2025 Business Person of the Year Finalists
Lynn Bryan is the Executive Director of Keep Bossier Beautiful, where she leads the organization’s mission to improve community cleanliness, beautification, and environmental stewardship. Lynn manages daily operations, supports volunteers and partners, and works closely with the board to ensure programs align with Keep America Beautiful standards and local priorities. Lynn has worked in the nonprofit sector for more than 25 years, and is deeply passionate about enhancing quality of life and protecting our natural resources.
Ben Pattillo is the CEO of Flying Heart Brewing & Pub, where he oversees the full operations and staff of their three locations. Over the last decade, Ben has supported, sponsored, and donated to hundreds of local and regional charities through Flying Heart, which became such a big part of his company culture that they established Flying Heart Cares. Flying Heart evolved from a distribution brewery to a full-service restaurant through an amazing journey of hard work and dedication. Ben ignites the energy in the East Bank District with his annual Kegs and Corks Festival, which is a craft beer and wine festival that brings together the community and donates a portion of their proceeds to charity.
Tyler Potter is co-owner of The Nail Den in Bossier City and a detective and corporal with the Shreveport Police Department, where he is dedicated to protecting and supporting the people of Shreveport–Bossier. Beyond his role in law enforcement, Tyler plays a key part in operating two community-centered nail salons that prioritize safety, empowerment, and opportunity. He has helped hire and support women who were leaving abusive relationships or experiencing homelessness, giving them a stable job, a safe environment, and a chance to rebuild their lives with dignity. His integrity, generosity, and dedication make him a great example of what it means to serve the community with purpose.
Tyler Slanovec is the General Manager of Brookshire Grocery Arena where he led his team to the first financially profitable year in the Arena's history. After 23 challenging years, they were able to find new sources of revenue, enhance their guest experience and turn what used to be an annual loss into an annual profit through Tyler’s leadership in 2024. Then, in 2025, Brookshire Grocery Arena celebrated another year of financial profit. Tyler’s leadership and the work of his team has helped to significantly improve the expectation of live entertainment in Bossier City.
Marlicia Thomas is the owner of Fashion Envy, where she oversees the boutique’s daily operations including buying/merchandising, marketing and social media, customer service, vendor relationships, inventory, and community outreach. Marlicia has built Fashion Envy from the ground up, starting as an online-only boutique and eventually opening her brick and mortar storefront location in 2025. Marlicia’s faith and commitment to serving women in our community
2025 Small Business of the Year Finalists
318 Real Estate and Property Management was built from the ground up with a people-first, relationship-driven approach. In 2025, they expanded their vendor network after significant company growth. They also introduced improved processes for submitting and accurately diagnosing maintenance issues, streamlined internal workflows, and rolled out updated lease structures to ensure compliance and clarity. 318 Property Management owners Shane Cheatham and Chessica Harville are also deeply committed to community engagement, and one example of this is through their creation of the South Bossier Lunch Group. This group meets monthly and has done so consistently for over a decade, serving as a sustained collaborative bridge between community members, local businesses, Barksdale Air Force Base leadership, community organizations, and state and local government.
American Freedom Enterprises is a Veteran-owned and operated business in Benton that combined their three separate entities under one roof in 2025. They have a storefront that sells trailers, power equipment, and parts, a storage facility, and a coffee shop - Benton Coffee Depot. These different offerings were created to give the people of Benton a place to gather, creating a community hub in this small town. American Freedom Enterprises is dedicated to serving the community with Southern hospitality and Benton pride.
Digital Gem, LLC offers indoor digital billboard advertising and full digital marketing services to help businesses grow their visibility and customer engagement. Their services include campaign management, content creation, social media management, social media advertising, branding, graphic design, website development, and digital strategy. In 2025, Digital Gem expanded into Mississippi and Ruston, Monroe, and West Monroe. Digital Gem is committed to supporting the growth of small businesses and nonprofits in North Louisiana and beyond.
Kary Landry, State Farm Agent is an insurance company with unwavering customer focus - they don't just serve our community, they actively engage with it. During a year that presented ongoing challenges in the insurance industry, including increased policy complexity, rising costs, and heightened client needs; the Kary Landry office consistently delivered professional, compassionate, and reliable service to the community. Rather than simply meeting expectations, the team continued to go above and beyond to ensure every client received fair, respectful, and personalized attention.
Sweetfern Cafe started as SoBo Cold Brew in Pierre Bossier Mall and expanded into Sweetfern Cafe at their new Benton location in 2025. Sweetfern Café offers high quality coffee, fresh food, and made from scratch desserts. Their new location provides a relaxing atmosphere for the community to gather and work remotely, retail space for local artists to sell their work, and a rentable space for hosting parties or events. Despite challenges, Sweetfern consistently shows up for our community by hosting donation drives and supporting our neighbors in any way they can.
2025 Business of the Year Finalists
Chasing Aces Golf Entertainment opened their doors in 2025 after 3 years of seeking approval to begin construction on the largest entertainment investment in North Louisiana in 30 years. Chasing Aces is a golf entertainment facility that offers swing bays, batting bays, a par-3 course, putting zone, food and drinks, and a gift shop. Since opening, Chasing Aces has attracted locals and tourists alike to their one-of-a-kind experience in Bossier City. They are already expanding into a second location in Alabama, with other locations to be announced soon.
Cypress Solar & Roofing, LLC is a brick and mortar roofing company that also offers maintenance, repairs, and solar panel installation. In 2025, Cypress Solar and Roofing experienced significant growth while navigating economic uncertainty, rising material costs, and workforce shortages. They strengthened and invested in their team by doing comprehensive training and development. Beyond business growth, Cypress Solar and Roofing remained deeply committed to the Bossier City community through their events, new partnerships, charity involvement, and community outreach efforts.
Neu Aviation is a Veteran-owned pilot school with a passion for training the next generation of pilots. Neu Aviation is the only school in the region to offer full-service pilot training from private pilot through every stage of training to become a commercial pilot. They won the prestigious national AOPA award for Best Flight School for 2026 in the Central Southern region, an incredible accolade. Neu Aviation opened their doors 3 years ago with one rented plane and one instructor and now has 8 company planes, 12 instructors, and their growth is reaching new heights every day.
Sterling Spirits provides a curated liquor and wine selection, specialty meats, handcrafted daiquiris, and professional liquor catering and bartending services serving both retail customers and private events. In 2025, Sterling Spirits was able to open their third location in Bossier City, expanding from two other locations in Haughton. This growth was paired with a strategic expansion of their liquor catering and bartending division, enabling staff to serve more private events, weddings, and corporate clients across the region.
Visit Shreveport-Bossier is a government agency that reinvests occupancy revenues into the community through strategic marketing, advertising and sales opportunities on behalf of the hospitality and tourism industry businesses in Shreveport-Bossier. In 2025, Visit Shreveport-Bossier launched the Destination 318 Tourism Challenge and the Show Me Your Badge Program. They also adopted the Film and Entertainment Commission and launched gateway signs along the Boom or Bust Byway to highlight and elevate rural communities across the region.
Congratulations to all of our finalists!