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June 2015 BizNewOrleans.com
Editor’s Note
Summer is here! W
hile the calendar may say the first day of summer is June 21, the weather has clearly been saying otherwise… for some time now. I always tell people that I’m thankful for the heat — that if it wasn’t for the sky-high temps and matching humidity, we’d be hosting visitors at our house year-round. Instead, summer becomes a time when we are set free to roam about, to let go of the tour guide/super host duties for a while and do some serious imposing upon our friends and family…those 60 degree temperatures in San Francisco are looking pretty good right now. This summer, however, we have quite a few more choices when it comes to air travel thanks to a boom in new airlines and flights. Latin America has long been on my bucket list, so I’m particularly excited about the arrival of Copa Airlines, whose flights to Panama City begin June 26. In all, we’ve counted 11 new destinations added just in the past few months, including summer favorites Destin, Cancun, Orlando and Pensacola. One of my favorite ways to cool off close to home is definitely with a muffaletta in one hand and a Pimm’s Cup in the other. In fact, Napoleon House was the first restaurant my family and I visited after we moved here a little over four years ago. This, of course, means it holds a special place in my heart, so I was very excited to talk to the new owner, Ralph Brennan, about his plans for the historic locale. Like so many others, I share in the relief that no major changes are in the works. “My wife told me to sit on my hands,” he shared as we stood in the courtyard following a tour of the newly renovated Brennan’s. With all the work he’s been doing lately, I have the feeling that might be easy advice to take. Finally, it is with great sadness that I report that our tourism columnist and blogger, Margaret Quilter, has decided to return to her home country of Australia. We wish her well in all of her future travels and hope they bring her back this way soon. Taking her place is a relatively new contributor to Biz New Orleans, Jennifer Gibson Schecter. We look forward to all the great things she will bring to the magazine.
Happy reading,
Kimberley@BizNewOrleans.com
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JUNE 2015 | volume 1 | issue 9
Publisher Todd Matherne Editorial Editor-in-chief Errol Laborde Managing Editor Kimberley Singletary Art Director Antoine Passelac Photographer Cheryl Gerber Web Editor Kelly Massicot Assoc. Multimedia News Editor Leslie T. Snadowsky Contributors Anne Cochran, Carolyn Heneghan, Anne Roderique-Jones, Lucie Monk, Jason Perry, Chris Price, Peter Reichard, Kim Roberts, Judi Russell, Jennifer Gibson Schecter, Erin Shaw, Melanie Spencer, Keith Twitchell, Bonnie Warren advertising Vice President of Sales Colleen Monaghan Sales Manager Maegan O’Brien Maegan@BizNewOrleans.com (504) 830-7219 Account Executives Melissa Rehage Quijano Melissa@BizNewOrleans.com (504) 830-7225 Caitlin Sistrunk Caitlin@BizNewOrleans.com (504) 830-7252 PRODUCTION Production/Web Manager Staci McCarty Production Designers Ali Sullivan, Monique DiPietro, Claire Geary Traffic Coordinator Jessica Debold administration Chief Executive Officer Todd Matherne President Alan Campell Executive Vice President Errol Laborde Vice President of Sales Colleen Monaghan Director of Marketing & Events Cheryl Lemoine Administrative Assistant Denise Dean Distribution Manager John Holzer Subscriptions Manager Sara Kelemencky
110 Veterans Blvd., Suite 123, Metairie, LA 70005 (504) 828-1380 Biz New Orleans is published monthly by Renaissance Publishing, LLC, 110 Veterans Blvd., Suite 123, Metairie, LA 70005; (504) 828-1380. Subscription rate: one year $24.95, two year $39.95, three year $49.95 — foreign rates vary call for pricing. Postage paid at Metairie, LA, and additional mailing entry offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Biz New Orleans, 110 Veterans Blvd., Suite 123, Metairie, LA 70005. Copyright 2015 Biz New Orleans. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the consent of the publisher. The trademark Biz New Orleans is registered. Biz New Orleans is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photos and artwork, even if accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope. The opinions expressed in Biz New Orleans are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the magazine or owner. 6
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Contents
80
44
36
Features
From the Lens
36 Man of the House
70 Great Offices
Q&A with the new owner of Napoleon House,
Alden C. McDonald Jr., president and CEO
Ralph Brennan
of Liberty Bank and Trust
44 New Air Options
80 Why Didn’t I Think of That?
Panama? San Antonio? Take your pick.
88 Behind the Scenes
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This farming startup’s innovative growing methods are grabbing attention.
June 2015 BizNewOrleans.com
KREWE du optic
On the Cover Ralph Brennan at the centuryold Napoleon House bar with its signature drink, the Pimm’s Cup. Brennan took ownership of the business April 30. Photo by Greg Miles.
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Contents
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30
74
Columns
Perspectives
News
18 Dining Biz
50 Guest Viewpoint
16 Calendar
The latest hot spots
20 Tourism Biz
FestiGals returns for its fifth year.
22 Sports Biz
Soccer season is alive and kicking.
24 Film Biz
Highlights from the Louisiana International Film Festival
26 Entrepreneur Biz
Manage water, make money.
28 Biz Etiquette
Common mistakes during the interview process
30 Tech Biz
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With Uber and Lyft, are taxis on their way out?
June 2015 BizNewOrleans.com
Could a credit union work for you?
54 Insurance
The Affordable Care Act — what businesses need to know.
58 Healthcare
High premiums are driving a move toward alternative healthcare options.
62 Oil & Gas
Tips for securing a small business loan
Upcoming events not to miss
32 Biz Bits
Industry news
74 Biz Person of the Month
Q&A with Andrea Chen, executive director of Propeller: A Force for Social Innovation
86 Around Town – Events
Industry gatherings
Join the world's LARGEST organization exclusively for Entrepreneurs. EONetwork.org
FOR MORE INFORMATION
about the Louisiana Chapter of  Entrepreneurs' Organization find us at EOLouisiana.org or email Mary Hill at Mary@EOLouisiana.org
BizNewOrleans.com June 2015
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Publisher’s Note
UNO Proud
D
uring this past state legislative session you have probably heard a lot about funding higher education and the struggles all public universities in the state are having with the constant, year-after-year funding cuts. I specifically want to talk about the university right here in our backyard – UNO. UNO has more than 75,000 graduates – 35,000 right here in Greater New Orleans — and it needs your help now more than ever before. It needs corporate support, volunteer help and some really meaningful public conversation. The City of New Orleans needs an urban university to continue to strengthen its middle class and offer extended education to the residents of our great city. As a University of New Orleans alumnus, I ask you to rally behind our university. Call the Alumni Office and find out how you can get involved with the Alumni Association and help UNO regain its financial vibrancy. Your university needs you, just as you needed it many years ago. If you are an alum, take pride in your alma mater and help make a difference. Be UNO Proud - I am! To reach the UNO Alumni Office, call the Executive Director, Pamela Meyer at (504) 280-6395 or email her at pameyer@uno.edu.
Todd Matherne 12
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Meet the Sales Staff Colleen Monaghan Vice President of Sales Colleen Monaghan is a seventh-generation New Orleanian and member of the Mayflower Society, who loves her city with a passion. She is a UNO alum who has more than 30 years of experience in both publishing and the nonprofit sector. Colleen enjoys art collecting, traveling the world and living life to its fullest. She has been known to organize fabulous events, both for herself and many charities in the New Orleans and San Francisco areas. You can reach Colleen at (504) 830-7215 or Colleen@BizNewOrleans.com.
Maegan O’Brien Sales Manager, Biz New Orleans Maegan O’Brien was born in New Orleans and raised on the Northshore in Mandeville, La. She graduated from Louisiana State University in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in finance, but marketing and advertising are her true callings. She currently lives in Old Metairie and loves traveling, wining and dining, and spending time with family and great friends. You can reach Maegan at (504) 830-7219 or Maegan@BizNewOrleans.com.
Melissa Rehage Quijano Account Executive, Biz New Orleans Melissa Rehage Quijano was born and raised in New Orleans. She graduated from St. Mary’s Dominican, attended both LSU and UNO, and received a paralegal degree in 1996. She worked for 10 years as a paralegal in various law firms in New Orleans and then operated her own successful wedding photography business for 11 years. In addition to being on the Biz New Orleans team, she enjoys spending time with her two teenage children, cooking, the beach, 30A, laughing with friends, dancing every day and music. She has a love for shoes and lipstick. Her heart and soul is her children and everything New Orleans. You can reach Melissa at (504) 830-7225 or Melissa@BizNewOrleans.com.
Caitlin Sistrunk Account Executive, Biz New Orleans Caitlin Sistrunk was born in New Orleans and raised in Covington, La. She graduated from Louisiana State University with a bachelor’s degree in marketing. While attending LSU, Caitlin fell in love with both marketing and advertising. She is ecstatic to begin her career as a sales associate with our new magazine. Caitlin loves painting, hanging with friends and cooking. You can reach Caitlin at (504) 830-7252 or Caitlin@BizNewOrleans.com. 14
June 2015 BizNewOrleans.com
Calendar Thursday, June 4, 2015
Friday, June 19, 2015
Baton Rouge Area Chamber of Commerce Around the Table Dinner Party 6:30 – 9 p.m. Various homes in the Baton Rouge area Brac.org
June 10-12, 2015 Louisiana Energy Conference Westin Canal Place Hotel 100 Iberville St., New Orleans Louisianaenergyconference.com
Wednesday, June 10, 2015 East St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce Chamber Lunch – Strengthening Educational Values in our Business Community 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Trinity’s Banquet & Reception Hall 1000 Caruso Blvd., Slidell business.estchamber.com
Thursday, June 11, 2015 ABWA Crescent City Connections Monthly luncheon featuring Chris Burke — “Women & Wealth” 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Heritage Grill by Ralph Brennan 111 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie abwaneworleans.org
Thursday, June 11, 2015 Jefferson Chamber of Commerce Business Card Exchange 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Hurwitz Mintz 1751 Airline Drive, Metairie jeffersonchamber.org
Free Open House for new Jefferson Performing Arts Center 3 – 7 p.m. Jefferson Performing Arts Center 6400 Airline Hwy., Metairie
Wednesday, June 24, 2015 St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce State of the District Attorney’s Office: Warren Montgomery 7:30 – 9 a.m. Beau Chene Country Club Members only - $18 (register before June 10). $20 after. Sttammanychamber.org
Wednesday, June 24, 2015 Prosper Jefferson: Technology to Help Grow Your Business 9 – 10:30 a.m. East Bank Regional Library, Jefferson Room Register at jedco.org/events
Friday, June 26, 2015 East St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce Chamber Breakfast – Keeping Up With the Times: Chief Randy Smith 8 – 9:30 a.m. Sunrise Bistro 153 Robert St., Slidell business.estchamber.com
We’d love to include your business-related event in next month’s calendar. Please email details to Editorial@BizNewOrleans.com.
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Columns | Dining Biz
The O.C. Haley Comet Back before Katrina, when Café Reconcile opened, it was hard to imagine that the ramshackle O.C. Haley corridor would become a shiny destination for gourmands. The street is now home to Casa Borrega Mexican restaurant, Jack & Jake’s Public Market, the Southern Food and Beverage Museum and Purloo Southern Cuisine. Adolfo Garcia’s new, meat-centric Primitivo and a multi-vendor food court called Roux Carré are on the way. Also in the area is Colombian restaurant Mais Arepas, on Carondelet. The rising fortunes of the neighborhood and new developments, such as the Harrell Building, give venues in this part of Central City a growing, built-in audience.
The Rich Aroma of Opportunity A look at current hot spots for culinary growth
N Peter Reichard is a native New Orleanian who has written about the life and times of the city for more than 20 years, including as a former newspaper editor and business journalist.
ew Orleans has found itself in the midst of a renaissance, and one of the most visible signs of transformation is the recent flowering of local restaurants. Naturally, this has occurred in the usual places: the French Quarter, the Warehouse District and along Magazine Street. But Oak Street and the stretch of Freret Street between Jefferson and Napoleon avenues are also suddenly brimming with new restaurants. Where else might serve as the next land of opportunity for new restaurants? Here are a few possibilities. Lakeview: A Steady Forward March It takes two hands to count the
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number of new restaurants that have opened in Lakeview during the past couple of years. Another Broken Egg handles breakfast duties. Brisbi’s and the Blue Crab do seafood at the Lakefront. Cava brings another fine dining option to Harrison Avenue. The Backyard provides a kid-friendly option. Ming’s offers Chinese. These are just a few of the new restaurants that have opened since Katrina, joining some revived neighborhood standbys, all whose prospects are enhanced by the disposable income of local residents and their tendency to stay within the self-contained atmosphere of the area. It’s also worth noting that, according to Realtor.com, 70124 was the third most-searched ZIP code in the U.S. in 2014.
Rampart and St. Claude Change is coming rapidly to the ride down Rampart and St. Claude. Some might remember this once-forlorn commercial strip as the home of poor-boy joints, Peristyle, a few old-school charmers like the late Restaurant Mandich … and not much else. Gradually, the area is taking on a more voguish feel, with developments like the Healing Center and the culinary conglomerate at the St. Roch Market. A certain non-controversial Cuban restaurant chain named Café Habana will soon be joining the scene, and you’ll be able to get there on a pretty new streetcar. The renovation of St. Roch and other developments in the neighborhood, including a planned new hotel/condo development on Rampart, should bolster the growing customer base. New Orleans East is Hungry New Orleans East is vast and home to roughly one-fifth of the city’s population, but its days as a commercial hub – when people drove far out of their way to visit the sprawling Lake Forest Plaza mall – are gone. Residents today feel underserved, and that’s no truer than when it comes to meals. Still, there’s plenty of upside if you like Vietnamese food, with old-country stalwarts such as Dong Phuong serving some of the most authentic stuff in town. There are also those restaurants that take advantage of the east’s proximity to the catch of the day – such as Vucinovich’s on Michoud or Castnet Seafood on Hayne. But if the clamoring of residents is any indication, there’s plenty of room for new entries. n Photo Cheryl Gerber
Columns | Tourism Biz FestiGals At A Glance Thursday, June 11: “Ultimate Package” participants attend a private penthouse cocktail reception. Friday, June 12: The breakfast event features local female civic leaders who fought to bring back the city after Hurricane Katrina. Seminar topics include workplace journeys, avoiding self-sabotage and financial planning. The evening’s highlight is the “Sip & Shop.” Saturday, June 13: The morning begins with a breakfast focused on breast health, followed by the “Bloody Mary Mixer” networking event. The festival’s signature philanthropic luncheon and auction, “Bras For a Cause,” is followed that afternoon by the “Stiletto Stroll” second line and evening “After-Glow Party.” Sunday, June 14: The weekend wraps up with the “Saints & Sinners Brunch.” For more information, visit festigals.org.
