Biz New Orleans May 2023

ANNUAL WOMEN’S ISSUE

BREAKING THE MOLD

Bringing Tourism Back

These 3 women are getting it done

P. 34

Awash in Women

This emerging sector is attracting women from multiple industries

P. 16

Under Where?

A local woman’s new venture puts a cool twist on a centuries-old garment P. 66 Sevetri

El Guapo’s renovated warehouse gives the sustainably-minded cocktail bitters, syrups and mixers company room to grow

This Bayou St. John staple continues to battle to fill its shelves for dedicated customers after almost 100 years

72 NEW ORLEANS 500 Aimee Brown, Executive Director of New Orleans Wine & Food

Leading the Charge

Breaking the Mold

She’s the most-funded Black woman founder in tech and the most funded woman tech founder in Louisiana’s history. How did she do it and how can we help others follow in her footsteps?

Conflicted

Idon’t want to do a women’s issue anymore.

After ruminating for a while about what I was going to write for this, my ninth women’s issue for Biz New Orleans, it just hit me. I’m over it. Don’t get me wrong — it’s not that I don’t want to write about amazing women doing amazing things — that’s actually one of my favorite things to do. I just can’t believe we’re still at a point where a women’s issue is needed to try and balance things out. It’s the same as special awards for women, though. We have those, right? Women in business honors. We have special business groups for women, special conferences.

I’m conflicted because I really enjoy all these things, but yet it’s weird, isn’t it? Business is business. I would hope we’re all at the point in the year 2023 that we recognize that women are just as capable as men, but sadly, we’re just not there yet. There are still many industries where women are vastly underrepresented — typically the most lucrative and powerful ones.

Our cover woman, the indomitable Sevetri Wilson, is evidence of this. Sure, she’s a huge success story now, but it took her rising above a lot of prejudice and bias to get investors to take a chance on her great business idea because it was coming from someone that didn’t look like, or come from a place where, they’re used to doing business.

It makes you think: What incredible ideas, what amazing talent are we missing out on when we do business only with those in our social circle? The people we golf with, are related to, that look like us, that come from our neighborhood? How much stronger would our region be if we were at the point where the idea of having a special magazine issue, or awards, or business groups for half our population was ridiculous?

I’d like to find out. How about you?

Publisher Todd Matherne

EDITORIAL

Editor Kimberley Singletary

Art Director Sarah George

Digital Media Editor Kelly Massicot

Associate News Editor Rich Collins

Perspective Writer Drew Hawkins

Contributors David “Beau” D. Haynes, Ashley McLellan, Chris Price, Jennifer Gibson Schecter, Rebecca Shaw, Perry Sholes, Melanie Warner Spencer, Poppy Tooker, Keith Twitchell

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RENAISSANCE PUBLISHING

PRODUCTION

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Senior Designer Meghan Rooney

CIRCULATION

Subscriptions Jessica Armand

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ADMINISTRATION

Office Manager Mallary Wolfe

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Chief Executive Officer Todd Matherne

For subscriptions, call (504) 830-7231

Kimberley@BizNewOrleans.com

A Month of Honors

This month, the level of honors being given out in the New Orleans business community is at possibly its highest level. Including among them, May celebrates the Junior Achievement of Greater New Orleans’ annual Hall of Fame Laureates.

I am proud to serve on the board of JA of Greater New Orleans, and this year Biz New Orleans has signed on as a sponsor of JA BizTown, the comprehensive in-class curriculum that teaches valuable life skills that are at the core of all JA programming — financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship.

Since 1984, JA has been honoring local business executives who have embraced the spirit of entrepreneurship within our community, and this year’s class is outstanding. The honorees are Karen DeBlieux, David Gallo, Steve Gleason, Jake C Jensen, Jr., Dan Shapiro and Michael Smith. Joseph Canizaro, a 1986 Hall of Fame Laureate, is this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, while Latter & Blum took home the Oscar J. Thomas Business of the Year honor. This year’s Junior Achievement Hall of Fame event is May 4 at the Ritz Carlton. For tickets and information, visit jagno.org.

Also this month, our sister publication, New Orleans Magazine, honors its annual class of Top Female Achievers. This year’s honorees are Belinda Flores-Shinshillas, Dawn Bradley-Fletcher, Jacqueline Thanh, Simone Maloz, Christa Cotton, Rashain Carriere-Williams, Katy Simpson Smith, Asante Salaam and Amy Landry. You can read about all their achievements in the May issue of New Orleans Magazine or online at

MyNewOrleans.com. The magazine will honor these excellent achievers this month at an event sponsored by Thibodaux Regional Health System at the Roof Top on Basin.

Looking back, I want to congratulate Joseph Ditta and Kolette Mandina-Ditta on receiving the Spes Unica award from the University of Holy Cross. This is the highest award the university bestows on anyone who embodies the mission of the university and inspires others to the same. The Spes Unica dinner was held last month at the Higgins Hotel. If you would like to donate to the university to honor the Dittas for this outstanding award that raises money for scholarships at the university, visit uhcno.edu.

Speaking of honoring, with Mother’s Day on May 14, I also want to give a shout out to all mothers. In my family we have a new mom to celebrate with the birth of James earlier this year. Happy first Mother’s Day Malayne, along with Miranda, June, Phyllis and Andrea. You are all exceptional ladies in my life and deserving of celebration all year long, not just one day a year.

Have a great May and get ready for summer.

JESSICA

Senior

TODD MATHERNE

CEO and Publisher

Renaissance Publishing

Senior

Executive (504) 830-7246

Meghan@BizNewOrleans.com

THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY

IS TALKING ON BIZNEWORLEANS.COM

Catch all the latest news, plus original reporting, people on the move, videos, weekly podcast and blogs, digital editions of the magazines and daily Morning Biz and afternoon newsletters. If it’s important to business in southeast Louisiana, it’s at BizNewOrleans.com.

BIZ TALKS PODCAST

I’m going to spend the first 60 to 90 days truly getting to know who my people are … and, most important, for them to get to know me. Not just what’s in my head, but what’s in my heart, so we can work together and walk lockstep into a future that’s very hopeful for Loyola New Orleans.

EPISODE 146 French Quarter Fest

Turns 40

FQFI CEO Emily Madero shares her thoughts and best tips for festing this year, from the return of some big fan favorites to brand new offerings designed to celebrate the exciting past four decades of this enormous free festival and what it means to New Orleans.

EPISODE 145

Children’s Museum CEO Begins Tenure by Hosting International Event

Tifferney White, the dynamic new leader of the Louisiana Children’s Museum, is still moving into her office and learning her way around town. First up on the todo list: host nearly 1,000 museum professionals later this month for the National Association of Children’s Museum’s conference.

Dr. Xavier A. Cole, who will begin his tenure as the 18th president of Loyola University New Orleans on June 1. He is the first person of color and second layperson to lead the 111-year-old Jesuit-run institution.

If it were me making the decision, I would have no whole-house short-term rentals in residential neighborhoods. They are commercial entities that go unregulated. It goes against almost everything that defines a civil society, and we’re sticking this unregulated and poorly managed business in the middle of someone’s block. In some cases, many on one block.

Veronica Reed, Jane Place executive director, sharing her thoughts as the city awaited new short-term rental rules voted on by the New Orleans City Council on March 23.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT TOP STORY ON BIZNEWORLEANS.COM

Talking Back

PortSL CEO responds to critics, shares vision for Avondale

BY RICH COLLINS AND KIM SINGLETARY

Paul Matthews, CEO of the Port of South Louisiana, sat down with Biz New Orleans recently to provide an update on the port’s plan to purchase the Avondale Global Gateway for $445 million from Virginia-based maritime company T. Parker Host.

PortSL’s proposal, which was announced in January, has its critics. Some say the price is too high, the property needs too much work and PortSL shouldn’t be doing deals in the jurisdiction of the Port of New Orleans. But, despite the pushback, the plan has been blessed by the Jefferson Parish Council, the Jefferson Business Council and others who view it as an economic development win for the parish.

This is the second half of the interview. The first half is available on bizneworleans.com.

One of the big critiques of the potential Avondale deal is the $445 price tag. Where did that number come from?

It came from an appraisal provided by Cook, Moore, Davenport and Associates. As a public entity, when we try to acquire property, we have to get an appraisal. And we can only buy at market value. It’s based on operations there, the revenue that’s being generated. This is a fully functioning operating terminal that’s moving cargo and has lease agreements on it.

The appraisal said that if we were to build what’s there already from scratch [it would cost somewhere in the range of] a billion dollars.

In December of 2021, the Bond Commission approved $300 million in Plaquemines for docks and wharves on a piece of property that had nothing on it. [And that was just] to build

DID YOU KNOW? Avondale Shipyard had been closed for exactly four years when T. Parker Host took over the 254-acre site in October 2018. The site was purchased for $60 million and has since received $150 million in repairs and upgrades.

the numbers. We have no interest in rushing a process of this magnitude. We are aggressive with the timeline because we like to be aggressive, but we have to pull back at the right time. So if the revenue bond report comes in at $375 or $400 million, do you either find the other $45-plus million to buy it or negotiate a new price?

Exactly, that’s what happens. It’s no different than buying a house.

just the docks and floors, not warehousing, rail, cranes, etc. We’re going for a 254-acre facility with four docks, warehousing, rail components and cranes in the sky, and with revenue already generating on the property,

But only a few tenants. That’s another criticism: that Host was hoping for more revenue by this point.

Right, and they’ve done an incredible job when you look at what they had to deal with: purchasing it, getting it ready to go, dealing with the high river, the low river and the pandemic. And for us, we’re seeing that the revenue is going to pay for the note. That’s the plan. And that’s why I say if the math doesn’t work, we walk away. But if the math works, and we get all the financing done, we’re gonna move forward.

What were Avondale’s gross and net revenues last year?

I would defer to Host on their revenues.* [“Host reported that in 2022 it grossed $46 million in total revenue at Avondale Global Gateway from the property and from stevedoring. It says its net revenue at Avondale for the last three quarters of 2022 exceeded $20 million from the same sources.”]

But you have to put more money into it as well, right?

We’re going to look at trying to attract federal dollars to potentially expand the rail and then also add additional docks, but that’s a long-term play. Do you provide the appraisal to the Bond Commission?

Yes. Our bond counsel [Foley & Judell LLP] works with the staff there, and they go through

Where are you in the process?

The execution of the purchase and sale agreement in January triggered the beginning of a due diligence process that includes a financial feasibility study and an environmental assessment, and is meant to determine several things, including whether the financials can support that purchase price. We are currently in that process.

PortSL is conducting further financial analyses with the assistance of bond counsel, a financial advisor, our underwriters and our other consultants to ensure the cash flow projections, which were largely the basis for the appraisal, are reliable and sufficient to support the debt service of the bonds.

Those reviews will be available prior to the Bond Commission meeting where we will seek approval. Until the due diligence period is complete, it is premature to articulate a clear picture of how the financing of the project will ultimately be structured. As I’ve stated, this is a process that will not be rushed.

Some observers say the lower Mississippi River would benefit from one coordinated port system instead of five different authorities. What are your thoughts about that?

We can’t compare ourselves to Alabama or Mississippi, because they have different dynamics. And [a structure like ours] works in other states. Florida has a port in Fort Lauderdale and PortMiami 45 minutes away, and those are two of the top cruise ports in the world. There’s Los Angeles and Long Beach. And look at Texas: nobody’s complaining about Port Houston and the Port of Galveston. So it can work with having multiple ports in one state. And I think we do that very well. T

IN THE BIZ

Saints roster has the team positioned for success

16 ENTREPRENUER

This quickly emerging field has proven popular with women-led startups

14

DINING

The chef and restaurateur behind successful concepts like Patois, Tru Burger and Central City BBQ is debuting a massive new offering late this summer.

POPPY TOOKER has spent her life devoted to the cultural essence that food brings to Louisiana, a topic she explores weekly on her NPR-affiliated radio show, Louisiana Eats! From farmers markets to the homes and restaurants where our culinary traditions are revered and renewed, Poppy lends the voice of an insider to interested readers everywhere.

Serial Success Story

The chef and restaurateur behind successful concepts like Patois, Tru Burger and Central City BBQ is debuting a massive new offering late this summer.

BY POPPY TOOKER

By the age of 14, Burgau was working in the business. Bussing tables, prepping food — no matter the job, he was always ready to “get it done.”

After finishing at LSU, Burgau knew the restaurant business was meant to be his life. He graduated from Johnson & Wales Culinary School and was hired by Chef Susan Spicer at Bayona.

“Susan taught me to use my tastebuds and think like a chef,” Burgau recalled. Later, when he joined the team at Gerard’s Downtown, Gerard Maras became a mentor, sharing charcuterie and other French techniques with the young chef.

In 2007, Burgau partnered with childhood friends Leon and Pierre Touzat to open Restaurant Patois on a quiet corner in Uptown New Orleans. In the ensuing years, Patois gained a reputation for fine French Creole food prepared with locally sourced ingredients, served in an intimate setting near Audubon Park. After more than a decade, Burgau bought out the Touzat brothers, becoming Patois’ chef and full-time restaurateur.

The pair’s next expansion aims for wide open spaces in Metairie. Expected to open in late summer 2023, Las Cruces is situated on an 8,000-square-foot triangular lot on Airline Drive near North Labarre Road. An authentic Tex-Mex menu will feature smoked meats and margaritas. Seating for 300 is promised with lots of outdoor family play space.

With a reputation as a hardworking, reliable partner, surprising opportunities have come his way. Following Matt Dwyer’s sudden death in July 2020, Dwyer’s family sought Burgau’s help to reopen Charlie’s Steakhouse. He and general manager Glenn Bove maintain the delicious traditions at the Uptown institution, originally founded in 1932 by Charlie Petrossi.

