PERSPECTIVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT What’s New at NOEW?

Lots. Including a whole new festival vibe.

BY LIZ MAXWELL

way that only New Orleans can host. Across six days, eight themes will shape the conversation around what’s trending in leading industries across the Gulf South.

NOEW 2023, presented by JPMorgan Chase, includes new aspects that we hope inspire our loyal crowd, while inviting in fresh ideas, collaborations and partners. In 2023, NOEW will lean into the New Orleans “festival” vibe to showcase New Orleans’ authentic culture and celebrate the creativity it takes to lead in startups, entrepreneurship and innovation. This includes the new “NOEW Fest,” a backto-back lineup of cutting-edge music artists inside the main event.

Since the first NOEW was created by The Idea Village in 2011, it has been a premier platform for entrepreneurs, startup founders, industry experts, investors and business-minded creatives to connect and network, exchange ideas and get inspired. If you’re a longtime fan of NOEW, you can count on another year of the best and brightest minds in entrepreneurship and innovation presenting live and in-person.

For the first time, we’re introducing paid tickets to NOEW — the $99 NOEW Fest Pass and $250 NOEW VIP Pass. The majority of NOEW 2023 events, however, will remain free and open to the public. Thanks to our sponsors, we’re able to ensure that the networking, education and community generated through NOEW remain accessible to all.

Our 2023 speaker lineup is stellar. Mark your calendars now for Steve Case, founder of AOL and author of the new book Rise of the Rest for his discussion on how entrepreneurial communities are thriving across the U.S., including right here in New Orleans. Former U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu will share her experience creating bipartisan solutions to climate challenges, while Taylor Griffin, former NBA player and head of athlete relations at a rising private equity firm, will share his thoughts on bringing more athletes into startup investing.

What happens when the innovation and entrepreneurial communities double down on food, music and culture?

Find out at New Orleans Entrepreneur Week (NOEW) 2023, which is back with a bang March 27-April 1. At this year’s NOEW, we’ll explore the intersection of innovation, culture, technology and business in a

National headliner speakers and local thought leaders will present across eight themes: Climate Tech, Culture Tech, Health Innovation, EATrepreneurs, SaaSy Entrepreneurs, Startups for Impact, Investing in Innovation and Future of Local Business. Thoughtfully developed by The Idea Village’s team in conversation with dozens of partners across the regional entrepreneurial ecosystem, these themes represent the industries and topics that are most resonant for the Greater New Orleans region and the areas where the Gulf South has a unique opportunity to lead.

NOEW Fest’s music lineup will keep us dancing late into the night and through Saturday, establishing NOEW as a weekend destination. Both EATrepreneurs and NOEW Fest musical acts will participate in panels during the day to discuss the relationship between culture, technology and innovation.

As is tradition, Friday is “Pitch Day” at NOEW. This event features multiple live pitch competitions and culminates in IDEApitch, where three top startups from The Idea Village’s VILLAGEx accelerator program compete for investment prizes.

We can’t wait to see you at NOEW 2023. Want a sneak peek of all that you can expect at NOEW 2023? Listen to The Idea Village’s new podcast, Big Easy Ideas, streaming now on all platforms. Visit bigeasyideas.com to listen.

Our vision for NOEW is to draw global professionals to learn, grow and connect at the intersection of innovation and culture, in a town that is never at risk of losing its soul. Like so many other great New Orleans festivals, we hope NOEW continues to grow and truly become a destination event for innovators, entrepreneurs, business leaders, startup founders and New Orleans lovers from around the globe. With the help of partners like New Orleans & Co., New Orleans Tourism & Cultural Fund, and dozens of others, we aim to put NOEW on the map as the innovation and cultural fest of the Southern U.S..T

Perspective

GUEST

FRANK TORO is a financial advisor at Edward Jones. He may be reached by calling (504) 341-9854 or by email at frank.toro@edwardjones.com.