Opportunity Machine, Lafayette’s Center for Entrepreneurs, provides business education, guidance and risk reduction to startup founders and small business owners through training, mentorship, networking, and affordable workspace.
Entrepreneurs have created a progressive business community in Lafayette. In fact, Lafayette has been recognized as one of the best cities in the nation for start-ups and entrepreneurs by multiple media outlets.
Based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau, 7.4% of adults are self-employed in Lafayette—that places Lafayette second out of 11 southern metro areas studied in the Lafayette Benchmarking Report. Lafayette also ranks first for the number of small businesses, less than 20 employees, per 1,000 population. What do these numbers mean? They mean the entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in Lafayette.
Opportunity Machine's mission is to support and elevate early-stage technology, research-driven, and innovative startups. OM's focus lies in nurturing tech and tech-enabled ventures through specialized business education, targeted mentorship, strategic networking opportunities, and a workspace environment designed to meet high-growth startups' dynamic needs. In 2022, the OM moved to a new facility — a 20,000-square-foot Innovation Center in Downtown Lafayette.