Chef Aaron Burgau is quietly building a diverse collection of local restaurants, fueled by a lifelong passion for the business. He credits his father, Gaylord Burgau, who spent 40 years as an international shrimp broker, for igniting his interest.

“We ate out a lot,” Burgau said. “I have great memories of Big Jim Marcello at Lenfant’s and other old school places. Every year, Dad took us to New York City to eat at all the great restaurants there.”

Real estate acquisition became an important element of Burgau’s strategy. He and his wife, Kim, purchased a commercial building with a commissary kitchen in the Carrollton area. Food entrepreneurs like Beth Biundo Sweets and Empanola used the facility before acquiring their own locations. After developing Tru Burger on Oak Street in 2011, Burgau sold the burger concept five years later but retained the real estate.

For decades, Burgau and Jesuit classmate Marc Bonifacic regularly talked restaurants and BBQ. Bonifacic’s grandfather operated a BBQ shop, where he learned the craft in childhood. When a 50,000-square-foot spot became available in Central City in 2016, the two knew the time was right. Today, Central City BBQ is a popular site for festivals, concerts, weddings and corporate events. “Our catering business there is huge,” Burgau reported.

Earlier this year, when Drew Knoll and his wife, Alison Vega-Knoll, decided to sell Station 6, they happily struck a deal with Burgau and his partners. “I spent the first few months there assuring everyone that I wasn’t changing a thing,” Burgau said, smiling. “I’ve been very fortunate to buy two successful restaurants that I continue to run with the same staff, the same way.”

Yet family always remains Burgau’s primary focus. He and Kim share two sons, Noah and Oliver.

“My dad was always there for me, so I don’t miss a thing,” said Burgau. “I make sure I’m available for all their games and sports events.” The two teenagers work with their father, too. “Oliver started food running and bussing tables at Patois when he was 12. He’s also showing an interest in cooking. Noah loves the tips,” he laughed.

Despite his fast-growing businesses, Burgau still thrives on getting the job done.

“I’m not afraid to get dirty and work the fry station or wash dishes, whatever it takes,” he said. “Most of all, I try to treat everyone with respect. Your actions follow you here in New Orleans. I just try to live the way I was raised.” T

Catch Poppy Tooker on her radio show, “Louisiana Eats!” Saturdays at 3 p.m. and Mondays at 8 p.m. on WWNO 89.9 FM.

Free Agents Offering Hope

Saints roster has the team positioned for success

BY CHRIS PRICE

CHRIS PRICE is an award-winning journalist and public relations principal. When he’s not writing, he’s avid about music, the outdoors, and Saints, Ole Miss and Chelsea football.

AThe New Orleans Saints’ 2023 offseason seemed to get off to a tumultuous start as a second line of well-known players not only sashayed out of town, but several went to division rivals.

Early on, it looked as if the team’s strategy was to rebuild the once-dominant offense at the expense of the recently surging defense. But, as always, team general manager Mickey Loomis started making deals. As a result, the Saints were able to restructure several veteran players’ contracts and sign several free agents, turning initial despair into faith and hope.

Free agency began with three-quarters of the defensive line leading the parade when end Marcus Davenport signed with the Vikings and tackle David Onyemata moved to the Atlanta Falcons, while Shy Tuttle joined the Carolina Panthers. The defense also lost linebacker Kaden Elliss to Atlanta and safety Justin Evans to the Philadelphia Eagles. Starting QB Andy Dalton took off for Carolina, WR Marquez Callaway joined former Saints head coach Sean Payton in Denver, and punt/kick returner Deonte Harty joined the Buffalo Bills.

The player exodus was compounded by losses on the sideline, including co-defensive coordinator and line coach Ryan Nielsen (who will be DC in Atlanta), co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach Kris Richard, tight end coach Dan Roushar, assistant tight end coach Declan Doyle, assistant offensive line coach Zach Strief, and assistant defensive backs coach Cory Robinson.

The team was able to restructure contracts for QB/TE Taysom Hill, RB Alvin Kamara, C Erik McCoy, T Ryan Ramczyk, G Andrus Peat, DE Cam Jordan, LB Demario Davis, DBs Tyrann Mathieu and Marcus Maye, CB Marshon Lattimore, and K Wil Lutz, allowing them to stay on the team, and re-signed QB Jameis Winston, WRs Michael Thomas and Keith Kirkwood, TE Juwan Johnson, G Calvin Throckmorton

DT Malcolm Roach, DE Tanoh Kpassagnon, LB Andrew Dowell, CB Isaac Yiadom and S J.T. Gray.

All of this allowed the Saints enough salary cap room to sign several free agents, including QB Derek Carr, RB Jamaal Williams, WR Bryan Edwards, OT Storm Norton, DTs Nathan Shepherd and Khalen Saunders, LB Ty Summers, and DBs Ugo Amadi, Lonnie Johnson, and Johnathan Abram.

No doubt, Carr’s signing was the biggest addition of the offseason, and the team has to be encouraged by the response Thomas showed when the Saints landed their new QB. Williams — a powerful runner who led the NFL with 17 rushing TDs last season — will pair nicely in the

backfield with Kamara and can handle the load if Kamara is suspended for a Las Vegas fight during the 2022 Pro Bowl.

After an underwhelming 7-10 season in 2022, the revamped Saints are being talked about as a potential playoff team and, with Tom Brady’s retirement from Tampa, possibly the best team in the NFC South. It would be quite a turnaround for head coach Dennis Allen.  T

2023-2024 SAINTS

While Biz New Orleans had to go to press before the 2023 NFL Draft, it is likely many of the top-ofthe-roster position battles going into offseason practices and training camp are relatively settled:

Offense

QB Derek Carr, Jameis Winston

RB Alvin Kamara, Jamaal Williams

WR Chris Olave, Keith Kirkwood

WR Michael Thomas, Tre’Quan Smith

WR Rashid Shaheed

TE Juwan Johnson, Adam Trautman

ATL Taysom Hill

FB Adam Prentice

LT Trevor Penning, James Hurst

LG Andrus Peat, Calvin Throckmorton

C Erik McCoy, Cesar Ruiz

RG Cesar Ruiz, Calvin Throckmorton

RT Ryan Ramczyk, Landon Young

Defense

LE Cameron Jordan, Tanoh Kpassagnon

DT Nathan Shepherd, Prince Emili

DT Khalen Saunders, Malcolm Roach

RE Carl Granderson, Payton Turner

MLB Demario Davis, D’Marco Jackson

WLB Pete Werner, Andrew Dowell

SLB Zack Baun, Ryan Connelly

LCB Paulson Adebo

SS Marcus Maye, J.T. Gray

FS Tyrann Mathieu

RCB Marshon Lattimore, Alontae Taylor

Special Teams

K Wil Lutz

P/H Blake Gillikin

K/PR Rashid Shaheed

LS Zach Wood

KEITH TWITCHELL spent 16 years running his own business before becoming president of the Committee for a Better New Orleans. He has observed, supported and participated in entrepreneurial ventures at the street, neighborhood, nonprofit, micro- and macro-business levels.

Water Sector Awash in Women

Quickly emerging field has proven popular with female-led startups

BY KEITH TWITCHELL

Ten years ago, water management in New Orleans mostly meant pumping out as much stormwater as possible, as fast as possible. The water sector has since grown to become a leader in entrepreneurial opportunities, especially for women.

What drives entrepreneurism in this sector? Why are women so prominent in it? What lessons learned might be applied to other sectors?

“It’s an emerging field, so there’s a lot of opportunity, and a lot of different aspects of opportunity,” observed Arien Hall, co-founder of Mastodonte, a firm that installs stormwater management and green infrastructure systems. “You can get your start in a lot of different ways.”

Indeed, the sector includes businesses and individuals in fields as varied as landscaping, art, construction, maritime, botany and biology, engineering, and many more. This means that established firms can expand into the sector.

“It’s still a new concept, and by using it we can differentiate our business from other businesses,” said Jasman Marks, co-founder of the construction company JC Marks Enterprises. “We can add value for our customers.”

Collaboration across many fields typifies much green infrastructure work, which in turn generates new thinking about design,

techniques, even how various materials and resources are used.

“The timing is right because now we have global recognition of climate change,” said Christina Couvillion-Do, CEO and owner of Quality First Marine, a maritime contractor. “There is such a need for more engagement, more problem-solving.”

This in turn leads to innovation, a vital incubator of entrepreneurism. Both the public and private sectors are funding more green infrastructure. There is also now a strong nonprofit support structure for aspiring water entrepreneurs.

“With the emphasis on resilience in federal, state and local infrastructure projects — and the requirement for private development to practice stormwater management — local organizations such as Propeller, Thrive New Orleans, and many others started training business owners and workers in these new techniques,” noted Andrea Chen, executive director of Propeller. “As a result, many businesses were able to learn new technologies to take advantage of opportunities in green infrastructure.”

Some of these same factors help explain why women are such leaders within the sector.

“As an emergent industry, it’s not impacted by limiting historical factors,” said Jessica Dandridge, executive director of the Water

Collaborative, which serves as a convener and connector in the field. “It’s intersectional in nature, which is a strong suit for many women.”

“There’s a lot of stewardship involved, a lot of community engagement, the need to work together in collaboration,” added Hall, “so a lot of women gravitate towards the work.”

“This sector enables women to have families and be able to do this work,”added Dandridge.

What aspects of water sector entrepreneurism might translate to other fields?

“The support infrastructure that has been built — from workforce training, procurement advocacy, small business training and support, policy advocacy, and dedicated capital providers — could be replicated to support entrepreneurism in other sectors,” suggested Chen.

“Other sectors need to create spaces for innovation,” said Dandridge. “They can create competitions like we have in the water sector, to encourage and reward innovation. This can lead to greater acceptance and institutionalizing of innovation.”

Dandridge also noted that “there is an emphasis in this sector on continuing education, and other sectors could learn from that. It allows people to think more broadly about the work they are doing. There is so much to be gained by learning more.”

“Always look at how you can add value to what you are already doing,” recommended Marks.

Finally, Lisa Abballe, co-founder of Mastodonte, pointed out that “there’s this component of mission-driven businesses, because of the environmental factor. Maybe that sets an example for businesses in other fields. People want to see work that is meaningful.”

All involved agree that other sectors could benefit from water sector practices.

“Everything should be like water.” said Dandridge. “Be flexible. Take the turns and twists to meet the needs.”T

Three local bank CEOs share their thoughts on the recent bank failures

KYLE SIMMONS

Loan Officer

Eustis Mortgage

CHUCK STALL

Realtor

GNO Realty

One of the first things I do when I meet with clients is find out their motivations for making a move. For some, it’s proximity to work or family, while for others it is upgrades in size or amenities. If proximity is negotiable, I ask them to consider “driving till they qualify.” This means that they consider a less centralized location. If location is important to the buyer, they may want to consider looking into foreclosed homes or homes that are in a short -sale (where the home sells for less than the remaining balance of the mortgage).

Three tips I always tell my clients are

1.) Get rid of credit card debt as much as possible.

2.) If you have student loans, set up an incomedriven repayment plan. Most student loans are deferred currently; those loans need to be out of that status to close on a home. 3.) There are many programs available to help lower-income families. Having a local, veteran loan officer will help navigate the different loan types and get you set up with a loan program that best suits your individual needs. Online mortgage companies are hard to get in touch with, do not know the area/local programs, and typically cost more due to baitand-switch tactics.

It’s a tough time to be a buyer, between higher interest rates, and locally, ever-increasing insurance costs. As a result, it’s all the more important to be strategic in one’s home search. For those on a budget, I would suggest working with a respected local lender and shopping around for the most competitive interest rates and financing terms. To combat these obstacles, many local lenders have developed in-house mortgage options that offer rate buy-downs, a zero money down option, and/or they have removed PMI (mortgage insurance) from loan programs to make the note more affordable. In the New Orleans area, I also urge buyers to investigate the flood zone and flood insurance premium costs before they write an offer on a property; there’s no need to pay for home inspections or an appraisal only to find out after the fact that the cost of flood insurance will make that property unaffordable.

Michael Verderosa, Realtor, Historic 504 Properties Team

VICTORIA GARDNER

Realtor Nola Living Realty

My first piece of advice for anyone looking to buy a home in the near future would be to start with figuring out what they’d like their monthly note to be. The monthly note is super important to renters who are transitioning into becoming homeowners. The biggest difference between a rent payment and mortgage payment, besides the fact that you’ll actually own the residence, is that a mortgage payment escrows in taxes, insurance, HOA fees, etc. Secondly, even before home or real estate agent shopping, future homebuyers should start with choosing a lender and seeing where their credit scores, debt-to-income ratio (DTI), and income is at. The best lenders will work with clients over time if they aren’t immediately in the spot to buy — that’s why it is important to also shop around for lenders.

Lastly, what I tell my firsttime homebuyers that want to catch the best deal (who doesn’t?), is to scope out homes that have been on the market longer and not the homes that are a bit fresher. The longer the home sits, the more the seller is willing to negotiate, and that typically always leans in the buyers’ favor, thankfully!

KARON

REESE

Broker/Owner Reese & Co. Real Estate

A good, responsive Realtor is crucial to the process of buying an affordable home. Your Realtor will know the market, so they will know where to search for homes in areas that are maybe overlooked but are good opportunities to build equity and realize a nice increase in value. They’ll also provide solid comps to help you determine the fair market value. Your Realtor will also know which loan programs will have grants that can help with the buyer’s down payment and closing costs. Realtors set their buyers up with good lenders, and this is a huge benefit. A good Realtor helps you through the inspection process, helping you navigate your way to negotiate for the items that most affect the value of your home.

Some people feel that they can navigate this on their own, and I can say unequivocally that they miss out on nuances of the transaction and the expertise of a professional. Referrals from friends are good ways to find a Realtor.

What advice would you give to someone looking to buy an affordable home right now?

Politics and the Ports

Southeast Louisiana ports must think globally in an everchanging shipping landscape.

