Biz New Orleans October 2024 by Renaissance Publishing

10TH ANNIVERSARY ISSUE

CHRIS MASINGILL (JUNE 2021)

CHRIS MEAUX (FEB. 2018)

SUNYOUNG KIM, PH.D. (MAY 2017)

ASHLEE ARCENEAUX JONES (OCT. 2014)

Keller

After

Robert

Anniversary Musings

In the summer of 2014, I had been living in New Orleans for about three years and was working part-time as a freelance writer while at home with a toddler. Not long after I started doing some work for New Orleans Magazine, the editor-inchief, Errol Laborde, called me into his office and offered me the chance to help bring back a monthly business publication called Biz New Orleans that had existed for a short time before Hurricane Katrina.

At first, I admit, I was hesitant. A business magazine sounded like a stuffy endeavor packed with rows of numbers and graphs — not the kind of thing that interested me. But then Errol explained to me that Biz New Orleans would be different. It would be a magazine that focused on people — on the stories and personalities of our neighbors and how they are pushing our region forward with their energy and innovation. It would be a magazine that pulled readers into the stories with full-color imagery, and it would delve into topics from every industry in a way that was understandable and interesting to anyone.

How could I say no to that kind of challenge?

Well, I’m glad I didn’t, because over the past decade I’ve had the fortune to get to know so many incredible people who have generously shared with our readers their passions, their

aspirations and their challenges. I have also had the privilege of working with incredible writers and a staff of professionals tirelessly devoted to excellence. On that note, I’d like to give a special shoutout to two, multiple award-winning Biz writers who have been with the magazine from the first issue — our indomitable sports columnist, Chris Price, and the “if only I could clone you” Keith Twitchell.

We’re 10 years down, but this is only the beginning.

As always, thank you for reading,

Publisher Todd Matherne

EDITORIAL

Editor Kimberley Singletary

Art Director Sarah E.G. Majeste

Digital Media Editor Kelly Massicot

Associate News Editor Veronika Lee Claghorn

Perspective Writer Drew Hawkins

Contributors Jason D. Asbill, Kelsey Foster, Melissa Hodgson, Robert Hopkins II, Courtney Johnson, Ceara Labat, Drew Lamb, Dru Lamb, Joriyan Lee, Conner LeBlanc, Corettat LaGarde, Lauren Courtney Mastio, Ashley McLellan, Misty Milioto, Lisa Morrison, Rachel Nickel, Chris Price, Poppy Tooker, Keith Twitchell

ADVERTISING

Senior Account Executive Meghan Schmitt (504) 830-7246 Meghan@BizNewOrleans.com

Account Executive Abby Palopoli (504) 830-7208 Abby@BizNewOrleans.com

RENAISSANCE PUBLISHING

PRODUCTION

Digital Director Rosa Balaguer Arostegui

Production Designer Ashley Pemberton

Production Designer Czarlyn Ria Trinidad

MARKETING

Marketing Manager Greer Stewart

SINGLETARY

Editor Kimberley@BizNewOrleans.com

*Must

10 Years Later

This month, we are all celebrating as you hold in your hands the 10th anniversary issue of Biz New Orleans.

Ten years ago, we saw the need to develop a business magazine to tell the stories of so many great businesses throughout our region. New Orleans needed a publication to showcase award-winning companies, and for 10 years in a row this team has delivered.

I am so thankful for everyone at Renaissance Publishing and those that have worked on the Biz team over the years. Your presence and contribution has helped us grow better and stronger.

In the early planning days, before we announced the launch of Biz to the public, I needed honest advice from others outside the inner circle of the company. I reached out and leaned on close friends and colleagues who gave me great feedback, and I really appreciate your honesty. You played a key role in the launch of Biz New Orleans.

When we began developing and planning to launch Biz in 2014, one strategy was to host regular publisher’s luncheons to hear from you, the business community, and develop stories and listen to your ideas to help shape the magazine. Today, we continue to host these luncheons and have listened to hundreds

of business leaders give us an inside look at their company and industry and tell us how they feel about the business community. Each of you have helped shape our stories, and we thank you for trusting us with your inside information. If you would like to attend one of our future publishers’ luncheons, email me at Todd@BizNewOrleans.com so we can reserve a seat for you at the table.

We now enter the fourth quarter, and across the company our team continues to focus on the balance of the year. Together we all celebrate Biz’s big anniversary.

Thank you for your support over the years. Keep on reading!

TEAM

VP of Sales and Marketing (504) 830-7216 kate@bizneworleans.com

Senior Account Executive (504) 830-7246

meghan@bizneworleans.com

TODD MATHERNE CEO and Publisher Renaissance Publishing

Account Executive (504) 830-7208 abby@bizneworleans.com

KATE HENRY

MEGHAN SCHMITT

ABBY PALOPOLI

IN THE BIZ

12 DINING

16 ENTREPRENEUR

New 12-team college football playoff format kicks off this year and Sugar Bowl and National Championship could head to Superdome

Ochsner launches fund to support local health care innovation companies

Jefferson Parish got its first taproom in May thanks to a Baton Rouge native’s passion for hard cider

Cidery Sips

Jefferson Parish got its first taproom in May thanks to a Baton Rouge native’s passion for hard cider.

BY POPPY TOOKER

The seeds of Colleen Keogh’s bubbly obsession were planted several years ago on a trip to the Texas Hill Country. The area around Austin was a favorite vacation spot, and Keogh’s visits usually centered around touring and tasting the wares of its small wineries.

While visiting an Austin small craft beverage retailer, Keogh was surprised by the proliferation of local hard ciders. A few sips later, she was sold. These ciders were nothing like the large national brands she had tasted before. Crisp and refreshing, they were more like sparkling wine or champagne. Keogh knew cider would be the perfect drink for a hot Louisiana day!

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.

Returning home, she was determined to make cider an important player in our local beverage scene, but first she had to learn how to make it. Years of experimentation followed. From books and local fermenters, she acquired the basics, utilizing the same big glass carboys used in home beer brewing.

Because she “loves a good theme,” Keogh had a ready-made name for her dream cidery — Kingfish.

“I’m from Baton Rouge and grew up in the political atmosphere of the state Capitol,” she said. “The influences of the Long family can still be found all over the state. In Baton Rouge, we had the Earl K. Long Hospital. There are roads and bridges named after all the Longs. They’re such a dynasty — kind of the Kennedys of the South. They just speak Louisiana to me.”

With her heart set on opening Kingfish Cidery, Keogh enrolled in a professional program at Washington State University.

“It’s the only place in the United States with a dedicated cider-making program, complete with apple and pear orchards on site,” she said. “The course covered everything from production to taxes. It was intense, and a lot of people changed their minds about opening businesses, but I was more dedicated than ever.”

In Washington, she had also discovered a great affinity for perry — cider made from pears.

“They’re very unique and no one was really doing them, so I decided I would,” Keogh laughed.

Since apples and pears don’t grow in Louisiana, Keogh researched fruit sources, settling on a Michigan supplier for her production. Once the basic cider and perry were perfected, the real fun began. Intent on incorporating Louisiana fruit for a local flavor, Keogh discovered strawberries and blueberries were perfect additions, and satsumas make a seasonal appearance in the fall.

With Kingfish as inspiration, naming the hard ciders was just

plain fun! The first, Huey Perry, was soon joined by Uncle Earl, a hopped apple cider that’s a crossover for beer lovers. The basic cider became Blanche, named for Earl K.’s long-suffering wife, while Blaze Starrberry, the strawberry cider, gives a nod to his Bourbon Street stripper girlfriend, Blaze Starr. The blueberry perry Caledonia honors Huey and Earl’s mother, while the black-currant cider Russell B bears the name of Huey’s son, Russell Blue Long, who served in the U.S. Senate for almost 40 years.

Keogh shared that her favorite is Two Roses, a sparkling rosé-type beverage named for Huey’s wife and their daughter, who were both named Rose. After Huey’s assassination, his widow became the first Louisiana female senator, only the third in the country.

When Kingfish Cider opened this past May, it marked the first taproom of any kind to open in Jefferson Parish. It joins Broad Street Cider in New Orleans as the second cider taproom in the area.

Keogh’s passion for recycled art is on display in Kingfish’s tasting rooms, where everything was something else in a previous life. Wooden tables are crafted from lanes of a Westbank bowling alley and old freight boxes. Shiny hair dryers from the ’50s dangle over the bar as lamps. Kingfish houses Keogh’s collection of pinball machines from the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s.

Located near the Huey P. Long Bridge, Kingfish Cidery has become a community hub for Jefferson Parish, with weekly trivia nights and drag bingo bringing in cider loving crowds. Events always include a charitable element, with proceeds benefiting various animal rescue organizations. Pets (and children) are always welcome. Kingfish Cider is also available in cans and can be found in local stores, restaurants and bars. 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.

New Playoff Format Could be Sweet for Saints

New 12-team college football playoff format kicks off this year and Sugar Bowl and National Championship could head to Superdome

BY CHRIS PRICE

For most of its existence, the selection of college football’s national champion was nebulous at best. The Associated Press was, generally, taken as the authority, but numerous regional publications also crowned who they thought were the kings of college football. Beginning in 1998, the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) rankings, based on the Coaches’ Poll, was used to determine which two teams would play in the BCS National Championship Game, but that still led to split national championships. In 2014, the fourteam College Football Playoff was introduced, but controversy followed, as some very good teams were omitted from the competition despite having better arguments for inclusion.

All of that changes this year with the introduction of the 12-team College Football Playoff (CFP). On Dec. 8, the CFP Selection Committee will release its ranking of the top 25 teams. The top 12 teams in the nation will be invited to take part in the expanded playoff, and the top four teams will earn a first-round bye. The teams seeded five through eight will host those seeded

and Chelsea football.

nine through 12 in first-round games on the host team’s campus. The quarterfinals and semifinals will rotate annually among six bowl games — the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, Capital One Orange Bowl, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential and the Allstate Sugar Bowl.

In May, ABC/ESPN announced a five-year agreement with TNT Sports to broadcast College Football Playoff (CFP) games. ESPN and ABC will show the first and last CFP First Round games, TNT will air the second and third games of the first round, and the four playoff quarterfinals, the two playoff semifinals and the 2025 CFP National Championship will air on ESPN.

The expansion of the College Football Playoff has the potential to be a blessing for New Orleans, according to Jeff Hundley, the chief executive officer of the Allstate Sugar Bowl. As part of the playoff, the Sugar Bowl will continue to bring fans, media, attention and money to the city, as it has for decades.

When (not if) the city lands the National Championship, it could be on par with the excitement and economic impact of the Super Bowl. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Super Bowl LVIII, held in February 2024, had at least a $500 million economic impact on the Las

Vegas metro area, including $70 million in local and state tax revenue due to the game.

The potential of hosting a playoff game and the championship in the same season is more than attainable, Hundley said, especially after the multimillion dollar renovations the Superdome has undergone over the last two decades, including the latest $535 million refurbishment, focused on improving the fan experience by widening concourses, adding vendors and improving technology.

Hundley said the renovations were “paramount” as newer venues in cities that have not historically been part of the College Football Playoff are fighting for the opportunity to host postseason games.

“Las Vegas has a new stadium. Nashville will have a new stadium,” he said. “It’s concerning because more and more people are seeing the value of being a part of the College Football Playoff, not just the quarterfinals and semifinals, but the national championship game. I believe with this latest round of renovations, we’re more than competitive. It’s very impressive. We’re as good, if not better than, anybody in the country when it comes to facility. New Orleans is very much in the race, and we’re looking forward to the future.” T

2024-25 COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SCHEDULE

The College Football Playoff expands from four to 12 teams this year. First-round games will be played on the host team’s campus. The quarter- and semifinals will be played in the traditional “Big 6” bowl games between Dec. 31 and Jan. 10. The National Championship Game will be played in Atlanta on Monday, Jan 20, 2025, at 6:30 p.m.

DATE

Fri., Dec. 20

Sat., Dec. 21 CFP First Round Game

CFP First Round Game

Tue., Dec. 31

Fiesta Bowl Quarterfinal

Wed., Jan. 1 Peach Bowl Quarterfinal

Rose Bowl Quarterfinal 4 p.m.

Sugar Bowl Quarterfinal 7:45 p.m.

Thu., Jan. 9

Fri., Jan. 10

Mon., Jan. 20

Orange Bowl Semifinal 6:30 p.m.

Cotton Bowl Semifinal 6:30 p.m.

CFP National Championship 6:30 p.m.

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

KEITH TWITCHELL spent 16 years running his own business before serving as president of the Committee for a Better New Orleans from 2004 through 2020. He has observed, supported and participated in entrepreneurial ventures at the street, neighborhood, nonprofit, micro- and macro-business levels.

$10 Million Move

Ochsner launches fund to support local health care innovation companies

BY KEITH TWITCHELL

Louisiana is a state with poor national rankings in both health and wealth — yet also one with a substantial health care sector.

Applying strength to weakness to resolve this dichotomy is the purpose of the newly established Ochsner Louisiana Innovation Fund.

“We want to inspire healthier lives and stronger communities,” said Aimee Quirk, chief corporate development officer and CEO of Ochsner Ventures, which launched the Innovation Fund in July. “We also want to be a part of economic development and economic opportunity in the state, to create new jobs and attract new talent to Louisiana.”

Ochsner Health is the largest private employer in the state and the largest nonprofit health care provider in the Gulf South region. Ochsner Ventures was founded in 2022 to coordinate the organization’s investments,

collaborations and business development work. Ochsner has historically brought resources, expertise and networking to Louisiana’s health care sector; in the past six years, it has committed $12 million to funds and companies in the state.

“Ochsner Ventures supports entrepreneurship and the local entrepreneurial ecosystem,” Quirk elaborated, “and marries this with our longstanding focus on innovation.”

According to Quirk, the Innovation Fund, which currently stands at $10 million, is a way to further enhance the effectiveness of Ochsner’s investments.

“The fund emerged from our innovation work and conversations we had with various partners,” she explained. “We were looking for new ways to invest in Louisiana companies. We felt that there was more that we could be doing, so we created the fund to focus on this work.”

One area of emphasis is digital health, sometimes referred to as telemedicine.