CEOs in Stilettos FestiGals returns for its fifth year of women’s empowerment, professional development and cocktails.
B Jennifer Gibson Schecter was
once a tourist in New Orleans herself and is now proud to call NOLA home. Prior to New Orleans, she wrote for publications in the Midwest and New York City. She advises travelers to ask their cab/pedicab/ gondola driver for their favorite restaurant and taking a chance.
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alancing it all, leaning in, and laughing while they do it, the attendees of FestiGals will spend June 11 - 14 participating in professional development seminars, networking events and the signature “Stiletto Stroll” second-line parade down Canal Street. Celebrating its fifth year, this year’s conference features the theme “Ordinary Women, Extraordinary Journeys.” Native New Orleanian Diane Lyons created FestiGals with diversity in mind. “We work to get different levels of speakers with different perspectives to inspire, motivate and educate,” she says. “Life’s too serious: The speakers need to make you laugh.” FestiGals endeavors to
offer something for everyone, from CEOs to soccer moms to retirees, by broadening the focus of the conference to include seminars and events addressing multiple aspects of life — from juggling family and work commitments, to struggling to make time for fitness and fun. The goal is to cover diverse interests and priorities. VIP tickets are available to the entire conference, as well as tickets for just a single event. Local women and tourists have responded to this dynamic event, and its growth has been tremendous. “We started in 2011 with about 100 people,” Lyons says. “Last year we had about 1,200 who bought tickets to different events.” She says she anticipates even larger
numbers this year, which is why FestiGals chose to relocate to a larger space at the JW Marriott New Orleans. While each component of FestiGals has been thoughtfully planned to guarantee a good return on investment, Lyons says Friday is a can’t-miss day. “If women are looking for networking and professional development, Friday is the day,” she says. “We are different because we are not a membership organization, so there is a great diversity of professions, backgrounds and ethnicities. We are crossgenerational. People walk away inspired, motivated, and thinking ‘Wow, that could be me. I could do this.’” Lyons says the feminine entrepreneurial spirit in New Orleans is alive and well. “Twenty years ago it was very hard, and I felt alone as a woman in business,” she says. “But today the world is our oyster.” FestiGals aims to empower and celebrate the unique role women play in the postKatrina landscape. “I sat on my doorstep with 5 feet of water and said to everyone, ‘We’re coming back,’” she recalls. “We are the strength in professional relationships. We are the glue that makes life happen.” n Photo Cheryl Gerber
Columns | Sports Biz Pauline Patterson, (center) owner of Finn McCool’s Irish Pub
U.S. Women’s National Team Women’s World Cup - Group Stage Schedule n 6/8 Australia - 6:30 p.m. n 6/12 Sweden - 7 p.m. n 6/16 Nigeria - 7 p.m. New Orleans Jesters June Schedule 6/6 Chattanooga FC - 7 p.m. n 6/13 Houston Hurricanes - 7 p.m. n 6/20 Knoxville Force - 7 p.m. n 6/24 Atlanta Silverbacks Reserves - 7 p.m. n 6/27 Georgia Revolution - 7 p.m. n
Goooooaaalll! Major soccer broadcasts kick off June 6 at Finn McCool’s.
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chris price is an award-winning journalist and public relations principal. When he’s not writing, he’s avid about music, the outdoors, and Saints, Ole Miss and Chelsea football.
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t a time when most of the city’s Friday night sports revelry is finally winding down, a growing number of New Orleanians brave predawn darkness to start the day with the clinking of pint glasses in one of the only enclaves in town where they can gather and get their fix. It’s six o’clock in the morning in New Orleans — noon in London — which means European soccer leagues are kicking off a day of competition, and in an unassuming section of MidCity between South Carrollton Avenue and South Jefferson Davis Parkway, a former doubleshotgun house on Banks Street is buzzing. More than 100 fans in jerseys of multiple colors come together to watch as many as six different games at a time televised from the far corners of the world. For much of the year, Saturdays and Sundays mean Finn McCool’s Irish Pub is open 21 hours straight to accommodate its clientele’s insatiable appetite for soccer and domestic sports. Stephen and Pauline Patterson, who moved to New Orleans from Belfast in the ’90s, own the bar. After a decade
tending bar at O’Flaherty’s Irish Channel Pub, they opened Finn’s in 2002. Since then, Finn’s has become the city’s hub for viewing major soccer events. Last summer, the bar was the epicenter for World Cup viewing parties — with standing-roomonly crowds that spilled out into a block partylike atmosphere. Finn McCool’s has become internationally renowned for its dedication and allegiance to the game and its fans. This year, The Irish Times of Dublin even included the pub as one of its “Top 10 Irish Bars Outside of Ireland” as part of its Generation Emigration Project. “I’m very proud of it,” Stephen Patterson says of the ranking. “It’s something we’ve aimed for. It’s definitely a niche, which has grown organically from a grassroots level. “We had maybe 10 to 12 guys getting together to watch the one EPL game we got in the States,” Patterson says of the bar’s start. “Over the years, the networks have seen the value of broadcasting soccer. Now we can get every single game live. We actually get more soccer here
than they do in Ireland and the UK.” Patterson says this has translated into as many as 200 fans showing up before breakfast to be part of the spirit of the game. Finn’s will once again be a magnet for soccer fans this month. Starting June 6, regulars will make room for fans of the Champions League Final — a qualifying event for next summer’s European Championship — as well as fans of the FIFA Women’s World Cup and a five-game home stand by the New Orleans Jesters. Champions League Final The biggest professional soccer game of the year also kicks off June 6 at 1:45 p.m. CST. The UEFA Champions League Final is the culmination of a season-long tournament of Europe’s best professional teams. More viewers are expected to watch this game than any other this year. The collective talent in this match will exceed almost all of the matches from last summer’s World Cup. Expect a passionate, energetic and fun crowd. Women’s World Cup The U.S. Women’s National Team has won two World Cups and is a contender for this year’s title. All 23 players are capable of being starters. This means the U.S. team will have depth, which is essential over the 30-day tournament. The tournament begins June 6, with the United States facing group-round foes Australia on June 8 at 6:30 p.m., Sweden on June 12 at 7 p.m., and Nigeria on June 16 at 7 p.m. The knockout stage begins on June 20, culminating in the final on July 5. New Orleans Jesters If you prefer live action, the New Orleans Jesters begin their season with a five game home stand June 6. Season tickets cost $50, and include entry to all home games, any friendlies added to the schedule, pregame tailgates with all-you-can-eat and drink barbecue and beer (while supplies last), $2 beers in the stands (normally $5), and postgame parties at Finn’s with coaches and players. n Photo Cheryl Gerber
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Columns | Film Biz Festival founder Chesley Heymsfield poses with actor Vincent D’Onofrio and Louisiana Lieutenant Governor Jay Dardenne at this year’s LIFF.
Let’s Get Together Highlights from this year’s Louisiana International Film Festival
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Kimberley Singletary is the
managing editor of Biz New Orleans magazine. A 20-year Southern California veteran, she has been surrounded by the film industry for most of her life and is thrilled to be covering its emersion in her newly adopted home.
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pproximately 6,000 people attended the third annual Louisiana International Film Festival and Mentorship Program (LIFF) held at Baton Rouge’s Cinemark Perkins Rowe from May 7 – 10. Founded by veteran producer and writer Chesley Heymsfield, who came to Louisiana four and a half years ago after working in California and New York, the four-day event this year included screenings of more than 60 films from around the world. Among the highlights was this year’s winner for best documentary, “Big Charity,” a 61-minute film that included never-before-seen footage and exclusive interviews with staff from New Orleans’ Charity Hospital, which closed following damage from Hurricane Katrina. “We sold out of tickets for the screening the first night we offered them,” Heymsfield says, “so we decided to offer a second screening the next day.”
LIFF’s big winner, “I’ll See You In My Dreams,” a film starring Blythe Danner, took home awards for best actress and best director, Brett Haley, who held a Q&A after the screening. The American Premiere screening of the new take on Mary Shelley’s classic, “Frankenstein,” also featured a Q&A with director Bernard Rose and the film’s star, Xavier Samuel, who took home LIFF’s award for best actor. The star power continued with actor Vincent D’Onofrio, who was on hand to celebrate the Louisiana premiere of his latest film, “Broken Horses.” “It’s an amazing film — a real modern-day version of a Wild West tale,” Heymsfield says. The opening night for the Louisiana International Film Festival featured only the second screening in the world of “Spy,” the new comedy from “Bridesmaids” director Paul Feig. The film stars Melissa McCarthy and Jude Law.
More than just the chance to meet celebrities and see a great movie, Heymsfield, says the goal of the festival is to bring industry professionals together, or, as she puts it, to “act as a conduit for the many moving parts of the film industry.” “When I came here, what inspired me more than what was happening was all the potential,” she says. “We do have production here, but there are so many other facets of the film industry — screenwriters, agents, entertainment lawyers, marketing and advertising. There’s so much room for growth and opportunity for collaboration.” The festival is growing. “We had three times as many filmmakers this year as last year,” she says, noting that among the attendees were film students from schools in California. LIFF featured three full days of workshop classes, with topics including, “Script: From Pitch to Production,” “Success on a Micro-Budget,” and “Masters of Craft: Cinematographers’ Influence in Film,” which featured Academy Award-winning cinematographer Mauro Fiore (who won for his work on “Avatar” and is now in town filming “The Magnificent Seven,” starring Chris Pratt, Vincent D’Onofrio and Denzel Washington) and Valentina Caniglia, who won this year’s LIFF award for best cinematography for her work on “Madeline’s Oil.” On the heels of the festival each year, the Louisiana Film Society, another Heymsfield endeavor, kicks off its season, offering screenings about once a month. For the past three years, LIFF has also journeyed out of Hollywood South to host a party at the Sundance Film Festival (coming up next from Jan. 21-31, 2016) in Utah. “Movies that have been filmed in Louisiana are being screened at Sundance and we wanted an event to celebrate that,” she says, noting that past parties have included masquerade and Mardi Gras themes. With all the focus on tax credit changes and how they may affect the industry, Heymsfield stresses that LIFF is an apolitical organization, and chooses to take its own spin on things. “The conversation needs to be about what we can do organically and indigenously to make the most of the opportunities that exist in the state,” she says. “We still have power — you have to remember that. It’s on us. At least that’s how we look at it.” n Photo courtesy of LIFF
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Columns | Entrepreneur Biz The Greater New Orleans Water Collaborative If water management sounds interesting to you, one place to learn quickly and make useful connections is the Greater New Orleans Water Collaborative. Launched last September, it brings together designers, educators, policy experts, builders and community members – anyone with an interest in any aspect of advancing the implementation of the best water management practices. Joining the collaborative is as simple as going to its website (www.nolawater.org), clicking the “Get Involved” tab on the home page, and opting in. Sign up for information and events, and explore the site to start your water management education. A link to the Urban Stormwater Plan is located at the bottom of “The Collaborative” page. The calendar section includes both collaborative events and other learning/networking opportunities.
Opportunities in Every Drop
Solving southeast Louisiana’s water problems will indeed require a collaborative effort, and the GNO Water Collaborative is a great place to plug in.
Looking for a business idea? Try managing water.
I Keith Twitchell
spent 16 years running his own business before becoming president of the Committee for a Better New Orleans. He has observed, supported and participated in entrepreneurial ventures at the street, neighborhood, nonprofit, micro- and macrobusiness levels.
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n the wake of the 2013 release of the Urban Stormwater Plan, discussions of water management are surfacing every where. While much of the focus is on solving environmental problems like f looding, subsidence, coastal erosion and wetlands loss, entrepreneurs can view the topic through the lens of economic opportunity. Implementing best water management practices in a region like southeast Louisiana will require the overhaul of a field that has remained largely static for nearly a century. The good news is that we can again become a world water management leader, and in the process create a new, dynamic economic sector. Consider the needs – and the possibilities.
Job Training and Workforce Development Greater New Orleans needs a major workforce upgrade — from increasing the number of workers in existing trades, like pipe fitting and welding, to encouraging engineers and designers to include water management in their plans. Delgado Community College and the New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board have launched a joint venture to jump-start training, but the city will need many more educational opportunities. This could include entirely new curricula for high schools. Maintenance and Repair As we implement new systems, we will need to maintain, repair and even upgrade them constantly. Currently, fear of maintenance is a major impediment to progress on water management. From
landscaping and street repairs to technical operations and controls, new business opportunities abound. Technological Innovation The unprecedented scope of the work required to restore coastal wetlands demands multiple new ideas and approaches. Urban water management will also benefit from new technologies and methodologies. “The Water Challenge,” held during Entrepreneur Week, showcased several fascinating new concepts. While serving on the Advisory Committee for the Stormwater Plan, I traveled to the Netherlands and saw firsthand the large variety of techniques used to manage water in that country. Keep in mind that while government is the major player in terms of water management decision-making, much of the design and construction for government entities is typically done in the private sector. Additionally, private sector developments offer opportunities for pilot projects that can showcase new technologies and blend in with future government projects. In the early 1900s, New Orleans was the world leader in stormwater management and it should reclaim that status in the near future. This is one situation where even cutting-edge entrepreneurs can go with the f low. n Photo Thinkstock
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Columns | Biz Etiquette
The Interview You got one: Now what?