BY DREW HAWKINS

Biz spoke to few local experts and insiders to get some insight into how geopolitics can affect the maritime industry here at home.

UNO’s Bethany Stich, PhD, and Faisal Mallum, PhD candidate, who both specialize in public policy and freight administration, said in a joint email that traditionally, countries around the world manage their international trade transactions through international trade policies. Such policies are designed to either improve or restrict trade. Trade agreements or Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) are trade policies aimed at removing most limitations to trade, allowing for a free movement — or close to free movement — of goods between parties in the FTA.

“A good example of a regional FTA is the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), that supports free trade between the U.S., Mexico, and Canada,” they said.

and Mallum. “Take for example the war in Ukraine that led to a closure of their four major seaports, which in turn impacted the shipment of grains to the global markets, thus, causing major food shortages around the globe.”

Stich and Mallum said that on the other hand, the Port of South Louisiana, as an example, has increased exports of grains to fill the supply deficit that was created by the war in Ukraine. Similarly, sanctions that have been imposed on Russia because of the war have led to the creation of a huge gap in global energy supplies and prices. These are products that move through the ports, for example ports in Louisiana and Texas. Global deficits in energy supplies created by the war creates opportunities for U.S. suppliers to try to plug the energy gap by supplying the countries in Europe which were formerly reliant on Russian supplies.

New Orleans’ port system has been making the news a lot lately.

From Port NOLA’s ongoing efforts to build a container terminal facility that would allow them to receive and handle the supermax container ships that are becoming more and more the mainstay of the international shipping industry, to the Port of South Louisiana’s recent acquisition of the Avondale shipyards in order to further develop the Avondale Global Gateway and expand the site as a thriving economic center in the region, more people have started to pay attention to the state’s ports.

Part of that attention has brought to light the fact that Louisiana has 32 ports, each with their own separate boards and prerogatives.

On the other hand, according to Stich and Mallum, countries may impose higher tariffs on their trade partners, in most cases to reduce trading on certain goods, a move that is mostly associated with protecting the local economy and/or manufacturing from competition that arises from selected nations. They pointed to the recent increase in steel and aluminum tariffs established by former President Trump and continue under President Biden as an example.

The maritime industry is also subject to a wide range of environmental regulations aimed at reducing pollution and protecting marine life. These regulations can impact the industry by increasing operating costs, requiring investments in new technology, and limiting the availability of certain types of vessels. Stricter regulations may lead to capacity restrains in the industry which can significantly push shipping prices higher, thereby affecting local ports productivity.

There’s also political instability, conflicts, and war, which can have significant impacts on the maritime industry.

“These can lead to the closure of ports; significantly increasing insurance costs; and difficulty accessing certain regions/markets,” said Stich

Drew Heaphy, executive director of St. Bernard Port, Harbor and Terminal District said Louisiana ports are always accounting for the changing geopolitical landscape.

“Some strategies local ports can try is to have a diversified cargo base to reduce their dependence on cargos that are affected by policy changes and world politics,” Heaphy said.

Heaphy said the St. Bernard Port averages annually over 10 million tons of cargo through its four marine terminals. With its unique position as a primary bulk handler of everything from metals to the advanced manufacturing of fertilizer for national and state food producers, the port is also the only place on the Lower Mississippi with a deepwater slip.

And while the world outside of Louisiana is always changing, the state’s ports focus on strategies that can help ensure the future of the region as a major player on the international shipping stage.

“We fully recognize the importance of having stable policies and a stable political environment,” said Heaphy, “and any policy change or political change can affect vital resources getting to and from manufactures and/or food producers.”T

DID YOU KNOW? The St. Bernard Port and its tenants employ more than 18% of the parish’s workforce, making it the largest employment facility in St. Bernard Parish.

PERSPECTIVES

BANKING+FINANCE

RACE TO THE BANK

Three local bank CEOs share their thoughts on the recent bank failures

BY DREW HAWKINS

DID YOU KNOW? Bank failures are more common than most people realize. Since the year 2000, 565 banks in the U.S. have failed.

In 1656, the royal court of Sweden granted a Latvian-born German/Dutch/ Swedish entrepreneur, financier and financial innovator named Johan Palmstruch permission to start a bank. His institution, Stockholm Banco, was the first in Europe to give out banknotes. Palmstruch is actually credited with the introduction of paper money in Europe. The idea took off and business was booming — for a time.

The bank began to lend more and more, and after a short while, the value of the banknotes began to plummet. By 1664, less than 10 years

after its founding, Stockholm Banco shut down, and when its clients tried to get their money back in the world’s first bank run, they couldn’t. Palmstruch was imprisoned and the Crown took over the bank, forming the Riksens Ständers Bank, which still exists today as the national bank of Sweden and is operated by the country’s parliament.

Over the next few centuries, there were many more failures that led people to race to their banks to try to pull out their deposits — sometimes literally.

During a financial panic in 1855, a man named Louis Remme went to the local branch of his bank in Sacramento, California, only to be told it had gone into liquidation and he couldn’t get his money. The news traveled by steamship so Remme hopped on his horse and raced to Portland, Oregon, to beat the ship and withdraw his money from another branch before they found out about the liquidation.

There are many differences between the first bank failure and future ones — not just that a CEO was actually held liable and imprisoned. But at the end of the day, when a bank overextends or inflates its assets and people get worried about their money, panic can turn a financial problem into a full-blown catastrophe.

In March, we saw a $42 billion bank run on Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) based in Santa Clara, California — the biggest bank run in history. It was soon followed by another run at Signature Bank of New York. These failures set off financial tremors in the U.S. and Europe and led the Fed and other government agencies to back all deposits at the two banks, even though nearly 90% of both banks’ deposits exceeded the $250,000 insurance threshold. The Fed also established a new lending program to make it easier for banks to raise cash if needed.

But while these bank failures may have people worried about the security of their own finances, local experts say clients of Louisiana banks have no reason to panic because banks in the state don’t dabble in the kinds of risky investments or follow the business models of SVB and Signature Bank.

“The bank that failed first, Silicon Valley Bank, is supposedly [run by] the smartest people on the planet,” said Guy Williams, CEO of Gulf Coast Bank and Trust. “And what happened to them is as the bank was growing very rapidly, every tech company banked with them. It was sort of a badge of honor to bank with Silicon Valley. It showed you’re one of the cool kids.”

The problem, Williams said, was the bank grew from $50 billion to $200 billion and then started to buy long treasuries and long mort-

gage-backed securities. These seem like safe investments — they can’t default, and you’ll get your money back — but the bank bought them when interest rates were very low. However, when the Fed raised rates, and the tech companies that made up the majority of SVB’s clientele started using their money, “Silicon Valley had to start selling some of these long mortgage-backed securities,” Williams said. “And because of the rate differential, they were losing money every time they sold the security.”

When SVB went to Wall Street to do a new stock offering to raise funds and fill the hole, and brokers did their analyses, they realized that if the bank sold all its securities, they

wouldn’t have any net worth. SVB would be bankrupt.

“Then the panic started,” said Williams, “and because they’re in a very technical industry, once the panic started, the whole world panicked.”

That panic led investors and consumers to take a look at how their own banks were doing business.

In the age of email and social media, news often travels much faster than individuals can outrun it. “[Investors] were using it to tell people to get their money out of Silicon Valley Bank,” said Williams. “In one day, they lost 25% of their deposits.”

The speed of the bank run was unprecedented, and the unstable investments contributed to the panic, but prior to the bank run, management problems at SVB and Signature Bank contributed to their failures.

“One of the very basic elements of bank management is knowing your customer and knowing if you have any concentrations within either your loan portfolio, or your deposit portfolio, which was the case here,” said John Leblanc, CEO of Metairie Bank. “You had this accumulation of deposits from a particular sector. When things in that sector got difficult, they started withdrawing funds from that bank and the bank was not prepared to handle it.”

Leblanc said he believes the problem is now under control, and he notes, the events can’t be compared to the financial collapse of 2008, where housing securities underpinned the failures of many large institutions — essentially banks failed because they made bad loans. The issue here with SVB and Signature Bank — which also held a bit more cryptocurrency than average banks in their portfolio, a very volatile asset — was one of liquidity.

“No Louisiana banks have been directly affected by the closures, though many banks have seen clients asking questions about insurance coverages and perhaps moving funds around,” said Chris Ferris, president and CEO of Fidelity Bank.

Ferris added that those banking with Louisiana institutions can also rest assured that their money is safe and protected by the federal government. “FDIC insurance protects bank customers,” Ferris said. “In the FDIC’s 88-year history, no one has ever lost a penny of an insured deposit. It is completely funded by the banking industry, insures up to $250,000 per depositor, per bank, and has a $100 billion line of credit with the U.S. Treasury, which would, by law, have to be repaid by the banking industry if ever used.”T

“ ”

No Louisiana banks have been directly affected by the closures, though many banks have seen clients asking questions about insurance coverages and perhaps moving funds around.

Chris Ferris, president and CEO of Fidelity Bank

PERSPECTIVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

In addition to serving as the board chair for NORBCC, PERRY SHOLES is president of Progressive HR Strategies Inc., and the founder of Corporate Internship Leadership Institute, a New Orleans based 501c3 fellowship program focused on professionally developing, mentoring, and coaching BIPOC college fellows for careers and citizenship. He may be reached at NORBCCChair@norbchamber.org.

Doubling Down Post-Pandemic

The New Orleans Regional Black Chamber of Commerce amps up efforts to support local Black businesses

BY PERRY SHOLES

• Ladies With Drive — an enjoyable, welcoming experience for women interested in learning how to play golf or picking it back up to develop skills to network and conduct business on the green and in the clubhouse

• Annual Policy Luncheon — a highly anticipated event serving as an intersection of influential decision-makers, including elected officials, business leaders, community influencers and grassroots change-makers across sectors and industries discussing the GNO region’s economic and small business landscape

• 10th Annual Crescent City Golf Classic — a day of networking and golf at beautiful Joseph M. Bartholomew Municipal Golf Course

Still celebrating the successful presentation of its third annual Women in Business Conference at the end of Women’s History Month, the New Orleans Regional Black Chamber of Commerce is continuing to anchor its mission to support, promote and educate our members for sustainable growth and expansion, as well as focus on advocacy to influence and sustain the economic viability of Black businesses throughout our service footprint.

Recently expanding that footprint to include Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes — in addition to Orleans, Jefferson, St. Bernard, Plaquemines, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Washington, St. John the Baptist, St. James and St. Charles — NORBCC will further address the inequity of access and opportunity for Black businesses in all these communities.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there were 140,918 U.S. Black- or African American-owned businesses — across all sectors of

the economy — in 2020 with annual sales of $141.1 billion. Those businesses employed 1.3 million people. Additionally, Merchant Maverick, a comparison website that reviews small business software and services, ranked Louisiana the sixth-best state for Black entrepreneurs. Our organization is on track to continue to serve hundreds of businesses that contribute to these numbers as we double down post-pandemic to provide even more resources and access to opportunities for our stakeholders.

Through deliberate programming and intentionally curated partnerships, our organization is poised to be the catalyst to encourage business interactions and organic relationship development among member businesses and the larger community by offering conferences and luncheons, educational meetings and seminars, industry specific networking opportunities, and affiliate partner events.

Throughout the remainder of the year, NORBCC will host the following signature events:

• Annual Meeting — a year-end business and community event celebrating the year’s accomplishments along with a brief presentation on priorities for the upcoming year In 2023 and beyond, we continue to work to engage our roots and history so we can deepen our understanding of past challenges, build more strength to amplify our future voice, and develop confidence from the wisdom of past leaders. We must be a united community dedicated to excellence and success of Black businesses within our footprint.

Our esteemed board of directors is composed of 60% CEOs of minority-owned firms and 40% corporate partner affiliates. Our membership is composed of organizations that perform professional services, as well as those that provide materials and goods.

With the guidance and expertise of our staff, along with the board of directors, we will ensure that our legacy is defined by the origination, sustainability and expansion of our local business organizations because our journey remains more than just a moment, it’s a movement.

For more informatio, call (504) 948-0991 or visit norbchamber.org. T

PERSPECTIVE GUEST

Marijuana in the Workplace: A Hazy Situation

pandemic. As people deal with mental health issues, many are turning to medical marijuana, and it’s becoming more and more legalized.

THE CURRENT STATE OF MARIJUANA REGULATION

As employers and HR professionals, it’s important to think about where your company aligns on this issue, especially given shifting public sentiments and policies.

As of the 2022 mid-term elections, 21 states and Washington, D.C., have passed recreational marijuana laws. Thirty-seven states and D.C. have comprehensive medical marijuana laws.

they are terminating an employee because of the positive drug test or because they are using medical marijuana to treat their chronic anxiety and depression, which are covered disabilities. Underlying disabilities are protected by the ADA.

Employers may be able to take adverse action if their position is governed by the Department of Transportation. DOT’s Medical Marijuana Notice makes it clear that marijuana in all forms remains illegal.

Two

local attorneys offer advice for employers

BY REBECCA SHAW AND DAVID “BEAU” D. HAYNES

Additionally, a 2021 Pew Research survey found that except for individuals age 75 and older, the majority of all age groups favor marijuana legalization for medical and recreational use. Only 8% of U.S. adults say marijuana should not be legal at all.

This is important because much of your workforce likely falls under an age group that shares this sentiment. Employers need to be aware of the opinions of their workforce, especially given the current labor crunch.

Another clear prohibition is that most states do not permit being impaired and under the influence at the workplace. This includes states that have marijuana protections. Individuals may be able to take medical marijuana off duty and off-site, but that does not mean they can show up to work intoxicated.

TThe laws around medical marijuana change almost on a weekly basis. It’s interesting to see the trajectory that the law has taken on the state and federal levels in the last five years. It appears that as a country, we may be on the precipice of big federal change.

