Notre Dame Alum Advances Entrepreneurship, Early Literacy
Since graduating from the University of Notre Dame in 2024, Posse New Orleans alum Shivang Thakor has built a career at the intersection of entrepreneurship, economic development, education and service.
A first-generation college graduate, Shivang returned to the New Orleans area and now serves as STartUP Northshore program manager at the St. Tammany Economic Development Corporation. In this role, he works directly with entrepreneurs and small business owners to identify their needs and connect them with resources that can support their growth.
Shivang has also carried his interests in entrepreneurship and education into a new venture. He recently co-founded Loratone, an early childhood literacy platform designed to make reading more engaging through multisensory, immersive experiences.
Loratone incorporates narrative-synced audio, sensory modulation and literacy decoding tools rooted in Science of Reading principles. The platform is intended to create an entry point for reluctant readers and help children develop positive relationships with reading. During its early development, Shivang is intentionally designing for and learning from readers, including autistic and nonverbal children.
His work with entrepreneurs and young readers reflects a broader commitment to using professional opportunities in service of others—a value Shivang connects to his experience with Posse.
“Posse New Orleans has been a pivotal part of my leadership development, career progression, and reflections on serving and representing the communities we carry,” says Shivang.
He remains active in the Posse New Orleans community and continues to draw on the leadership values and relationships he developed as a Scholar.
“When Shiv was awarded his Posse scholarship, he was incredibly motivated to learn, and he had a level of intellectual curiosity that stood out,” says Posse New Orleans Board Chair Rick Rizzo. “It’s exciting to see him apply his personal initiative in ways that bring innovation benefiting others in the community.”
From supporting small business owners across the Northshore to developing a platform for young readers, Shivang is using his education, talents and network to create opportunities for others and strengthen the communities he calls home.
“Posse shows me how to use my gifts, talents, services, and capabilities in the spirit of making the places and communities around me stronger,” says Shivang.