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Melanie Warner Spencer is editor of
New Orleans Bride Magazine. Her writing has appeared in the Austin American-Statesman, the Houston Chronicle, the Chicago Tribune and Reuters. Spencer’s ever-expanding library of etiquette books is rivaled only by her everready stash of blank thank-you notes. Submit business etiquette questions to Melanie@ MyNewOrleans.com.
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hether you’re a recent college graduate, are reentering the workforce after raising children, looking to change careers or just change your workplace, it’s never a bad idea to brush up on the basics of job interview etiquette. 1) Do your research. Not only is it a good idea to go to your interview armed with knowledge and information about the company to which you are applying — and the industry as well — it’s also important to know how long it takes to get to the office, how employees dress, and any other intelligence you can glean about the company’s culture. You may want to make a visit before your interview. That way you can gauge travel time and avoid being late on the day of your interview. While you are there, pop into the reception area. What is the atmosphere? What is the attire? Are there brochures that could provide a bit of useful information?
If showing up in person isn’t possible, you can always call the human resources department and say, “I’m interviewing for a job at your company. Would you please explain the dress code?” 2) Be the early bird. Aim to arrive 10 to 15 minutes early. This leaves you time to review notes, compose yourself and consider questions for the interviewer. This also allows you a little wiggle room if you get stuck in traffic. If you are running late for any reason, call ahead and let them know. However, it’s better to leave early just in case, even if that means you end up sitting in the parking lot for a while. 3) Dress for success. While not every workplace has a dress code, that doesn’t mean you’re free to dress down. Again, learn the company’s policy in advance and dress accordingly. For some jobs, this could mean every day is casual Friday, so a “dressy” jeans outfit is appropriate.
In a corporate office environment, suits, dresses and traditional business attire is de rigueur. Always err on the side of dressing conservatively, and wear neat, well-fitted (not too loose, tight or short) clothing free of stains, holes and tears. Keep jewelry tasteful and minimal, and piercings and tattoos covered up. Makeup should be simple, and women with long hair should wear it in a style that’s tidy and not distracting. The idea is to keep the focus on you, your accomplishments and what you can bring to the job. This is not the time to try and make a statement. 4) Make eye contact and shake hands. Both during introductions and farewells, it’s imperative that you look the interviewer in the eye and offer a firm handshake. If you aren’t sure about your handshake, ask a friend you trust for no-holds-barred feedback. If you have a weak handshake or one that’s too enthusiastic (you don’t want to crush anyone’s fingers), practice until you get it right. Even if you are shy, get comfortable looking your interviewer in the eye, not only during the handshake, but also throughout the meeting. 5) Show your appreciation. Don’t forget to thank your interviewer for his or her time and consideration, both in person and in writing. An email followup is sufficient, but a handwritten thank you note could help you stand out in a crowd of applicants. Consider the industry and the interviewer and go with your instinct, keeping in mind that in high-tech industries an email would be better received, whereas in the nonprofit world, handwritten notes are still relevant. If you go with the latter, opt for simple, professional stationery. Keep it brief, and if you have terrible handwriting, get a friend to write it for you. Lagniappe: Remember, it’s acceptable to ask questions about the remainder of the process, like “What’s the next step?” and “How soon do you hope to make a decision?” These inquiries are expected and appropriate, but hold onto salary questions unless the interviewer brings it up first. Happy hunting! n Photo Thinkstock
Host your next private event in our beautiful
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Columns | Technology
Car Sharing Killed the Taxi Star Uber and Lyft are here: Does that mean taxis will disappear?
F Jason Perry is Director of the Drupal Practice for Fig Leaf Software. Maybe you will be his Uber driver from Ms Mae’s to New Orleans East? In the meantime find him on twitter at @jasonmperry or email him at me@ jasonmichaelperry.com.
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or technology companies, a key goal is to disrupt the status quo. Think about it: The spreadsheet disrupted the accounting industry. The iPhone changed cellphones. And Tesla is working to change our views on driving electric cars. This April, New Orleans felt the shockwaves of another tech disruption with the City Council’s passage of legislation allowing operation of Uber and Lyft. If you are not familiar, Uber and Lyft are ride sharing or transportation network companies. Using a smartphone, you can request a driver pick you up and take you where you need to go. The app offers real-time tracking of the driver and passenger’s location. As you wait, you can watch your driver navigate with a small car icon overlaid on a map of the city. Once the car arrives, hop in and you’re on your way. At the end
of each trip, the transaction gets charged directly to a preselected credit card on file. Unlike with a taxi, cash is never a factor, wait times are always evident, and better yet, there’s never a need to stand on the corner waving, hoping to hail a passing taxi. In most markets, drivers for Uber and Lyft are not full-time workers like normal cabbies. Uber has long offered a service, even in New Orleans, for black car and limousine pickup, but recently passed legislation allows private individuals to become part-time drivers. With the new service, anyone can spend a few hours after work or on weekends as a human courier and earn some extra cash. For Uber and Lyft, this allows them to charge cheaper rates. How much cheaper, you ask? Taxi cabs in New Orleans cost a $3.50 base fee plus $2 a mile, $1 for each additional passenger and
$1 a minute for waiting. Uber X (the cheapest of Uber’s services) starts with a base fare of $1.75 plus $1.35 a mile and .25 per minute for waiting. But beware surge rates! Uber uses a special formula to determine peak periods — when fewer drivers are available. During these periods, when demand is high, Uber will multiply the per-mile rate. Many news outlets have reported stories of extreme rate increases during disasters, or large events (think JazzFest). As can be expected, the taxi group getting disrupted is not happy, and in a way, the City Council has created an uneven playing field for traditional taxis. Of course, this begs the question for taxi drivers: Why not quit and join Uber or Lyft? For travelers, relying on part-time citizens as drivers does have a notable setback. In major cities like New York or Washington, D.C., where Uber and Lyft are more established, drivers who don’t know the area well have gotten lost. While many taxi drivers study city maps, a new parttime driver may not know the back alleys of the Garden District or how to maneuver eastern New Orleans. A friend of mine in Washington, D.C., once found herself 20 miles from home after her driver got lost. She eventually made it home, but not without losing time — time she may not have lost with a taxi. Will having a smartphone or computer become a requirement for transportation? If so, what about people without a smartphone, or the elderly, who may use a taxi to get groceries? In the end, car-sharing services may be just a blip on the radar. Many have prophesied that car ownership itself is ready to be disrupted as every major car manufacturer is readying a self-driving car. Imagine, in the near future you could say into your watch: “Send a car to come get me,” and within minutes, one of a fleet of self-driving cars would arrive, ready to whisk you to the next destination — for a monthly fee, of course. n Photo Thinkstock
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Biz Bits - Industry News Around town
Lessons learned from Macondo are being applied to processes and containment technology every day, and commitment to improve response capabilities has never been greater. - Don Armijo, CEO of Marine Well Containment Company. Armijo spoke in New Orleans in early April about the latest technology and advancements to increase safety in the Gulf.
Baker Donelson Recognized Among Best Places to Work for New Dads
Leadership Jefferson Graduates Latest Class The Jefferson Chamber Foundation’s Leadership Jefferson program graduated its 2015 class during a May 7 ceremony at the New Orleans Marriott Metairie at Lakeway. Participants included employees from various industry leaders, including Entergy, Ochsner Health System, GNO Inc. and program sponsor Peoples Health. Leadership Jefferson is a nine-month program designed to develop a diverse network of dedicated business and community leaders. Facilitated by a professional leadership team, the interactive workshops expose participants to local leaders and activists working to resolve critical issues facing Jefferson Parish. Specific session topics include education, healthcare, quality of life concerns, criminal justice, diversity and economic development. The application period for the 2016 class is open through Aug. 10, 2015. The cost is $1,350 for Chamber members and $1,500 for non-members. There is a $50 application fee. For an application, call the Chamber office at (504) 835-3880.
Recent Louisiana Rankings n
No. 2 of “Top Competitive States for 2014”
(up from 4th place in 2013) n
-Site Selection Magazine
7th Best State for Business in the U.S. According to CEOs Nationwide
(state’s highest position ever – greatest improvement of any state in the past seven years) -Chief Executive Magazine
The law firm of Baker Donelson has been named among the “50 Best Places to Work for New Dads” in a report compiled by Fatherly, a digital lifestyle guide for men entering parenthood. With a growing demographic of active and engaged millennial fathers, this first-of-its-kind report highlights the best paternity benefits offered by leading companies in the United States, focusing on factors that create a positive workplace for working parents. Baker Donelson was highlighted for its gender-neutral parental leave policy, which allows for three weeks of paid leave for non-primary caregivers. The leave can be taken consecutively or used over a 20-week period. Primary caregivers are eligible to take 16 weeks of paid leave, which can also be taken consecutively or used intermittently over a 40-week period.
NASA Awards Xavier Cooperative Battery Project $5 Million The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has awarded a five-year, $5 million grant to a Xavier University of Louisiana cooperative project. The project seeks to both improve the performance and safety of lithium batteries and create a reliable pipeline of under-represented minority undergraduates prepared for careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). The grant was one of 10 awarded nationally to minority-serving universities, totaling almost $47 million. A panel of education and technical experts reviewed 76 proposals and selected the winning projects.
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GNO, Inc. Named Among Top 20 Economic Development Organizations in the Country
GNOEA Names Its 2014 Executive of the Year
The journal Site Selection has named GNO, Inc. one of the “Top 20 Economic Development Organizations in the United States.” Over the past year, the Greater New Orleans region has experienced $3.4 billion in capital investment and created 1,988 new direct jobs. Site Selection also judged organizations based on capital investment, jobs per capita and investment per capita, the creativity of the economic development strategy, scope of project activity, and the ability to accurately document the link between the organization and real results.
The Greater New Orleans Executives Association (GNOEA) named John Benton, president of Bayou Tree Service, “Executive of the Year for 2014.” The announcement was made at GNOEA’s Executive of the Year Banquet, held May 8 at The Southern Yacht Club. As head arborist and president of Bayou Tree Service, Benton has established the company as one of the premier tree preservation firms in Louisiana and Mississippi. Since 1980, Bayou Tree Service has been dedicated to the care and preservation of the area’s historic trees. Some of the company’s notable clients include Audubon Park, City Park and Tulane University.
Ochsner Health System First in Nation to Manage Chronic Diseases with Apple Watch
Ducks Unlimited Receives Millions in Grants for Gulf Coast Restoration
New Orleansbased Ochsner Health System is the first hospital in the nation to manage patients suffering from chronic diseases using the new Apple Watch. The Apple Watch is used to enhance the effectiveness of the Ochsner Hypertension Digital Medicine Program, a pilot program that tracks several hundred patients who are struggling to control their blood pressure. Through wireless blood pressure cuffs integrated with AppleHealthKit and Epic, Ochsner’s Electronic Medical Record (EMR), patients regularly measure their blood pressure and heart rate at home while the data is sent directly to the clinic for monitoring. Specialized pharmacists review the data in real time to make medication adjustments and lifestyle recommendations as needed to ensure good blood pressure control. Results are incorporated into MyOchsner, the system’s online patient portal, so that patients have access to their EMR and can receive progress reports on their status.
Ducks Unlimited has been awarded five North American Wetlands Conservation Act grants to support its restoration efforts along the Gulf Coast. More than $4.6 million in NAWCA funding will be combined with nearly $10 million in partner funding to restore more than 21,800 acres in coastal Texas and Louisiana. These projects will provide high-quality foraging habitat capable of supporting more than 70,000 ducks throughout the winter.
Greater New Orleans Foundation Honors the Ford Foundation The Ford Foundation, which since 1983 has invested more than $47 million in 76 organizations serving the Greater New Orleans area, is this year’s recipient of the Greater New Orleans Foundation’s Spark Plug Award. The award was presented to Ford Foundation President, Darren Walker, at the Greater New Orleans Foundation’s biennial meeting May 14 at the Carver Theatre. In addition to its various initiatives to improve the quality of life in the region, in the 1990s, the Ford Foundation worked with GNOF to create an affordable housing program that became a national model. The relationship further developed following Hurricane Katrina with the Ford Foundation’s investment in the Unified New Orleans Plan, a stronger Central City, and additional support for affordable housing and economic opportunity for all.
Eastern New Orleans Residents Impacted by BP Oil Spill Celebrate New Community Health Center New Orleans East Louisiana Community Health Center (NOELA CHC) celebrated the grand opening of its 9,000-square-foot facility on April 27. The new health center will serve more than 8,000 patients in Greater New Orleans this year alone. The facility is designed to serve eastern New Orleans, an area hit hard by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster. With one in three people living in the area working in the seafood industry, the impact of the spill disproportionately affected the health and livelihood of local residents. The clinic is equipped with state-of-the art technology, employs trilingual workers, and will substantially expand services for patients.
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PROMOTION
POWER LUNCH HOT SPOTS Close your next deal at one of these business-friendly bistros.
Copeland’s of New Orleans
Heritage Grill by Ralph Brennan
Jefferson • Metairie • Kenner • Harvey • Covington • Slidell CopelandsOfNewOrleans.com
111 Veterans Blvd., Metairie | (504) 934-4900 HeritageGrillMetairie.com
Copeland’s of New Orleans combines New Orleans flavor and comfort in a casual dining atmosphere. Known for its’ from-scratch cuisine, Copeland’s features a delicious combination of appetizers and small plates, which are great for all your lunch experiences.
Ralph Brennan’s Heritage Grill is Metairie’s go-to power lunch spot for mixing mid-day business with pleasure. Located inside Heritage Plaza office tower, it’s easily accessible from Metairie, mid-city and downtown. Free Parking and wifi, daily specials, comfortable seating, seamless service and Ralph Brennan hospitality.