The number of questions we get about marijuana has dramatically increased in the last few years, especially after the

Last year, we started to see a bipartisan federal effort to address reform in the medical marijuana space. At a November 2022 hearing by the House Oversight Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, one of the key themes was reforming the federal treatment of marijuana akin to how alcohol is regulated on a federal level. Later that month, the Senate unanimously passed a bill to expand medical marijuana research. This would give research institutions authority and permission that they’ve lacked in the past to research and have scientifically backed data on medical usage.

We anticipate that sometime this year, the country will see a major federal shift in the ways marijuana is regulated.

Navigating Marijuana Laws in the Workplace

Five years ago, an employer could likely have terminated an employee under their drug-free policy for testing positive for marijuana. Today, they need to proceed with more caution. Employers should ask themselves if

Still, there are other gray areas. For instance, states still do not provide guidance on the amount of marijuana consumed to be considered intoxicated. And there are state laws that address the unreliability of drug tests. These states explicitly say a positive drug test for marijuana is not an indication of intoxication. Employers have to look at objectively measured symptoms, like slurred speech, dizziness, erratic behavior or lack of balance to determine intoxication.

For these reasons and others, now is an important time to reconsider your company’s drug testing and drug-free policies. When looking at your policies, consider these questions:

• Is this position a federally regulated role?

• Is the position safety sensitive?

• Does the employer receive federal funding, and is it subject to the Drug Free Workplace Policy?

• Does the employer need to do pre-employment testing for marijuana, or can the employer limit it to reasonable suspicion or post-accident?

Today’s drug testing policies need to be flexible, especially considering marijuana, as the laws continue to evolve. T

REBECCA SHA is a partner on Phelps’ Labor and Employment team. She may be reached at Rebecca. Sha@phelps.com. DAVID D. “BEAU” HAYNES is a partner on Phelps’ Health Care team. He may be reached at Beau.Haynes@phelps.com.

SHE’S THE MOST-FUNDED BLACK WOMAN FOUNDER IN TECH AND THE MOST FUNDED WOMAN TECH FOUNDER IN LOUISIANA’S HISTORY. HOW DID SHE DO IT AND HOW CAN WE HELP OTHERS FOLLOW IN HER FOOTSTEPS?

By Kim Singletary Portraits

By Adrienne Battistella

iN

the fourth quarter of 2022, Resilia — a “tech for good” company founded by Hammond native Sevetri Wilson — announced that it had raised $35 million in its Series B funding round. It is the largest raise ever achieved for a solo Black female-founded technology company.

The raise brings Resilia’s capital up over $50 million — an impressive achievement for any company, but for a company led by a Black woman, from Louisiana, with a limited tech background, it’s nothing short of groundbreaking.

It’s a win Wilson says adds to the achievements of 2021’s big exits — including TurboSquid, Levelset and Lucid, the last being Louisiana’s first “unicorn” (a startup valued at over $1 billion) — in bringing more venture capital attention to the state. The hope is that her success, however, will also encourage VCs to look at founders who don’t fit the traditional mold.

Diversity, equity and inclusion have long been at the heart of Wilson’s work. With Resilia, she said, in addition to counting large, national organizations like Goldman Sachs and United Way as clients, “we are able to support grassroots organizations, particularly BIPOC-led organizations and women-led organizations and delivering them the needed resources to support work their day-to-day operations and build capacity inside of their organizations.”

Through two books and a podcast, Wilson has been passionate about sharing her story — from her early days straight out of college bootstrapping her first company into a seven-figure success story, to her continual success with Resilia. Recently, she sat down with Biz New

Orleans to share some of the things she’s learned about raising funds and her thoughts on how we create more success stories like hers.

When was your first entrepreneurial experience?

When I got to college, I was actually a journalism major. I thought I would go into print journalism and broadcast. I had started an online newspaper called B-NOW (Black News Our Way) that essentially bought students from LSU and Southern University together to write about the things that were happening on both of our campuses. It was really B-NOW that taught me the foundation of how to build a team. I had to get a website and a designer, and I basically wrangled in my college friends to do these things. They created my first logo, my first website. My professor at the time, Dr. Leonard Moore gave me the first 100 bucks to go start my LLC. That really sparked my entrepreneurial journey, and I never looked back from that point.

So from journalism, you moved into helping nonprofits.

With my first company, Solid Ground Innovations, we were consultants. We provided technical assistance and capacity support, like boots on the ground to nonprofits. Everything from board management, to fundraising, to managing budgets and projects, to delivering just basic consultations. We now deliver that through Resilia’s platform as a software solution. Now everything is built into the platform, which organizations can access on demand. Things like webinars, trainings, templates — they can access a nonprofit coach that can do an analysis of their grants.

Criticism and fear are a reality of building and growing a business. What are the lessons you’ve learned on that front?

When I started Solid Ground Innovations in 2009, I was 22 — a young, Black woman straight out of college, so I faced a ton of hurdles with trying to venture into business and do business with individuals who were much older and more experienced than me. But I was able to position myself and offer my expertise in what I felt they needed as it related to their marketing and advertising. That’s how I got my start. But it definitely didn’t come without hurdles and aspects where most people may have not moved forward.

Then, when I got into tech with Resilia in 2017, there came other challenges, specifically raising capital for a company that would become a venture-backed tech startup. I also faced the challenge of coming from the South. With SGI, all my clients were in the South, so it didn’t matter. Coming into tech and being from the South actually presented itself as a disadvantage.

We are definitely in a region that is not yet known as a tech hub among big VCs. How did you overcome that?

If there isn’t a way you have to make a way. I started with my resources here in Louisiana. I

raised the first $400,000 to launch Resilia to the public with the support of local businesspeople in Louisiana, some here in New Orleans, and Baton Rouge. And then when I went to raise $2 million, which was our seed round, I knew I was going to go outside of Louisiana, because we just didn’t have the venture support here. The majority of the money for Resilia actually came from outside of Louisiana. I started in Atlanta and Chattanooga, Tennessee, and then went to California, where I was able to secure our largest seed investor. Our series B was then led by firms out of Atlanta, New York and Toronto. It definitely required me to expand my network

If you look at my investors today, I’m actually their first, and currently only New Orleans investment. If I prove successful, however, I won’t be their last, and then more investors will start looking at Louisiana.

How did you find these investors?

I’ll share one story with you. Early on I participated in IDEA Village’s NOEW pitch competition and I ended up losing. But in doing so, I had the opportunity to meet and connect with partners and investors from TPG Capital, who, at the time, were funding the winner of the pitch competition’s award.

After I lost, instead of just being defeated and moving on to the next thing, I followed up with those individuals that were supporting me in my pitch practice. I emailed them and basically said, “Sorry, everyone, we didn’t bring home first place. However, I want to just thank you for spending time with me.” One of the partners, Tim Millikin, responded, and he’s based out in San Francisco. He said, “Oh, I thought you had a really good company. If you’re ever out in the Bay Area, look me up.”

So later, when I was trying to raise capital for my seed round and really thinking that I was about to run out of gas and that this was it, I decided to take one more trip to San Francisco for a conference where I had mapped out some investors that I wanted to meet and connect with. I remembered that email and I reached out to Tim, and I said, “I’ll be in San Francisco. Do you have time?”

Now if you know Millikin, he does billiondollar buyouts, like, why would you have time for a company at seed stage? But he responded. We ended up meeting for lunch, and he invested an angel check into my seed round. That capital in his name actually turned around my entire round, and I was able to successfully raise the rest of the $2 million from his investment, and that connection.

One of my investors — an all women-led fund called the Jump Fund in Chattanooga — found me after Kristina Montague, one of the fund’s partners, read about Resilia in a local magazine in Atlanta. Ironically, she was from Shreveport, Louisiana, and one of her partners went to LSU. [Montague] reached out to me on LinkedIn, and they ended up investing. When I went to Chattanooga later for a meeting they had put together, I happened to sit next to a partner at Mucker Capital, who was their only woman

partner. She reached out to me and introduced me to her other partners, and they loved the company. They ended up becoming our biggest seed investor.

What I’m saying is, it’s about immersing yourself in the space, immersing yourself in the community. Because if you do that, you’ll begin to understand who the players are, what you need to know, who’s actually deploying capital.

A founder’s pitch is so important. What advice would you offer for making sure it’s impactful?

The thing about pitching is that the more you do it, the better you get at it. When I was going through Idea Village, I perfected what is now the framework of the pitch that I give today. Although I didn’t win that pitch, it was really a good pitch, I must say. And I say that because I remember my very first pitch, and it wasn’t really good.

What made that pitch bad, and the Idea Village pitch good?

In the first pitch I had ever done I came in with a pitch in my head and in that instance, we got feedback right before we went to pitch. I was then trying to synthesize so much information, so much feedback from all these different people and change my pitch on the fly that I just bombed it. I should have just stuck to the pitch that I came in with. That’s a lesson that I would tell other founders — have high conviction on what you know and deliver that.

In pitch competitions you have typically three minutes, so you have to be concise, you have to have quick details on what you’re selling, your market size, your competitors and why your team is the team to execute it. That’s also the same way you want to approach things when you meet someone for the first time. You might not have an opportunity to have an entire 30-minute conversation with someone about what you do. If you have three minutes of someone’s time, make sure that you’re very precise about what you’re presenting to them.

What’s the funding landscape like in New Orleans right now?

There’s way more capital today than there was before. Even the prize for the NOEW pitch was $400,000 last year — it was $100,000 when I pitched. Now you have investors who have had a couple of wins, and so they invest more. Some of these same people around the table that have had these wins, they’re now looking at other startups that they can put money into. You also now have funders who are not in Louisiana that are looking at Louisiana- and New Orleans-based companies.

Then there are also people who have created funds. You have Mrs. Benson, she’s created Benson Capital, you have Callais Capital, you

have this new U.S. Treasury money that’s flowing down to Louisiana that is creating new funds that will deploy money. You have that $10 million that Tulane is doing. There’s a lot going on.

Both the pandemic and things like the Black Lives Matter movement have created opportunities for Resilia and its customers. Can you talk about that?

In New Orleans we had the unfortunate reality of going through Hurricane Katrina, and we saw the tons of money from philanthropic organizations that poured into the city afterward. The Kellogg Foundation still has a huge presence here. Many philanthropists stepped up and created funds to support organizations on the ground in New Orleans.

Generally speaking, when a pandemic or something like that happens, philanthropy steps up to engage in some form or fashion. With Black Lives Matter and the death of George Floyd, something similar happened with corporations dedicating money to Black-led efforts. As such, there was no better time for organizations to come online and begin to digitize a lot of their framework. We were able to really be a partner to many organizations who were trying to navigate during that time.

If you are a Fidelity, which is one of our customers, Fidelity is the largest corporate funder in the world, most people don’t know that. They support hundreds, maybe thousands of nonprofit organizations. They have their foundations, their corporate and ESG programs (environmental, social or governance) that fund these organizations for projects. They utilize Resilia as a platform to support not only that funding, but those specific organizations that they’re working with. We are kind of the connective tissue, but we’re also the capacity support to ensure those projects are successful.

A big part of any company’s success is making the right hires. As a tech company, are you finding the people you need here?

Hiring is absolutely critical. When I talk to other New Orleans founders, often the topic of our discussion is talent. With companies like Lucid and Levelset exiting, that also creates individuals who’ve worked inside of startups that have scaled and then had a liquidity event. Now those individuals can also be hired at other places and do it again. Without that type of movement, it’s very hard to find experienced talent. That’s why creating a booming tech ecosystem here that can do that is important to retain companies in New Orleans.

We have an office here in New Orleans, one in New York, and we also have a pod in Mexico City, but I have made an intentional effort to hire people in Louisiana, in New Orleans. With such a rise in remote work, you can hire people from

anywhere, but if you want to move the economy here, the people that you’re giving these highpaying jobs to need to actually live in the city that you’re living. I’m very thoughtful about that and I think that’s because I’m here in New Orleans. I know the ups and downs that we have.

I understand that tourism has been the leading industry forever, but tech provides an opportunity for people to make a great living, for them to be a part of scaling and growing companies. And when those companies exit, these individuals start their own companies, and they build, and they hire. These are the people that get to sponsor the Little League teams, and they put more money back into nonprofits, into schools.

There are a lot of colleges and universities running tech programs now. Have these been helpful to you? How have you found people?

We definitely lean on the universities, particularly for some of our entry level roles. We have used Tulane and Loyola as a hub of recruitment here in New Orleans. There’s also a company called Torsh that is taking people from the tourism industry and training them to get roles in tech, particularly sales roles, because it’s transferable skills.

Let’s switch gears a little bit. What are you doing with all this money for Resilia? What are the plans moving forward?

We’re focused on scaling the company, which means we’re doubling down on ensuring that we have the capacity across our departments. We added about 50 people between October and the beginning of the year to ensure that we have the bandwidth to go after the market opportunity in front of us. We’re at 111 employees right now and we’ll probably land at around 143 by the end of the year.

We’re also deepening our depth of our product. Something that we’re really excited about is launching payments and donations on the platform. Today, nonprofits can raise money on the platform, but not through Resilia. This is one of the things that we raised our series B to do.

I recently traveled to Austin and saw how a booming tech industry has completely transformed things. Do you ever see something like that happening here?

I always joke with my friends who live in Austin, that Austin stole New Orleans’ music, that part of the culture of New Orleans that gives Austin its flavor. But then Austin had the opportunity to launch one of the biggest success stories ever in tech with Dell. That was the launch pad of tech in Austin.

Austin also has a lot of investment firms. But I definitely think that Austin is probably the closest

resemblance of what New Orleans could do. Miami has also become more of a tech bed, but still not like Austin. South Atlanta has also made headways.

New Orleans has such a dramatic wealth gap, and we could definitely be so much stronger on diversity, equity and inclusion — all things you’re passionate about. How do we create a future that has more people like you?

