2022 Regular Session ENROLLED
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 75
BY SENATOR REESE
A RESOLUTION
To commend the Edward Lowe Foundation on its outstanding accomplishments and extend
gratitude for its contributions to economic development in Louisiana.
WHEREAS, the Edward Lowe Foundation is a national nonprofit organization
established in 1985 by Ed and Darlene Lowe to leverage entrepreneurship as a strategy for
economic growth and community development; setting itself apart from most grant-giving
foundations in the United States, the Edward Lowe Foundation funds its own programs; and
WHEREAS, Ed Lowe famously invented Kitty Litter and Darlene founded a
successful interior design company; the couple believed that America's economy was built
on the backs of entrepreneurs and that innovative business owners deserved more
recognition, so they launched the Edward Lowe Foundation to support future generations
of entrepreneurs; and
WHEREAS, the entrepreneurship initiatives offered by the Edward Lowe Foundation
focuses on second-stage companies, which are growth-oriented firms that have moved
beyond startup but have not yet reached maturity in business; and
WHEREAS, some of these programs are delivered virtually, but many are conducted
at Big Rock Valley, the foundation's learning campus in southwest Michigan; the sprawling
complex is comprised of 2,000 acres of woodlands, prairies, ponds, and streams, and its
natural beauty is enhanced by the unique aesthetics Darlene Lowe created as it was the
Lowe's desire to create a destination where entrepreneurs could recharge, be inspired, and
discover new ways to grow their businesses; and
WHEREAS, the Louisiana Economic Development (LED) partners with the Edward
Lowe Foundation on a number of programs including strategic research, peer learning,
leadership education, and mentorship all purposed to accelerate the growth of Louisiana
small businesses; and
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WHEREAS, since 2011, LED has provided strategic research programming in
collaboration with the Edward Lowe Foundation to 357 Louisiana businesses resulting in an
annual increase in sales by nearly $700 million for those businesses and has created more
than 3,000 new jobs, which equates to a return on investment of $10.23 for every dollar
invested by the state; and
WHEREAS, the Edward Lowe Foundation has been instrumental in assisting LED
in launching and enhancing the LED Growth Network suite of services for growth-oriented
small businesses, which was awarded the Gold Award for Entrepreneurship in 2021 by the
International Economic Development Council; and the LED Growth Network consists of
close to 550 companies that employ more than 20,000 people generating nearly four billion
dollars in annual sales; and
WHEREAS, the Edward Lowe Foundation's Board of Trustees and senior leadership
visited Baton Rouge for the Spotlight Louisiana award ceremony held in April 2022 to show
support for growth-oriented small businesses in the state and to present LED with the very
first Founder's Award which recognizes Louisiana as a national best practice model for
second-stage small business support; and
WHEREAS, Louisiana has greatly benefitted from the Edward Lowe Foundation and
has put into practice collaborative efforts with LED which continues to fulfill the Lowe
Foundation founders' legacy of "championing the entrepreneurial spirit" and making
Louisiana a better place to live, work, and do business.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
does hereby commend the Edward Lowe Foundation for its partnership with Louisiana
Economic Development and does hereby recognize and record for posterity their
extraordinary contributions to the state's economy.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
Edward Lowe Foundation and Louisiana Economic Development.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
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