Marti’s
Café Adelaide
1041 Rue Dumaine, New Orleans | 504-522-5478 MartisNola.com
300 Poydras St. | (504) 595-3305 CafeAdelaide.com
Housed in the historic Gentilich Building across from Louis Armstrong Park, Marti’s is a reincarnation of a French Quarter classic. Come relax and sip cocktails in the “Peristyle Bar” where Tennessee Williams spent many of his nights. Or settle into our elegant dining room to enjoy our farm to table bistro menu with a focus on locally sourced seafood. Marti’s also offers a wide range of catering packages from weddings to luncheons.
Lunch at Café Adelaide is the CBD’s best-kept secret. Chef Carl’s modern, playful Creole dishes pair with handcrafted cocktails or a glass from the wine list curated by Commander’s Palace Wine Guy Dan Davis. If you’re feeling naughty, enjoy a 25-cent martini! It’s the best of business and pleasure combined. Valet parking is always our treat!
As of Nov. 25, 2014, Brennan’s, the restaurant at 417 Royal Street that started the Brennan family’s culinary legacy in 1946, has a new look.
Coming Home Restaurateur Ralph Brennan leads Biz New Orleans on a personal tour through the newly renovated Brennan’s and discusses plans for his latest high profile acquisition. BY Kimberley Singletary
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Photo by Cheryl Gerber
F
rom the moment he appeared, descending from the second floor of 417 Royal Street, one thought stood out to me: Now this is a man clearly in his element. Jovial and relaxed, Ralph Brennan stuck out his hand and welcomed me to Brennan’s in a manner much less like a businessman than a proud new homeowner, delighting in every detail around him. This may be because Brennan’s, officially the eighth business owned by Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group, is a bit different from all the rest. Not only does it happen to be the birthplace of his family’s empire (doors opened in 1946), but it also served for years as Brennan’s own personal playground, the setting of many of his most cherished childhood memories. “I had the ability to play in this restaurant,” he says, glancing around the dining room. “I’d come over here with my aunts when I’d spend weekends with my grandparents — my aunts lived with them. They’d all work until around 8 or 9 o’clock and then we’d have dinner. While they worked, I played. This was my playhouse.” By 1974, as Brennan was finishing up a degree in finance at Tulane University, the Brennan family, now known for both Brennan’s and Commander’s Palace, became deeply divided. “My three cousins kept this restaurant with their mother, and the rest of the family went to Commander’s Palace,” Brennan explains. “At that point, there wasn’t really any opportunity for me so I had to go get a job. And as it turned out I made a great decision.” Brennan earned an MBA and spent eight years working as a CPA at Price Waterhouse. “Price Waterhouse was a great company to work with,” he says. “The variety and diversity of clients taught me a lot real fast and I really appreciate that. It was almost like getting an extra graduate degree in a lot of ways.” When he did enter back into the family business, Brennan quickly began making his own mark, opening restaurants around the city and even branching out to Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen at the Disneyland Resort. By 2013, Brennan’s old playhouse was in deep financial trouble. Brennan stepped in, and, along with business partner Terry White, purchased the restaurant in May 2013. “I just didn’t want it to go outside the family,” he says. And so it came that finally, 40 years after he last stepped foot in the restaurant, Brennan found himself coming home. Biz: What was that like? Coming back to the restaurant after 40 years, this time as the new owner? RB: It was a really emotional experience. It had changed a lot over the years and I just thought, “I want to do something really special.” Biz: Where did you begin? RB: First thing is, I wanted to have an elevator. When we renovated Ralph’s on the Park we put an elevator in and that’s the best thing we did. I really think it’s important to have one these days. And we also had to move the restrooms to comply with ADA. Of course when we started doing that, it gave us an opportunity to really rework the downstairs. Biz: One of the most noted changes you made was to create a new dining room. RB: When my family built the restaurant in 1955 and 56 they put the kitchen along the front of the restaurant. They were trying to get more seats around the courtyard. Apparently the kitchen in the previous restaurant, Patio Royal, was on that side, on the service wing
Ralph Brennan stands in the Morphy Room, a new addition to the upstairs named for the famous American chess player Paul Morphy. Photo by Cheryl Gerber
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of the building, so they moved the kitchen up front. Well we figured out the thing to do was to turn the kitchen 90 degrees. By doing that, we opened up a room for the dining room to overlook Royal Street. Biz: The bar is also a lot larger. RB: These days bars are very important. We took the area that was formerly the very small main dining room and made it into the bar. It was Kathleen and Terry (White)’s idea to have the bar overlooking the courtyard, and I think it was a great one. Biz: Speaking of the courtyard, it looks incredible. RB: It really is special. I think it’s one of the most unique courtyards in the Quarter because it’s so big. I wanted it to be a focal point for the restaurant but we had to do a lot to it first. We had to redo all the drainage, for example, and take two large planters out to open it up. That also gave us the ability to put tents up if requested. Biz: In the green dining room, the Chanteclair Room, are those Mardi Gras paintings? RB: (laughing) That’s a funny story actually. They’re prints, done by an Englishman years ago. When I saw them, it was the seashell float one that actually caught my attention. I kept looking at it thinking, “Wait a minute, this has to be…” So I was in Henri Schindler’s apartment one day — he’s a big expert on Mardi Gras — and he was giving me some advice about the king and queen’s rooms upstairs. I decided to show him some of the prints. He laughed and told me to turn around. There on his wall was the parade bulletin from Proteus of 1895, and there were the pictures. These are all Proteus floats. Biz: Back past that dining room there’s some construction going on, what’s back there? RB: That’s the wine cellar. While some of my favorite memories are Photos by Cheryl Gerber
1: One of Brennan’s additions to the restaurant was the Queen’s Room, a private dining room upstairs that celebrates Mardi Gras queens past and present. 2: What was formerly the wine cellar at Brennan’s is being transformed into a unique and intimate dining experience. 3: Renovations included expanding the bar area, which now overlooks the courtyard.
definitely watching the Mardi Gras parades from the balcony upstairs, I’d have to say a close second would be the memories I have of playing in the wine cellar. I was fascinated by the bottles and the labels. Biz: What are you doing with that space? RB: It’s actually going to be my take on a chef’s table. We’ve never had a chef’s table in this restaurant, like a lot of places do, because when you look at the kitchen, the width, we just couldn’t do it. So that’s what this is going to be — a place where people will be able to order some special menus if they’d like and the chef can prepare some special items. We’ve put in this huge table, made from an old cypress tree. The table is so big we had to put it in before we finished the room. I think this room is going to be my favorite. Biz: When will it open? RB: We should be open by the end of May — that’s what we’ve been promised. I think we’ll probably really start selling it for the fall. I believe we’ll be able to seat about 18. Biz: This was a really extensive renovation. Is there anything, any area, that you didn’t touch? RB: We touched everything. Probably the only thing that’s the same downstairs is the carriageway. Biz: With all the changes, how do you balance that sense of history and preservation with progress? BizNewOrleans.com June 2015
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RB: You just have to be careful. What we tried to do here is we wanted to honor the traditions, which is why you still see dishes like Bananas Foster and Strawberry Crepes Fitzgerald. Slade (Slade Rushing, chef) actually has a picture of Brennan’s original chef in the kitchen – Paul Blangé. He was the chef here when I was young and he helped create Brennan’s and breakfast at Brennan’s. You have to honor the tradition, but at the same time, you have to recognize the times that you’re in. You can’t be stagnant. Biz: Speaking of moving ahead, as of April 30, you are the new owner of the Napoleon House, a restaurant the Impastato family has run for 101 years. That’s another place with a lot of history. With Brennan’s you could come in and really make some changes, put your stamp on it. But with the Napoleon House, you’ve stated clearly that you’re not going to do that. What attracted you to it then? RB: History and tradition. I wanted to maintain it. I’ve loved the building. I love going there. I’m not a Pimm’s Cup drinker but I am a Sazerac drinker and they make a pretty good one. My office is two blocks away, so every once in a while I’d go in there. I was first f lattered and honored that they called me. I’m going to go in there and spend a lot of time before we touch anything. Biz: You do have some changes in mind though? RB: With regard to the menu, I’m not going to change a thing. But one of the things I am looking at is possibly putting in an elevator. There’s this beautiful private dining room upstairs and there’s no way to get up there except the stairs. I’ve been talking to Sal (Impastato). His sisters were telling me that’s been a big challenge 40
June 2015 BizNewOrleans.com
Packed with history, the Napoleon House (500 Chartres Street) was acquired by Ralph Brennan on April 30. Brennan purchased the property from the Impastato family, who ran the business for 101 years.
for them. I have an idea. It might be a two-step process, but we might be able to work something out. Biz: You’ve spent essentially your entire life in and around the restaurant industry. How have you seen it change? RB: There are a lot more restaurants now, and I think it’s exciting. There are so many talented people out there opening new restaurants that it’s hard to keep up. I try to go eat in all the new ones and my list only gets longer. I can’t knock enough off. I think it bodes well for the city. Food and beverage have always been an important part of the city. Biz: You’ve had a lot of success in an industry that has a high rate of failure. What advice would you give budding restaurateurs? RB: Two things: One, it’s a business and you have to run it like a business. And two, it’s hard. What makes it hard is executing every day. That’s what I tell all of our people. You have to do it everyday, every meal period, every customer. It’s all the little things that make a difference. It’s pretty easy, operationally, to get most of it right but it’s the little things that differentiate you and you have to work hard at that. Biz: What is the state of the family now? Is there still a rift? RB: Well…we’re family… I’ll just leave it at that. Biz: What does the future look like for the Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group? RB: (laughing) I don’t know where we’re headed. I hate to say that, Photo by Greg Miles
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but I mean, what’s happened to us in the past four years — with Brennan’s sort of falling in our lap and now Napoleon House — they were not in any sort of strategic plan that I had, but it happened and they’re great opportunities. Biz: You seem to be very personally involved in all the “little things” at your restaurants. Does that mean you’re going to hit a ceiling in terms of expansion? RB: That’s a great question, because I may be reaching that point. We’re a little stressed right now and we need to hire a few people. I am actually thinking about reorganizing my senior group a little bit. We have really key people but we have a lot on our plate right now, so that is definitely high on my agenda. Biz: What is the biggest day-to-day challenge in business for you? RB: The biggest challenge is staffing the restaurants — all of the restaurants. Managers, service personnel, kitchen, utility staff, we’re short everywhere, and I don’t think we’re the only ones. Brennan’s magnifies that a little bit because it’s new and so much bigger, but I’ve talked to all my cousins and they say the same. I had dinner with some of my peers in the industry the other night when we were up in Washington together with the Louisiana Restaurant Association and we were talking about it over dinner. Everybody is looking for good people. Biz: Is the industry doing anything to address this need? RB: My cousins are working on a project called NOCHI (the New Orleans Culinary and Hospitality Institute). They took over the old arts building on Howard and Carondelet and they’re trying to put a culinary and hospitality program in there. That will be a real plus 42
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Mary Matalin and James Carville enjoy a meal in the new Chanteclair dining room amidst prints of Mardi Gras floats from the Krewe of Proteus in 1895.
when it happens (slated to open in Fall 2016), but right now I think most of the training and development really happens internally to the restaurant. We were actually talking early today about promoting some people from within. Most of our managers come from within because once they’ve been with you a long time they understand what’s important and what your core values are and how you think. When we do bring some managers in from the outside — which we did here with Brennan’s — we try to indoctrinate them as fast as we can into what we’re looking for. Biz: And what are you looking for? Is there a “Brennan’s Way” of doing things? RB: I guess our motto is to always make people happy and enjoy the thrill of doing so. That’s what we try to do everyday and you need people who want to do that, you need people who are genuinely interested in service and making sure every guest leaves happy. But it’s not just front of house staff. Your culinary team needs to be focused on the customer. For instance, if a customer has a special request, we need to honor it. The more customers you can get to leave smiling and happy — that’s how you build your reputation. Take it from a man who knows how it’s done. n
Photo by Cheryl Gerber
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The Sky’s The Limit BY Anne Roderique–Jones
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With rapidly increasing flight options, the Crescent City is poised to be a major player in the airlift industry.
A
longside record-breaking visitor numbers over the past few years, New Orleans’ airport — Louis Armstrong International — is fast becoming a global player, securing the title in 2013 of fastest-growing airport between 5 and 10 million passengers for its colossal air service growth of 7.1 percent. With this foundation of success, two new airlines will start service just in time for summer travel: Copa Airlines, a Latin American company, will offer nonstop f lights between New Orleans and Panama City four times a week starting June 24. On June 16, Silver Airways will begin its nonstop, twice-daily service to Birmingham, Alabama, and once-daily service to Pensacola, Florida. According to Michael Hecht, CEO of Greater New Orleans Inc., each additional airline and f light is a crucial step for the city’s future. “There is probably no single lever that we can pull in economic development that will have as broad and positive a seismic impact as air connectivity,” he says. “Every time that we add a new route, or better yet, a new airline, we are creating a possibility for new visitors and new business in ways that go beyond what we can even imagine.” In addition to Copa Airlines and Silver Airways, Branson AirExpress and PEOPLExpress have begun offering new and affordable regional routes, while United, Delta and Southwest Airlines have added service to U.S. destinations and Mexico.
Copa Airlines
With 73 destinations in 30 countries, Copa Airlines is one of America’s fastest-growing air carriers. According to Pedro Heilbron, CEO of the airlines, “One of the key elements of Copa’s business strategy is to expand our network by offering new service to regional destinations and increasing flight frequencies where it makes sense for our operations.” On June 24, New Orleans will be the 11th U.S. destination, adding nonstop service to the airlines’ roster. Heilbron explains that Copa expects
to grow 6 percent and transport approximately 12.27 million passengers in 2016. “Our sustained growth in the last few years has allowed us to strengthen our leadership position in the region and establish the Hub of the Americas at Tocumen International Airport in Panama City as the most complete and efficient hub for travel to, from and within Latin America. Copa Airlines’ connectivity has promoted business and contributed to increased commercial opportunities and investment in the countries where we operate.”