I do think it’s a component of education, but also opportunity. When I think about Resilia, and our success, it also required someone to open a door for me, right? I think that we have to ensure that we’re opening more doors for individuals that don’t necessarily come from the places that we come from, or don’t live in our neighborhoods. I think we have too much of not only a wealth gap, but a class gap. We have to ensure that we’re increasing opportunities for individuals all across the city … whether that’s shadowing, exposing them to stem and tech, helping them maneuver on to college, and then making sure they’re successful there.

When I think about my journey, I come from a small town. I didn’t know anyone. My mother was assistant manager at Kmart. She made $30,000 a year raising four kids. But when I matriculated to high school, I was in the band and my band teacher was so influential on my life. When I went to apply for scholarships, she wrote the most genuine and thoughtful referrals for me, and I ended up winning hundreds of thousands in scholarships for college — not because I had a 4.0, not because I was a top 10 student because I wasn’t, but because I was involved in high school and my teachers and counselors believed in me. They doubled down on me.

And then I went off to college, and I found organizations like student support services, and I found groups that I became a part of, and I would go talk to my professors and they would help me, they would connect me with people. One of my professors gave me the $100 to start my first LLC at 19. It truly was like this tribe of people who invested in me over time. That continued after I got out of college, and it continues now in my career.

I would say that if everyone you talk to on a daily basis is in your same class, you’re definitely not contributing to moving New Orleans ahead.

If an entrepreneur caught you in an elevator and asked you for advice to help them succeed, what would you say?

I would tell them don’t give up too soon. There’s a thing called fail fast. Don’t fail so fast that you don’t really push yourself to see what you can ultimately achieve, what you can ultimately create. And in doing that, make sure you put the right people around you, people with expertise, experience, the mentorship that can support you. ■

LEADING THE CHARGE

TOURISM IS COMING BACK TO NEW ORLEANS, IN GOOD PART BECAUSE OF THE WORK OF THESE THREE WOMEN.

BY KEITH TWITCHELL

ILLUSTRATIONS BY ADRIENNE BATTISTELLE

“THE PANDEMIC WAS ABSOLUTELY DEVASTATING,” stated Kelly Schulz, senior vice president of communications and public relations at New Orleans & Company, the regional tourism marketing corporation. “Many people lost their livelihoods. Business owners drained their life savings to try and stay afloat. The city lost billions of dollars in business from special events, festivals, conventions, etc. It was a huge loss economically, but also emotionally for our residents who love our culture and way of life.

“The tourism industry never thought anything would be worse than Hurricane Katrina, until COVID. After Katrina, the entire world came to our region’s aid. Planning a trip to New Orleans to help the recovery was considered the patriotic and philanthropic thing to do. But during COVID the entire world was in the same situation, and like us, [they] are still working to rebuild lost tourism business.”

To cite just a few examples of the deep hit the industry took:

According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the leisure and hospitality sector employed more than 90,00 people at the beginning of 2020. By April 2020 — just four months later — that number had dropped to 43,000 people.

In 2019, the average number of travelers per month going through Louis Armstrong International Airport was 609,241. In 2020, that number plummeted to 146,086, with monthly lows of 17,747 in April and 45,267 in May.

By May 2020, more than half of the restaurants in New Orleans were closed. While many survived via tactics like providing small catering jobs and meals to go, this put a huge hole in the dining out culture that not only attracts visitors but is a core piece of the local fabric as well.

The number of hotel room nights booked for conventions in 2019 was 1,411,119. In 2020, that number dropped by over 1 million room nights, to 303,435, with the vast majority of those occurring in the first months of the year, before the pandemic struck.

With tourism being the largest economic sector in New Orleans — hiring the greatest number of people, bringing in the largest amount of tax revenue, generating more than $10 billion in annual spending before the pandemic — the grave damage to this industry created ripple effects across the entire greater New Orleans area.

The good news is that tourism is rebounding well in 2023. Employment in the sector is now back to nearly 80,000 people. Last year, despite the emergence of the Omicron COVID variant early on, hotel room nights booked were 82% of pre-pandemic averages. Bookings to date, leads generated and other data point to the upward trend continuing strongly throughout this year. The airport is already on track to set a new record for passengers coming through. Most important for residents, the New Orleans restaurant scene is healthy again.

Achieving this recovery has required an industry-wide effort. The lessons learned while coming back after Katrina — and to a lesser degree the BP oil spill — have been

To say that the pandemic was bad for the tourism industry in New Orleans is a bit like saying that eating a steady diet of beignets is bad for your health. Some industry leaders consider COVID-19’s consequences to have been even more severe than Hurricane Katrina’s.

valuable, but innovation, teamwork and the underlying strength and experience within the sector have led the way.

“The relationships of our account executives with convention planners and travel professionals is strong,” said Kim Priez, senior vice president of travel and tourism at New Orleans & Company. “We called upon those relationships to rebuild business.”

Priez noted that “the return of conventions and their attendees has been a major element, complementing the return of festivals, weddings, social travel and sporting events.”

The importance of that last item cannot be understated, and perhaps no single event had a greater recuperative impact than the NCAA men’s basketball Final Four in March 2022. This was the first Final Four that the public could attend since the start of the pandemic, which created huge interest and demand — and showcased the city’s readiness to again host visitors. It was followed by the Miss Universe pageant a few months later, which also put a media spotlight on New Orleans being open for business.

Another fortuitous marketing opportunity, also sports-related, came last fall when the Saints traveled to London to play the Minnesota Vikings.

“We had New Orleans-branded taxis driving the streets of London, complemented by Tube station ads,” said Priez.

The return of everything from cruise ships to Jazz Fest has further boosted tourism’s recovery. New events — such as the recently conducted New Orleans Book Festival at Tulane University and NOLAxNOLA, which features multiple local music and performance spaces — created new attractions for potential visitors. In addition, despite the downturn in guest numbers, a surprising number of new hotels have opened in the city, ranging across the spectrum from major international chains like the Four Seasons and the Virgin to boutique operations like the St. Vincent and the Frenchmen.

Underlying all of this is simply the worldwide desire to travel again.

“People are ready to travel!” exclaimed Rachel Avery, New Orleans & Company’s director

RACHEL AVERY, DIRECTOR OF CONVENTION SERVICES AND SPECIAL EVENTS

of convention services and special events. “Planners and attendees are craving a sense of normalcy. Confidence in travel is increasing.”

This hits the sweet spot for the city, according to Avery.

“One of New Orleans’ strengths has always been the hospitality that our city delivers. Our residents take such pride in the city we all live and work in, and this love and sense of welcome truly translates to our guests. Visitors are eager to get back to New Orleans to experience our legendary hospitality.”

For anyone who was unaware of the area’s stature as a place to visit, the inclusion of New Orleans as a top global travel destination in several “best places” lists further assisted local marketing efforts. U.S. News and World Report currently has New Orleans as its top food city in the nation, and Forbes slotted New Orleans at No. 2 on its “Top 50 Places in the World” list in 2019.

As the lead entity for marketing tourism in the region, New Orleans & Company pushes many buttons and covers many bases. While the types of visitors, and the reasons they visit, vary greatly,

People are ready to travel! Planners and attendees are craving a sense of normalcy. Confidence in travel is increasing.

the base of the industry is business travel: conventions, trade shows and corporate events. At the same time, this is the most competitive aspect of tourism, and staying in the top tier of business destinations is a never-ending effort.

“Our Convention Services team works hand in hand with Sales and Group Marketing,” explained Avery. “We present a united front when we speak of, and educate planners about, New Orleans. Our teams work hard to connect the planners with the best possible local vendors, be they hotels, restaurants, venues, attractions and more. And we provide planners with the most up-to-date and accurate information about the city. This transparent picture gives planners a sense of confidence when planning.”

Quality facilities are a major driver for convention business, and the addition of the new hotels, along with ongoing improvements at the

KELLY SHULZ, SENIOR VP OF COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC RELATIONS

Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Convention Center, help keep the city positioned well. Current projections are that this component of the sector will be back at pre-pandemic levels by 2024.

Although New Orleans has inherent advantages in the competition for leisure travelers, just as much work goes into cultivating this type of business.

“I manage a strong team of account executives and international representation firms,” said Priez. “Together we pursue and market to leisure groups and travel wholesalers, inviting them to come to New Orleans.”

To prepare for the post-pandemic opportunities, New Orleans & Company developed and implemented a sales and marketing plan targeting both new and existing accounts. As one example of this work, Priez and her team hosted an international travel trade show in New Orleans as soon as the United States borders reopened for travel, flying in 60 high-profile clients. Meanwhile, they reinstated international representation firms in five foreign countries.

To reach potential travelers directly, New Orleans & Company uses a variety of paid advertising and marketing strategies. However, given the global nature of tourism, and the huge number of publications, websites, blogs, and social media accounts that focus on travel, attracting coverage of the city across various media is even more important.

“Every day, we find creative ways to keep the New Orleans brand top of mind among potential visitors,” said Schulz. “We do that by working with the local, national and international media, travel journalists and social media influencers. We share good news about New Orleans culture with the world so that people will want to visit.”

This outreach takes many forms.

“We’ve prepared thousands of customized itineraries for journalists to come explore New Orleans and report on our amazing people, music, food, attractions and culture,” Schulz elaborated. “We provide a variety of tools to our members to help them sell and promote the city, such as monthly good news talking points.”

When I look around the New Orleans & Company executive table, I see women leading sales, HR, finance and executive office operations. We all worked hard and paid our dues over decades to earn a seat at that table.

Schulz herself is willing to go above and beyond to get the word out: While everyone else was enjoying their Blood Marys and Mimosas on Mardi Gras morning, she did 33 consecutive live TV interviews from along the parade route. “In four to six hours, we reached 20 million viewers in 30 cities,” she reported.

While substantial progress has been made on reinvigorating regional tourism, considerable work remains, as do any number of obstacles.

For domestic travelers, Priez cited hurdles such as “increased travel costs, reduced flight options nationwide, more aggressive competition, and visitor confidence. Internationally, visa wait times, increased travel costs, reduced overseas air service, currency exchange rates, and some areas of the world that are slowing returning to overseas travel.”

In the bigger picture, Schulz observed that “we are in the business of sharing good news, but unfortunately, the news is not always good. Cities around the country are dealing with crime, homelessness, polarizing legislation, climate change and other factors that affect the reputation of a destination. Of course, it’s not just about negative headlines or visitor perception, it’s about making New Orleans safer and stronger for all those who live and work here.”

Sharp-eyed readers will have noted that all three of these senior New Orleans & Company leaders are women, and in fact, the tourism sector boasts a robust female presence in top positions.

“At New Orleans & Company we have dynamic females in leadership roles and many female team members who perform at high levels across departments,” Avery said. “And there are incredible women at the helm of destination management organizations, hotels, boutiques, restaurants, and many businesses that comprise the hospitality industry.”

“As a single mom to a teenage daughter, I am proud to be part of a city and organization full of strong women,” added Schulz. “When I look around the New Orleans & Company executive table, I see women leading sales, HR, finance and executive office operations.

KIM PRIEZ, SENIOR VP OF TRAVEL AND TOURISM

We all worked hard and paid our dues over decades to earn a seat at that table.

“It’s also up to us to mentor and shape future women leaders,” she continued. “The work we do at New Orleans & Company drives the economy and employs nearly 100,000 people. We must always act in their best interest.”

Indeed, while the tourism sector is still experiencing its share of turbulence, with many challenges yet to be overcome, the New Orleans & Company leaders see this as a prime time, not just for women, but for anyone interested in the business, to walk through that door.

“The hospitality industry offers many opportunities to those who are eager to learn and progress through the field,” Priez concluded. “This has never been truer than now, as the industry continues to rebuild from the losses incurred during the pandemic.” ■

Every year, Biz New Orleans dedicates its May issue to the women who are propelling businesses, industries, communities—and the workforce as a whole—to new heights. The number of womenowned businesses is on the rise, and female professionals are leading initiatives and innovations that bring continued prosperity to our region. As the achievements of these women grow in impact and magnitude, so does our focus on celebrating their wisdom, tenacity and dedication. Our 2023 class is comprised of path-makers who are raising the bar for women professionals everywhere. Join us in celebrating this year’s Women to Watch!

Patricia BesselmanMain, CFP® President

Besselman Wealth Planners

Patricia Besselman-Main, secondgeneration President of Besselman Wealth Planners, is celebrating the company’s 50th year in business in 2023. Patricia’s father, James Besselman, founded Besselman Wealth Planners in 1973, and Patricia strives to continue his legacy of sound advice and personal relationships. “One important lesson I’ve learned is not to make assumptions,” says Patricia. “ I spend time working with my clients to define what a ‘comfortable lifestyle’ or ‘retirement’ looks like to them. Not all visions of retirement are the same,” she says. Patricia provides personalized planning specific to each client and that charts a path through all the steps necessary for pursuing clients’ goals.

Patricia has been honored as one of the 2022 Biz New Orleans 500, a New Orleans CityBusiness 2018 Money Maker, and one of Gambit Weekly’s 40 Under 40. Inspired by the management style of a former NYC mentor, she focuses on overall project purpose, allowing her team to collaborate in the decision-making process and honoring their insights.

As one of seven children, Patricia learned early the importance of communication. As a competitive swimmer in college, she learned to value discipline, consistency, and teamwork. Finally, Patricia’s years living abroad taught her adaptability and the value of others’ perspectives. Patricia credits these three significant past experiences for shaping her successful approach to helping others plan for their futures.

Besselman Wealth Planners

754 Papworth Ave., Metairie, 504-831-3506

besselmanwp.com

Allison Shapiro Dandry

Director of Marketing

Krispy Krunchy Chicken

With over 15 years of successful marketing experience, Allison Shapiro Dandry joined Krispy Krunchy Chicken (KKC) in 2011 and has played a pivotal role in driving sales growth and expansion. One of the fastest-growing hot food concepts in the convenience store business, KKC has grown rapidly to 2,600 retail locations across 47 states. Allison leverages her strong analytical and technical skills to spearhead online marketing, social media, SEO and local optimization, reputation management, and consulting efforts.

