For starters

Young firms with bold ideas and innovative technology are finding fertile ground in Baton Rouge. Here are a few.

Red Six Media

Matt Dardenne, Joe Martin, Kayla Morrison and Kristen Morrison decided to form their own advertising firm just days after graduating from LSU. Two and a half years later, Red Six boasts a client list of 75 and counting and specializes in multi-media advertising strategies and political campaigns. The firm is housed at the Louisiana Business and Technology Center. redsixmedia.net

Trace Security

Established at the Louisiana Technology Park in 2003, the firm provides cloud-based security solutions for the financial services, healthcare, insurance, government and related industries. Co-founder Rob Guba is now at work on his second idea in the Tech Park, Cellcontrol, which provides technology that stops distracted driving. Tracesecurity.com, cellcontrol.com

BluReach

Founded by LSU students Sean Simone and Trevor Reeves, BluReach is a web development and marketing firm launched from the Louisiana Business and Technology Center’s Student Incubator, which was designed for LSU students with viable business ideas. Simone is also co-founder of the grass-roots organization SeNSE, which hosts Pitch Nights for burgeoning entrepreneurs around town who want instant feedback. blureach.net

College District

The online t-shirt company founded by Jared Loftus saw $1 million in sales last year, all of which is being re-invested for growth. Loftus began with a brick-and-mortar t-shirt shop called Tiger District, but he sold it to focus on an online venture that serves colleges nationwide with strong sports cultures. College District’s interactive nature means fans can submit their own t-shirt designs. collegedistrict.com

NewAperio

LSU computer engineering major Logan Leger placed in the top 30 at the 2011 Global Student Entrepreneurship Award finals for his new business, NewAperio, an app development firm that provides additional management consulting for start-ups. Leger says it’s one thing to develop an app, but another to understand how it can grow a brand-new business. newaperio.com

Click Here Publishing

A custom software and web development company, Click Here has created a web-based automotive comparison tool called Dare to Compare that Mitsubishi used in all of its North American dealerships. Click Here launched at the Tech Park in 2006 and graduated in 2010. clickherepublishing.com