RIGHT PAGE: Copa Airlines will re-establish New Orleans’ air connection to Latin America with service to Panama City starting June 24. LEFT PAGE: Tocumen International Airport (AKA -the Hub of the Americas) in Panama. Photos courtesy of Copa Airline
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He says establishing service in New Orleans makes perfect sense for the airline because Greater New Orleans is home to a large Central American community and Latinos from many other countries of origin. As such, the city supports considerable air traffic to and from South America. “Overall, Copa’s Panama-New Orleans f light has the potential to make a substantial contribution to tourism and economic development between Louisiana, Panama and the rest of Latin America,” he says. “The city really understands the importance of international air service in today’s global economy and the need for connectivity to Latin America.” Copa passengers are offered complimentary meal service, wine and spirits, and inf light entertainment systems in Spanish, English and Portuguese. Heilbron expects the initial mix to be about 40 percent business travelers, though the airline will offer opportunity for leisure travel as well. “Panama offers amazing birdwatching and eco-tourism and a thriving adventure segment — with rock climbing, kayaking, whitewater rafting, snorkeling, zip-line 46
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rides, jungle-boat rides at Gatun Lake or a visit to an indigenous tribal settlement. Panama has great beaches and islands, with five-star hotels, convention facilities, year-round good weather, great coffee and food, colorful festivals and folklore. The city itself offers everything from great hotels, restaurants and nightlife, to the Casco Antiguo historic district, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is home to beautiful 16th- and 17th-century Spanish and French Colonial architecture … I could go on and on,” says Heilbron, who also mentions the booming hotel industry, with 3,000 new rooms ready by the end of 2015. Copa passengers are offered one free stopover per itinerary at no additional charge. For example, if someone wants to vacation in Costa Rica but also wants to stop in Panama City for a couple of days, they can do so for free.
Silver Airways
Silver Airways, the largest independent airline based out of Florida, will offer two new routes from New Orleans starting June 16. The carrier, currently averag-
On June 16, Silver Airways will begin nonstop service from New Orleans to Birmingham, Alabama and Pensacola, Florida.
ing 145 daily f lights, will establish nonstop service between New Orleans and Birmingham, Alabama, twice a day, along with nonstop daily service between New Orleans and Pensacola, Florida — just in time for summer travel season. Travel time to Birmingham, perhaps for the Talladega Superspeedway in Lincoln — takes just an hour and a half. A f light to Pensacola takes an hour. The benefits for local travelers are clear. “You can drive to these destinations in four or five hours,” says Jamie Kogutek, vice president of network planning for Silver Airways. “But now, if you’re a businessperson, you can get there and back in the same day and get home to your family.” For leisure travelers he notes, “if you’re going to Pensacola, you can spend more time on the beach. [And] if you’re going to Birmingham, you can spend more time at your destination and out of the car.” Kogutek says the new f lights will also boost economic growth in New Orleans. Photo courtesy of Silver Airways
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“Those coming to New Orleans are going to have more time to spend now in the Quarter,” he says, “and more time means more dollars in the community, and that is critical to New Orleans’ economy.” Silver Airways’ turbo prop plane is designed to work more like a private aircraft than a commercial one. Here, Kogutek says, the emphasis is on saving time. A ramp allows passengers to board and deplane quickly, and a valet service for luggage ensures customers aren’t left waiting in baggage claim. The 34-seat airplanes features f light attendants and drink service. Silver Airways also f lies to Jacksonville, Florida, with a 30-minute stop on the ground in Birmingham.
The Future of Air Travel in NOLA
“The fact that our airport is the fastestgrowing in the country and we are now regaining broad international air connectivity means that the New Orleans region is posited to move from being a top second-tier location to once again being a truly global destination.” Hecht says, adding that Louisiana is No. 1 in the nation in terms of foreign direct investment in capital. He says that if the area is to continue growing, it’s critical that companies have access to the airport. “The more that airlines like Silver help to integrate the region with the third coast — which extends from Houston to the Florida Panhandle — the more we’re going to grow as an economic community. By connecting residents of New Orleans with our sister cities throughout the Gulf Coast, Silver Airlines is going to help increase the f low of individual jobs and wealth throughout the South.” Hecht says that GNO, Inc. has developed a set of six major issues that need to be addressed in order to ensure the continued growth of the region. One of the six is international airlift — including reconnection to Central and South America, as well as Europe. With the former checked off the list, Hecht reveals that the organization is currently deep in discussions to add a European f light. “In the world of economic development,” he says, “there is nothing that surpasses airlift as a driver of economic growth and wealth creation.” n
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Looking for a Summer Travel Destination? The following are recently added (and upcoming) flight options. n Birmingham, Alabama Nonstop flights twice a day begin June 16 via Silver Airways.
Lakefront Airport with hopes for year-round expansion.
n
n Indianapolis, Indiana Nonstop service through Allegiant Air
n Cancun Nonstop service is now available via United Airlines, Branson Air Express and Delta Airlines
n Memphis, Tennessee Southern Airways Express is offering nonstop flights at Lakefront Airport from Memorial Day to Labor Day with hopes for year-round expansion.
Branson, Missouri Operated by Orange Air, Branson Air Express now offers nonstop flights.
n Cincinnati, Ohio Flights are now available (with a layover in Branson) via Branson Air Express, along with a nonstop option through Allegiant Air. n Columbus, Ohio Nonstop service through Allegiant Air
Destin, Florida Southern Airways Express is offering nonstop flights from Memorial Day to Labor Day at n
n Orlando-Sanford, Florida Allegiant Air now offers nonstop flights. n Panama Starting June 24, Copa Airlines will offer nonstop flights four times a week.
Pensacola, Florida Once-daily service begins June 16 via Silver Airways. n
Photo Thinkstock
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Guest View Point
Credit Unions: Are They a Fit for You? Louisiana credit unions saw an 8 percent increase in loans in 2014.
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In addition to her role as President/CEO of Louisiana Credit Union League, Anne Cochran leads CU Cooperative Branching, one of the most successful credit union cooperatives in the state. Next month, she will become the first female Chairman of the World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU). 50
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or millennials, from buying that first car or home to investing in a college education, choosing the right financial institution is an important step. Several options are available, regardless of where consumers are in their financial lives. Today, 1.2 million Louisianans choose credit unions — notfor-profit cooperatives with numerous benefits and personal services. Millennials entering their prime in the workforce may be drawn to the personal ownership philosophy. Since credit unions are owned by their members, profits are returned to members through lower loan rates and higher savings rates. Following are a few tips to help you decide if a credit union is right for you and if so, how to go about making the switch. n Find a credit union you are eligible to join. Credit unions
serve people according to where they work, where they live or worship, or whether they belong to other associations. More than 3 million people across the United States joined a credit union last year. Visit ASmarterChoice.org and CULookup.com to find out what you need to know about your eligibility. n Check if the credit union has what you are looking for. Are you looking for a mortgage? Is a savings account most important to you? Credit unions offer services and products identical to other financial institutions, such as credit cards, mortgages, IRAs and small business loans. Louisiana credit unions saw an 8 percent increase in loans in 2014. n Ask about free checking and debit. According to the Credit Union National Association, 72 percent of credit unions offer free
checking accounts ,compared to 38 percent of banks, and more than 70 percent have debit card programs, typically with no fees. n Consider the convenience factor. Thousands of credit unions share their branch facilities, allowing members of one credit union to use the shared branch networks of other credit unions. Today, many credit unions are part of nationwide ATM networks, which can save you those pesky ATM fees. n What about electronic services? Credit unions pioneered the concept of direct payroll deposit, and many offer a range of electronic banking services free of charge to members. n Ask about deposit insurance. Nearly all of the 7,500 credit unions in the U.S. are federally insured, meaning their deposits are insured up to $250,000 by a federal deposit insurance fund administered by the National Credit Union Administration. n Finally, if you’re interested, ask for a “switch kit”: Most credit unions provide switch kits to those interested in joining. A compilation of forms, rules and suggestions, switch kits have everything you may need to make your switch to a credit union as seamless as possible. Credit unions continue to be a consumer-friendly choice for people of all ages. As you think about where to entrust your hardearned money, small business or family car, take the time to find the financial institution that will best meet your individual financial needs. n
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Perspectives A closer look at hot topics in three southeast Louisiana industries
54 Insurance
58 Heathcare
62 Oil & Gas BizNewOrleans.com June 2015
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Perspectives | Insurance
Play or Pay Help for Businesses Navigating the Affordable Care Act By carolyn Heneghan
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ove it or hate it, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) is here. Individuals and businesses are now required by law to carry health insurance for either themselves or their employees — within certain parameters — or face penalties. Some of these penalties can mean a significant financial hit come tax time. The ACA intended to fix two issues in the U.S. healthcare industry. The first goal was to make it so that more people could be insured by forbidding insurance companies from asking potential insureds questions that would have previously disqualified them from coverage, such as whether they had pre-existing conditions.
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The ACA also attempted to rein in the skyrocketing costs of healthcare and encourage competitive pricing for health plans. While the media seems to focus on individuals’ attempts to get insurance, businesses — small, medium and large — have to address a number of new regulations as well. Some of these changes have been frustrating, and even harmful, to employers. From fundamental definition changes for employees to a federally mandated type and value of coverage, businesses have met the 900-plus pages of the ACA with confusion. Part of the reason is because ACA compliance varies widely from business to business, and among states, so no one-size-fits-all solution exists.
Photo Thinkstock
is your business small or large?
When it comes to calculating the number of full-time employees a business has, part-time labor counts. For example: Pre-ACA Let’s say a businesss has: 40 employees working 30 hours per week or less + 30 employees working 10 hours per week Total number of full-time employees = 0; Category: Small business Under ACA guidelines: 40 employees working 30 hours per week or less = 40 full-time employees (full-time defined now as 30 hours or more) + 30 employees working 10 hours per week: Take the total number of hours worked (300) and divide that number by 30 (hours required to be full-time). Those 30 part-time employees now equal 10 full-time employees. New total number of full-time employees = 50; Category: Large business
Small or Large? It’s Complicated What is considered a small business has changed with the ACA. At its most basic measure, a small business is one with fewer than 50 full-time employees. But the definition of a full-time employee has changed. For instance, it is now someone who works 30 hours per week, not 40. To further complicate matters, part-time employees, combined together, can now equal a full-time employee. To comply with ACA regulations, an employer must count the number of hours all part-time employees worked each month and divide that number by 30 hours — the amount of hours it takes to be considered a full-
Illustration Thinkstock
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time employee. If nine part-time employees each work 20 hours per week, that’s 180 work hours. The business would then take the 180 hours, divide it by 30 hours and come up with an equivalent of 6 full-time employees. The business must then include those “employees” in its number of employees that determine whether or not it is deemed a small or large business. This can have major implications for small businesses, particularly those who have only slightly fewer than the 50-employee threshold. Penalties Add up Fast Included in the list of ACA regulations are Section A and Section B. To comply with Section A, aka Section 4980H(a), businesses with 100 or more full-time employees must offer coverage to a certain percentage of their full-time employees: 70 percent for 2015 and 95 percent for 2016. Businesses may offer coverage to part-time employees, but they are not required to do so under Section A. Next year, this requirement extends to businesses with 50 or more employees. If a business offers coverage to fewer employees than the required percentage, it is vulnerable to a fine. If any one of that business’ employees signs up for a plan and draws subsidies from HealthCare.gov, the business will be fined $2,000 for each fulltime employee on its payroll — even if only one person draws subsidies from the marketplace. Large businesses, those defined as 50 or more full-time employees (under the ACA guidelines), must also abide by Section B regulations, aka Section 4980H(b), or face a penalty. Section B says that if a business offers coverage to its employees, that coverage must pass two tests: actuarial value and affordability. First, coverage must meet minimum requirements set by the ACA federal standard, also known as having the right actuarial value. Here, insurance carriers make things easier by certifying a plan with the actuarial value needed for compliance. Affordability, however, is more complicated, as businesses can measure affordability in different ways. Coverage can be deemed affordable if an employee is not asked to pay more than 9.5 percent of his/her wages for their share of the premium. If the premium is too high, the employee is free to reject the coverage offer and buy health insurance elsewhere, and if the employee goes to HealthCare.gov and draws subsidies from the
“Research recently said that over 40 percent of the people just walking around out there didn’t know the act had passed, didn’t know what it was, and didn’t know they’d be fined if they weren’t insured.” -Mike Bertaut, healthcare economist for Blue Cross/Blue Shield of LouisianA program, the employer is now marked for noncompliance. Unlike with noncompliance for Section A, in this case, the business would be fined $3,000 for each individual employee who draws subsidies. Businesses are required to self-report coverage information by filing a 1095-C form with their tax return. This form details the plans offered, to whom they were offered and how much they cost. The federal government collects and analyzes these forms to determine who is out of compliance and has earned fines. Educating the Masses Confusion and misinformation abound with the ACA. “I saw research recently that said over 40 percent of the people just walking around out there didn’t know the act had passed, didn’t know what it was, and didn’t know they’d be fined if they weren’t insured,” says Mike Bertaut, healthcare economist at Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Louisiana. “That was five years ago, and half of them still have no idea. So clearly outreach is the key. We have to let people know what they’re up against.” “Change depends on who you speak to, says Tony Cimino, director of sales and marketing for the LAHC. Formed as a result of the ACA, the Louisiana Health Cooperative (LAHC) is a nonprofit, member-owned organization that receives low-interest loans from the government and provides health insurance to local communities. “Healthcare insurance carriers can no longer increase rates for adverse risk. Before, health plans could require information about illnesses and could deny certain individuals coverage altogether if they had a severe illness the carrier didn’t want to cover. All that’s gone away now — no more health questions. For a lot of people this has been a godsend. Many couldn’t get insurance
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Photo Thinkstock and courtesy of Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Louisiana
Other Effects of the ACA n Employers are becoming better at managing their part-time employees and hours to avoid some of the ramifications of healthcare reform. n
Healthcare reform is also impacting employers’ hiring processes.