“We’ve been a pioneer in digital health,” she said, “and we have a national reputation for that. We see that as an important growth area.”

In general, the Innovation Fund is looking for Louisiana-connected, health care-related companies that are in their early stages. The fund makes venture investments, but the overall picture is considerably broader.

“We’re interested in working with founders who are committed to create and scale health care innovation and bring quality health care to everyone,” explained Quirk. “We’re looking for great ideas that will create jobs and drive innovation, from companies that can scale what they are doing.

“But it’s not just the dollars,” she continued, pointing out that Ochsner’s national network of venture capital and health care experts, along with its own in-house facilities and expertise, brings considerable additional value to these early-stage enterprises.

One challenge the fund faces is finding companies and individuals that are a good match for the program.

“We have to sort through a lot of companies to find those that are truly trying to solve real health care problems,” she said, “and even then, it’s not always a good fit. The program must work for the entrepreneur as well as for us.”

Quirk said that Ochsner’s example as an investor is a powerful way to advance the health care sector while driving economic growth.

“Having investors from that area of business means that they understand the problems and can help find the right solutions,” she noted.

For Ochsner, investing in its field “creates a lot of wins,” including keeping talent in the area, creating jobs and supporting innovation.

“As a healthcare organization anchored in Louisiana, we want to make Louisiana the healthiest state possible,” Quirk concluded. “The Innovation Fund will enable us to identify and help make successful the innovations that will help us do that.” T

PERSPECTIVES

A new initiative aims to transform special education services in New Orleans schools

PERSPECTIVES REAL ESTATE+CONSTRUCTION

Long-term Solutions for Shortterm Rentals?

Local city councilmember and industry professionals weigh in on the continuing debate

BY DREW HAWKINS

Allen Johnson reminisces about a bygone era. The Faubourg Marigny resident remembers a time where neighbors all knew each other, sat out on their porches and chatted while walking their dogs.

“I would sit out on the balcony at night, and I would see people coming from the French Quarter going to their homes in the Bywater and in the Marigny,” Johnson said, adding that he could tell they were service industry workers: The dark-colored pants and white shirts were dead giveaways.

Johnson, a past president of the Faubourg Marigny Improvement Association (FMIA), said it’s just not like that anymore. And this isn’t a distant past. No idealized, romantic

DREW HAWKINS is a writer and journalist in New Orleans. He’s the health equity reporter in the Gulf States Newsroom, a collaboration among public radio stations in Louisiana (WWNO and WRKF), Alabama (WBHM) and Mississippi (MPB-Mississippi Public Broadcasting) and NPR. He’s also the producer and host of Micro, a LitHub podcast for short but powerful writing.

vision of The City That Care Forgot, like something out of “A Streetcar Named Desire” — this was 2016, the year before short-term rentals became legal in New Orleans.

“The explosion of short-term rentals in our neighborhood has pushed people out of the historic core, further and further away from their jobs, and we’ve been losing residents,” Johnson said. Short-term rentals (STRs) are any rental less than 30 days. They’re often advertised and rented through sites like Airbnb and Vrbo.

For some, short-term rentals can be a good thing, an easy way to help pay the mortgage or make some extra cash by renting out the other half of a double-shotgun. In a sense, STRs have been part of New Orleans real estate for decades. Before the apps and smartphones, homeowners took advantage of the tourism economy to make extra money and rent out a room for seasonal events like Mardi Gras or Halloween.

But when entire homes — in some cases, entire city blocks — are gobbled up by corporate or commercial entities, it can force out residents and families, driving up real estate prices and turning residential areas into small scale hotels. This in a city that has an affordable housing crisis and saw the steepest population decline, losing more than 45,000 residents, from 2020 to 2023.

The city is working to address the problem. But residents, Realtors and housing advocates are concerned about how effective or committed enforcement may be.

“I think before we can start talking about what works, the city needs to show that they can enforce it,” Johnson said. “There’s the old line with babies: The baby has to learn how to roll over, then crawl, then walk. They’ve wanted to go to Olympic sprinting.”

Some of the proposals to help address the problem include fining sites like Airbnb and Vrbo if they list properties that haven’t been licensed by the city. Right now, STRs are limited to one per square block. Property owners can apply for an exception, but it must be approved. But the city may suspend this exemption program as well, citing concerns over how the exemptions are granted.

“When STRs are allowed to proliferate without density restrictions or adequate safeguards, they have deleterious impacts on quality of life,” said City Councilmember JP Morrell, who proposed fining STR sites and ending the exemption program. “Entire city blocks have been transformed from long-term housing to hotels. The commercialization of residential spaces has displaced families when landowners decide an STR is more lucrative than a long-term tenant.”

Morrell said the problem is systemic. Both unpermitted and permitted STR “party houses” have been used for parties that ended in gunfire, he said. “When we look at the system as a whole, it is clear that to protect quality of life, we need strict regulations and robust enforcement.”

Echoing Johnson, Morrell said the commercialization of neighborhoods is very concerning to him.

“When you buy a home for your family, you do not expect your neighbor to be hosting a rowdy bachelorette party every weekend,” he said. “You expect you will at least know your neighbor’s name. But when your neighbor is essentially a small hotel, the constant rotation of people in and out inhibits the ability of residents to build communities.”

The most obvious impact of STRs, Morrell said, is with the availability of housing stock for single-family homes and rental units. New Orleans has a critical need for affordable housing and investor-purchased units reduce the number of potential homes for people who need them.

“Short-term rentals have become like a lot of the tourism economy,” said Andreanecia Morris, executive director for HousingNOLA, a 10-year partnership between the community leaders, and dozens of public, private and nonprofit organizations working to solve New Orleans’ affordable housing crisis. “Most of the direct benefits, most of the sales tax and other benefits, the financial benefits that the city can reap, instead of going back into the community, those funds are going back into the tourism industry.”

Morris said STR taxes should be invested in neighborhoods to create more affordable housing. She said there have been attempts to make this happen, but they’ve all fallen short.

“It’s disappointing to say the least,” Morris said.

For Morris, STRs are an easy answer to a complicated question, noting they can be either a solution or a problem, depending on who you’re talking to.

“One big issue is that [STRs] distract from impactful solutions that could create more affordable housing,” Morris said. “People think, let’s just get rid of STRs and that will solve everything. When short-term rentals were virtually nonexistent in the first 12 months of the COVID-19 pandemic, evictions for Black women-headed households skyrocketed.”

There’s also the impact that STRs have on the housing market. Realtors say they’ve seen the impacts firsthand — both positive and negative.

“While perhaps it’s not the most popular opinion, I am very supportive of allowing property owners with a homestead exemption — meaning they are declaring this one property as their primary residence — the opportunity to earn income by renting out apartments on those properties,” said Michael Verderosa, Realtor and principal of the Historic 504 Properties Team with Latter & Blum.

Verderosa said he’s had multiple clients who were only able to afford home ownership because of the ability to rent out the other side of their double or a detached accessory dwelling unit, like a rear dependency unit, or a “mother-in-law cottage,” as a legal STR. “The option made homeownership viable for many who otherwise wouldn’t have been able to afford it,” he said.

Verderosa said he’s also had clients who bought a home as their primary residence believing they would have the revenue stream of an STR available to them. With that revenue stream cut off, they could no longer afford the homes they bought for themselves and their families and had to sell.

Verderosa, however, doesn’t support wholehome rentals, even with a homestead exemption, or corporate ownership of STRs in residential neighborhoods.

One thing is clear: The debate around STRs is far from over, but any solution proposed by the city must prioritize the well-being of New Orleans’ communities, making it possible for people to actually live here, not just pass through for Mardi Gras or a bachelor trip.

But more than that, they have to be actually enforced — or at least enforceable. Back out on his balcony in the Marigny, Allen Johnson points out illegally operating STRs.

“The numbers are astronomical, where two-thirds of the streets in the city are illegal,” he said. “It’s almost impossible, like a game of whack-a-mole, for city inspectors to enforce it.”T

PERSPECTIVES

EDUCATION

DID YOU KNOW? NOLA Public Schools annually updates its Special Education Research Guide, which includes information on 170 local organizations and programs that provide resources for individuals and families.

BRIDGING THE GAP

A new

initiative

aims to transform special education services in New Orleans schools

BY DREW HAWKINS

Ask any parent with kids in New Orleans how they feel about the school system. Watch them go. They’ll have some thoughts. You may have to cut them off.

The city’s decentralized charter system was born in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, when the state took over most of the city’s public schools. But it’s not like schools were thriving before the storm. Only 56% of students graduated on time in 2005.

The current charter system isn’t perfect. But research shows that New Orleans schools have improved under every single measurable metric under the charter system.

One of the challenges of a decentralized system, however, is that kids can fall through the cracks and not have access to services they may need to succeed — especially special education students. Special education services can be expense and hard to find.

And because of the decentralized charter system in the city, schools can’t benefit from economies of scale. Each school must bear the full cost of special education services on its own, without the benefit of sharing resources with other schools. As a result, individual schools may struggle to afford the specialized services that students with disabilities require, leading to gaps in support and uneven access to quality education for these students.

But things may be starting to change. For the first time, a city school board will run a school directly next year, and a new proposal seeks to address one of the most pressing issues in its education system: the provision of special education services. This initiative, aimed at forming an Educational Service Agency (ESA), could transform how students with disabilities are supported across the city’s charter schools.

THE NEED FOR A UNIFIED APPROACH

Special education services are essential, yet notoriously complex and expensive to provide. In New Orleans, these challenges are magnified. Shayla Guidry Hilaire, chief student support

officer for NOLA Public Schools, is one of the key advocates for the ESA.

She said NOLA Public Schools’ educational landscape is unique in many ways. For example, most of the city’s charter schools are their own Local Education Agency (LEA). Each LEA is required to develop its own special education program with a full range of services, which may be challenging, but she noted schools work hard each day to ensure they’re meeting the unique needs of each of their students.

“Within our decentralized system, it is increasingly challenging to plan, develop and implement programming and services for the varying and unique needs of every student,” Hilaire said. “It is an unfair burden on each individual Local Education Agency (LEA) to be everything to every child without being able to tap into economies of scale.”

Hilaire said that while students may be presently receiving services as outlined in their Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), the city’s aim is to optimize resources and opportunities to ensure that each student is fully prepared for “civic, social and economic success.”

An ESA would facilitate LEAs in pooling resources and expertise to coordinate necessary services that some LEAs may be too small to provide. By exploring the potential for an ESA, we are keeping equity, sustainability and accessibility at the forefront of the experience for our students, families and schools. The agency, which could launch as early as next year, would allow charter schools to pool resources, coordinate services, and ultimately provide more comprehensive support to students with disabilities.

A COMMUNITY EFFORT

The concept of an ESA isn’t new. In fact, it’s a common arrangement in other states and has been used effectively by charter schools elsewhere. However, it’s a novel approach for Louisiana, where no such agency currently exists.

The idea was first pitched to the district by The Center for Learner Equity, a national nonprofit with a presence in New Orleans, in late 2021. From there, the district secured state funding to conduct a multi-phase study, which revealed that while most charter leaders supported the idea of shared services, there were also significant concerns.

One of the main worries expressed by charter leaders was the potential loss of autonomy. Charter schools in New Orleans are known for their independence, and some leaders questioned whether the district had the resources and capability to run an ESA effectively. There

“

Within our decentralized system, it is increasingly challenging to plan, develop and implement programming and services for the varying and unique needs of every student.

”

Shayla Guidry Hilaire, chief student support officer for NOLA Public Schools

were also concerns about the power dynamics involved, with some leaders uncomfortable asking the district for help, given the district’s authority to shut down schools for poor performance.

VOICES FROM THE FRONT LINES

For organizations dedicated to supporting students with disabilities and their families, the formation of an ESA represents both hope and potential challenges. Claire Tibbetts, executive director of the Autism Society of Greater New Orleans, sees the initiative as a step in the right direction but emphasizes the need for ongoing support and resources.

“The state of special education in New Orleans is really difficult for students with disabilities and their caregivers, to put it mildly,” Tibbetts explained.

Tibbetts’ organization has been on the front lines, providing critical support through programs like their free helpline, online support groups, and training for educators. She highlights the widespread issues faced by students with significant support needs, noting that many are not receiving the age-appropriate educational opportunities they are entitled to.

“There’s nowhere near enough support,” Tibbetts said, pointing out that some families are even resorting to homeschooling due to negative experiences in the schools.

Despite these challenges, Tibbetts remains cautiously optimistic about the potential impact of the ESA.

“I want to, and have to, believe that my efforts will be successful,” she said. “If nobody works to improve the system, the supports, and how

the schools are teaching the most vulnerable students, things will surely continue to get worse.”

Dale Liuzza, executive director of Families Helping Families of Greater New Orleans, shares this cautious optimism. His organization, which has been providing peer-to-peer support and advocacy training since 1991, plays a crucial role in empowering families to navigate the often-confusing world of special education. Liuzza sees the ESA as a promising development but underscores the importance of maintaining a personalized approach to education.

“Special education is a personalized approach to teaching and supporting students with unique learning needs,” Liuzza said. “It is not a one-size-fits-all approach and should not be considered as such.” He added that he believes with the right implementation the ESA could help ensure that all students thrive, but it will require a collective effort from schools, families and the broader community.

CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

AHEAD

The creation of an ESA in New Orleans represents a significant opportunity to address the long-standing challenges in special education, but it’s not without its hurdles. One of the primary challenges will be ensuring that the agency is equipped with the necessary resources and expertise to effectively support the city’s diverse student population. Additionally, the concerns raised by charter leaders about autonomy and trust will need to be addressed in a transparent and collaborative manner.

Another critical factor will be the involvement of families and advocacy organizations in the development and implementation of the ESA. Both Tibbetts and Liuzza emphasize the importance of empowering families to advocate for their children’s needs and ensuring that their voices are heard in the decision-making process.

Looking ahead, the success of the ESA will depend on the ability of the district and charter schools to work together in a spirit of collaboration and mutual respect. If successful, this initiative could serve as a model for other cities facing similar challenges, demonstrating that when schools unite for a common purpose, they can create a more equitable and inclusive educational environment for all students.

