Believe Institute Louisiana 501(c)(3)
Louisiana Born. Globally Rooted. Community First.
Believe Institute Louisiana was created from a simple but powerful truth: talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not. What started as grassroots mentorship in Lafayette, Louisiana has grown into a nonprofit dedicated to education, entrepreneurship, culinary arts, and workforce development — giving students and community members the tools, training, and real-world opportunities to build lasting careers. Believe Institute Louisiana serves as the nonprofit philanthropic arm of Louisiana Creole Pecan Candy.
Named a 2026 Blue Angel Award Recipient
We are honored that Believe Institute Louisiana has been selected as a nonprofit recipient of the Louisiana Blue Foundation's Angel Award program, which comes with a $30,000 grant to fuel our work. We'll celebrate this recognition at the Angel Award gala on October 19 — and we're using the months leading up to it to grow our programs and our community of supporters. Learn more about the Angel Award program.
The Creole Kitchen Project
The Creole Kitchen Project is where we work directly with area high school culinary arts programs, teaching students entrepreneurship alongside the skills to protect and preserve authentic Creole-style cooking. We've been building these relationships since 2022, but the program reached a new level when we formally launched our pilot fundraising structure with the culinary arts (ProStart) students at the W.D. & Mary Baker Smith Career Center in Lafayette, Louisiana.
That partnership took center stage during Super Bowl LIX, when Louisiana Creole Candy was selected as an official praline and pecan candy provider for the big game — and brought W.D. & Mary Baker Smith Career Center students right into the work, producing thousands of handcrafted pralines for a national audience (Yahoo News, student video feature). Believe Institute Louisiana covered uniforms, equipment, field trips, and everything else the students needed to participate — creating a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity most of them had never imagined. The project culminated in a donation of roughly $7,500 (and growing) back to the school's culinary program.
Hermie's Fund
Hermie's Fund is a scholarship and education initiative designed to remove financial and access barriers for students — particularly Black male collegians and young people pursuing pathways in culinary arts, business, and the workforce. Hermie's Fund reached a national stage through our Super Bowl engagement, turning a moment in the spotlight into long-term opportunity for the students who earned it.
Our Impact (4 Years and Counting)
- 1,500+ service hours contributed
- 80+ small businesses supported
- 30 student apprenticeships created
- 20+ community partnerships built
- 6 sponsored causes
- 4 collegians supported through education
- $250K in total community impact
Proud partners and collaborators include Taste of the NFL, BEY GOOD, ProStart, Our Village United, Sodexo Live!, and the NFL supplier network.
What We Do
- Small business and entrepreneurial support
- Workforce development and culinary arts education
- Student apprenticeships
- Second-chance initiatives
- Community partnerships
Help Us Reach the Next Student
Every gift — large or small — goes directly toward uniforms, equipment, field trips, and scholarships for students in the Creole Kitchen Project and Hermie's Fund. Believe Institute Louisiana is a registered 501(c)(3); your donation may be tax-deductible.
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Donations run securely through our existing store checkout — no new account needed.
Have questions or want to partner with us? Email Jay.jones@cburnsllc.com for more information.