Employers must include dependents in healthcare coverage but do not have to subsidize those dependents, only the employee. n
n Employers have cut back on coverage so as not to exceed a certain limit and have to pay a “Cadillac tax” on top of usual coverage payments. n Employers are choosing to take the risk of penalties rather than paying the additional costs of healthcare plans.
at any price at one point. If they could, a lot of people could not afford it. This has really leveled the playing field for everyone.” To get the word out, insurance companies in New Orleans and Louisiana have begun various initiatives to explain the ACA and what it means for businesses and individuals. Companies like Gilsbar and Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Louisiana have dedicated time for speaking at conferences and hosting presentations and other informational events across the city and state. According to Derrek Barfield, senior sales executive at health and benefits management organization Gilsbar, one thing businesses absolutely should not do regarding the ACA is to sit and wait. The act is in effect, and if a business isn’t already compliant, the owner or employee in charge of benefits should determine what needs to happen as soon as possible or risk facing enormous penalties. “Consultants have tools that project into the future based on claims trends and other factors to see what an employer’s total healthcare costs will look like in the future,” Barfield said. “If an employer is missing or is over a certain target, then they need to be making incremental changes now.” “Waiting until the year in which the problem needs to be addressed can lead to a very disruptive and significant correction to their health plan,” Barfield continues. “It’s disruptive for employees and the business in general. Employers can make corrective actions with the advice of consultants to make small changes each year, and the strategy in place will be fine.” n
Illustration Thinkstock
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Perspectives | Healthcare
Keith LeBlanc, CEO of MHM Urgent Care and Occupational Health Services, says demand for urgent care services are being driven, at least in part, by long waits to see primary care physicians. According to the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, every parish in the state except St. Charles is experiencing a shortage in health care providers.
Priced out of Primary Care Rising health insurance deductibles have some turning to alternatives. By Judi Russell
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hen a sore throat and runny nose make you miserable smack dab in the middle of a frantic week at work, you want relief as soon as possible. Years ago, that might have meant calling your friendly family doctor and being told to come right in. Today, getting help is a lot more complicated. Primary care doctors are often booked up for days, and once you do get in, you can end up paying a triple-digit bill out of pocket thanks to a high deductible. Deductibles have climbed in the past few years for several reasons, says Sara Collins, vice president for health care coverage and access at the Commonwealth Fund. “We’ve increasingly seen 58
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over the last decade or so the use of deductibles, and the amount of deductibles has also increased in order to help employers share the cost of health insurance with their employees,” she says. The Fund is a nonprofit, nonpartisan foundation that supports research on health care policies. A report issued by the Fund says that in Louisiana, people who have employer-sponsored health insurance policies have seen their deductibles rise between 2003 and 2013 from an average of $623 to $1,137. In 2003, about 69 percent of these workers had a deductible; in 2013, that number rose to 86 percent. The trend began before the passage of the Affordable Care Act,
Photo courtesy of MHM Urgent Care
often called Obamacare, and has continued as some of the newly insured under the more affordable ACA plans found their policies came with high deductibles. Growth in deductibles has actually slowed in the past year or two, Collins says, but they can still take a big bite out of family budgets because incomes remained stagnant. Surveys show that people whose deductibles are more than 5 percent of their incomes are more likely to delay seeking health care, or avoid it altogether. In response to demand, some local business and health care professionals have opened a variety of same-day clinics. These clinics offer fast-track appointments with midlevel medical providers, such as physicians’ assistants and nurse practitioners, at a price that undercuts a typical primary care physician visit. MHM Urgent Care Keith LeBlanc, CEO of MHM Urgent Care and Occupational Health Services, says he thinks the driver behind the trend of retail clinics is the inability to get an appointment quickly with a primary care doctor. In fact, the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals says that in 2015, St. Charles Parish is the only area in the state not experiencing a shortage in health care providers. LeBlanc partnered with Dr. Gerald Cvitanovich and opened MHM Photo Thinkstock
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Urgent Care in New Orleans right after Hurricane Katrina. They now have 14 urgent care clinics and five occupational medicine clinics throughout Southeast Louisiana. MHM also operates a call center that directs those in need of services to their nearest clinic to make an appointment. MHM clinics take most insurance plans, along with Medicare and Medicaid, but LeBlanc says some patients choose to pay cash instead and receive a discount. “Sometimes people are better off with a cash payment,” he says, because their plans have such high deductibles. MHM clinics are open 365 days a year and are physician staffed. LeBlanc says the availability of same-day service also prevents unnecessary visits to hospital emergency rooms where care is pricier and patients can wait hours to get treatment. For private employers, MHM occupational medicine clinics handle pre-employment physicals, drug screening and worker’s compensation injuries. The clinics are best known for “episodic care,” but LeBlanc envisions helping employers control costs by partnering with preferred providers who can offer the continuing care some patients require. Kwik Clinic In his former occupation managing medical plans for large groups, businessman Edwin Miltenberger saw how frustrated people would get when they couldn’t get primary care appointments in a hurry. He also realized that many of their ailments – poison iv y, infections and cuts, for example – didn’t require treatment by an M.D. His solution was to open Kwik Clinic in 2011. The company now has one location in Covington and one in Franklinton, with plans to open in Hammond the beginning of July. At these clinics, nurse practitioners render care under the supervision of a physician. Miltenbergers says the feedback so far has been very positive. “This last year we were able to make a profit, and anticipate that this year will be better,” he says. “This 60
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is what the people want.” Patients who pay the same day receive a “prompt pay” discount, a savings passed down by the clinics who are spared the cost of filing the insurance. People have become more accustomed
TOP: At Kwik Clinic locations in Covington and Franklinton, nurse practitioners treat patients under the supervision of a physician — a move that cuts costs all around. BOTTOM: Chiropractor Dr. Chip Curtis, with All American Healthcare, offers a pain control alternative to surgery and injections. Photos courtesy of Kwik Clinic and All American Healthcare
By The Numbers: Premiums and Deductibles For people with employer-based health care insurance, premiums and deductibles rose significantly between 2003 and 2013 in Lousisana. 2003
2013
Average Premium $3,317 $5,300 Employee Premium Contribution $633 $1,214
Percent of employees with a deductible (single) 69% 86%
Deductible (single) $623 $1,137
to seeing a physician’s assistant or nurse practitioner, even in a physician’s office, Miltenberger says, and they can differentiate between ailments that can be handled at a walk-in clinic and those that need more extensive care. All American Healthcare Another result of rising health care premiums and deductibles is a rise in the use of alternative practitioners. Dr. Chip Curtis, a chiropractor with All American Healthcare clinics in New Orleans, Covington, Hammond and Shreveport, says many patients come to him with bigger co-pays and deductibles than ever. Although he does accept insurance, he notes that some patients are financially better off paying cash. Curtis says many of his patients find regular visits for chiropractic care can control or eliminate neck and back pain with much less cost than traditional surgery and injections. Chiropractic care emphasizes wellness, Curtis says. “Wellness is doing the things necessary to keep yourself from getting sick,” he says. Although chiropractors can recommend supplements, they do not prescribe medication. “A lot of people reach for those pain medications first,” he says. Curtis says patients often tell him they’re at the end of their rope dealing with pain, and after treatment say they wished they would have come to him earlier. “I’m extremely proud of my profession,” he says. n
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Perspectives | Oil & Gas
The 2010 Drilling Safety Rule, instituted by the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) in October 2010, has raised the standards for well design, casing, and cementing; all applications for drilling permits must meet these now more stringent requirements.
An Industry In Reform With drilling about to restart five years after the Deepwater Horizon spill, how have things changed? by Lucie Monk
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he Deepwater Horizon was 41 miles off the coast of Louisiana, at a drilling site called the Macondo Prospect, when the first explosion happened. It was close to 9 p.m. CDT in April 2010. High-pressure methane gas rocketed from an improperly closed exploratory well into the semi-submersible rig. Of the 126 crew members on board, 11 were never recovered, despite a subsequent search effort. Two days later, on the morning of April 22, the Deepwater Horizon sank into the Gulf. First evidenced by a telltale slick on the water’s surface, the leak of oil issuing from the seafloor continued for the next 87 days, finally capped on July 15, 2010. On Sept. 19, the well was declared officially sealed. The U.S. Department of Interior estimates a total of 4.9 million barrels of oil discharged from the damaged well into the Gulf of Mexico during that period of time. The oil spill had far-reaching effects, with marine and wildlife 62
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habitats along the Gulf Coast suffering extensive damage both from the oil itself and the ensuing cleanup efforts. According to the National Wildlife Federation, in the six months following the disaster, over 8,000 sea turtles, birds, and marine mammals were found dead along the Gulf Coast. Five years have passed since the catastrophe, which ranks as the largest accidental marine oil spill in the petroleum industry’s history. The high-profile spill – along with a consolidated civil suit against BP, who held a controlling share of the oil well, and other parties involved in the manufacturing and operations of the Deepwater Horizon — has set industry practices and regulations into sharp relief for a concerned public. Now, with drilling at Macondo Field set to begin again, how have the oil and gas companies sought to assuage fears of another fiasco? Photo courtesy of Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement
A worker cleans up oily waste on Elmer’s Island, just west of Grand Isle, Louisiana, May 21, 2010.
PUBLIC RESPONSE The environmental disaster hardly went unnoticed by the general public, who were brought to outcry by grim news reports and viral images of oil-coated creatures washing ashore. Over the summer of 2010, as oil continued to gush from the seafloor and drift toward the Gulf Coast, cleanup crews and rescue efforts assembled to do their part in stemming the flow of casualties. Oil needed to be contained and dispersed; animal populations throughout the region found their champions. On its company website, BP, deemed the responsible party by the federal government, estimates its own involvement in the response efforts at “approximately 48,000 people, the coordination of approximately 6,500 vessels and the deployment of approximately 2,500 miles (13.5 million feet) of boom to contain or absorb the oil” during that summer. The vigilant media coverage kept public awareness and outrage well fueled. For some, the only adequate response was an eye-foran-eye retribution for the parties involved in the spill. Others simply wanted to know, How did this happen? INVESTIGATION On April 30, 2010, just over a week after the Horizon sank, President Obama put a hold on new offshore drilling leases while the spill was under review. The defenses and safety measures of the rig, built by Transocean, were thoroughly investigated as commissions and experts searched for a weak link. While it was not the only protective barrier to fail, the vessel’s blowout preventer underwent particular scrutiny. The final report released by the National Commission on BP BizNewOrleans.com June 2015
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Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling also cited a failure of the operation to closely adhere to safety protocol, instead prioritizing costs and deadlines over potential risk. The report noted that the thrifty but reckless measures went unnoticed because the Department of Interior had “failed to create and apply a program of regulatory oversight that would have properly minimized the risk of deepwater drilling.” An Economic Giant The disastrous environmental impact of the oil spill, and the stern response from the federal government and other concerned parties, called into question the continuation of the industry’s brawny role in Louisiana. The loss would be significant, to put it lightly. According to “Energy Sector: A Giant Economic Engine for the Louisiana Economy,” a 2007 report by economist Dr. Loren C. Scott for the Louisiana MidContinent Oil and Gas Association, the industry was having an average annual impact of $70 billion on the state’s economy. The American Petroleum Institute reported that the industry generated 330,000 jobs in 2007 alone. INCREASED REGULATIONS In the years since the spill, the Obama Administration has placed more aggressive standards on companies in the oil and gas trade. On April 13, 2015, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell announced new regulations proposed as a result of recommendations given by representatives from academia, environmental groups, equipment manufacturers, federal agencies, and the oil and gas industry. Following the advice of these experts, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement has established baseline requirements for design, manufacture, repair and maintenance of the blowout preventers. “Both industry and government have taken important strides to better protect human lives and the environment from oil spills, and these proposed measures are designed to further build on critical lessons learned from the Deepwater Horizon tragedy and to ensure that offshore operations are safe,” said Secretary Jewell at the April 13 press conference announcing the proposed regulations. The 2010 Drilling Safety Rule, instituted by BSEE in October 2010, has also raised the standards for well design, casing, and cementing; all applications for drilling permits must meet these now more stringent requirements. With 129 engineers on staff (as opposed to 106 in 2011), and more specialized inspectors who have received further training in their area of scrutiny, the BSEE can more ably review and regulate various offshore projects. Offshore Technical Compliance, an inspection company based out of Covington, acts as an ally to oil and gas companies as they work to meet new industry standards. CEO Michael Bethea notes a change in the oil and gas industry’s relationship to the Safety and Environmental Management System rule (SEMS), which places performance-based standards on companies and allows crew members to participate in safety management decisions. “It’s gone from a voluntary program to a mandatory one,” says Bethea. “I don’t think it’s something they didn’t want to do before. But now the regulations are changing fast.” 64
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ABOVE: A new app called Spotter helps drilling sites streamline the inspection process. RIGHT PAGE: Testing oil spill containment equipment is a critical part of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement’s mission of protecting safety and the environment on the Outer Continental Shelf. Some testing is done at Ohmsett National Oil Spill Response Research Facility in BSEE’s 2.6 million-gallon salt water tank for simulating ocean conditions.
