Nexus Louisiana’s 2026 calendar includes a yearlong lineup of technology competitions and community programming aimed at strengthening Louisiana’s tech talent pipeline, supporting founders and connecting industry with real-world innovation. At the center of the calendar is DevDays, a quarterly, challenge-based technology competition that engages college students in solving Louisiana-specific problems alongside industry partners. DevDays will take place March 20, June 19 and Sept. 25, with the first competition hosted in partnership with the Water Institute. “College students represent one of the strongest and most repeatable pipelines of tech talent,” a statement from Tony Zanders, president and CEO of Nexus Louisiana, reads. “Many of today’s most successful technology companies started when their founders were still in college. DevDays allows us to engage that talent early—before ideas fade and before students leave the state. Last year, more than 200 students across Louisiana engaged in building new technology through our competitions, and we’re expanding that impact in 2026.” The March 20 DevDays competition will focus on digital wildlife habitat monitoring. Ongoing land loss, stronger storms and rising waters are reshaping coastal habitats and altering the availability of critical nesting grounds, creating a need for faster, more accessible data to support restoration and wildlife management efforts. Student teams will be challenged to develop technology solutions that help experts better understand how habitats are changing and how wildlife is responding. Ten finalist teams from across the state will compete live, with $10,000 in total prize funding awarded to first-, second- and third-place winners. “Louisiana’s most pressing challenges are also some of its greatest opportunities for innovation,” said Beaux Jones, president and CEO of the Water Institute, in a statement. “Through this partnership with Nexus Louisiana on DevDays, students are invited to tackle these challenges—moving ideas beyond the classroom and into real-world solutions that help our coastal communities, ecosystems and economies be more resilient for years to come.” In addition to DevDays, Nexus announced the return of its flagship Technology Cup, set for Dec. 14–16. The multiday competition brings together experienced developers from across the state to showcase advanced software and hardware solutions and compete for $150,000 in cash prizes. The 2026 calendar also reflects an expansion of Nexus Louisiana’s community programming following a summer move to its new downtown Baton Rouge headquarters. New programs launching this year include Nexus Nights, a monthly speaker series beginning in August, and Founder Fridays, a first-Friday monthly meetup at Nexus headquarters focused on low-pressure networking among founders and industry leaders. This fall, Nexus will also host Tech Tailgates, networking events tied to LSU home football games against Clemson on Sept. 5, Texas AM on Sept. 26, Mississippi State on Oct. 17 and Alabama on Nov. 7. “Nexus Louisiana is a home base for people building technology in this state,” said Zanders. “Whether you are a founder scaling a company, a professional developing an idea outside of work, or a college student deciding what comes next, Nexus is the launchpad. We create spaces and opportunities that turn ideas into momentum and momentum into impact.” ...read more read less