Baton Rouge: A Big City With a Small Town Feel

Growing up in Houma, Louisiana, then living in Natchitoches for two years, Baton Rouge seemed like an enormous city. That’s why when I started college at Louisiana State University, I lived on campus and immersed myself in campus life. With that came tailgating during football season, an experience that made me fall in love with how welcoming the Baton Rouge and LSU communities are. There was no shortage of kind strangers with amazing food. Outside of tailgating, I met some amazing people from all over the world in my classes and extracurriculars and learned from top-notch professors.

I worked in the restaurant industry throughout college, continuing to cross paths with people from all walks of life, many born, raised, and living in Baton Rouge their entire life. While working, I met my future wife and decided that this was where we would call home, and we had our first child. Shortly after, I landed my first sales position selling cell phones for a major telecom company. Here, I continued to hone in on my skills of networking, and connected with community members who were doing amazing things in our area. It was clear—residents aimed to make Baton Rouge a great place to live, work, and play. 

We’re a small, big city where families and businesses can thrive and experience growth, but we also strongly connect with the community as a whole.

We’re a small, big city where families and businesses can thrive and experience growth, but we also strongly connect with the community as a whole. It’s common to make some great business deals during the week, then get invited to that client’s family BBQ or crawfish boil that very weekend. That’s the close-knit culture that I love about Baton Rouge. Our family also loves that it’s just a short drive to explore New Orleans or immerse ourselves in the culture of Cajun Country, where my wife is from.

Becoming a BTR Entrepreneur 

While selling cell phones, I met a local businessman who invested in my startup tech company. It originally began as a mobile technology training and consulting company before evolving into a managed IT services and digital marketing firm. I was fortunate that someone saw enough potential in a new business to invest in it and that is a big reason why I continue to pay it forward by helping others in the business community with their growth.

Business and Tech Communities Combine

One of my favorite communities I am a part of is the Baton Rouge area Business Network International (BNI). BNI is a global organization with over 300,000 members and 11,000 chapters worldwide. Baton Rouge has a strong local presence with around 300 members, 13 established chapters, and four new, up-and-coming chapters. Joining has helped me scale my business by forming referral relationships. Because of this, I quickly grew Torapath Technologies to a team of nine. The in-person relationship building and the “Giver’s Gain” mindset complement how we do business in Baton Rouge— everyone looks out for each other and helps each other grow. I now serve in a leadership position within the organization to help BNI members get the most out of their membership.

Being in IT and digital marketing, I am also involved in the local tech community. My goal is to help our city become more and more tech-savvy. That’s one of the reasons I decided to bring Code Ninjas to the Baton Rouge area. This program helps kids and teens expand their STEM knowledge by providing robotics kits, teaching them how to create flight paths for drones, and helping them 3D print their latest CAD-engineered project or build a game in Roblox. We partner with educators like Kenilworth Science and Technology Charter School and local robotics teams because we all agree that this initiative is important for the future leaders of Baton Rouge. 

Running Toward BTR Connections

I recently joined in on the fun of our local running community. After some injuries playing sports, I decided to hang up my cleats in 2017, but my wife had been running for a few years and suggested that I try it. In 2018, I ran my first race and was hooked. I’ve run an event at the Louisiana Marathon every year since, as well as other races, many supporting a good cause. Two of my favorite races include the Fat Boy 5K because of the Manda hot sausage po'boys after you finish, and the Tiger 10K that concludes by hitting the Win! Bar on the 50-yard line of Tiger Stadium.

I've discovered the running community to be incredibly welcoming. I love stopping by Varsity Sports to pick up new shoes and visit their friendly staff. I've also become a member of Regymen Fitness, a locally owned gym chain with a regional presence, where I push myself to improve my speed and sustain my overall physical health.

An Active Weekend in Baton Rouge

One of my newest ventures is an axe-throwing venue, LA Threaux. I enjoy hanging out on the weekends, continuing to meet new people who are out having fun with this unique entertainment experience. Our oldest daughter works there, so it’s a family affair. 

On the weekends, you can usually find us running a local race, at our son’s baseball tournament, enjoying a great meal at a local restaurant, or cooking some good food with family, friends, or business associates in the backyard. Sometimes it’s all of the above in the same weekend! 

During the Fall, you can find us going to Tiger Stadium to cheer on the team, making lots of stops along the way to say our hellos at all the tailgates. 

It’s clear that when we all work together, we can collectively elevate our community and its future. 

I always tell people that we’re firmly rooted here in Baton Rouge. We travel often, and it is a great feeling every time we arrive home. It’s difficult to explain why. Ultimately, it comes down to the people. They are always more than willing to help others make meaningful connections. It’s clear that when we all work together, we can collectively elevate our community and its future.