“By exploring the potential for an ESA,” said Hilaire, “we are keeping equity, sustainability, and accessibility at the forefront of the experience for our students, families and schools.” T

There’s A New Financial Tool for Those with Disabilities

Details of Louisiana’s first pooled special needs trust

BY JASON D. ASBILL

ILouisiana’s first pooled special needs trust (PSNT) offers a new option for families and individuals with disabilities to manage their financial resources while maintaining access to essential government benefits.

The tool was created by Louisiana Guardianship Services, Inc. (LGSI), a Louisiana nonprofit organization established in 1992 that serves developmentally disabled and elderly adults across Louisiana. It is designed to serve families looking to provide long-term financial security for their loved ones with disabilities. With a PSNT, families no longer need to worry about how an inheritance, legal settlement, or other financial gift could affect their loved one’s benefits. Instead, these resources can be carefully managed within the trust, ensuring that the beneficiary continues to receive the support they need without interruption.

JASON D. ASBILL is a Louisiana attorney and the executive director of Louisiana Guardianship Services, Inc (LGSI). LGSI’s mission is to restore dignity and peace of mind to vulnerable adults through professional guardianship and advocacy when there is nobody else. For more information, visit www.laguardianship.org.

WHAT IS A POOLED SPECIAL NEEDS TRUST?

A pooled special needs trust is a type of financial trust that allows individuals with disabilities to protect their assets without jeopardizing their eligibility for government programs like Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Many government benefits have strict income and asset limits, and receiving an inheritance or other funds could disqualify an individual from these programs. By placing those funds in a special needs trust, individuals can use the resources for their care while staying within the financial limits required to retain their benefits.

Unlike individual special needs trusts, a pooled trust combines the resources of multiple beneficiaries into one collective investment fund. This pooled investment is managed by a nonprofit organization, which uses its expertise to maximize the financial benefits while keeping management fees low.

Each beneficiary has their own account within the trust, and funds are used specifically for their needs. The funds can be used for supplemental expenses, including medical care, education and other services that improve the quality of life for the beneficiary.

“The creation of Louisiana Guardianship’s Disability Pooled Trust marks a significant step forward to ensuring that individuals with disabilities can enjoy a higher quality of life and continued access to necessary support, all within a sustainable and charitable financial model,” said Jason Frank, professor of Elder Law at Tulane University Law School and founder of the First Maryland Disability Trust. “Working with LGSI’s staff attorney Steven Bain gives me confidence that LGSI is well-situated to provide this trust benefit to individuals with disabilities in Louisiana.”

BENEFITS OF A POOLED SPECIAL NEEDS TRUST

1. Cost Efficiency One of the major advantages of a PSNT is the cost savings. Managing an individual special needs trust can be expensive, as legal and administrative fees quickly add up. However, a PSNT pools resources from multiple individuals, reducing the cost

of managing each account. The pooled funds benefit from professional management without the high fees often associated with individual trusts, making this option more affordable for families with limited resources.

2. Professional Management A PSNT is managed by experienced professionals who specialize in navigating the complex rules surrounding government benefits for individuals with disabilities. This expertise helps ensure that the trust is administered properly, safeguarding the beneficiary’s eligibility for programs like Medicaid and SSI.

3. Flexibility and Customization While the funds are pooled for investment, each beneficiary has an individual account that can be tailored to their specific needs. The trust can be used for a wide range of expenses, including healthcare not covered by Medicaid, education, housing, therapy and recreational activities that improve the quality of life. The flexibility of a PSNT allows beneficiaries to enjoy a higher standard of living.

4. Preservation of Government Benefits One of the most important benefits of a PSNT is its ability to preserve government benefits. Without a special needs trust, any funds received by an individual with a disability could push them over the asset limits set by Medicaid and SSI, resulting in the loss of vital benefits. By placing these funds into a PSNT, individuals can maintain their eligibility for these programs while using their own resources for supplemental needs.

5. Charitable Benefit Upon the death of a beneficiary, any remaining funds in their account do not go back to Medicaid, as is often required with individual trusts. Instead, these funds may be retained by the nonprofit. The retained funds are then used to support other individuals with disabilities. This creates a charitable legacy, benefiting future beneficiaries and enhancing the resources available to individuals in need.T

PERSPECTIVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

KELSEY FOSTER is the executive director of the Algiers Economic Development Foundation. She may be reached at info@algierseconomic.com.

Land of Opportunity

Algiers has both the space and the drive to help fill the affordable housing gap.

BY KELSEY FOSTER

Looking out the windows of the Algiers Economic Development Foundation (AEDF)’s offices there is opportunity as far as the eye can see.

From our location on Westbend Parkway, we see the ruined rooftops of multifamily housing developments like Oakmont, Higgins Gate and DeGaulle Manor. At one time, these apartment complexes — and others in the immediate area — were home to more than 1,000 Algiers families. Today, they’re empty, overgrown and blighted — but we’re working to ensure a brighter, more vibrant future for this mid-Algiers corridor.

According to the Greater New Orleans Housing Alliance’s 2022 Housing for All Action Plan, an estimated 23,142 new construction multifamily homes and 21,620 new construction single family homes — in tandem with

other affordable housing interventions — are needed to address the city’s housing and affordability crisis. With almost 70 acres of developable multifamily property concentrated in the mid-Algiers area lying between General Meyer Avenue, General DeGaulle Drive, Shirley Drive and Westbend Parkway, the Algiers Economic Development Foundation hopes to see our community serve as a hope for safe, clean, livable future communities.

DEGAULLE DEMOLITION

At the heart of mid-Algiers’ area of opportunity sits DeGaulle Manor, a 23-acre property that once hosted 450 apartments before being abandoned 14 years ago. Following decades of decline and neglect, Algiers-native and renowned muralist Brandan “BMIKE” Odums opened ExhibitBe in 2014. This exhibit brought thousands to Algiers and highlighted what, at the time, was a plan to redevelop DeGaulle

Manor. The bright murals and powerful messages of ExhibitBe told stories of home and displacement.

Unfortunately, a decade later those same murals still stood. The project never moved forward, no new homes were built, and the property continued to sit in the heart of Algiers, unchanged.

On May 22, however, thanks in part to the efforts of District C Councilman Freddie King III, demolition finally began on the former DeGaulle Manor apartment complex. Paving the way for positive investment, redevelopment and a safer community, it’s an exciting step toward immediate improvement for mid-Algiers.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

Crucial to the success of this area is a smart, intentional mix of affordability including market rate, workforce and affordable housing. To highlight the opportunities here in Algiers, AEDF has hosted a multifamily opportunity tour for real estate developers, investors and experts. We’re also excited to partner with a Community Solutions Fellow through the U.S. Department of State to develop our own Algiers-specific data, pinpointing the right mix of development to support our unique community.

Awareness and information are key to attracting the responsible, community-minded developers, owners and managers who will remain invested in these properties for generations to come.

NEW INVESTMENT

With major public investments in a new 4th District police station, the reopening of Skelly-Rupp baseball stadium, and a new pool complex at Morris FX Jeff Park, mid-Algiers is an area ready for families to return and thrive. We see these investments as representative of the heart of the Algiers community: a safe, engaging, vibrant place to raise your family, to bump into a neighbor, and to be proud to call home. We hope that soon, we’ll be welcoming even more new Algerines to this community. T

A Call To Action

The future of jobs, and our economy, lies in embracing our strengths and lifting up our people

MELISSA HODGSON, ABC APR; ROBERT W. HOPKINS II; COURTNEY JOHNSON, LPN; CEARA LABAT; DRU LAMB, NCIDQ; JORIYAN LEE; CONNER LEBLANC, JD/MBA; CORETTA LAGARDE; LAUREN COURTNEY MASTIO; LISA MORRISON AND RACHEL NICKEL BSN, MBA, RN, CCRN

Imagine a world where jobs in Southeast Louisiana are not just about earning a living, but about fulfilling our highest potential and carrying our unique culture forward.

If we’re honest, this is the vision we as New Orleanians embrace when we talk about the jobs of tomorrow.

WHY DOES IT MATTER? Jobs are the heartbeat of any society. They connect all the dots – from science and technology to arts and humanities. But here in Southeast Louisiana, they reflect our culture, our application of art, humanity, science and technology. Here, they are our progress and our dreams. And most importantly, those jobs shape the future of our culture.

The authors are all members of the 2023-24 GRADUATING CLASS OF NORLI (New Orleans Regional Leadership Institute). This statement was presented by these local professionals at the final class meeting to share their thoughts on culture and the economy. It has been edited to fit the space.

CRITICAL INDUSTRIES Which of our industries are the most critical? It’s easy to say all of them, but let’s focus on the two most vulnerable publicly funded touchstones: education and healthcare.

These fields are the backbone of society. In our economy that supports arts and culture, we may not immediately think about how education and healthcare impact what make New Orleans New Orleans, or what makes Southeast Louisiana unique.

But if we want to feed and perpetuate our society, a unique confluence of creativity and joy, we need robust education and healthcare infrastructure. Ultimately, these are the very foundations upon which our creative culture is built, sustained and fostered.

WHAT HAS HAPPENED? All this sounds esoteric and theoretical, so let’s talk really where we are today in Southeast Louisiana.

We’ve cultivated and inspired generations of talented artists, but we’re also facing brain drain. Pragmatically, what is here for our children?

Generational livelihoods are at stake. Young adults need a better foundation to build their futures. Luckily, this is where New Orleans and Southeast Louisiana stand apart. Our region is uniquely poised, and it can shine if we choose to make it happen.

We have the potential to become a national leader in recording, film and so many creative industries if we make the right choices.

Do we engage our legislators and protect our talent from being poached by other regions or do we let the good times roll and stand idly by because it would take too much investment to change?

THE DRIVERS We have incredible forces leading the way. InclusivCare is starting with healthcare for all. Ready Starts are dedicated to early childhood education, laying the groundwork for lifelong learning. The American Heart Association is inspiring a diverse pipeline of healthy living. GNO, Inc., is advancing the brand of our region on the national stage. The Baby Dolls, the social aid and pleasure clubs, NOCCA and our cultural economy are perpetually breathing life into New Orleans’ music, arts and culture scenes. DXI,

GE and so many others are bringing economic potential to our doorstep.

We may disparage all the efforts to make New Orleans presentable for Super Bowl company, but if we’re honest, we know these are some of the best possible fixes we could ask for, and if the stinking Roger Goodell and his road show is what makes them happen, we’ll take it.

We may face strong political barriers but name a state in the South that doesn’t. But here in Southeast Louisiana, we have key stakeholders who are authentic and committed. We have a culture no one else on this planet can compare to.

By celebrating our unique culture while at the same time embracing the changes and challenges that we must adopt to grow and succeed, we stand to achieve greatness. As a community, as a culture and as a state, we Louisianans need to think not just about culture, but also about work. What can we do to enrich our community? What can we celebrate, preserve and laud, while we also look to strive, change and build?

OUR CALL TO ACTION

Feeding our culture means educating the next generation and supporting non-traditional career paths. It means finding our way forward in celebration of our music, our food and our culture while we also ask ourselves how to make those superlatives sustain families, communities and industries.

Our call to action is this: We all must come together to take personal responsibility in nurturing the next generation of New Orleanians.

If we sum all this up simply, we know the jobs of tomorrow in our region are about more than just working for a living. In our culture, in our community, in our special universe, work is about creating. We are about creating music. We are about creating art. We are about creating food. We are about creating a society that values its history, its legacy and its future. These things are not mutually exclusive.

By working, and playing, together, we can build a unique future for Southeast Louisiana that is mystical, musical and magical. It can be inclusive, dynamic and prosperous for every soul in our cultural universe.T

PORTRAITS

BY THERESA CASSAGNE

TOP 10 REAL ESTATE INFLUENCERS

In listening to this year’s class of Real Estate Influencers, there were some topics we were not surprised to hear about. For instance, insurance, interest rates and inflation were mentioned by almost all as continuing to strongly affect both the commercial and residential industries. Regarding the biggest challenges facing business right now, workforce issues were also mentioned a few times. ¶ There were also, however, a few surprises. Multiple influencers mentioned that they are most looking forward to projects associated with green building, water management, energy efficiency and even coastal erosion resettlement. As a region recognized as a ground zero for climate change events, it’s exciting to see us taking action and innovating in these arenas.¶ Another surprise was the overall expressions of optimism. There’s no doubt that residential and commercial real estate have been hit hard over the past few years on multiple fronts, but listening to our local professionals, you can hear the excitement they are finding in seeking out new opportunities.

INFLUENCERS

SHIVERS NELLON

Shivers Nellon is the first African American board president of the Home Builders Association of Greater New Orleans (HBAGNO). He is also the proud owner of four construction-based companies — Chase Remodeling and Construction Inc.; Nell Builders LLC; Nell Investment Properties LLC; and Nellon Holding LLC. Nellon said working with the HBAGNO over the last four years has transformed his perspective on business and professional goals while also providing him with invaluable life lessons which he is committed to sharing with the next generation of construction industry workers.

What are you most excited about in the coming year?

I’m most excited about the possibility of interest rates coming down. Lower interest rates means more people willing to make the leap into buying or building a new home, which is always good for a community’s growth. Despite the market being on a bit of a rollercoaster lately,

and Louisiana’s and the Gulf Coast region’s ongoing challenges with the insurance companies, the American dream of home ownership is still alive for many people.

In the interim, the HBAGNO, with the support of the LHBA (Louisiana Home Builders Association) and NAHB (National Association of Home Builders), is doing its part to educate potential and existing homebuyers in our area. Fortified roofing and wind mitigation programs are available in both English and Spanish and can help new home builders and -buyers save dollars and protect their investment for the long haul.

What is the biggest challenge facing your industry today? Our biggest concern is the worker shortage. The construction industry is currently short about 360,000 workers nationally, with nearly 50,000 open construction jobs in Louisiana as of 2023.

Locally, we are working with several vocational programs — such as Drew Brees’ BuildStrong Academy in Kenner and Nunez’s (Community College) training and certification programs in Chalmette — to help provide a pipeline of workers to licensed contractors across our seven-parish service area.

Plumbing, A/C repair, electricians, roofers — all of these are well-paying trades that can lead young people and anyone wishing for a new career to a comfortable life. HBAGNO has been the home of local, licensed residential contractors for more than 80 years. It is my hope that we can continue to educate the public about all aspects of the residential housing industry and how safe, affordable housing benefits us all.