Quick facts Spotter — a mobile inspection app designed by Envoc — can be found at spotterinspectionapp.com Find the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, along with its proposed rules and recommendations to the industry, at bsee.gov. AN APP FOR THAT The now-mandated inspections keep drilling sites up-to-date and accountable, but collecting data from the site can be tedious, inefficient and even dangerous when performed with pen and paper. In early May 2015, Envoc, a custom software company, released a mobile inspection app designed to streamline the inspection process. Dubbed “Spotter,” users load the app onto an intrinsically safe tablet — Android, Apple, and Windows all offer heavy-duty casings for this purpose — and gather pictures, details on potential problems, and other inspection information that is then transmitted to the company’s own database for a custom report. “[The companies] are now required to pay more attention to their maintenance,” says Barbara Lasseigne, product manager for Envoc. Essentially, Spotter makes diligence easier. Keying in data from an inspection on the app, which Envoc customizes for each particular company, can be as basic as tapping a “yes/no” field or typing in the answer to a question. “Our app is easy to use, especially for people who aren’t familiar with technology or who don’t want to use it,” Lasseigne says. TRAINING & SAFETY Offshore Technical Compliance also offers crew assessments — testing individual members on their knowledge of a given task. “[We offer] an in-the-field, classroom-style, practical assessment of their knowledge when it comes to well control,” says Bethea. Photo courtesy of Envoc
“that shear rams be designed to include a technology that allows the drill pipe to be centered during shearing operations” as well as the mandated use of double shear rams, designed to bolster chances that the drill pipe could be cut in the event of a leaking well. BSEE also recommends that equipment failure be reported more frequently.
BSEE inspectors are now required to be on-site for the testing of blowout preventers. Before receiving permission for a deepwater drilling project, the operator must be able to prove to BSEE its capability to contain a potential subsea blowout. WELL EQUIPPED The investigation into the Deepwater Horizon disaster revealed a weakness in the rig’s blowout preventer. The well had failed to seal properly due to portions of pipe buckling between shearing blocks. The proposed well control rule from BSEE includes a requirement
Photo courtesy of Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement
READY TO COMPLY While rising to meet new operational mandates from the federal government, the oil and gas companies have launched safety- and environmental-minded initiatives of their own. In the midst of mending its reputation, BP has continued to innovate away from hazardous practices and insufficient equipment. The company has developed a blowout preventer monitor, increased the quality of cement used on its wells, and offered to share with the rest of the industry its own updated technology for deepwater well caps and tooling. Their message to the public: Safety is key. WILL IT HAPPEN AGAIN? “It was a perfect storm, what happened at Macondo,” says Bethea. “It could have happened 100 times … 99 times out of 100, we wouldn’t have had that accident.” But that one small chance is more than enough to keep the industry on its toes. n
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PUBLISHER’S NOTICE: All real estate advertised herein is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Ace and the Louisiana Open Housing Act, which make it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin, or intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination. We will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. For more information, call the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office at 1-800-273-5718.
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Great Offices
Alden J. McDonald Jr., president and CEO of Liberty Bank and Trust, stands in front of a wall of windows in his office overlooking New Orleans East.
The Collector Behind the walls of Liberty Bank and Trust lies a treasure trove of African-American art — the passion of bank President and CEO, Alden C. McDonald Jr. By Bonnie Warren | Photography by Cheryl Gerber
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lden J. McDonald Jr. has been a trailblazer all of his life. As president and CEO of Liberty Bank & Trust Co. — one of the top three African-American-owned financial institutions in the United States — McDonald is nationally recognized as an advocate and catalyst in the movement to bring minority businesses into the mainstream economy. “It has been a privilege to be a part of spearheading dynamic
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changes in New Orleans that have been a positive force in the lives of so many of its citizens,” he says, as he sits in his spacious office on the sixth floor of Liberty Bank’s headquarters in eastern New Orleans. The executive offices serve as a showcase for museum-quality art, including paintings, photographs and statues, all from prominent black artists in New Orleans and around the United States. Among the standouts are life-size statues of children by Woodrow Nash in a park-
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1. Woodrow Nash created the sculptures of African-American children that grace the atrium of the Liberty Bank and Trust Company’s headquarters. 2. The bank occupies a modern, six-story building just off I-10 in New Orleans East. 3. A look at the reception area of the executive offices.
like setting. They stand in front of the elevator bank in the spacious atrium, welcoming visitors to the modern building. “Promoting African-American artists has been a long-time quest of mine,” he says. A partial list of the noted artists in the collection include well-known Louisiana artists such as Clementine Hunter, Louisiana’s venerable, self-taught plantation artist who lived to be more than 100 years old; the late John T. Scott, winner of a $315,000 MacArthur Fellowship, commonly called the genius award; and the late Bruce Brice, whose work was a well-known fixture at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival for many years. Other outstanding New Orleans artists in the collection include Terrance Osborne and Richard Thomas. Liberty Bank’s offices include a large storage room used as an art depository. Here, Civil
Rights photographs hang on the walls amid a variety of work by noted artists. The room is so full that art has been stacked against the wall and in neat piles on the floor. McDonald lights up when he talks about the treasures the bank has gathered. “We never stop collecting — our plan is to open a special museum filled with work to honor African-American artists and photographers in the Liberty Bank building at Canal and North Broad streets,” he says. “It is right on the bus and streetcar lines where the rich and poor will be able to come and enjoy the beauty of the work of generations of talented African-Americans.” Penny Francis of Eclectic Home on Oak Street, was charged with the interior design of the executive offices. Francis’ challenge included incorporating much of the bank’s extensive art collection — which now num-
bers over 350 items — into the design of each individual space. McDonald’s private office features a wall of windows that overlook land that remains vacant since Hurricane Katrina. He keeps a neat desk backed by orderly bookshelves. An array of photos, including several with President Barack Obama, are displayed on a credenza behind his desk. Family photos include his father-in-law, Judge Revius Ortique, a well-known Civil Rights leader and the first African-American Chief Judge to serve on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Photos of the McDonalds’ three children – Heidi, Alden “Chip” III and Todd – along with their spouses and children, also have a place of honor. McDonald also displays his many awards, which include the Loving Cup award from The Times-Picayune, Fortune magazine’s “Portraits BizNewOrleans.com June 2015
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1: Clay statues of musicians by Lisa Matthews. 2: Palmer C. (Hayden) was an American painter who depicted African-American life. He painted in both oils and watercolor, and was a prolific artist of his era. This painting of his hangs in the executive community room. 3: Works by the late Jacob Lawrence, among the best-known 20th-century African-American painters, hang in the hallway of the executive offices on the sixth floor. 4: McDonald’s favorite bronze statue of a Tuskegee airman is displayed on the coffee table in front of the couch in his office. 5: A gallery of portraits of McDonald’s family behind his desk also includes a photo of him with President Obama. 6: Lisa Matthews created this unique chessboard of Civil Rights icons, including President and Mrs. Barack Obama, Mr. and Mrs. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, Cornell West and Jesse Jackson.
of Power,” and many honors bestowed on him by Black Enterprise magazine. A graduate of Louisiana State University’s School of Banking and Columbia University’s Commercial Banking Management Program, McDonald began his career in 1966 at the International City Bank in New Orleans as the first African-American hired in the banking industry in Louisiana. “Dr. Norman Francis, president of Xavier University, came to me when I was just 29 years old and said we needed to start an AfricanAmerican-owned bank in New Orleans,” McDonald recalls. The Bank & Trust Company was founded in 1972. McDonald has remained president and CEO of the bank since its inception. Today he ranks as the longest-tenured African-American financial executive in the country, with Liberty Bank growing from its initial asset base of $2 million to more than $600 million today. “We are still growing — our most recent move was to acquire the First Tuskegee Bank through a merger agreement,” he says. “It was an important step for us.” Liberty Bank now has financial operations in eight states: Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Illinois, Michigan, Kansas, Missouri and Alabama. Noted as a business and civic leader, McDonald has received many awards for his service on local, regional and national boards, including tenure with Fannie Mae, the FDIC Advisory Committee on Economic Inclusion, and the American, Louisiana, and National Bankers Associations. He is a former chairman of the New Orleans Chamber of Commerce, a member of the New Orleans Business Council, the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center and the Port Authority of New Orleans, and he is a founding member and former chairman of the New Orleans Neighborhood Development Foundation (NDF), that has placed more than 3,000 first-time homebuyers into homes. “I see the future as very positive for Liberty Bank & Trust Company,” McDonald says. “We will continue the rapid expansion plan that we began 10 years ago.” He says he’s confident about the city’s future. “New Orleans has come a long way since Hurricane Katrina, and Liberty Bank & Trust was one of the aggressive forces in the city’s rebuilding efforts. We have enjoyed some of our most successful and profitable years since Katrina, and we are poised to enjoy even greater growth in the future.” n
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Q&A - Biz Person of the Month
In 2012, Propeller moved into its current 10,000-square-foot office space at 4035 Washington Avenue. The building serves as a co-working space for socially-minded startups.
Building Forward Momentum Andrea Chen, executive director of the startup incubator Propeller: A Force for Social Innovation, is taking on New Orleans’ biggest problems, one venture at a time. By Kim roberts - Photos by Cheryl gerber
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Stanford-educated California native, Andrea Chen arrived in New Orleans as part of the Teach for America program shortly before Hurricane Katrina. It wasn’t long before she witnessed firsthand a city in the wake of devastation slowly being brought back to life by the painstaking efforts of passionate residents and volunteers. Ten years later, Chen is helping to bring the city into the future 74
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in her role as the executive director of Propeller: A Force for Social Innovation, a local nonprofit that has been incubating and launching socially minded ventures since its founding in 2009. By linking professionals from different fields together through a common workplace, Propeller aims to develop and implement solutions to both short- and long-term problems that plague New Orleans.
Andrea Chen founded Propeller in 2009. Since 2011, the organization has incubated 50 ventures relating to water, health, education and healthy food access.
Biz: Tell us a bit more about the goal for Propeller.
AC: Our goal is to build a critical mass of entrepreneurs in four key sectors that we think could foster the most change and benefit our city the most — water, health, education and healthy food access. We have found that the city’s biggest environmental and social challenges fall into these four key sectors. Biz: How did the idea for Propeller come about?
AC: It started out as a failed book club: Only one person showed up for the first meeting, and instead of talking about the book, which he did not even read, we ended up talking about how to keep the momentum going in the aftermath of Katrina in regard to the social environment and the grass roots movement that was evolving. During that time, everyone in the city had a sense of responsibility and was vested in bringing the city back. Even though the book club didn’t work out, some friends and I began meeting frequently in the back room of the now defunct Bridge Lounge, exchanging ideas that we felt could nurture and support social entrepreneurism in the city by mobilizing people, identifying problems and offering support to social change. Biz: How does Propeller work?
AC: We believe that there are market-based opportunities that
can bring about social change. Propeller provides entrepreneurs with the tools they need to drive progress in our city. Every day our city faces big problems like coastal erosion and healthy school food, and these problems require solutions. We want to facilitate collaboration between entrepreneurs, mentors who are established professionals in their respective industries, consultants and volunteers. At the heart of Propeller is our Social Venture Accelerator, which supports early-stage social ventures in achieving economic sustainability and social impact. The Accelerator is a 10-month program that supports entrepreneurs throughout the business lifecycle, from start up to operational. Propeller matches professional consultants with founders of socially-minded enterprises to help them establish financial goals and map out how many people they hope to reach. Biz: With so many viable and worthwhile entrepreneurs out there, how does Propeller choose whom to work with?
AC: The selection team at Propeller looks for entrepreneurs that have the greatest potential for social and environmental impact, financial sustainability and entrepreneurial leadership. We want ventures that can really move the needle and make a difference in New Orleans. BizNewOrleans.com June 2015
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Propeller’s Big Wins Every year since 2011, Propeller has graduated a class of fellows from its Social Venture Accelerator program. The following are some of the impacts these startups have made. 2014-2015 This year’s 15 ventures (graduated last month) collectively generated over $1 million in total earned revenue and financing. Their successes include: n Securing nearly 1,000 acres of wetlands for restoration and permanent protection n Enabling over 4,000 elementary schoolchildren to receive medical screenings in order to decrease absenteeism in school n Opening a youth summer camp focused on leadership development. The camp will offer four sessions in June and July. n Redirecting 9,500 fresh meals that would have been thrown away to receiving agencies like shelters, food pantries and soup kitchens.
2013-2014 n Farm City Initiative facilitated over 120 agriculture redevelopment projects throughout New Orleans.
Biz: Why would a new business want to work with Propeller?
AC: There are many reasons. Everything a startup needs we provide, including one-onone interaction with mentors who are successful in their fields. These mentors provide guidance, along with access to a huge network of pro bono resources including lawyers, accounting firms, graphic designers, and social media experts, as well as use of office space equipped with computers and conference rooms. We try to decrease the amount of time startups spend at the setup level so that they can get up and running faster and solve problems quicker. Entrepreneurs benefit from the stability they get from Propeller. Biz: Tell me about the success Propeller has had.
AC: We have a proven track record of collectively generating $20 million in revenue that has impacted the lives of thousands of New Orleanians. We have accelerated 60 new ventures including community farms, a food hub, a wetlands kayaking tour company and a maternal healthcare collective. More than 80 organizations and 150 people work out of the Propeller offices daily and we are about to graduate our fourth Accelerator class. Also, we have created more than 100 full- and part-time jobs. Biz: With the success, how have you grown?
AC: In 2012, we expanded our operations into a 10,000-square-foot office space on Washington Avenue near South Broad Street 76
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More than 80 organizations and 150 people work out of the Propeller offices.
in Central City. In additional to providing space for our Accelerator fellows and graduates to meet, we also rent inexpensive office space to social entrepreneurs who want to take advantage of both the communal working environment and our consulting services. Biz: What’s new?
AC: We have restructured our core Accelerator program so that we can serve twice as many social entrepreneurs, and we are looking to deepen our sector impact from 10 to 50 companies. Our Impact Accelerator will encompass two intensive tracks – a threemonth Startup Accelerator designed to accommodate 10 idea-stage ventures and a fivemonth Growth Accelerator that will support 10 to 20 ventures with proven business models to bring their ideas to reality. Participants in this new two-track model will benefit from our newly added business experts in the water and healthcare (and) food security sectors. We are excited to be working with Mike Eckert, the former CEO of the Weather Channel, and Neil Gibbons, the co-founder and COO of Better Digestive Health. They will bring another layer of expertise and support to the program that will really benefit our fellows. Biz: How has Propeller impacted the city of New Orleans?
