LSU Lands Small Business Development Center Director

Award-winning business consultant helps entrepreneurs reach their dreams

BATON ROUGE – Adam C. McCloskey has been named director of the Louisiana Small Business Development Center at LSU. 

At LSU, McCloskey leads an office that provides no-cost consulting to small business and aspiring entrepreneurs in the nine-parish capital region. The SBDC offers expert advice on issues from cash-flow management, securing loans, business planning and everything in between.  The LSU Center also has a statewide mandate to help companies focused on bringing technology to market.

“I enjoy that when I go home at night, I can think about how I’ve helped someone else get closer to their dreams. That’s ultimately the role of the SBDC, and I’m happy to play my part,” McCloskey said.  His consulting will center around business valuation and acquisition, advertising, and financial management.

The Small Business Development Center at LSU is part of the LSU Office of Innovation & Ecosystem Development, which oversees the LSU Innovation Park and LSU Office of Innovation & Technology Commercialization. LSU Innovation’s services also include support for Louisiana companies connecting to federal laboratories and applying for Small Business Innovation Research grant funding.

McCloskey previously served as the associate director for the Florida Small Business Development Center at the University of West Florida, or UWF. He joined the group in 2016 and was promoted to associate director a year later. In 2019, McCloskey won the SBDC’s top award for consulting, the Florida SBDC Network State Star. In 2021, he won the first annual UWF College of Business Dean’s Choice Award.

“We’re excited about bringing Adam on board and equally confident his experience as Florida’s top SBDC consultant will help us enhance and expand the services we offer to small businesses and entrepreneurs,” said Robert R. Twilley, interim vice president, LSU Office of Research & Economic Development.

McCloskey said the decision to join LSU was easy.

“I wanted to go somewhere that people were willing to work hard -- not just talk about the work they could do,” McCloskey said. “It was clear that was what everyone at LSU Innovation is about.”

McCloskey earned a Bachelor of Arts in economics & telecommunications from the University of West Florida and a Master of Science in applied economics with concentrations in financial economics and regional economic development from Georgia Southern University. He also holds the designation of Economic Development Finance Professional from the National Development Council and Associate Business Continuity Professional from DRI International. He is a Business Certified Appraiser with the International Society of Business Appraisers.

McCloskey grew up in Pensacola, south of Interstate 10. Moving to Baton Rouge isn’t that big of a change for him.

“I traded the water for the food. I think I’ll come out ahead,” he said.

Louisiana Small Business Development Center, or LSBDC, is a network consisting of 10 regional offices including the SBDC at LSU led by McCloskey. LSU is also the host organization for the statewide network that provides training and technical support to small businesses and entrepreneurs throughout Louisiana, which is led by Bryan Greenwood.

About LSU Innovation 

LSU Innovation works with the LSU research community to facilitate the evaluation, protection and licensing of intellectual property created at LSU. LSU Innovation also focuses on establishing, developing and growing technology-based startup companies. This work maximizes the university's impact on the intellectual, economic and social development of Louisiana and beyond. LSU Innovation helps LSU entrepreneurs and the community evaluate their discoveries and ideas, mechanisms for protecting their innovations, marketing and industry negotiations for intellectual property and licensing and other agreements. The office also oversees LSU Innovation Park, a business incubator with more than 200 acres and 80,000 square feet of office and lab space.