Board President Home Builders Association of Greater New Orleans

GUY WILLIAMS

Co-Founder, President and CEO

Gulf Coast Bank and Trust Company

Gulf Coast Bank and Trust Company is the largest locally-owned financial institution in the New Orleans metro area. The bank employs approximately 1,000 people across 27 states and lends nationally. It also has an international department that supports customers throughout Central and South America.

In addition to traditional banking, the bank offers private wealth management across the country, as well as full-service trust services with no 800 numbers. All trust management, accounting, servicing and investing is handled locally.

Gulf Coast Bank was also honored to be recognized this year as the best large employer in the metro area.

What are you most excited about in the coming year?

I am most excited about our continual expansion into new ventures and projects.

While we are a major lender to the oil and gas industry, we will be opening our first off-thegrid branch in January 2025. The branch will be solar powered with battery backup and geo-thermal heating and cooling. This technology will allow us

to work even if there is an interruption in local power supply. If the efficiencies are cost effective, we expect to roll this technology out to our existing branches.

I am also excited about our expansion to Florida. We already have business lending, mortgage lending and wealth management in Florida but just opened our first full-service bank branch in Destin.

In addition, we recently acquired a purchase order company headquartered in Dallas. This acquisition will allow us to support customers who have large purchase orders but need cash to complete the manufacturing of their products.

What is the biggest challenge facing your industry today? The biggest challenge we face is local recruiting. As we expand, our workforce needs are expanding.

Many New Orleans residents have chosen to remain out of town when they move away for college, and it is sometimes difficult to persuade out-of-towners to move to New Orleans. Our decaying infrastructure, coupled with high insurance costs make this a tough sell.

RNGD’s presence in the NOLA construction market since 2013 has produced projects that have impacted hotels, restaurants, tourists, upscale retail, workforce housing, industrial warehousing and the film industry. The company expanded into the civil/infrastructure market in 2015 and continues to affect anyone driving on a NOLA street through its participation in the Joint Infrastructure Recovery Roads (JIRR) program rebuilding the streets of New Orleans from damage caused post Hurricane Katrina.

Notable RNGD projects include Hotel St. Vincent, Maison Métier, Canal Boulevard reconstruction from Allen Toussaint to Amethyst Street, SLS Studios, Propel Business Park, and numerous blocks and streets under the JIRR Program.

BRETT RUPPEL

Chief Construction Officer and Head of Infrastructure

RNGD

What are you most excited about in the coming year? I’m most excited about impacting the lives of New Orleans residents through improved streets, new water/sewer/ drainage utilities on projects. This includes building one of the first watershed projects that is intended to catch and store rainwater before it overloads the existing drainage systems. RNGD is building a new bridge at DeSaix Boulevard to span Bayou St. John, connecting City Park, the Fair Grounds, and the walking/cycling path that runs to Lake Pontchartrain.

What is the biggest challenge facing your industry today?

Most companies would say workforce challenges are top of the list. I don’t agree. We run a great company and provide opportunities for all. The idea that today’s workers don’t want to work is a common falsehood that is continually perpetuated throughout all industries. Provide a platform that challenges and provides opportunities, and your biggest challenge will be getting enough work, not creating a great working environment. We prove it every day.

GINGER WIGGINS

President–Elect

New Orleans Metropolitan Association of Realtors (NOMAR)

Managing Broker

Coldwell Banker TEC, Uptown

President ROAM MLS, LLC

Ginger Wiggins has specialized in residential real estate for more than 30 years, including 20 years spent as the managing broker in Uptown New Orleans for Coldwell Banker TEC. She said one of the most rewarding parts of her job has been training and mentoring agents.

Seeing the difference she could make in another’s success, she said, led her to volunteer in leadership at the local and state level.

She is currently the 2024 president of ROAM MLS, LLC. Formed in 2021, the MLS consolidation provides enhanced services to Realtors® and consumers in the New Orleans Metropolitan Area, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Houma/ Thibodaux and Alexandria/ Natchitoches regions.

She is also presidentelect of the New Orleans Metropolitan Association of Realtors (NOMAR) which

serves more than 7,000 Realtor® members through advocacy, education and empowerment.

What are you most excited about in the coming year?

In my work with NOMAR — the voice of real estate for the 10 parishes of the metropolitan New Orleans area — I am looking forward to leading the Realtor® members by providing excellent educational opportunities that take their businesses to new heights. I look forward to working with our community leaders to help find solutions to the issues facing our residents and using creative thinking and collaboration to help our residents enjoy a better quality of life. Together we can accomplish more.

What is the biggest challenge facing your industry today?

Unfortunately, this year there are two major challenges facing our industry and both issues affect consumers.

First, our insurance rates and lack of carriers in the state continue to be huge obstacles to homeownership. Rental rates are becoming unaffordable as the property owners are incurring escalated insurance costs and passing them on to tenants. Here, we will continue to work with our legislators and parish leaders to find ways to lower the cost of insurance and increase affordability.

The second challenge is the recent changes to compensation practices across the industry. These changes may, unfortunately, deny many consumers critical representation when purchasing a home. If a seller is unable or unwilling to contribute toward the buyer’s broker compensation, certain buyers may be unable to purchase a home. Education and consumer advocacy on this issue is key.

Established in 1994, RE/MAX Commercial Brokers Inc. has been one of the leading commercial brokerages in the Greater New Orleans area. Cameron Lombardo has been with RE/ MAX Commercial Brokers since 2017 and has been an expert in commercial leasing and sales throughout Southeast Louisiana. He is extremely active in the local real estate community, including serving as the current president of the Commercial Investment Division of the New Orleans Metropolitan Association of Realtors.

What are you most excited about in the coming year? I am extremely excited about this coming

WILL TREGRE, AIA & ANGELA MORTON, AIA

Principal/ President

Principal

Mathes Brierre Architects

Founded in New Orleans in 1891, Mathes Brierre Architects (MBA) maintains a diverse design practice with a client-centered approach. The firm’s portfolio includes music and performance venues, corporate offices, educational facilities, renovations, new construction, and every type of commercial space. Notable projects include The National WWII Museum, the LSUHSC Foundation headquarters, and the original NOCCA campus. MBA’s collaborative studio environment includes architecture, interior design, and landscape architecture.

Angela Morton is one of five principals of the firm, leading the practice for educational environments and master-planning activities. Will Tregre is a principal and the president of MBA.

What are you most excited about in the coming year? We’re excited about the diverse projects on our plate! From state-ofthe-art labs at Tulane University’s medical school and The Beach (UNO’s R&T Park), to re-

storing the organ at the historic St. Charles Presbyterian Church, to outdoor environments for Live Oak School, and libraries from Grambling to Mississippi. We’re also spearheading an economic study and a masterplan for a major development.

Last year, we embraced the AIA’s 2030 Challenge to reduce the building sector’s carbon footprint. This year, we’re setting new goals to optimize efficiency and energy use across all our projects.

As we approach 135 years in business, we’re rolling out a new strategic plan to guide our evolution and set a visionary path for the next 20 years of design services.

What is the biggest challenge facing your industry today? Our biggest challenges now are also our biggest opportunities. As we emerge from the cost spikes and delays caused by COVID, we’re tackling construction and design challenges with innovative solutions — doing more with less: fewer materials, less space, lower carbon and reduced costs. This includes redeveloping office towers into mixed-use residential spaces and repurposing bigbox retail into new schools. Amidst the surge of new technology and programs aimed at “efficiency,” we’re reminded that our most powerful tool remains the human brain and the connections we create.

CAMERON LOMBARDO

President, Commercial Investment Division (CID)

New Orleans Metropolitan Association of Realtors (NOMAR)

Senior Sales Associate

RE/MAX Commercial Brokers Inc.

year as the Greater New Orleans area will be in the public spotlight as host of the Super Bowl. I believe this will give the city a much-needed boost in energy! We have also seen some exciting developments break ground, including Top Golf being built near the convention center. We are already starting to see a slight uptick in the market which is encouraging, and I believe this will bring new business here in New Orleans while also propping up our local mom-and-pop establishments.

What is the biggest challenge facing your industry? We continue to see the trend of high insurance rates affecting real estate transactions. Not only is it hurting the property owners, but also the tenants in those properties who also absorb the insurance rate hike through pass-through charges. I have personally seen an uptick of buyers self-insuring their properties as the premiums are pricing them out of their purchases. There needs to be some action and change on state and federal levels to fight this thorn in the side of many property owners. I am optimistic, though, that 2025 will be the beginning of some relief in the insurance industry as a whole.

Jericho Road Episcopal Housing Initiative is a nonprofit homebuilder that provides healthy and energy-efficient affordable housing opportunities.

Founded in 2006, Jericho Road aimed to assist the residents of the Central City community in New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

In 2017, Jericho Road acquired Project Homecoming, another affordable housing nonprofit serving the Gentilly neighborhood. Since that time, the organization has exponentially expanded its impact by increasing its geographic footprint to serve the multi-parish Southeast Louisiana region.

In addition to homebuilding, the company has expanded into programmatic areas of workforce development, community engagement, financial capability and land stewardship.

What are you most excited about in the coming year?

We are in the midst of constructing the second phase of the New Isle de Jean Charles (NIDJC) Resettlement project in Terrebonne Parish. The

NIDJC project is a massive effort to assist residents relocating from an area suffering from subsidence and coastal erosion.

The traumatic disruption to the support systems and community that Isle de Jean Charles residents have experienced is something that they should never happen again. For this reason, the project is being built on land at the highest elevations with the homes constructed to Fortified Gold status to ensure their resiliency to hurricanes and other natural disasters.

The first phase of homes for 37 families has been completed by the state of Louisiana. The continuation of this project, led by Jericho Road, will be the development of an additional 27 single-family homes.

What is the biggest challenge facing your industry? The insurance crisis is challenging our very existence in the state of Louisiana, and it will not be solved by deregulation.

The lack of affordable insurance options is an issue for us all, not just homeowners and landlords, but schools, houses of worship, businesses… cutting across all economic strata. Solving this issue requires a collective effort that is multi-pronged with the cornerstone of these efforts being an investment in resilient building for new construction and retrofitting existing structures. We must strengthen building standards to ensure properties can withstand the “100-year storms” that occur annually.

In turn, our regulators must ensure that the correlating savings are afforded to properties with these risk-reducing investments. It will require intervention and policies by our government and leaders who prioritize the people of Louisiana.

NICOLE BARNES

Executive Director

Jericho Road Episcopal Housing Initiative

SANDRA CORRIGAN

Director of Office Leasing

SRSA Commercial Real Estate

SRSA Commercial Real Estate is a boutique company offering commercial real estate and property management solutions. Half of the company’s agents are tenured professionals with decades of experience, and the other half are aggressive future superstars. Most notably, SRSA Commercial Real Estate won the NOMAR “Deal of the Year 2023” for its work with the Fox 8 TV station to sell its building on South Norman C. Francis Parkway to Xavier University and assisted them in purchasing their new home on Howard Avenue for a total value of $15 million.

What are you most excited about in the coming year? I am excited to see an emerging workforce of young agents that bring new energy and spirit to this industry. There are no more than 50 active, full-time commercial real estate agents in New Orleans, and I know of at least 11 who have fostered their own children into the industry — my own son and daughter are included in this group. I believe this is evidence of our agents’ appreciation for the career

they’ve developed, and their enthusiasm for a bright future for commercial real estate.

What is the biggest challenge facing your industry today? Our industry, like many, is facing some of the toughest hurdles we’ve seen in almost 20 years. Landlords are experiencing steeper interest rates, tighter bank lending and hefty insurance premiums. This trickles down to the tenants in the form of higher rents. Paired with a growing trend of work-from-home jobs, these factors have increased office vacancies and led to less leasing in general.

While this may be worrisome, it also offers interesting opportunities if we can be resourceful. There is a place for aggressive purchasers looking to capitalize on reduced values, and we have seen an uptick in creative use of office space, such as arrangements for co-working or cotenant spaces. We also see many companies purchasing office buildings to secure a home for their organization long-term. In my 40 years in this industry, I’ve weathered the ups and downs that arise every decade or so. I believe that this, too, shall pass if we can stay positive, roll with the punches and continue to be creative about how we all do business in this city.

With more than 100 years of building history, Woodward has a portfolio that’s shaped much of the New Orleans skyline. The company delivers turnkey commercial construction services and provides design and construction services to industries including health care, education, hospitality, distribution and multi-family.

As president, Ken Flower provides direction and oversight to preconstruction and construction operations, the firm’s self-performing divisions, and manages the overall performance of the company. He has also been an integral part of the firm’s most recent initiatives, which encompass implementing the latest design/construction technologies and tackle issues of sustainability and diversity and inclusion.

What are you most excited about in the coming year? We’ve been working on the Ochsner Neuroscience Center for a few years now, in pre-construction

KEN FLOWER

Woodward Design + Build

and supporting their fundraising efforts. My grandfather suffered from Alzheimer’s, so supporting research and treatments for neurological issues is important to our family.

Working with Loyola, we are building a new dorm, as well as working on a renovation at the Broadway campus.

The Saints are kicking off the new season with improvements to their practice facilities and a brand-new locker room in the Superdome… just in time for them to use it in the Super Bowl. All our projects utilize lean construction methods and are really crisp and efficiently run. It’s exciting to see both our new and veteran employees get excited about learning and implementing new methods and improving the client experience and the profession of building construction.

What is the biggest challenge facing your industry today? The challenges continue to be mostly macroeconomic issues like interest rates, inflation and insurance. These issues seem to have caused some sort of perfect storm and have stalled some private investment and real estate development. I’m optimistic the fever will break soon, however, and we’ll see more innovative developments and much-needed affordable housing projects kick off around town.

