Alumnus Pursues Entrepreneurial Side of Engineering

9/25/2017

As an undergraduate student in the LSU College of Engineering, Logan Leger started several software-as-a-service (SaaS) companies, which license software on a subscription basis. Although he had varying degrees of success with each company, they all failed for one reason or another.

After the last venture stalled, the Baton Rouge native and computer engineering alumnus realized he could use the skills accrued from his experiences to help others. Leger had built up enough revenue to support himself full-time after graduation, so in 2010, he founded New Aperio, which aims to help clients turn their ideas into web and mobile platforms. The business has grown steadily ever since.

Following the success of New Aperio, Leger partnered with the College of Engineering, RepCap and tommysTV for the Code IT Up Challenge, an innovative campaign to reach students that would be well-suited for the computer science curriculum at LSU.

“It was a great fit for us since we are all graduates of the college,” Leger said. “We knew immediately how to reach them.”

As a child, Leger’s interest in engineering began with LEGOs, which in turn spiked his interest in computers as software.

“I like solving problems and I think that part is essential to me,” Leger said. “I was lucky enough to grow up in a home that fostered that with a father who is also an engineer and a mother who’s a teacher.”

Looking back at his journey, Leger said the road to managing a successful business is not an easy one. He credits LSU with instilling in him the ability to be resourceful and solve a problem no matter the circumstance.

Moreover, he said the spirit of entrepreneurship is something an individual is born with. Leger explained there is a certain amount of “crazy” that comes with being an entrepreneurial engineer. Traditional engineers are more measured and cautious and are typically not comfortable with extreme environments and managing a lot of risk.

“Being an entrepreneur means I solve problems all the time,” Leger said. “When adversity happens, you have to keep moving, figure out a solution and keep marching on. I have faced every adversity imaginable. I was talking to some other entrepreneurs about the kinds of problems you face. As we compiled a list, I realized every single one had happened to me. We are all still here because we figured it out.”

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Article by Raven Nichols, communications intern. For more information contact Josh Duplechain, communications director, at josh@lsu.edu.