Born in Hammond and raised in New Orleans, Allison enjoys giving back to her community. As part of her corporate social responsibility initiatives, she leads a program that utilizes KKC’s mobile food truck to provide free meals to citizens affected by natural disasters. During the COVID-19 pandemic, this initiative provided meals to over 15,000 essential workers across Louisiana, and over the past 20 years of hurricane disaster relief assistance, KKC has served more than 20,000 meals. Allison also partners with the New Orleans Pelicans to organize charity events serving meals to youth around the city.

Allison was named the 2019 Woman of the Year by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, a 2020 Woman to Watch by New Orleans Magazine, and a 2022 Cure Crusader by the American Cancer Society. She currently serves on the boards of the Albert Lepage Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, the Junior League of New Orleans, the Louisiana SPCA and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Allison credits her father, Dan Shapiro, for her leadership and growth. Dan’s storied rise to CEO and owner of KKC is one for the books. Today, this family-operated business operates with the goal of becoming a billion-dollar company.

Krispy Krunchy Chicken

504-432-6095

krispykrunchy.com

allie@krispykrunchy.com

Danyel Nicole Black

Founder and CEO

Crown Me Foundation

For Danyel Black, femininity represents power, and that power can elevate society. As Founder and CEO of Crown Me Foundation, Danyel works to help girls and women undo unhealthy patterns while understanding, establishing, and maintaining healthy relationships.

“I realized that we are often so intentional about choosing the schools we attend, the topics we study, or the fields we choose to enter,” says Danyel. “However, no one is properly focused on teaching us how to be healthy in relationships, how to establish and maintain boundaries, and/or what ‘healthy’ looks and feels like.”

Crown Me Foundation promotes personal confidence, worth, and high standards. The organization’s commitment to service is expressed through programmatic and social efforts. Danyel launched the organization in 2020 as a resource that she herself needed at a time in life when she couldn’t afford it.

“I share my personal story of overcoming trials in my life, and I live my truth so that others can feel comfortable living theirs,” she says. “My level of authenticity and transparency is what has built and continues to build trust and respect with the people I serve.”

An educator, Educational Leadership PhD candidate, certified life coach, model, mother and much more, Danyel is a 2023 Fidelity Bank POWER Woman of the Year nominee. She was selected to be in Xavier University’s 2021 Alumni 40 under 40 class of distinction and received the President’s Award for Outstanding Community Service from the St. Tammany Parish School Board.

Crown Me Foundation’s upcoming gala will take place June 24th at the RitzCarlton New Orleans and feature honors, awards, scholarships, and a live auction. For tickets and sponsorship opportunities, visit crownmefoundation.org.

Crown Me Foundation 504-810-1953

crownmefoundation.org

Aimee Adatto Freeman

Managing Consultant

Aimee Freeman Consulting

Louisiana State Representative for District 98

Strategy is what Aimee Adatto Freeman knows and does best. As managing consultant of Aimee Freeman Consulting and Louisiana State Representative for District 98 in New Orleans, Aimee is known for effective advocacy for businesses, families, and individuals and an ability to help them realize their potential.

“Seeing things from a 50,000-ft view—that’s my secret weapon,” says Aimee. “I use that both in my business consulting career with clients and with the bills I carry through the legislature.”

Aimee also credits her success to her knack for building coalitions.

“I can’t be an expert on every subject matter, but I excel at building coalitions of people who are,” she says. Working collaboratively and methodically, Aimee has successfully passed landmark legislation, such as the law that ended the Pink Tax on feminine products and diapers and multiple laws that streamlined the Pandemic-EBT funds, bringing food to 250,000 Louisiana families.

Aimee Freeman Consulting provides strategy and planning for all stages of businesses from earlystage startups to international companies. Her clients include HSBC Bank, NANO, Point8Power, Tekchix, and Trapolin-Peer Architects. She is particularly motivated to help Louisiana’s partnerowned and family-owned businesses grow and thrive in their respective industries. She is also motivated by leaders, especially those working on a community level.

“There’s more to leadership than titles,” she says. Aimee is just as inspired by the local pastor who starts a community food bank as she is by renowned trailblazing women like Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Adding to her numerous awards, Aimee was recently named a Legislative Champion by United Way of Southeast Louisiana, honoring some of her most meaningful policy achievements benefitting Louisiana’s children and victims of domestic violence.

2023

The Tekchix

As someone who has years of experience in IT herself, Norma Jean McClain knows how important quality IT team members are to the efficient functioning of any organization. And after a few additional years working for large IT staffing firms, ones solely focused on volume, Norma Jean saw a need for a boutique, Louisiana-based IT recruitment agency that could offer a customized, people-first approach. “Fewer clients, more service,” says Norma Jean. “We put relationships first and offer the highest level of service to both our clients and our candidates.”

Tekchix is transforming IT teams across New Orleans and beyond— the company boasts a 95 percent placement rate and has been voted Best Employee Agency in New Orleans CityBusiness readers’ rankings two years in a row. After graduating from William and Mary, Norma Jean’s daughter, Ava, joined the company as Head of Recruitment, and this mother-daughter partnership is growing the company with plans for additional boutique firms in other markets.

“We are driven every day to go to bat for our clients, who have urgent needs for specific positions to be filled,” says Norma Jean. “We are also committed to providing great experiences for our exceptional candidates, who are achieving their career goals through these positions.”

The company enjoys an outstanding retention rate, a testament to their effective and timely match-making. Its leaders are also leaders on a community level. Norma Jean serves on the Second Harvest operations committee and the computer science advisory boards for Tulane School of Professional Advancement and Southeastern Louisiana University, while Ava is involved with the New Orleans Opera Association, Rolling River Rescue, YLC, and the Loyola University Women’s Leadership Academy.

The Tekchix

3445 Causeway Blvd, Suite 701 Metairie thetekchix.com

Norma Jean McClain President/CEO Ava McClain Head of Recruitment

Tifferney White

Chief Executive Officer

Louisiana Children’s Museum

With a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology, Tifferney White was well on her way to becoming a Psychiatrist when she decided to work for a year at Discovery Place Science, a science museum in Charlotte, NC. After facilitating hands-on STEM experiences for children who would not otherwise have exposure to the museum or its content, Tifferney found a new path.

“I saw myself in these young people,” she says. “Without someone like me making STEM real for them in their everyday lives, they would most likely never consider STEM careers. It is difficult to be what you can’t see.”

Tifferney learned early in life to value education and strive for excellence. A first-generation college student, Tifferney navigated her way through two degrees before pursuing an Executive MBA while CEO and President at Discovery Children’s Museum in Las Vegas. In 2018, she received a National Society of Black Engineers Transforming STEM: Charlotte Trailblazers Award.

“Early childhood learning is critical to the successful development of our children—85 percent of the brain develops before age three and nearly 90 percent by age 5,” says Tifferney.

“We have an obligation to optimize learning during this critical period of time, and exposure to STEM—Science, Technology, Engineering and Math—is critical for sending innovators and critical thinkers into STEM careers.”

The Louisiana Children’s Museum is a communityfocused organization, and Tifferney is likewise community-minded. She has volunteered with Junior League of Las Vegas and Charlotte, Girl Scouts of America, and other organizations. Professionally, Tifferney serves on the board of the Association of Children’s Museums and the Awards Committee of the Association of Science and Technology Centers.

Louisiana Children’s Museum

15 Henry Thomas Drive, New Orleans 504-523-1357 lcm.org

Susan Dinneen

Co-Founder

Strauss Massey Dinneen LLC.

Growing up outside of Philadelphia, Susan Dinneen stayed busy—year-round sports, schoolwork, and other extra-curricular activities kept her body and mind constantly in motion. Today, Susan credits those demanding early years for preparing her for a life in law.

“Being a successful lawyer requires many assets, the most underrecognized of which are fortitude and grit. The job is never done,” says Susan.

An experienced litigator and advisor, Susan defends her insurance company clients against fraud, extra-contractual/bad faith claims, catastrophe claims, and coverage disputes. She has obtained multiple zero verdicts in both bench and jury trials and has authored appellate briefs that resulted in favorable rulings for the insurance industry. She was named to 2023 Super Lawyers, New Orleans CityBusiness’ 2022 Leadership in Law Class, Elite Lawyers for Insurance Law (Inside New Orleans), and New Orleans CityBusiness’ Women of the Year Class in 2016.

Susan’s approach in both her personal and professional life is to plan as much as possible, pivot when necessary, and forge ahead.

“With my profession, it’s easy to be a good lawyer when the facts and law are in your favor. What sets you apart is when they’re not and yet you’re able to successfully advise and advocate for your clients to achieve the best result for them,” she says.

Susan is a Louisiana Bar Foundation Fellow and has served on the board of directors of several non-profits, including the Junior League of New Orleans, Girls on the Run New Orleans, and the Travelers Aid Society. She currently serves on the Board of Commissioners for the Lakeview Crime Prevention District.

Strauss Massey Dinneen LLC

935 Gravier Street, Suite 1250 New Orleans

smd-law.com

Annette Dowdle, RHU, CCWC, CHRS

Senior Vice President

HUB International Gulf South

HUB International Gulf South Senior Vice President Annette Dowdle is committed to simplifying the complicated world of employee benefits. While navigating the unknowns of today’s economy, Annette and her team take a modern approach to employee-centric benefits.

“We think about the benefits through the eyes of each generation we serve,” says Annette. “Needs are different for each season of life.”

As cost containment is a top priority for today’s employer, Annette is creative and strategic when shaping benefits to add value to a company’s culture. “While cost containment is as sensitive as ever, we can help find a balance of containing costs but not at the detriment of the employee,” she says.

Noting that culture plays a large part in benefits, Annette believes that offerings should be holistic, addressing the whole employee so that they can continue to be successful.

“Outside of medical, there’s a multitude of coverage options that can elevate an employee’s experience. We can structure mental health benefits, pet coverage, infertility coverage, financial wellness and guidance, paid time of, as well as career pathing,” she says.

In the community, Annette is a graduate of Leadership Louisiana, Loyola Women’s Leadership Academy, Leadership St. Tammany, and soonto-be Leadership Jefferson. She is a member of the Committee of the 100, National Women in Construction, Women United, and Northshore Heart Walk Executives with Heart, and she serves on HUB’s National Best Practices Task Force.

HUB International Gulf South

3510 N Causeway Blvd., Suite 300 Metairie 16564 E Brewster Rd #102, Covington

Annette.Dowdle@hubinternational.com 504-491-5576

Woodhouse Spa

Replete with awards, Woodhouse™ spas across South Louisiana help clients experience calm and connect better to the world and the community. With five locations—New Orleans, Metairie, Mandeville, Slidell, and Baton Rouge—all managed by women, this spa has been named a Top Workplace in the Times-Picayune (2018-2023), Best Day Spa in Gambit Weekly, and Best Day Spa in New Orleans Magazine.

“My mission is to set an environment where both our staff and guests can have an escape from the outside world,” says Joelle DieJoia. “I love that that is my job.”

These women and their teams operate as family.

“I’ve learned that hard work always pays off, but it won’t matter unless you’re with the right people who care about and value your work—that is what I’ve found in Woodhouse,” says Heather Horton.

Danielle McGee entered Woodhouse with a literal family tie, her mother Deneb is a franchise owner. Danielle joined the Baton Rouge team in 2016 and then took on the role of General Manager in Slidell upon graduation from SLU.

“My mother’s work ethic and passion influenced me to enter this work,” says Danielle. “As a mother, mentor, and boss, she has easily made me the woman and business woman I am today.”

Metairie General Manager Loren Carollo credits owners Giselle, Erin, and Deneb for influencing her leadership style.

“As long as you believe in yourself and your team, you can do anything,” she says. Teamwork is a strong component of the spa’s success.

“We have a certain standard to hold at Woodhouse,” says Domonique Ovide. “We try to ensure everyone understands leadership’s expectations and feels they can come to us with questions—that’s something I love about this team.”

Woodhouse Spa

woodhousespas.com

Joelle DieJoia Mandeville

Danielle McGee Slidell

Loren Carollo Metairie

Heather Horton Baton Rouge

Domonique Ovide New Orleans

Ann Hilzim, PMP

Associate Director Postlethwaite & Netterville

Ann Hilzim grew up feeling the empowering support of her parents and the strong, positive women in her family. Today, she’s proud to pay forward that support to others through her work identifying solutions at Postlethwaite & Netterville.

“Working in consulting allows me to help clients of all kinds—businesses, government entities, and individuals,” says Ann. “Many of the clients I support are providing important resources or services to the community and need help to do it efficiently and accurately.”

Ann and her team worked with government entities during and after the pandemic to disburse resources to businesses, individuals, and institutions that were struggling during that time. For Ann, it’s imperative to minimize impacts on these entities’ ability to deliver essential services.

In 2019, Ann started the Change Management team within the Business Transformation Services group in P&N’s consulting department. The team has already grown from just two members to 14 and assists clients that vary in size and industry who are undergoing change and need strategic communications, process and procedure development, training, business process redesign, and more.

“We focus on the people side of things, on ensuring everyone impacted by a large organizational change feels comfortable, confident, and supported in the transition,” she says. “This in turn reduces disruption to the employees and the important work they are doing.”

As the leader of both the Change Management and Project Management teams, Ann has found empathy to be the most useful tool in leadership. Her mentors approached conversations with desire to understand others’ points of view when deciding what course of action to take, and Ann takes this effective approach as well.