President

BIZ NEW ORLEANS LOOKS BACK AN EPIC 10 YEARS OF BUSINESS IN SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA

ORLEANS BACK AT YEARS BUSINESS SOUTHEAST

BY KIM SINGLETARY

On Oct. 1, 2014, the first issue of Biz New Orleans Magazine was released. The cover story was an interview with GNO, Inc., president and CEO Michael Hecht, in which he talked about the business of selling New Orleans to the world. That first issue also shared the story behind Dong Phuong Bakery, gave readers a peek into Tom Benson’s private office space, highlighted a promising young artistic startup and delved into hot topics in dining, tourism, sports, film, real estate, security and health care. ¶ 10 years and 120 magazines later, Biz New Orleans remains focused on two things: helping readers to better get to know the people behind all the varied industries of Southeast Louisiana, and taking a deeper look at the hottest issues in all those industries in a way that focuses on the work that’s being done and the people who are doing it. ¶ We live in a city like no other, and as the only full-color monthly magazine covering business in Louisiana, it is our honor to cover it like no one else does.

2018

AVONDALE SHIPYARD PURCHASE FINALIZED

On Oct. 3, Avondale Marine LLC, a newly formed joint venture between Virginia-based T.Parker Host and Illinois-based Hilco Redevelopment Partners, finalized the purchase of Avondale Shipyard from Huntington Ingalls Industries. The deal was praised as “one of the largest economic development announcements in Jefferson Parish history,” by then-parish president Mike Yenni. ¶ Since before World War II until its closing in 2010, the 254-acre property served as one of the nation’s most significant shipbuilding assets and the largest private employer in Louisiana, boasting over 26,000 workers at its peak. Avondale Shipyard features 8,000 feet of deep-water riverfront access and connection to six Class I railroads. Following its closure, GNO, Inc. and JEDCO both worked on bringing the site back to life, which included JEDCO and the Jefferson Parish Council structuring a local incentive package.

TORIE KRANZE

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER // NATIONAL KIDNEY FOUNDATION OF LOUISIANA

“Congratulations to Biz New Orleans on 10 years in print! Since its inception, Biz New Orleans magazine has offered insightful coverage of local business trends and developments, sprinkled with personality, levity, sports, unique perspectives and in-depth articles on industry innovations. Feature articles on local leaders provide valuable inspiration for our initiatives at the National Kidney Foundation of Louisiana. Additionally, Biz New Orleans’ spotlight on community engagement helps us identify potential partnerships and opportunities to enhance our outreach efforts.

It’s one publication I consistently read from cover to cover.”

2019 MSY North Terminal Opens

Six years after plans were finalized — and after making an appearance on Biz New Orleans’ Top 10 Business Stories every year with news of its progress — on Wednesday, November 6, the New North Terminal of the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport finally opened to the world. Measuring 972,000 square feet, with 35 gates and 40 food, beverage and retail locations, the new airport made national headlines.

The cover subject for the first issue of Biz New Orleans, Michael Hecht returned in the January 2019 issue as the CEO of the Year.

Since joining GNO, Inc., in June 2008, he had racked up an impressive set of wins, including more than 77 new companies drawn to the region and $30 billion in new

investment. In addition to helping to rewrite national flood insurance policy and bringing the first nonstop flight from New Orleans to Europe since 1982, GNO, Inc., played a substantial role in both 2018’s No. 1 and No. 2 stories of the year — the purchase of Avondale Shipyard and the

opening of DXC Technology, the biggest economic development jobs win in Louisiana’s history.

On New Orleans: “We’ve reached a level of economic success in this region that wouldn’t have been thought possible in the weeks following Katrina, or, quite frankly, in the weeks before it.”

In January 2016, the upcoming addition was touted as, “the most transformative project for New Orleans since the Superdome,” by then-New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, who added that “for over 40 years, people talked about developing an airport that was reflective of our city, yet for decades there was little action and minimal collaboration.”

Landrieu noted that the airport was projected to have a $1.7 billion economic impact from construction and $3.2 billion in expected annual economic impact on tourism.

PAST CEOS OF THE YEAR

Michael Hecht GNO, INC.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

DAN SHAPIRO & ALLISON SHAPIRO DANDRY

CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD & DIRECTOR OF PHILANTHROPY

KRISPY KRUNCHY CHICKEN

PROFILED: MARCH 2015

REWIND

The cover feature for our March 2015 issue looked at the people behind Krispy Krunchy Chicken, a quick-service restaurant concept that sold Cajun-style fried chicken from convenience stores. The company was founded by Neal Onebane, who owned eight convenience stores in Lafayette, Louisiana in 1989. He began selling his own chicken and found quick success.

Dan Shapiro joined Onebane as part owner of Krispy Krunchy in 2006, with the goal to take the company nationwide. In 2006, Krispy Krunchy’s annual sales were $12.6 million. By 2014, sales had grown to $155 million, and the company had approximately 1,700 locations.

Allison Shapiro Dandry, Shapiro’s daughter, joined the Krispy Krunchy team in 2011, charged with reinventing the company’s online and social media strategy and branding through Twitter, Facebook, improved Google search rankings and other marketing strategies.

FAST-FORWARD

The Alexandria, Louisiana-headquartered company has continued to grow doing some reorganizing.

In 2021, a private equity firm purchased Krispy Krunchy Chicken and Dan Shapiro was named CEO. Earlier this year, Shapiro moved to a position as chairman of the board of the company and the COO, Jim Norberg, was promoted to CEO.

The company now boasts approximately 3,000 locations across 46 states, serving up approximately 1.2 million pounds of chicken a week. Krispy Krunchy’s executive team, along with most of its employees, work remotely, with the Alexan -

dria office consisting mostly of its accounting team. The company’s approximately 200 employees are spread around the country, working as trainers, operations specialists and salespeople.

In early 2023, Shapiro Dandry moved out of marketing and became the executive director of the newly formed Krispy Krunchy Chicken Foundation.

“Our company has always been philanthropically minded,” she said. “We saw for ourselves the power of giving after Hurricane Katrina. That decimated our company. It was only because of the kindness of strangers and our vendors that we were able to keep going.”

Shapiro Dandry said the company has made it a point to help deliver a hot meal wherever and whenever it’s needed.

“During the pandemic, we fed about 20,000 people, including healthcare workers, first responders and service industry profession -

als,” she said. “We have a trailer that’s fully equipped so we can go anywhere.”

Shapiro Dandry said plans for the foundation are still in the works.

“We’re giving ourselves a 12-month runway to figure out what we can do and what we do well,” she said.

Meanwhile, expansion plans continue.

“Outside of Louisiana, our presence is most dense I’d say in California, but Oregon and Washington especially are growing, and New York is starting to grow,” said Dandry, who added, “There are approximately 152,000 convenience stores in the nation and about two-thirds of those are independently owned (not part of a large chain like 7-Eleven or Circle K). They have traditionally been our sweet spot. Being in about 3,000 stores now, that leaves us a lot of room for growth.” T

PAST CEOS OF THE YEAR

Kevin Dolliole

LOUIS ARMSTRONG NEW ORLEANS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

“A move of this magnitude can be compared to picking up a small city and moving it to a different location.”

“Biz New Orleans has been instrumental in sharing the positive business stories that have helped shape our economy over the last decade. Since its launch, the magazine has become a trusted resource and valuable tool for JEDCO. We are proud to celebrate the success of this Jefferson Parishbased publication!”

This is how Kevin Dolliole, the director of aviation at the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, explained the scope of the work involved in the construction of the new North Terminal. That part of his job officially ended in 2019 with the airport’s celebrated opening on Nov. 6.

Since joining the airport on June 26, 2017, as aviation director, Dolliole’s more than 40 years of experience in the aviation industry has been put to the test. He oversees about 200 direct airport employees, but if you add airline employees, parking, concessions, ground transportation, police, and other staff, that number balloons to over 4,000 people serving approximately 40,000 travelers every single day. How He Handles Problems: “Upfront and head on. I don’t let issues linger and I don’t sugarcoat them. It’s always better to confront things on the front end so something doesn’t become a problem rather than a challenge.”

JERRY BOLOGNA

PRESIDENT & CEO JEDCO

REWIND The cover feature for the May 2015 issue highlighted the journeys of seven area “Mompreneurs” — entrepreneurs that were juggling the demands of business and motherhood.

Among those highlighted was Mindy Hobley, owner of Ringletts, New Orleans’ largest multicultural hair salon. Founded in Lakeview in 2005 (just five months before Hurricane Katrina), the salon took on 10 feet of water. In 2008, Hobley reopened with a 1,700-square-foot salon that included 14 stylists and one esthetician. Among the salon’s stylists was Hobley’s 20-year-old daughter, Morgan.

“She’s the reason I do everything,” Hobley said. “If I make this work, I will have this legacy to leave to her.”

At the time of the interview, Hobley was looking forward to opening a salon inside the Hilton Riverside Downtown hotel.

FAST-FORWARD

Hobley will celebrate 10 years at Ringletts Salon at the Hilton Riverside Downtown next year. Looking back, she said the opportunity was a dream come true

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

MINDY HOBLEY

FOUNDER

RINGLETTS SALON

CO-FOUNDER

USEAU HAIRCARE

PROFILED: MAY 2015

2020

PANDEMIC HITS TOURISM

PRESIDENT AND CEO

// GULF COAST BANK

“Biz New Orleans is an essential part of the regional media landscape. The company provides a necessary spotlight on successful local businesses and encourages economic progress in our region. Todd Matherne and his staff also provide their expertise and thought leadership to local nonprofits and business groups.”

that came together through a mix of courage and patience.

“One day I was at the Hilton’s gym working out (my husband is a trainer there) and I went upstairs to go to the deck and saw it was a salon,” she said. “I thought that it would be so incredible to work in a spot like that. It gave me butterflies — the idea of being able to see people all over the world, with all the vast textures of hair.”

Hobley talked to her husband about her idea and it wasn’t long before the hotel’s general manager came in to get his hair cut.

“I talked to him about my idea, and he said, ‘Maybe one day,’” she said. “Two years later, the salon owner retired and I jumped at the chance.”

Ringletts Salon now operates out of about a 1,000-square-foot glassed-in enclosure with a vibe

Since the first case of COVID-19 was reported in Louisiana on March 9, New Orleans was hit hard and fast — quickly recognized as a “hot spot” for the disease. At one point in March, Louisiana claimed the fastest growth in new cases in the world and Orleans Parish experienced the highest number of deaths per capita of any county in the nation, while Gov. John Bel Edwards was warning that hospitals could be overwhelmed in a matter of days. ¶ Every industry felt the impacts, but in a city that welcomes more than 18 million visitors a year, tourism’s abrupt halt hit hard. It’s estimated that because of the pandemic, the city was losing around $200 million of visitor spending each week. As just one example, occupancy of the city’s roughly 25,000 downtown hotel rooms was down more than 50% from 2019. In much of the spring and summer, occupancy in downtown hotels was in the single digits, while many of the city’s 1,400 restaurants —especially those reliant on bustling hotels — had been scraping by with revenue from takeout or other special programs.

Hobley describes as urban industrial. Besides Hobley, the salon has five stylists, one of which she’s happy to report, is still her daughter, Morgan, who is also Hobley’s business partner.

“We see clients from all over the world,” she said. “A few years ago, a lady from Australia brought her curly-haired daughter in. It turns out her daughter had been following Morgan on social media and she was a huge fan of her work. It’s astonishing. I feel like the world is so small now.”

Hobley has also expanded her business with her own hair care line, Useau, which she developed during the pandemic with the help of government funding.

“I’ve been doing hair since 1987, so I’ve used every product out there.

Over the years, I’ve come up with what I really wanted in a perfect line, and when the shutdown hit, I decided to go for it.”

Hobley found a chemist to help her develop a plant-based, cruelty-free hair-care line that uses clean ingredients designed specifically for curly hair. She currently has four products; an oil, wash, conditioner and hair glaze, that are all produced and bottled at her home. She also sells her own branded hair picks, hair wraps and a “hair wellness cap” — a satin lined baseball cap with a large back opening for curls.

“Sales are going great,” she said. “I can’t keep our hair-care line on the shelves. We’re really starting to build a brand.”T

GUY WILLIAMS

MICHAEL J. SAWAYA

PRESIDENT AND CEO // NEW ORLEANS ERNEST N. MORIAL CONVENTION CENTER

“Congratulations on celebrating 10 incredible years in print! Your magazine has been an invaluable resource for the Convention Center and the broader New Orleans business community over the past decade. The pointed and insightful editorial content has consistently kept us well-informed on the most salient issues affecting our region. Additionally, your dedication to highquality journalism has been instrumental in fostering a more connected and prosperous business environment in New Orleans. Personally, through Biz New Orleans, you have kept me informed and educated continually about the people, places and happenings in our dynamic city that make it a unique and special place to live, work and play. Here’s to many more years of excellence!”

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

DR. SUNYOUNG KIM

CEO AND FOUNDER

CHOSEN DIAGNOSTICS, INC.

PROFESSOR OF GENETICS AND PROFESSOR OF BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY

LSU HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER, SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

PROFILED: MAY 2017

REWIND Following an academic career spanning two continents and multiple research topics, Sunyoung Kim, associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at LSU Health Sciences Center, took on a position she never anticipated — corporate executive. In addition to her academic role, Kim founded Chosen Diagnostics Inc., which seeks to improve and personalize patient care through products such as a biomarker test that offers earlier detection of a severe bowel disease called necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) that affects 6,000 infants in the United States each year.

Early clinical trials for the test were highly encouraging, and the results had generated a wave of excitement in the medical community.

Kim’s accomplishment has raked in awards on the local level.

In November, Chosen Diagnostics won the $25,000 grand prize at the 2016 BioChallenge Startup Competition, an annual event organized by the New Orleans BioInnovation Center to identify and support local life sciences startups. She is the first woman to win the award.

On the heels of that success, the company took top honors in the 2017 JEDCO Challenge, held this past March during New Orleans Entrepreneur Week. The win included a $60,000 prize package. Judging panels weren’t the only ones who recognized the company’s merit — in both competitions, Chosen Diagnostics won the “crowd favorite” prizes as well.

FAST-FORWARD Kim continued to win pitch competitions, taking home two international pitch awards in 2020: Equalize Startups, which targets women academic inventors, and another from Houston-based Ignite Healthcare Network, which recognized the company for finding “an innovative solution, a strong CEO, and a real addressable market.”

“After those wins, I stopped with the pitch competitions,” noted Kim. “In 2020, the FDA gave us a breakthrough device designation, which means we can’t sell the test yet, but they have looked at it and agree that it is first in class and best in class test and will work with us to get it through approvals.”

