes resources and technical assistance, for clients who complete the UNO intensive training course and who have approved self-employment plans.

For additional information, contact:

Ken Zangla, Program Director
kzangla@uno.edu

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UNO TRAC - P.O. Box 1051 Lakefront Campus - New Orleans, LA 70148 - Phone/Fax: 504-280-5700