Postlethwaite & Netterville (P&N)

One Galleria Blvd., Suite 2100, Metairie 504-837-5990

pncpa.com

Consulting

Paula Polito

Owner

Beary Cherry Tree Child Development Center

Paula Polito grew up in a family of educators and strong female leaders. Her grandmother and mother both worked in early care and education, her mother operating a center serving over 180 children, while her father taught and served in the administration at Archbishop Rummel High School.

“With strong female leadership combined with the structure offered by my father, I often say I have the best of both of my parents,” says Paula.

After graduating with an MBA from UNO, Paula purchased Beary Cherry Tree in 1999 and has grown this high-quality early care and education center to now serve over 200 families. In addition to overseeing everyday operations, Paula currently serves as a contract trainer for Teachstone, the maker of the Classroom Assessment Scoring System® (CLASS). Through implementation of the CLASS tool, Paula understands measures of quality in early care and education, and she ensures teacher-child interactions at Beary Cherry Tree meet and exceed these standards.

Paula’s work doesn’t stop there—she recently returned to UNO to pursue her PhD with a concentration in Urban Studies/Affair. Outside of the center and classroom, Paula is deeply involved in advocacy efforts at the state and local level. She serves as Advisory Board Chair for the Louisiana Department of Education, commission member for the Louisiana Early Childhood Care and Education Commission, and advisory council member for Jefferson Ready Start Network. She previously served as Education Chair for the Jefferson Chamber of Commerce. As a female small-business owner, Paula has leveraged her position to bring light to the necessity of access to early child care across Louisiana.

Beary Cherry Tree Child Development Center

3117 Lake Villa Drive, Metairie 504-455-1950

bearycherrytree.com

Jessica Brandt

CEO Ray Brandt Auto Group

Jessica Brandt’s automotive industry expertise, strong leadership, and dedication to her community distinguish her as a powerful force in New Orleans and the business world at large. Since becoming CEO of the Ray Brandt Auto Group in 2019, Jessica has skillfully led this flourishing enterprise of over 600 people while continuing to positively impact those in need.

Today’s turbulent economic landscape and fluctuating interest rates have presented their fair share of challenges for Jessica. However, she embraces obstacles with tenacity and has ensured the business stays ahead of the curve by monitoring market trends and maintaining a customer-focused approach. She and her team offer attractive incentives and flexible financing solutions to meet their clients’ needs.

“It’s incredibly fulfilling to guide a business that impacts so many lives,” says Jessica. Since its humble beginnings as a single dealership in 1983, the Ray Brandt Auto Group has expanded to include 13 dealerships and six collision centers throughout Louisiana and Mississippi. The Group consistently earns prestigious awards in recognition of its exceptional customer satisfaction.

Jessica’s pursuit of success extends beyond business. In 2015, she and her late husband founded the Ray and Jessica Brandt Family Foundation, which primarily provides financial assistance to local charities. The Foundation supports numerous local schools and organizations, such as St. Michael’s Special School, Children’s Hospital New Orleans, and the National World War II Museum.

“Having the opportunity to contribute to our community’s well-being is a privilege I cherish,” she says. “I believe that with success comes the responsibility to give back, and I’m wholeheartedly committed to fostering growth, development, and unity across Greater New Orleans and the Gulf South.”

Ray Brandt Auto Group raybrandtauto.com

Chambrel Riley-Williams

Chief Administrative Officer Port of South Louisiana

As Chief Administrative Officer of the Port of South Louisiana, Chambrel Riley-Williams considers it a privilege to be a part of an organization that operates as an economic engine for the community. And it’s not just this community that the Port of South Louisiana influences—it supports and creates local, regional, and national economies by creating jobs and improving the overall transport of goods.

A young black woman, Chambrel has faced a number of challenges throughout her career in the maritime industry.

“To overcome those challenges, I focused on understanding my purpose, my role, and my goal,” she says. “Knowing and accepting those three elements in any situation allows me to be prepared for any challenge I may face.”

For her, preparedness is key to leadership.

“Always be prepared for the room you’re walking into,” she says.

With 12 years of experience in the port maritime industry focusing on finance and administration, Chambrel credits her extensive education for impacting her life and guiding her choices. Chambrel holds an Associate’s Degree in Accounting from Delgado Community College, a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of New Orleans, and a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. She is also a Certified Port Executive and a Certified Public Accountant.

“The desire to know and understand what is going on around me has inspired me to enter the field of accounting and public administration,” she says. “I was always told, ‘If you want to know what’s going on, follow the money.’”

Beyond her day-to-day duties, Chambrel values the Port’s partnerships with Riverworks Discovery and local high schools and their efforts to educate students on job opportunities within the maritime industry.

Port of South Louisiana

1720 LA Highway 44, Reserve portsl.com

Judy B. Songy

Vice Chairwoman

Port of South Louisiana Board of Commissioners

A lifelong resident of the River Parishes, Judy Songy knows what it means to live along the Mississippi River and what a life-blood it is for the state and surrounding region. As Vice Chairwoman of the Port of South Louisiana Board of Commissioners, Judy enjoys watching the Port flourish, providing a seemingly endless amount of opportunities for economic growth in South Louisiana. Economic development is Judy’s strong suit, and this retired real estate broker is right at home in her work with the Port’s Board.

“There’s so much action going on at the airport and around the river—so much possibility to bring new people and jobs to the area,” she says. “I’m truly honored to be sitting on the board.”

Prior to her retirement and subsequent work with the Port, Judy owned Century 21 Judy Songy & Associates and served the Louisiana Real Estate Commission for 12 years. She moved to LaPlace in 1965 to be situated both close to the opportunities of New Orleans and to the way of life that persisted in the quieter River Parishes area.

“When I retired as CEO of my company in 2009, I didn’t want to work—I wanted to do something that was more rewarding than work,” she says. She got her wish in 2016, when she was appointed by Governor John Bel Edwards to her position on the board. Since then, she has successfully worked with two Port Directors and helped secure funding to deepen the Mississippi.

“I’ve always been a community activist, trying to make my community the best it can be. This port is one of the largest tonnage ports in the western hemisphere, and I’m excited to see what we can do for continued development.”

Port of South Louisiana

P.O. Box AE

1720 Highway 44, Reserve 985-652-9278 portsl.com

S. Eliza James

Partner and Co-owner

Forrest Cressey & James

Growing up in rural Pennsylvania, Eliza James always knew she wanted to work with people and to make an impact. Her dreams of being a lawyer were quickly realized, and now as partner and co-owner of Forrest Cressey & James law firm, she combines kindness, compassion, and understanding with extensive legal knowledge and aptitude to help people in challenging times. “Usually when people come to me, they are at a crisis point in their lives,” says Eliza. “Often they have been harmed in some way, in a car accident or at work, but despite these difficult situations, my clients remain hopeful and have the resilience to carry on. That’s something I find very inspiring.”

Dispelling the notion that attorneys and the legal system are harsh and cold, Eliza enters every case with the goal of reaching a collaborative solution with the client’s experience and voice at the forefront.

“So often with law firms, clients are treated as numbers, not people—their stories don’t get told. Having a client-centered approach is so important to me and my partners,” she says.

Eliza was named to the New Orleans CityBusiness Leadership in Law class in 2022, the National Trial Lawyers Association 40 Under 40, and Super Lawyers’ Rising Stars of 2023. Outside of the courtroom, Eliza is active in the community. She competes on a BBQ team at Hogs for the Cause—raising money for pediatric brain cancer research—and is active in her sons’ lives as a soccer coach and school room parent. Forrest, Cressy & James is active in the veteran community and is a member of the Louisiana Association for Justice, an organization that advocates on behalf of injured individuals and trial attorneys.

Forrest Cressey & James

1222 Annunciation Street, New Orleans 504-605-0777 fcjlaw.com • eliza@fcjlaw.com

Diane B. Lyons, CMP, DMCP

President ACCENT New Orleans, Inc.

Diane Lyons, CMP, DMCP, is known in the New Orleans hospitality industry as a “mover and a shaker” and a special event and meeting planner with deep-rooted connections. Her company, ACCENT New Orleans Inc., has been planning events in New Orleans for 32 years.

ACCENT New Orleans Inc.’s relationships and precise execution set it apart. Many times, an event-hosting client will have a big vision but no idea how to pull it off seamlessly or a sense of what they might be missing. At ACCENT, Diane and her team organize everything from entertainment and décor to transportation and marketing to ensure the event runs smoothly and is enjoyable for both the client and their attendees.

“This is my hometown, and I love to sell and showcase it because there is nowhere else like it,” says Lyons. “Over my 40 years in the industry, I think I’ve probably seen it all and have strong relationships that allow me to pick up the phone and reach the right person right away. This really matters when carrying out wonderful events for our clients.”

In addition to planning events, Lyons believes in giving back to the community and supporting local companies. Because New Orleans is so culturally rich, ACCENT is able to create incredible events and bring business to local musicians, entertainers, chefs, and businesses. Lyons is also behind the organizations ACCENT on Children’s Arrangements, FestiGals, and NOLA Christmas Fest. Diane’s passion for designing beautiful and seamless corporate events has led to numerous industry awards and recognition of her passion to create one-of-a-kind experiences in New Orleans.

ACCENT New Orleans, Inc.

4300 S. Carrollton Avenue, New Orleans 504-524-1227

accent-dmc.com • dlyons@accent-dmc.com

Stacie Carubba

Associate Broker/Partner

Athena Real Estate

In 2021, Marquis’ Who’s Who in America designated Stacie Carubba as within the top 1 percent of professionals in her field. Locally, Biz New Orleans selected her as a Top 10 Real Estate Influencer. Stacie is consistently named a top producing agent in the city, closing multimillions annually. Stacie’s path to the top was unexpected—she entered real estate out of pure necessity and looking for financial freedom, never intending to make it a full-time career.

“Real estate was the beginning of a new chapter for me,” says Stacie. I feel like I found myself, my talents, and what I was meant to be doing.”

Stacie, Athena Real Estate’s first agent, became a partner of the firm in 2021. Across her eight-year career, she has closed more than $70M. Stacie’s work is influenced by advice she received from her father and grandfather. Her father pushed her to under promise and over deliver, a practice that she implements today.

“I always want to exceed my clients’ expectations while keeping things realistic from the start,” she says. Stacie’s grandfather, a former band director, always told students “Results, not excuses.” This tagline has a deep personal meaning to Stacie, keeping her accountable in all of her work and helping her gain the trust and respect of both colleagues and clients. Stacie does indeed get results—she has been the brokerage’s top producing agent for five years in a row.

In the community, Stacie serves as a member of the Junior League of New Orleans and has served on committees for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and Immune Deficiency Foundation.

Athena Real Estate

425 Harrison Avenue #1200 • New Orleans staciecarubba.com • stacie@staciecarubba.com

504-434-SOLD (7653) • 504-507-8331 office

OnPath Federal Credit Union

OnPath Federal Credit Union, formerly ASI Federal Credit Union, is one of the fastest growing credit unions in the country. OnPath’s commitment to the underserved and underbanked of South Louisiana has helped fuel financial independence throughout the community. Recently, OnPath became the first Louisiana credit union designated as a Juntos Avanzamos affiliated credit union. This honor is a testament to OnPath’s continued outreach to the growing Hispanic and immigrant populations of the region.

Leaders at OnPath, Kristen DeDual, Sherrill Woods, and Daphne Hernandez exemplify the credit union’s promise of Empathy, Passion, Innovation, Integrity and Commitment.

Chief Operations Officer Kristen DeDual began her career as a bank teller. Throughout her journey, Kristen discovered a love of problem-solving and helping others learn and grow.

Honored as a 2018 Money Maker and certified by CUES’ CEO Institute, Kristen likes to think big-picture in her work.

“Staying the course and doing what is right for the institution and its members will always be a winning recipe,” she says.

VP of Retail Operations

Sherrill Woods also started her career as a teller.

“Helping members understand the importance of credit and how it can help them achieve their dreams is my biggest motivation,” says Sherrill. She particularly enjoys assisting elderly members who may lack access to and understanding of today’s technologies.

A native Honduran who moved to the US at age 14, Director of Digital Experience Daphne Hernandez is motivated daily by her experience as an immigrant. Daphne’s father has been a member of OnPath for over 20 years.

“Knowing that our members are like my dad—everyday people who want to work and live in peace—helps me put things in perspective. It’s really all about our members,” she says.

OnPath Federal Credit Union

3131 N. I-10 Service Rd. E. 504-733-7274

beonpath.org

Daphne Hernandez Director of Digital Experience

Kristen DeDual COO

Sherrill Woods VP of Retail Operations

The new El Guapo warehouse encompasses a 32,527-squarefoot, circa-1800s brick building at 3300 Gravier St.

FROM THE LENS GREAT WORKSPACES

EL GUAPO 3300 Gravier St. elguapobitters.com // @elguapobitters

SWEET SUCCESS

El Guapo’s renovated warehouse gives the sustainably-minded cocktail bitters, syrups and mixers company room to grow

BY MELANIE WARNER SPENCER

PHOTOS BY SARA ESSEX BRADLEY

Since 2017, El Guapo bitters has been crafting zero-proof, no-sugar added vegan bitters, syrups and drink mixers in New Orleans. The operation started at 3950 Tchoupitoulas St., but had to move the shipping and logistics departments following Hurricane Ida in 2021. “We started renovations in the brewing and bottling area of the building in early 2022 and completed the project in the fall,” says El Guapo CEO Christa Cotton. “We’ve been fully operational, brewing and bottling all of our products in the new facility since September of 2022.” The new facility is housed in a 32,527-square-foot, circa-1800s brick warehouse at 3300 Gravier St.

The company prides itself on quality ingredients and sustainable practices, and Cotton has racked up a slew of accolades, including being the 2020 recipient of the Les Dames d’Escoffier Legacy Award for Fine Spirits and a 2021 James Beard Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Fellow; received the Mexico Fine Spirits Award from Jose Cuervo in Mexico; and is supported by The Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy and the Culinary Arts. Recently we caught up with the very busy CEO to talk about the renovation and what’s next for this ever-growing brand.