Kim added that her company had started running a clinical study both before and through the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’re pulling everything together now,” she said. “It should put us in good readiness for regulatory approval.”

In addition to all the pitch money, Chosen Diagnostics has raised $4 million in grants from the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation.

While in 2017, the company consisted of just Kim and a part-time employee, today it has grown to five people and contracts with outside organizations as needed since testing is going on at more than one site. They hope to receive FDA approval in the next two years.

“I think a lot about the mothers and families and kids in our state,” said Kim. “Louisiana has a lot of poor maternal health outcomes, not just for moms but for babies. There’s a lot of premature babies. We have a tool here that will be able to provide testing earlier here than anywhere else in country. It will be a huge medical win, as well as a win for the general population as we’re building this test to be able to be used anywhere, even maternal care deserts.” T

2020

BIZ TALKS PODCAST

On April 29, 2020, Biz New Orleans expanded into the podcast world with the launch of BizTalks, a weekly podcast that drops every Tuesday. Each episode is a conversation with a top professional in our region.

Want to hear about hospitality from Alon Shaya, Ti and Lally Brennan, and E.J. Lagasse? Talk inflation

with Peter Ricchiuti? Tourism with Walt Leger III? Get behind the scenes of New Orleans Entrepreneur Week and French Quarter Fest? Discover the latest work being done to tackle workforce development shortages, the insurance crisis and climate change? It’s all on BizNewOrleans.com/biz-talks.

More than 200 episodes are available now at BizNewOrleans. com and wherever you find your podcasts. Some of BizTalks’ most popular episodes include:

EPISODE 17

Could an online graduate degree program be a good fit

for you?, with A.J. Brooks of Tulane’s A.B. Freeman School of Business

EPISODE 23

Should you be testing employees for marijuana?, with national drug testing expert Jared Rosenthal

EPISODE 26

Audubon institute prioritizing care of 15,000 animals during budget crisis, with Audubon CEO Ron Forman

EPISODE 97

The rise of Intralox, with President and CEO Edel Banks

REWIND In January 2015, Estherwood, Louisiana native Chris Meaux introduced an on-demand food delivery restaurant platform that allowed anyone to order food from local restaurants online, or from any iPhone or Android device, and have it delivered. The app was free for users, who just paid a flat delivery fee for their food, but restaurants paid to be included.

In the three years since the launch of Waitr in Lake Charles, Waitr grew its presence to 150 cities and six states.

“We grew 390% between 2016 and 2017,” said Meaux. “We’ll do close to 9 million orders this year and all of it started in this notebook as an idea.”

Waitr’s operations center was in Lafayette, and its headquarters in Lake Charles. Total employment nationwide included 246 corporate employees and over 2,800 driver employees.

The company even attracted the attention of the then-New Orleans Saints quarterback, Drew Brees, who led one of Waitr’s funding rounds in 2017. At the time, Waitr had raised $26 million in funding, almost all from Louisiana investors, and Meaux was looking at expanding into alcohol delivery, helping diners at fast casual restaurants avoid standing in line, and a grocery delivery pilot in Lake Charles.

FAST-FORWARD Unfortunately, the Waitr story does not have a happy ending.

After going public in December 2018, it was acquired for $308 million by Texas billionaire and Landry’s Inc. CEO Tilman Fertitta’s Landcadia Holdings. Not long after, the company made a big move.

In the big “year of COVID-19,” all of 2020’s executives of the year were chosen based on the work they did to help the region through the pandemic. In this way, Quentin Messer, CEO of the New Orleans Business Alliance since June 2015, was an obvious standout.

NOLABA was the first local

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

CHRIS MEAUX

CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD

MALLARD BAY OUTDOORS

PROFILED: FEBRUARY 2018

“In July 2019, the Waitr board decided they were going in a different direction and not so kindly asked me to leave,” said Meaux. “I agreed and left, and they brought in someone who they thought was the CEO of the future. It turned out he almost bankrupt the company in about six months.”

By December 2019, Waitr’s stock had fallen to under $1 per share for more than 30 days, resulting in a delisting warning from Nasdaq. Multiple losses followed, including a trademark lawsuit that forced the company to rebrand to ASAP in 2022.

On April 2, 2024, ASAP filed for

entity to set up a direct relief effort with the launch of its Gig Economy Relief Fund on March 16, which started with a $100,000 contribution from NOLABA. In the first 24 hours of accepting applications, almost 1,000 people applied for assistance. By the fall, the organization

bankruptcy and announced plans to liquidate its assets.

“I was listening to a talk by Airbnb founder Brian Chesky and he talked about companies going from founder mode to manager mode,” said Meaux. “That’s exactly what happened. When a company is growing, sometimes the thought is it needs to go from founder mode to manager mode but Waitr was an example of a company that wasn’t ready to go to manager mode.”

A serial entrepreneur, Meaux has moved on. While he was still with Waitr, Meaux helped his son start a company called Mallard Bay Outdoors, a booking platform that connects sportsmen with hunting and fishing outfitters across the country. The company recently completed a $4.6 million series A funding round.

Meaux said the company has followed the Waitr playbook, benefiting from the knowledge Meaux has gained over the years. It is knowledge he is looking to share with others, first through a two-day bootcamp called “Napkin to Nasdaq” that Meaux is hosting in conjunction with Nexus Louisiana in Baton Rouge Oct. 28 and 29.

“It’s a two-day, drink-from-a-firehouse event that’s going to take startups from idea to exit,” explained Meaux. “I want to take my experience and bring that knowledge to other startup founders. After the bootcamp, our goal is to provide them with a roadmap to programs that are available to them and mentor and coach them along the way.”

Meaux said a book and an app will also be forthcoming, all under the umbrella of his new venture, Frameworxs, which he plans to launch before the end of the year. T

had raised $1.5 million for gig workers, small business owners, opportunity youth and hospitality workers.

NOLABA also helped small businesses apply for federal funding, paired with Get Shift Done in mid-May to help out-ofwork hospitality workers earn some money

by filling shifts at community food banks and hunger relief organizations, and was charged with administering the city’s Outdoor Dining Grand Program. In 2020, while operating with a staff reduced by 32%, NOLABA also took home a record-setting eight awards from the International

PRESIDENT AND CEO // GREATER NEW ORLEANS, INC.

“Thank you to Biz New Orleans for bringing the sexy back to business in Greater New Orleans! With its attention to style, detail and inclusivity, Biz New Orleans has transcended the business journal genre and instead become a classy and compelling part of the business brand of New Orleans. Congratulations to Todd Matherne and the entire Renaissance Publishing team; I am honored to have been there at the beginning and thrilled that after a decade Biz New Orleans is going stronger than ever.”

Economic Development Council, including Best in Show.

Leadership Pet Peeve: “I have no respect for people who pass the blame. If you’re a leader, take the blame. Even in an organization our size, it’s impossible for me to know everything, but if something goes awry, it’s on me.”

PAST CEOS OF THE YEAR

Quentin Messer

NOLABA

MICHAEL HECHT

2021

THREE BIG TECH EXITS

Southeast Louisiana has long been fighting to diversify its economy, and a big part of that has been a focus on building up a strong entrepreneurism sector. In 2021, three New Orleans-based technology startups sold for large sums; included among them was the region’s first “unicorn,” a startup valued at over $1 billion. ¶ The first sale took place January 26, when Turbosquid — an online marketplace for 3D digital models created by New Orleans natives Matt and Andy Wisdom in 2000 — sold to New Yorkbased Shutterstock for $75 million. ¶ In September, Levelset — a company created in 2012 by New Orleanian, lawyer and entrepreneur Scott Wolfe with the goal of revolutionizing how payments are made and received in the construction industry —announced that it was being purchased for roughly $500 million by California-based software company Procore. ¶ Finally, in October, Lucid snagged the grand prize when it sold to Swedish company Cint for more than $1 billion in cash and stock. The deal made the company — founded in 2010 by Patrick Comer — the area’s first “unicorn.”

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

KEVIN DOLLIOLE

DIRECTOR OF AVIATION

LOUIS ARMSTRONG NEW ORLEANS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

PROFILED: NOVEMBER 2018 AND JANUARY 2020

they are in the airport.

In 2021, J.D. Power honored MSY as the No. 1 Large Airport in North America; That same year it was also named the Most Efficient Airport in North America by the Air Transportation Research Society, and it received its second consecutive win for Best Hygiene Measures in North America during the pandemic from Airports Council International.

Other national awards have honored the airport’s service quality and concessions and the work of MSY’s public relations team — all while dealing with a global pandemic.

“Four months after opening, we had this big, brand-new sparkling diamond, and all of a sudden, no traffic,” said Dolliole. “We went from servicing on average about 40,00 users a day to several hundred when it initially struck.”

Dolliole said the airport did its best to work with its tenants.

“We were very mindful in how we utilized the federal assistance,” he said. “Where we could use it to help our tenants, we did, and I’m proud to say we got through it whole. Nobody left.

REWIND Kevin Dolliole has graced the cover of Biz New Orleans magazine twice. In November 2018, the airport’s aviation director shared the latest details on the construction of the region’s much-anticipated new terminal, and in January 2020 he was named our CEO of 2019 following the terminal’s official opening on Nov. 6, 2019.

FAST-FORWARD

Next month the airport terminal will celebrate five years in operation, and it’s been a busy one, packed with accolades.

In March, Airports Council International World announced that MSY had been named Best Airport in North America (5 to 15 million passengers per year) in its 2023 Airport Service Quality program. The ASQ awards highlight the world’s best airports as judged by their customers, who are surveyed while

As of June of this year, the airport was back to 98% of its pre-pandemic numbers. By the end of the year, Dolliole said he anticipates reaching 2019’s travel numbers, meaning about 13.6 million passengers traveling through the airport.

MSY has also seen a lot of expansion in carriers and flights. Breeze Airways now has an operations base at the airport and is flying to 12 destinations. Air Canada started offering nonstop service to Toronto before the pandemic and has since added Montreal, while another pandemic-era addition, Spirit Airlines, began nonstop to San Pedro Sula, Honduras, and has since added Cancun, Mexico, and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Upcoming additions will include nonstop service to New Haven, Connecticut, via Avelo Airlines starting in November; Portland, Oregon, in January via Alaska Airlines; and New York-La

Guardia via Spirit starting Feb. 12, 2025.

Dolliole also reported that the airport’s new master plan — which will look at the next 20 years of growth — is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

On a more individual level, Dolliole has racked up some big wins himself, including the fact that on Jan. 1, 2024, he became chair of the board for Airports Council International — North America.

ACI is one of the world’s largest airport trade organizations, representing 270 airport operators in the U.S. and Canada.

Looking toward the future of not only his airport, but the entire industry, among Dolliole’s current projects has been pairing with his friend and colleague, Perry Miller, president and CEO of Richmond International Airport, to create a program called Soaring Scholars, whose intent is to increase minority leadership in the aviation industry.

“We’re already working with 900 airports on a pilot program,” noted Dolliole. “They will all be accepting students into internship programs. We’re looking at doing a good year of the pilot program before growing the ranks. Other airports have expressed interest already, which is exciting because it’s something I’m very passionate about.” T

ORLEANS 500

In 2021, Biz New Orleans Magazine published the inaugural edition of the New Orleans 500, an annual publication that profiles more than 500 business leaders who are driving the Greater New Orleans economy today and making decisions that will shape the region’s future. The fourth edition of the New Orleans 500 will be released November 2024. For more information, visit BizNewOrleans.com/ New-Orleans-500.

The first, and only three-way tie for CEO of the year todate went to the men behind the biggest entrepreneurial wins of 2021. In a watershed year for company exits that we have yet to see matched, the acquisition of New Orleans-based 3D image platform TurboSquid for $75 million, then construction tech company Levelset for $500 million, then analytics company Lucid for roughly $1.1 billion (marking the first “unicorn”) brought the kind

of attention to the region’s entrepreneurial scene that it had long been waiting for.

“These exits validate the ‘long play’ that has been made by the New Orleans entrepreneurial community since Hurricane Katrina,” noted Michael Hecht, CEO of Greater New Orleans, Inc. Comer on Optimism for “Silicon Bayou”: “It’s taken 20 years for this first turn of the flywheel, but I think the next companies to turn over were probably started five years

“Great journalism can be a source of optimism or pessimism that has a meaningful effect on a community’s morale. In its consistent and unwavering coverage of the local economy over the last 10 years, Biz New Orleans has played a critical role in showcasing the depth of the local business community and reasons why New Orleanians should be excited about the future while being realistic and transparent about the challenges we face today.”

ago, two years ago or even more recently.”

Wolfe Jr. on Advice to Tech Startups: “Build that team, build that value. Get your mind out of New Orleans and think big about your company.”

Wisdom on What Concerned Him About New Orleans: “We need to grow some of our companies into something major, like Google, but instead, the buyouts are happening before our companies grow to that scale.”

JON J. ATKINSON

CEO // THE IDEA VILLAGE

RECOGNIZED FOR EXCELLENCE — LOCALLY AND NATIONALLY

Biz New Orleans — including BizNewOrleans.com and our two daily newsletters — has taken home many awards in its 10 years.

On the national level, we have competed in the Alliance of Area Business Publishers’ (AABP) annual Editorial and Design Excellence Competition since we became eligible in 2016 and have taken home awards every year, competing against 57 regional and local business publications in the United States, Canada and Australia.

Since 2016, AABP has awarded us:

10 Gold Awards, 12 Silver Awards and

4 Bronze Awards for excellence.

On the local level, at the Press Club of New Orleans’ annual awards we have been recognized 64 times for excellence in reporting online and in the magazine including:

1st in Business Writing every year from 2016 to 2023; Swept the Business Writing category (1st, 2nd, 3rd) from 2016-2019; Honored in the category Best News Website 5 times, and for our online blogs 10 times.

REWIND

Just a few months after being elected Jefferson Parish’s first female president on Jan. 8, 2020, Cynthia Lee Sheng sat down with Biz New Orleans to discuss how the first few months of her time in office was going, especially being that the world was in the first month of the global pandemic of COVID-19.