What were your goals for the design?  Christa Cotton: The brand is expanding rapidly. After bootstrapping for five years and sticking it

out in two previous locations, both packed to the gills and barely large enough for the growing team and endlessly increasing inventory parts needed to keep up with orders, we were tired of sticking Band-Aids on our problems and were ready to build our manufacturing, shipping and logistical operations at scale. When we started rotating the team members at shared desks in shifts because we were truly out of space, I knew it was time to make a change. At the beginning of the search process in late 2020, this is the very first location we looked at and frankly, I didn’t think we could afford it. After touring dozens of hot, dusty and poorly kempt alternatives, we gave this more serious consideration. The building’s history, the clear span warehouse with exposed wood trusses, exposed brick office spaces, soaring high ceilings, large picture windows, beautiful architectural details and large gated off-street parking eventually sold us on the location.

What was the biggest design challenge?

We are the first food operation at this facility, so significant plumbing and electrical work was required to retrofit the space. Our architect, Angela Morton, our contractor, Sidney Artigues Jr. and our lead engineer, Bruce Bitner, did a wonderful job of renovating the warehouse to suit our needs, and we’re quite happy with the end result.

What is the standout feature of the design and why does it stand out?

We renovated the warehouse portion of the building for our brewing and bottling operation. Its exposed wooden trusses are quite stunning in person. This warehouse was the barn that housed both the horses and carriages that delivered telegrams across New Orleans from the time it was constructed in the mid-1800s through the mid-20th century and eventually became the fleet barn for AT&T’s internet installation vehicles. We kept as many original

elements of the building as possible, as the building itself is beautiful and our team loves coming to work here every day.

How would you describe El Guapo and its core audience or client?

Cotton: We serve the upper end of the market. Our core customers are independent James Beard- and Michelin-caliber restaurants, Forbes 5 Diamond and Relais & Châteaux hotels, upscale grocers and retailers like Whole Foods and Neiman Marcus, plus the B2C customers who shop, dine and stay at these establishments. Our customers care about quality of ingredients, and they’re willing to pay a premium for a superior product.

How do you set yourselves apart from others doing similar work?

We focus on supply chain, sustainability and customer service. The quality of our ingredients,

“This warehouse was the barn that housed both the horses and carriages that delivered telegrams across New Orleans from the time it was constructed in the mid-1800s through the mid-20th century,” said El Guapo CEO Christa Cotton.

Cotton said sustainable practices and customer service are core business practices at El Guapo, which also practices open book management with the staff.

QUICK LOOK

focus on sustainable practices and packaging plus consistent and friendly customer service sets us apart from the competition.

How do you promote a positive work atmosphere for the staff?

We believe in collaboration, communication and delegation. We practice open book management and meet weekly with teams to discuss goals and track progress. I truly believe we have the best team in the business and I’m proud of our extremely low turnover rate. We’re slow to hire, but when we find someone who is a great fit, they gel with the team and tend to stick around a while.

What are your biggest challenges?

Scale. We just won our first nationwide grocery contract, so we’re in the midst of launching three products in every The Fresh Market in the country. The client base is growing, the purchase orders are getting larger and the complexity in operations and logistics is more challenging than ever. Our team is doing such a great job keeping up, but there’s been a significant learning curve and financial commitment as we’ve expanded from local to regional to national and now international presence across various verticals. We’re so excited to partner with The Fresh Market. Look for us nationwide beginning May 10th.

What goals are you looking to meet in the next 12 months?

So many things ... a successful launch in The Fresh Market is first and foremost. We’re interviewing additional liquor distributors across the U.S. We’re refining our pitch and internal processes to better prepare us for multiple, simultaneous partnerships with large retailers. We’re considering some interesting international distribution opportunities. We’re laser focused on becoming the preeminent New Orleans-based cocktail brand on a national and international level. And we’ll of course have some more hiring to do when the time is right.T

BY ASHLEY MCLELLAN PHOTOS BY EDMUND D. FOUNTAIN

For local entrepreneur Mindy Christie, launching a genre-defying undergarment company was the culmination of a lifetime of looking for a product that didn’t exist.

Driven by the words of her Southern mother who would always “strongly suggest” wearing a slip under her dresses and clothing, Christie spent years searching for a product that provided the coverage of a slip while staying cool in the heat of the summer. When she couldn’t find such a product, she created her own.

The result was the launch of her company, originally called Furious Viola, in November 2020. Rebranded as Undergoodies in January, the company boasts a product line that includes multiple styles, colors, inclusive sizing and fits, along with something all women want in a garment — pockets.

“I had a few of my grandmother’s petti-slips, and over the years I kept myself cool and covered by hunting for deadstock vintage pettislips — which still pop up now and then but are getting ever harder to find,” said Christie. “It occurred to me that I could improve upon them with upgraded fabrics and more fun colors. Really, why do our underthings have to be black, beige, brown or white? (Although we do love and sell those colors too.) And my beautiful, stylish Grammy had a ribbons and lace store in Texas back in the day, so I have a near endless supply of vintage appliques, trims and inspiration.”

Undergoodies is proudly marketed as woman owned, with all products made and constructed by women at a factory in Dallas.

“Making Undergoodies overseas was never an option, and making them in the South is a dream,” said Christie. “It’s horrifying to face our society’s fast fashion ways and the waste

her unique line

to keep herself and others cool and

(both money and trash) of it. People often say they didn’t expect our fabrics to be as lovely as they are, and Undergoodies last and last — neither of which has been my experience with mainstream brands of late. And with this quality it means the cost per wear is actually quite low.”

Christie also finds her inspiration close to home, with mentors and support staff located in Louisiana.

“One of my closest friends is in Central Louisiana, and she sews our samples and hand finishes our one-of-a-kind Undergoodies,” she said. “I’ve started working with Briana Henry at NOLA DDM [sewing company] and am blown away to have found such an incredible operation in my own neighborhood.

Undergoodies are currently available in four styles in a wide range of colors and trims, with prices ranging from $48 for many of the top-selling options to $62 for one-of-a-kind creations. Each garment is specially sized to fit an individual’s measurements, bucking the “traditional” women’s rack sizing. Undergoodies are made for comfort and promise to stay cool. They can be worn under skirts, dresses, shorts or pants, but can also function as sleepwear or streetwear.

Creating a product that’s never existed, however, has made marketing a challenge.

“For example, when it comes to SEO, how do people know what to search for when they don’t know it exists and it doesn’t have a name?” said Christie. “One of my models texted some friends about her photo shoot and referred to the Undergoodies as bloomers. Her friends started sending her pictures of Laura Ingalls Wilder. There seems to be some stigma around full coverage garments that aren’t tight like bike shorts or shapewear — like that they’re old-fashioned or only for a vintage look. I love wearing vintage and these go perfectly with that, but I assure you they are also perfect under fresh, on-trend looks at your favorite shop.”

While categorizing Undergoodies has been a challenge, Christie and her team keep the business light by embracing its uniqueness.

(Facing page) Undergoodies founder Mindy Christy founded

of undergarments in 2020

covered up in a new and stylish way. (*Dress and jewelry from Saint Claude Social Club.) (Left) Undergoodies are currently available in four styles and a wide range of colors and trims.

“I love dressing for humor, and that’s one of my favorite daily joys of living in this town — it folds right into the joyful spirit here. I worry sometimes that all of our playfulness on Instagram might make people elsewhere see Undergoodies as more ‘out there’ than they are. They’re not; I guarantee that a corporate accountant in a dark suit in Austin in August will enjoy keeping her cool in [our] Black Honey [style]. Actually, I know one and she does!”

Undergoodies each feature a small pocket for stashing lip gloss, cash, a key, the possibilities are endless (and a boon to wearers during festivals, Carnival, concerts, etc.)

“So far, all of our designs are too lightweight to support a phone, but we have plans for that, so stay tuned,” Christie said.

In addition to versatility, it was important to Christie — who has a background in the nonprofit industry — to create a fashion line that was inclusive of all bodies, shapes and sizes.

“[It was] 100% non-negotiable. My sweet momma says that I was born not seeing many differences or borders, and I do find most of them bizarre, and of course they can be tragic. I can think of only a few choices more personal than what to wear next to our bodies. Don’t we all deserve personal choice, basic dignity, opportunities for self-expression, and little daily luxuries and comforts that help us do everything better? A recent new customer said upon her first try-on, ‘I put them on, and I don’t have to think about it anymore. They’re effortless!’”

Undergoodies are currently available on the company’s website, at local boutiques Iris and Bra Genie, at Vesta’s Boutique in Little Rock, and Heidi Says in San Francisco. The company is working on growing its list of shops and wholesale business.

“There is a significant learning curve to understand and accept Undergoodies,” said Christie. “The magic happens when people put them on their bodies, so I see them in brick-and-mortar stores… Our hurdle has been getting people to get past Undergoodies’ differentness and just try them on. Once they do, it’s bedtime in Undergoodies and 5-star reviews.”

Driven by customer feedback, Christie has plans to release new styles and fabrics.

“I have about a dozen more designs in the works, including matching tops and new designs in soft knit fabrics that may or may not accommodate a phone pocket. Down the line, I’d love to introduce fine cottons and silks, a girls’ line, and maybe even a men’s line.” T

Christy pairs high quality, colorful fabric with trims inspired by vintage accessories from her grandmother’s ribbons and lace store in Texas. The result is a product that stands out in an industry dominated by beige, white and black.

PANDEMIC BOOSTS FEMALE ENTREPRENEURSHIP

“Almost half of startups in 2021 were formed by women, according to human resources software company Gusto,” which noted,“This is a ‘dramatic increase’ from the 28% of women starting new businesses in 2019. Seizing a ‘pandemic related opportunity’ was the biggest reason for women starting new businesses in 2021.”

SOURCE: July 2022 World Economic Forum report

Creating a line of undergarments that is inclusive of all bodies, shapes and sizes was essential to Christy. Undergoodies are available in sizing based on the wearer’s measurements rather than standard clothing sizing.

FROM THE LENS NEIGHBORHOOD GEM

THE FAMILY GROCERY STORE

BY KEITH TWITCHELL

Neighborhood grocery stores, once ubiquitous throughout New Orleans, are becoming an endangered species.

Not to be confused with convenience marts, these increasingly rare treasures serve their neighbors with real, fresh foods — and a significant dollop of community. There’s no better example of the traditional neighborhood grocery than Terranova’s, located at 3308 Esplanade Avenue in the Bayou St. John area. Founded in 1925 by Benjamin and Lena Terranova, it is currently owned by the third

generation of the Terranova family, with the fourth generation involved in every aspect of operations and preparing to assume the mantle when the time comes.

The building was originally a single-story house, until Benjamin elevated the first floor living area and built the store underneath. Initially offering primarily meat products and a few dried goods, over the years it evolved into a full grocery.

However, meats are still the main attraction. Terranova’s prepares its own sausages, hogshead cheese (a neighborhood favorite), meatballs, pork chops and more.

TERRANOVAS SUPERMARKET

3308 Esplanade Ave., New Orleans 504-482-4131

“People come here for the meats,” said co-owner Karen Terranova, “and we hope they buy more items.”

The four-person staff are all family members, which eliminates many issues but places a lot of responsibility on the foursome.

“We order, stock, sell, do the books, everything from toilets to taxes,” said Terranova. “This business is not for people who want to get rich, it’s for people who love what they do.”

One byproduct of this is vacations are few and far between. The store only closes for one week each year, the second week of Jazz Fest, which Terranova said is a very slow time for them. However, the equipment still needs to be checked on regularly, so the two generations alternate taking vacations from year to year.

The biggest challenge, though, and the reason so many other small groceries are falling by the wayside, is stocking the shelves.

“Unless you can order big quantities, the suppliers don’t want to come to you,” Terranova explained. “We often have to go to the warehouses ourselves to pick things up.”

Compounding this is that the larger stores, ordering in larger quantities, can often charge lower prices. Terranova’s works to be as competitive as possible with its pricing, and to keep the variety of items in store as broad as possible.

What Terranova’s can offer that the big chains cannot is personal service and even a sense of community. When big storms hit, Terranova’s stays open long after other groceries have shuttered; and now, with its own generator power, opens back up as soon as it can. Indeed, when it reopened after Hurricane Katrina, it generated a neighborhood celebration.

“People need their supplies, and sometimes they just need a cold glass of water and a place to get out of the heat,” Terranova observed.

This is just one of many ways Terranova’s is a neighborhood resource, and the focus on customer service is definitely rewarded by customer loyalty.

“We have generations of the same families that have shopped here,” said Terranova. “It’s more than a store, and the people who come here are more like family than customers.” T

This Bayou St. John staple continues to battle to fill its shelves for dedicated customers after almost 100 years in business.

FROM THE LENS NEW ORLEANS 500

Aimee Brown

DID YOU KNOW?

Brown leads a nationally recognized festival with an annual attendance of more than 7,000. Proceeds from the nonprofit event benefit culinary education in the city.

Education: Loyola University New Orleans (BA)

What’s something exciting on the horizon for your organization?  We are celebrating our 31st year with our festival from June 7-11. We will have three main stage events: Vinola, Tournament of Rosés and the Grand Tasting.

What’s your hobby or passion? My passion is hanging out with my 7-year-old son. He is my best friend!

What do you love about your job? I love the food and wine industry. Getting to create relationships with chefs and restaurateurs, winery owners and winemakers — and supporting their brands and mission — is a huge passion of mine and I am so lucky to be able to do that on a daily basis.

What’s your favorite nonprofit to support?

I really appreciate Café Reconcile. I’ve seen firsthand that the work they do supporting young adults can transform lives by encouraging personal growth, providing workforce development and training, and equipping them with tools to achieve their potential.

Executive Director of New Orleans Wine & Food Experience

PHOTO BY MIKE LIRETTE