Among her first actions as president was to throw out the administration’s organization chart and create her own. Her chart features service clusters and less of a hierarchy, a move intended to set the stage for progress.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

CYNTHIA LEE SHENG

PRESIDENT

JEFFERSON PARISH

PROFILED: JUNE 2020

PRESIDENT & CEO

// UNITED WAY OF SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA

“Congratulations to Biz New Orleans on 10 years of being such an important voice for economic development in our region. Your dedication to telling the stories that shape Southeast Louisiana, including your coverage of United Way’s work to eradicate poverty, has made a lasting impact. As United Way of Southeast Louisiana celebrates our centennial anniversary, we recognize the essential role Biz New Orleans has played in amplifying the issues that matter most to our community. Here’s to many more years of success and collaboration.”

“We cleared my table, and I had [executive assistant] Michelle [Forsythe] write every department on an index card, and I sat and just looked at each card and said, “You know, does this department serve our constituents, or does this department serve us?”

Lee Sheng praised the parish’s strong public works department, its strong business community that she said worked closely with government, and the interconnectivity of the port, rail and airport. She noted weaknesses were housing and infrastructure and the need to look at sewerage services and updating water meters.

FAST-FORWARD Looking back at the last four years, Lee Sheng noted that it has been a turbulent ride.

“I didn’t realize how many emergencies we would have to respond to,” she said, “The first one, COVID-19, we worked on that for about a year and a half to 2 years, making sure hospitals had everything they needed, bringing in personnel and the vaccine.

Then, there was a series of hurricanes, including Ida, which required a major response. Then we had the saltwater intrusion issue, where for the first time in history we had to shut off all the water on the east bank. That meant no fire protection. Hospitals had no water for dialysis. It’s been a lot.”

All the emergencies have meant Lee Sheng has not been able to tackle all the things that she wanted to when she took office, but she said she’s proud of what that forced change of course led to.

“We now have a completely different emergency management operation. It’s so strong that the state now relies on us to run classes…We now have wind ratings on all our buildings which means we can keep more employees here safely and they can be out helping as needed.”

She has, however, been able to tackle some of the parish’s infrastructure issues.

“We’ve taken care of our water and sewer system for the next 20 years,” she said. ”...We have automated meters now that can be accessed by an app on your phone. We’ve got a new east bank water treatment plant and sewer backup generators.”

Lee Sheng has also reimagined the recreation system in the parish.

“We had 27 playgrounds, and as demographics have changed some of those playgrounds were full, while others in neighborhoods of older residents were empty,” she said. “We needed to make room for other sports like tumbling, archery and boxing — more than just traditional sports.”

Lee Sheng’s “Recreation Reimagined” report was the result of hundreds of hours of meetings with steering committees from six of the parish’s playgrounds that were chosen for overhauls. The plan calls for $6.3 million in capital improvements.

On the business side, Lee Sheng noted that her administration has been working for a year and a half to streamline and automate the parish’s permitting process.T

MICHAEL WILLIAMSON

2022

PAST CEOS OF THE YEAR

Melissa Sawyer

YOUTH EMPOWERMENT PROGRAM (YEP)

The top story of the year was New Orleans’ crime problem, so Biz celebrated a leader who had long battled the issue by giving hope and opportunity to area youth.

At age 27, Melissa Sawyer became the co-founder of Youth Empowerment Project (YEP), the first juvenile reentry program in Louisiana. A native of British Columbia, Canada, she came to New Orleans with Teach For America and spent two years teaching before leaving to get a master’s degree at Harvard University. She then began work at the Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana on statewide juvenile justice reform. The problems she and her colleagues witnessed with juvenile justice led her to create YEP.

In its first year, YEP engaged 25 young people with a staff of five and a budget of $235,000, working exclusively with young people coming out of incarceration. Eighteen years later, the staff numbered 58, plus a board of about 20. The organization owns its three buildings outright, and its annual budget in 2022 sat at about $5.6 million.

In 2022 YEP had directly impacted the lives of over 8,500 New Orleanians and counting, which included helping over 560 people receive their high school equivalency diplomas.

That August, YEP opened the New Orleans East Youth Opportunity Center in partnership with Educators for Quality Alternatives. The center includes afterschool programs for middle schools and high schools, a high school-equivalency program, childcare, job training, a health clinic and a food pantry.

On Crime: “We can’t give up or think that things are hopeless or not getting better, because I believe they are. I see it every single day in the kids who come here, families who come here, the adults going to get their high school equivalency.”

2022

CRIME TAKES OVER

Prior to the pandemic in 2019, New Orleans’s murder rate hit a 50-year low of 121 for the year. As of Oct. 2, that number was up to 220. The number of shootings in the city at that time had reached 534 and armed robberies were up to 417 for the year.

Headlines proclaiming New Orleans the “Murder

Capital of the United States” had spread around the country and even internationally. As of September, the number of homicides per 100,000 New Orleanians was 52, substantially higher than cities like Chicago (18) and New York City (3.5).

Frustrated and concerned with the rise in violence, citizens and businesses gathered to take action in July with the launch of NOLA Coalition, now up to more

than 400 members — including local nonprofits, civic organizations and businesses. Separately, efforts began to recall Mayor LaToya Cantrell, who is being faulted for the city’s purported insufficient attempts to stem crime and support the New Orleans Police Department — whose numbers had fallen to under 1,000 officers, the lowest staffing level in decades.

TODD MURPHY

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER // M WEALTH ADVISORS // FINANCIAL ADVISOR

// RAYMOND JAMES FINANCIAL SERVICES

“I think you recognized a void 10 years ago in quality business coverage for our region. While other publications were scaling back coverage or quite frankly eliminating business or money sections altogether, Biz New Orleans emerged as an exemplary periodical keeping people informed without mandating subscriptions and passwords. Our community is better informed, educated and connected because of Biz New Orleans.”

2023

PAST CEOS OF THE YEAR

Michael Sawaya

NEW ORLEANS ERNEST

N. MORIAL CONVENTION CENTER

REWIND When LCMC Health was established in 2009, Wisconsin native Greg Feirn was hired as chief financial officer before being promoted to president, then chief operating officer and ultimately to CEO in May 2014.

Feirn has been prominently featured multiple times in the magazine, including in December 2015, when the opening of University Medical Center (UMC) made our Top Story of the Year; in January 2017, when Feirn was named Biz New Orleans’ “Healthcare Hero” for 2016, and again in January 2021 when he was named an Executive of the Year for 2020 for leading the giant health system through a global pandemic and making the “Acquisition of the Year,” with LCMC’s purchase of East Jefferson General Hospital.

FAST-FORWARD UMC will mark its 10th anniversary on Aug. 1, 2025. It opened as the only Level 1 trauma center in the region and has since become the only one to have an associated burn unit not only in the region, but anywhere between Houston, Texas, and Tampa, Florida.

In 2015, LCMC operated five hospitals: Children’s Hospital, Touro Infirmary, New Orleans East Hospital, West Jefferson Medical Center and UMC in New Orleans and West Jefferson Medical Center in Marrero. In 2022, LCMC announced a partnership with Tulane to purchase Tulane Medical Center, Tulane Lakeside Hospital and Lakeview Regional Medical

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

GREG FEIRN

CEO

LCMC HEALTH

PROFILED: DECEMBER 2015, JANUARY 2017 AND JANUARY 2021

Center in Covington for $150 million.

After prevailing over a challenge by the Federal Trade Commission, in January of this year, LCMC announced it had moved all of Tulane Medical Center’s staf, faculty and patients to EJGH, leaving just the clinics and emergency room. EJGH now has 37 new critical care units, 15 new clinics and eight new operating

rooms. The emergency department and cancer center have expanded and LCMC announced a $15 million investment in imaging and interventional equipment and $56 million in infrastructure improvements.

In 2021, LCMC Health launched its Healthcare Professions Pipeline, which reimburses tuition of degree-seeking healthcare students to earn a degree in exchange for a work commitment at LCMC Health following graduation. The program is now up to 15 partnerships with area universities.

In the fall of 2023, LCMC-managed Children’s Hospital New Orleans’ ThriveKids Student Wellness Program began a partnership with NOLA Public Schools to bring mental and physical health services directly to students. New Orleans youth experience four times the national average for rates of PTSD, with 54% having experienced a murder of someone close to them. The program features a strong focus on mental health care and violence prevention.

Feirn said another big concentration now for LCMC is receiving accreditation from the National Cancer Institute — a win he estimates will take anywhere from four to six years.

“We’ve announced a $75 million investment with LSU’s Gulf South [Clinical Trials Network],” said Feirn. “Receiving that accreditation will be terrific for our state, region and city, by allowing people to not feel like they have to travel to receive the best cancer care.” T

Since 2018, Michael Sawaya has served as the president of the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, a domain that spans about 3 million square feet — the sixth-largest convention center in the country. In 2023, Sawaya was overseeing approximately 400 fulltime employees amid

$557 million in capital improvement projects that reach even beyond its walls. At the time, about $180 million in improvements had been completed.

The plan also includes $26 million to be invested in an adjacent mixed-use development, a project that has taken shape under the name

the River District, the groundbreaking for which took place Nov. 29, 2023.

On His Leadership Style: “If I don’t get around and say hello to people and look them in the eye and tell them I appreciate what they do, then they’re not committed to the vision that we have,” he said.

“Then they don’t deliver the best every day when they walk in the door, and they don’t go out and recruit people like them to join us. I continually ask them to tell me how they feel — what they like and don’t like and how we can continue to improve.”

2023

STATE LEGISLATION TAKES AIM AT INSURANCE CRISIS

In only two years, 2020 and 2021, Louisiana was hit by four hurricanes — two Category 4 hurricanes, one Category 3 and a Category 2. In the wake of a flood of claims, as of July 2023, about a dozen insurance companies had failed, and about another dozen stopped writing policies in the state. Those property owners who could not secure insurance were pushed to Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Company — the state-run insurance company of last resort — which saw its number of policies almost triple to over 130,000. ¶ In February, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards called for a special legislative session to address the state’s property insurance crisis. The session resulted in $45 million for a newly created incentive fund aimed at luring insurance firms to Louisiana. Under the bill, qualified companies can be awarded grants between $2 million and $10 million. In return, those insurers must provide 100% matching funds for the grant. ¶ In October, the state also set aside $30 million to begin offering the first group of grants of up to $10,000 per property to help owners repair or replace their roof with an upgraded “fortified” roof.

REWIND In Biz New Orleans’ first-ever Northshore issue, the cover feature was a Q&A with Chris Masingill, who shared the latest happenings in “the $12 million parish next door.”

In 2021, three-year-old economic development organization St. Tammany Corporation was busy chasing its goal; to make St. Tammany Parish the destination of choice for building and growing businesses, attracting talent, and being an incredible place for quality of life. The parish population was 263,000 in 2020 and growing fast thanks to the rise of remote work options during the pandemic. People were drawn to the Northshore’s lower crime, good schools and natural amenities, and businesses to an area boasting the highest educational attainment in the state and multiple workforce development programs. The result was a $12 billion economy — and growing fast.

St. Tammany Corporation announced 12 new projects that represented a capital investment of over $48 million and created 374 new jobs just from July 2018 to March 2021. Its leader, Arkansas native Chris Masingill, counted among his fast accomplishments launching a five-year strategic plan

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

CHRIS MASINGILL

CEO

PROFILED: JUNE 2021

called THRIVE2023 and creating the St. Tammany Partnership for Industry, Workforce and Economic Development, a collaborative workforce development and talent retention initiative.

FAST-FORWARD

St. Tammany Corporation closed out its first fiveyear strategic plan, Thrive 2.0, in February and launched two major multi-parish initiatives. The first was Startup Northshore, a three-parish economic ecosystem that marked Idea Village’s first major affiliate. Startup Northshore has held four trainings through Idea Institute Northshore and served more than 84 founders, with 72 companies receiving assistance that equated to about $25,000 per founder.

St. Tammany Corporation also launched Northshore Healthscape, a three-parish collaborative to enhance the healthcare industry. It is currently in year two of a three-year pilot program. This fall, the collaborative will publish a major healthcare impact report that will serve as a sort of “state of the sector.”

On the infrastructure side, the parish has completed an expansion of Interstate 12, taken on multiple other road and drainage projects and, following almost a decade of work, completed the Unified Development Code (UDC), in an aim to offer reliability and consistency and transparency for developers.

St. Tammany Corporation also launched a public/private collaboration with John Crosby to form the Gulf South Commerce Park, 92 acres of which is now pad ready.

“It’s one of the most sophisticated sites,” said Masingill. “If someone is looking to relocate, they can start construction immediately.” In early September, the certification of the Lacombe Business Park was announced, marking the 11th certified site in the parish and the first new certified site in St. Tammany Parish in three years.

The parish economy is now over $15 billion, the seventh in the state, and still one of the fastest growing, with no signs of slowing down.

“We’re beginning to launch a major business attraction and marketing campaign at the beginning of the year,” noted Masingill. “We’re being proactive to grow the businesses we already have and attract new ones.” T

ST. TAMMANY CORPORATION

FROM THE LENS

Keller Williams Realty New Orleans’ modern, boutique-style digs are home to more than 125 agents

After more than 40 years in business, Mike’s Hardware & Supply is fighting off the big-box stores 80

Robert Wolfe, President of Robert Wolfe Real Estate/Construction

74 WHY DIDN’T I THINK OF THAT

Just opened in July, Elation Entertainment provides a high-tech studio space for creators of music, podcast, video and more

KELLER WILLIAMS 8601 Leake Ave. New Orleans // careers.kwrno.com // kwneworleans // linkedin.com/company/kwrno/

GRAND FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Keller Williams Realty New Orleans’ modern, boutiquestyle digs are home to more than 125 agents

BY MISTY MILIOTO

PHOTOS BY SARA ESSEX BRADLEY

After years as a real estate agent and personal real estate investor, Jeffrey Doussan Sr. opened Keller Williams Realty New Orleans in January 1998 — growing a national brand to the New Orleans market. Today, the office continues to grow (currently with more than 125 real estate agents) under the ownership of operating principal Jeffrey Doussan Jr., who took over the business from his father in 2015.

Keller Williams Realty New Orleans moved into its current location on Leake Avenue in 2006, a modernist building constructed in 1985 for an engineering firm.

QUICK LOOK

Number of years in operation

Style of architecture Modernist Square footage

6,000

Number of Employees

128 real estate agents, and a leadership team of 5

Persons in Charge

Jeffrey R. Doussan Jr., operating principal; Cody Caudill, team leader/CEO; Holly Freas, market center administrator; Jeanne Howe, leader of concierge services; MJ Sauer, co-broker; Clayton Fields, co-broker

Interior Architecture & Design Nomita Joshi Interior Design

General Contractor Overkill Construction Art and furnishings Art selected with the assistance of Jill McGaughey at Jillian Mac Fine Art

“We have moved away from the commercial feel entirely,” said Jeffrey Doussan Jr., operating principal for Keller Williams Realty New Orleans, “and more to colors, textures and furnishing you would find in a luxury home.”

“[My father] bet on New Orleans’ growth post Hurricane Katrina; that gamble worked,” Doussan Jr., said. “When he purchased the building, he worked with Matt Voelkel of StudioMV Designs to [modify] the space as a real estate office. New Orleans had never seen a real estate office built for over 100 agents. The [idea for the design] was to elevate [real estate agents] to have a more professional and officelike environment. That turned out to be another small bet. The company doubled in size in the five years following the move.”

In the past few years, Doussan realized that the needs of real estate agents and clients were changing quickly. He decided to bring in a local interior designer to make minor adjustments aimed at a profound impact. After interviewing a few designers, Doussan awarded the contract to Nomita Joshi-Gupta, principal of Nomita Joshi Interior Design Studio & Gallery. She

began the interior design work in the summer of 2021 and completed the project in the summer of 2023.

“We have moved away from the commercial feel entirely and more to the colors, textures and furnishing you would find in a luxury home,” Doussan said. “Nomita shared our vision and created a great plan. We added fine art in the building with the help of a friend and local art dealer, Jill McGaughey. Brazilian artist Rodrigo Franzão commissioned a piece specifically for our front lobby.”

According to Joshi-Gupta, the existing office space was modern but still chopped up into smaller, awkward spaces.

“The clients wanted a large, open meeting space for presentations and seminars/training sessions; co-working spaces and smaller meeting spaces; a conference room and a smaller Zoom conference room; and a large,

open kitchen and dining area. The client also specifically did not want the space cluttered with logos and signs, and wanted it to have an upscale, boutique hotel feel.”

To meet their needs, Joshi-Gupta replaced two shedlike spaces that occupied the main area with two walls on either side of the large space.

“One wall anchors the stage and seminar area, and the other anchors the kitchen and dining area,” she said. “Both walls are shaped like a stylized house, which in turn resonated with the [real estate] office. [I also] used natural materials and a palette of blues and greens with occasional [pops of] red.”

Joshi-Gupta, who also served as the interior architect, removed a bank of offices on the street side of the building to create the open office space. She also extended walls on two sides of the main meeting space and opened the small kitchen to a larger space.

Nomita Joshi Interion Design Studio & Gallery was tasked with taking a building that was chopped up into small, awkward spaces and create more open spaces that all had an upscale, boutique hotel aesthetic

“The resulting space is inviting and satisfies the need for large and small gathering and working spaces,” she explained.

The new design — which Joshi-Gupta calls international modern — uses multiple examples of compression and expansion. For example, upon entering the lobby, staff members and guests are welcomed by a low space that opens to a lofty reception area. The space continues with a compressed corridor that opens to a lofty meeting area and then to a smaller compressed space that houses the perimeter offices and meeting spaces.

“This creates proportion and a feeling of varying scale as you move through the different functions,” said Joshi-Gupta.

To further elevate the office, Joshi-Gupta created a custom coffee bar to service the conference room that is now covered in shagreen leather and topped with Italian terrazzo. Other standout design elements include the meeting room’s cloudlike light fixtures, a kitchen that is now outfitted with touches of walnut, and a large green wall with a lattice design created by Doussan’s wife, Lauren.

“One of my favorite features of the building is the kitchen’s dining room table with seating for eight people,” said Doussan. “Every day from about noon until 2 p.m., it is occupied with our agents eating lunch and enjoying each other’s company. Just like at home, sometimes the topics are about the news, and at other times, there are deep organic discussions. Some of our best ideas come out of those lunchtime discussions.”

The goal of the space was to reflect the company’s focus on delivering a positive experience.

“Real estate professionals talk about first impressions all of the time, and we felt strongly that our office should be no different,” Doussan said. “We want your experience as a real estate agent with our company, an employee or a client coming for a meeting to be an unparalleled experience. That’s why we have beautiful landscaping, ample parking, water features, great art on the wall and welcoming staff, all before you are 10 feet inside the building.” T

MIC DROP

BY ASHLEY MCLELLAN

PHOTOS BY EDMUND D. FOUNTAIN

Content creators in the region can now access a boutique space off Veterans Boulevard in Metairie that offers the tools and space to record top-quality audio and video, collaborate with clients and artists, and learn new skills.

Elation Entertainment is the brainchild of founder, CEO and native New Orleanian, David Adams.

At the age of 23, Adams built his first recording studio in West Palm Beach, Florida, which marked the beginning of his deep dive into the entertainment industry. In 2013, he relocated to Los Angeles and founded Elation, where he had the opportunity to collaborate with renowned artists and producers, including Jordin Sparks, Master P and Fiend. His resume also includes household names such as Ne-Yo, Robin Thicke, Rick Ross, Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Ginuwine, Ja Rule, Sheila E. and Ashanti, just to name a few.

He has also hosted multiple artists’ writing camps at his 5,000-square-foot full recording studio in Burbank, California, for top-tier artists including Beyonce and Justin Bieber.

It’s this experience he is looking to build upon — to support local artists, as well as create a space for visiting artists to thrive.

“The inspiration to launch Elation came from my time in L.A., where I spent nine years immersed in the entertainment industry,” Adams said. “As I traveled back and forth between L.A. and New Orleans, I realized that New Orleans was lacking the industry-standard infrastructure necessary for artists and content creators to truly compete in today’s market. I have a deep love for this city, and I saw an incredible opportunity to fill that gap. New Orleans is home to a vast pool of talented creatives who just need the right resources to be unleashed, and I wanted to provide a space where they could thrive and reach their full potential.”

Elation Entertainment features five studios, in 12,000 square feet of space. In addition to top tier recording equipment for podcasts and musicians, Elation offers green screens, multiple office sets, a curved Cyclorama wall (for shooting scenes “without visible edges”), meeting spaces and lounge areas. Studio rental rates range from $50 per hour to $125 per hour.

“We have some of the newest music technology in the world with the Dolby Atmos mixing room using the Avid S6 digital mixing console,” he noted, “as well as many more industry standard options.”

Adams is looking to nurture his relationship with feature film productions locally and was recently named to the board of Film Louisiana. After struggling through the pandemic and multiple film-workers’ strikes, the film industry is making a return to business across the state. Currently, there are two major movie productions slated to begin filming in the city this fall, following on the heels of a feature film and television show production which wrapped in late summer.

At the same time, the podcasting world is exploding nationally, through both audio and video mediums such as YouTube, with more potential for locally produced shows.

Beyond music, film and podcasting, Adams has envisioned a space that is flexible enough to accommodate content creation of all kinds for businesses, including a corporate workshop package he hopes to launch by the end of this year, where “businesses can rent the studio for a day for team-building events, learn how to create content as a team and have a chance to use the space to create content.”

Some examples of ways Elation proposes to work with local businesses include spaces to film medical device training for health care professionals, or for teams to film commercials or shoot billboard images, and for influencers to create unique content for social media.

“I’m deeply committed to supporting and empowering local artists by providing them with access to top-tier resources and creative spaces that were previously unavailable in the area,” he said. “Beyond just the physical space, we host artist writing camps, collaborate with local talent on projects, and offer guidance to help them navigate the industry. My goal is to create an environment where artists can explore their creativity, refine their craft and bring their visions to life.” T

“As I traveled back and forth between L.A. and New Orleans, I realized that New Orleans was lacking the industry-standard infrastructure necessary for artists and content creators to truly compete in today’s market,” said Elation CEO David Adams. “I have a deep love for this city, and I saw an incredible opportunity to fill that gap.”

DID YOU KNOW?

There are currently more than 3 million podcasts in existence.

In 2023, the podcast industry was worth $23 billion, with 465 million podcast listeners worldwide — a number estimated to reach 505 million by the end of this year.

SOURCE: June 2024 report from Cuepodcasts.com and Zion Market Research

Know Your Niche

After more than 40 years in business, Mike’s Hardware & Supply is fighting off the big-box stores

BY KEITH TWITCHELL

The old saying “evolve or die” applies in the business world as much as anywhere, even for longtime neighborhood institutions like Mike’s Hardware & Supply.

Located at 4233 Elysian Fields Avenue, right off the intersection with Gentilly Boulevard, the store was opened by the parents of the current owners in 1981.

“This was truly a neighborhood hardware store when our parents opened it,” recalled Rob Lafleur, co-owner of Mike’s with his brother, Bob, “but now there are no other hardware stores anywhere near us.”

As a result, while Lafleur estimates that about half his clientele is still from the Gentilly area, he draws customers from all over the city.

“We’ve evolved into a destination store, especially for contractors and plumbers,” he said. “Now the biggest part of our business is plumbing.”

As in many other retail fields, the arrival of big-box stores has played a substantial role in the demise of the neighborhood hardware store. Lafleur uses a variety of strategies to remain competitive.

“We feed off of what they don’t do, they can’t do,” he explained. “We don’t sell barbecue pits or lawn mowers, but we have a lot of hard-tofind specialty items, especially in plumbing, that they don’t have. We’ve evolved to our niche.”

Lafleur cites an example from another type of business, grocery stores.

“Maybe Dorignac’s doesn’t have those 48-packs of toilet paper like Costco does,” he said, “but they probably have 20 different types of Italian cheese.”

The focus on specialty products is backed up by staff expertise and experience. Of the store’s 10 staff members, more than half have worked there for nine years or longer.

The location is also an asset — not only the proximity to the area’s two largest streets, but the nearby presence of large institutions including Dillard University, Brother Martin High School and the Baptist Seminary. The trade term for what big customers like this require is MRO: maintenance, repairs and operations, and Mike’s carries the kind of items they use most.

“Everybody needs light bulbs, AC filters, keys,” he noted.

As is the case for so many smaller businesses — even a neighborhood fixture located on a main street — drawing in new customers is a never-ending struggle.

“One big challenge right now is reaching residents who maybe don’t know we’re here,” Lafleur said. “Years ago, we used to do a lot of direct mail. Now it’s social media, but it’s tough to stay on top of that.”

To meet the challenge, Mike’s is partnering with complementary businesses, such as Ricca’s, which sells refurbished old building materials, on combined social media outreach.

Still, the big boxes loom large; Lafleur finds that many members of a critical demographic — young, new homeowners — can be intimidated by the thought of coming into a hardware store after years of casual shopping in the larger outlets.

“We have to get them in here so they can see we’re not a bunch of grumpy old hardware guys behind the counter,” he said with a laugh.

But building a personal connection and providing a tailored service remains the cornerstone of Mike’s Hardware’s success.

“My brother and I have worked here since we were kids,” Lafleur recounted. “Our customers have watched us grow up. I even used to live upstairs. We’ll always be a part of this neighborhood.”T

EDUCATION University of Southwestern Louisiana

PASSION Sailing

Robert Wolfe

President of Robert Wolfe Real Estate/ Construction

Wolfe has been running his real estate company since 1984 and his construction company since 1996. He has said that the secret to their success is the emphasis both companies put on their greatest asset: people. His construction company trains professionals and uses current technologies and tested systems to bring projects in on time. T

PHOTO BY MIKE LIRETTE

BEST FEST French Quarter Festival HERO Jesus Christ

NONPROFIT CAUSE White Dove Fellowship Mission Work. Wolfe also served on the Jefferson Parish School Board for 15 years

Biz New Orleans October 2024

10TH ANNIVERSARY ISSUE

Anniversary Musings

RENAISSANCE PUBLISHING

PRODUCTION

SINGLETARY

10 Years Later

TEAM

IN THE BIZ

12 DINING

16

ENTREPRENEUR

Cidery Sips

New Playoff Format Could be Sweet for Saints

2024-25 COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SCHEDULE

$10 Million Move

Ochsner launches fund to support local health care innovation companies

PERSPECTIVES

Long-term Solutions for Shortterm Rentals?

PERSPECTIVES

EDUCATION

BRIDGING THE GAP

A new

aims to transform special education services in New Orleans schools

THE NEED FOR A UNIFIED APPROACH

A COMMUNITY EFFORT

VOICES FROM THE FRONT LINES

AHEAD

There’s A New Financial Tool for Those with Disabilities

WHAT IS A POOLED SPECIAL NEEDS TRUST?

BENEFITS OF A POOLED SPECIAL NEEDS TRUST

PERSPECTIVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Land of Opportunity

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

NEW INVESTMENT

A Call To Action

OUR CALL TO ACTION

PORTRAITS

TOP 10 REAL ESTATE INFLUENCERS

INFLUENCERS

SHIVERS NELLON

BRETT RUPPEL

GINGER WIGGINS

WILL TREGRE, AIA & ANGELA MORTON, AIA

CAMERON LOMBARDO

SANDRA CORRIGAN

Director of Office Leasing

KEN FLOWER

BIZ NEW ORLEANS LOOKS BACK AN EPIC 10 YEARS OF BUSINESS IN SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA

ORLEANS BACK AT YEARS BUSINESS SOUTHEAST

Top BusinEss StoRiEs oF

thE YEAR

2016 MSY Ups Its International Game 2016

UMC OPENS

JONES

2017 NOLA LEADS NATION FOR HEALTHCARE JOB GROWTH

2017

2018

AVONDALE SHIPYARD PURCHASE FINALIZED

2019 MSY North Terminal Opens

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

DAN SHAPIRO & ALLISON SHAPIRO DANDRY

REWIND

FAST-FORWARD

PAST CEOS OF THE YEAR

FAST-FORWARD

2020

PANDEMIC HITS TOURISM

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

DR. SUNYOUNG KIM

2020

BIZ TALKS PODCAST

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

CHRIS MEAUX

2021

THREE BIG TECH EXITS

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

KEVIN DOLLIOLE

DIRECTOR OF AVIATION

FAST-FORWARD