AC: One example of how we have moved
n Griffin Law Group won over $300,000 in benefits for disabled children, serving over 150 families. n TrueSchool used design thinking to reach over 200 teachers through its innovative studios, which will impact over 6,000 students.
2012-2013 n The Healthy School Food Collaborative generated $9.8 million in revenue and was awarded contracts for 48 percent of all NOLA public schools. n Birthmark Doula Collective trained 18 doulas and served 185 clients, half of whom received free services through Birthmark’s 1-to-1 program. n The Justice & Accountability Center worked with more than 1,500 clients with nonviolent criminal records to help them find jobs.
2011-2012 n Jack and Jake’s local food hub became operational, aggregated produce from local farmers within a 500-mile radius and distributed to New Orleans public schools. n Youth Rebuilding New Orleans purchased blighted buildings, renovated them with volunteer support, and sold them back at an affordable price to community members and teachers who could otherwise not afford them. n Matter, Inc. scales The Bird Project bird soaps to raise over $21,000 for BP oil spill cleanup.
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1: Farmers at work at VEGGI Farmers’ Coop, a Propeller venture. VEGGI incubates new farmers and teaches sustainable urban agriculture to former Vietnamese fishermen in New Orleans East who lost their livelihoods as a result of the BP oil spill. 2: A Propeller fellow in the sector of water management, Louisiana Lost Lands Environmental Tours provides kayak tours that educate people about Louisiana’s critical coastal and wetland loss.
Propeller’s Economic Impact since 2011 n
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the needle is in the food security sector. Our fellows work collaboratively to bring about change in this sector. One of our graduates, food-distribution entrepreneur Jack and Jake’s, was awarded a contract to distribute local foods and produce to another one of our graduates, the Healthy Food Collaborative, after the Collaborative was awarded contracts for 48 percent of the New Orleans public schools. These companies are working together to get healthy food on the table for the city’s schoolchildren and to impact how kids are eating. The schools that our graduates are working with are receiving fresh 78
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foods – nothing canned or fried — as well as milk that does not contain hormones. We have also effected policy changes at the state level. We needed to get permission at that level to change the way schools serve food. We wrote guidelines for healthy school food and a local procurement clause for school food to enable our fellows to work together. We ended up presenting a model to the state that they have never seen before. Biz: What does the future hold for Propeller?
AC: We plan to continue to address specific problems in the city that need to be solved
More than $20 million in external financing, revenues and grants
and to actively look for ventures that can solve these problems. We recognize that the problems the city faces evolve as the city grows, but some long-term issues like coastal restoration are prevalent, and we are committed to being part of the solution through our Urban Water Retention sector. We also plan to continue to work toward solving the issue of our healthy food access disparity. Each of the sectors we have identified encompass issues that need to be addressed if we are going to build a vibrant, viable and equitable New Orleans. n
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Why Didn’t I Think of That? | Creative Businesses Taking Hold in Southeast Louisiana
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to the Desert Recirculating Farms Coalition aims to pull New Orleans out of “food desert” status with their cutting-edge, water-based growing systems. By Erin Shaw - Photography cheryl gerber ew Orleans is famous for being one of the top food destinations in the country. But while thousands of tourists visiting each year fill their bellies with succulent Southern treats, Southeast Louisiana is actually considered a “food desert” by the Food and Drug Administration. The term is defined as a geographic area where affordable and nutritious foods are difficult to obtain, particularly for those without access to a car. In her role as executive director and founder of the Recirculating Farms Coalition, Marianne Cufone is hoping to bring New Orleans out of the desert with her organization’s flagship project, the Growing Local New Orleans Community Garden. Cufone is an environmental lawyer who works at Loyola University New Orleans College of Law. She is also a professional chef, trained at the Natural Gourmet Institute, and a healthy food advocate with over 15 years experience working in natural resources management, focused on oceans, fisheries, seafood and agriculture. “Recirculating Farms Coalition is a national nonprofit, and we work in communities all around the country, supporting the establishment of green jobs and bringing healthy, fresh food into neighborhoods using inno-
vative water-based growing methods,” says Cufone. “We use hydroponics, aquaculture and aquaponics. We’re headquartered in New Orleans, and we offer training classes and other events at our garden in Central City.” Though she was already living here, Cufone says she scouted locations around the country for her nonprofit and found that New Orleans just made the most sense. “We did an in-depth analysis of cities across the United States — we looked at poverty rates, the difference in income between higher- and lower-income communities, food deserts and unemployment rates,” she says. When they cross-referenced all of the data, they came up with a handful of locations, New Orleans being one of them. Cufone had worked here for the last 15 years. “I had a long history with New Orleans, so perhaps there was a bit of bias,” she says, “but in truth, the day I came back to specifically talk to people about food and urban agriculture and recirculating farming was the day they were hosting a ReThink Media event at Hollygrove and it was all about kids wanting healthy and fresh food in schools. And I thought, well what do you know, that’s a message.” Cufone and her team chose Central City as the spot for their garden, rehabilitating the old Higgins Boat Yard as their space. During the process of outfitting the two lots
to become an urban agricultural center, they removed hundreds of pounds of trash. They even held what they called “trash mobs” as a way of making the cleanup fun — holding contests to see who could find the biggest piece or trash, or the most unique piece of trash. Among the contenders were Mardi Gras doubloons from the 1920s and an entire clarinet that had been taken apart and scattered around the property. Next, Recirculating Farms Coalition began engaging the community to help them grow healthy food in their own neighborhood. “One of our lots is the Community Garden, where we made spaces for people to have raised soil beds, because they are familiar with that here, and we thought it would be a good way to introduce the community to our garden,” says Cufone. “We hoped that would entice them to come and do what they were familiar with and then learn more, and that’s what’s happened. We have people who came and grew their food in the raised garden beds and now are working with aquaponics and hydroponics.” With hydroponics, growers substitute soil with nutrient-rich water, often growing plants in tower gardens. This method both saves space and avoids the need for harsh chemicals to keep weeds at bay. Cufone’s group is taking its technique a step further by combining it with aquaculture — the
Marianne Cufone, executive director of the national nonprofit Recirculating Farms Coalition, showcases the organization’s efforts at its headquarters in what was formerly the Higgins Boat Yard in Central City.
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raising of small aquatic animals in aquarium-style tanks. “Hydroponics most people are familiar with,” Cufone says, “but aquaponics is a cross between aquaculture and hydroponics. It’s actually been around for decades, but it’s become a lot more popular in urban growing these days.” Recirculating Farms’ aquaponic systems use the nutrient-rich water from the plants and circulate it through a fish tank below. The waste from the fish is then routed back into the growing water, allowing the plants to break down the waste as a sort of waterbased fertilizer. The water continues to circulate between the plants and fish in an entirely closed-loop system. “The benefit of these systems, especially in New Orleans, is that we don’t use soil,” says Cufone. “And for various reasons, Katrina being one of the biggest ones, a lot of our soil here is contaminated, and a lot of our vacant lots are paved or rocky and are not easily transitioned to what would be considered conventional farming and ground-growing. Growing in raised beds is an option that a lot of people use, but they’re expensive.” At a rate of several hundred dollars to create a proper raised bed for farming, cost to grow enough food to sell could cost an urban farmer thousands of dollars, while an aquaponic tower can be constructed out of reusable materials that require no fertilizer and no harsh chemicals. While many members of the Community Garden have started out with raised soilbased beds, Cufone is excited at the prospect
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of more and more of them transitioning to the more environmentally friendly aquaponics systems. “We can make these systems out of reusable materials like bamboo,” she says. “It grows in my backyard, so every once in a while I can chop a few pieces down, take them to the garden, and we can create another system.” The outpouring of support within the community has been huge, and the organization has been able to do a lot of good with the space. “We offer free classes three days a week,” says Cufone. “Wednesdays we do an exercise class, Thursdays we do a farm-to-table, health-supportive cooking class, and Saturdays we do a gardening and farming class. We also host professional farming classes for commercial farmers, and we do a mentorship program where we hook those participants up with local growers to help them continue their process and education. We also help people get externships on real working farms.” Cufone says it’s easy to participate become a member of the Community Garden. Members pay dues through their time, not money. “Everything is free,” says Cufone. “We build them the garden bed, we give them soil and seeds and water, compost tea and anything else they want, and in return we ask for 12 hours of service a month. This means they might tend someone else’s garden beds, or mulch, or feed the chickens, or table at an event for us.”
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Eat Local This Month! The Recirculating Farms Coalition will be participating in the “Eat Local Challenge,” which challenges participants to eat locally for the entire month of June. To honor the event, the organization will host an Eat Local Dinner June 18 at its community garden (1750 Carondelet Street). The entire menu will be composed of local foods and ingredients. For more information, visit recirculatingfarms.org.
Through a partnership with Life City, the Recirculating Farms Coalition has been able to engage with many local businesses. “Restaurants and chefs have been really easy to get involved with,” says Cufone. “They often have food scraps that they would like to do something good with instead of contributing to a landfill, so we hook up with them to take their leftover food and coffee grounds and things like that. Also we ask the chefs to come to the garden and teach classes. They do a lot of the health-supportive cooking classes. We’ve had Chef Dana from Carmo and Chef Katie from Café Reconcile, and everyone has been very excited.” Now that the Recirculating Farms Coalition is more well known and running smoothly, Cufone says they’re able to accommodate requests for the sale of their produce. Their second lot is currently being used as a commercial garden. “It’s still a community garden,” says Cufone. “But it’s meant for production, so it’s
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1: The organization is working more and more with bamboo instead of plastic piping. 2: With hydroponics, growers substitute soil with nutrient-rich water. 3: Hydroponics is paired with aquaculture: the raising of small aquatic animals who provide the plants with a sort of water-based fertilizer.
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1 much more intensive than the community lot, where we have a big lawn and a stage and a teaching area. This other area is primarily for production. We’ve just started growing things hydroponically and aquaponically. We’re raising catfish for food and we have been growing microgreens, which we’ve been sharing with local restaurants to see what blends they prefer. “The primary goal was always to get fresh and affordable food into the neighborhoods and we haven’t lost sight of that, but to do that we need to be self-sufficient financially,” says Cufone. “So the plan is that the commercial garden will be the moneymaker. We will partially sell to restaurants and partially sell to the community at a much reduced rate, and be able to sustain the community garden with mostly the proceeds we make from the restaurants.” Cufone says she is content with the work that her organization is doing within her community and excited for what the future brings. “There are a lot of gardens and projects like ours, and it’s exciting,” she says. “It’s great to offer people more choice when it comes to food. The community here has been very interested in urban farming. It’s been really 84
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important that the people living here are interested in healthy, fresh food and creating jobs in food systems, and that urban farming is something that was on the radar. That’s why we thought we’d be very successful here, and we are.” n
1: In exchange for being given everything they need to grow their garden, community members are asked to donate 12 hours of service a month. 2: While many members of the Community Garden have started out with raised soil-based beds, they will eventually be transitioning to the more environmentally-friendly aquaponics systems.
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Greg Abry, Abry Brothers Nicolas Bazan MD.,Ph.D., LSU Neuroscience Center John Blancher, Rock-N-Bowl & Ye Olde College Inn Yvonne Blount, Antoine’s Restaurant William Burk IV, Burk Property Investments Joseph C. Canizaro, Chairman, First Bank and Trust, Founder Ralph Capitelli, Capitelli and Wicker Law Firm Joseph Carrere, Keenan Capital Emmett Chapital Jr., Chapital Cardiology Clinic LLC Mason Couvillon, Dardis Couvillon & Associates John Dardis, Dardis Couvillon & Associates Lew Derbes, Stewart Enterprises, Inc. Brandt Dufrene, First National Bank, USA Bill Ellsworth, Ellsworth, LeBlanc, & Ellsworth George Fowler III, Fowler Rodriguez, Valdea Fauli Frank France, Kehoe-France, Inc., Director David Gallo, Gallo Mechanical Contractors, Inc. James Garner, Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert, LLC Jeff Haynes, Neville Properties William Hines, Jones Walker Steven Hubbell, Stokes & Hubbell Capital Mgt., Inc. Dan Jacob, N.O. Medical Mission Ronald Karcher, Ronald L. Karcher Construction Co. Thomas Kitchen, Stewart Enterprise, Inc.* Victor Kurzweg, Consolidated Companies Mel Lagarde III, HCA Delta Div. Wayne Landwerlin, Group Insurance Associates, Inc. James LaPorte, Ericksen, Krentel & LaPorte, LLP, President Robert Lupo, Lupo Enterprises Todd Matherne, Renaissance Publishing
Robert Menard, P.A. Menard Inc.* Larry Merington, Ace Bayou Corporation, Membership Chair Jane Nalty, Willwoods Community Michael Nolan, Fifth District Savings Bank, Director Larry Oney, Risk Technology Institute/ Hammerman & Gainer Inc. A.J. Palermo, Canteen Corp. James Pellerin, Pellerin Milnor Claiborne Perrilliat, Packard Truck Lines, Inc. Leon PochĂŠ Jr., Vice President Peter Quirk, Walk Haydel & Associates, Inc.* Louis Rodriguez, TCI Packaging Stanton Salathe, Salathe Oil Company Thomas Sandeman, Picadilly Restaurants, LLC Past President Jack Scariano Jr., Scariano Brothers Dominick Sciortino, St. Bernard Drugs, Inc., Henry Shane, Favrot and Shane Co., Inc. M. Gordon Stevens, New Orleans Steamboat Co. Frank Stewart Jr., Stewart Capital, LLC Matthew Ungarino, Ungarino and Eckert, LLC Michael Vales, Vales Management, Inc. Scott Whittaker, Stone Pigman, Walther Whittman, LLC Joseph Wink Jr., Wink, Incorporated/Universal Consolidated Services Robert Wooderson, Gibbs Construction
Chaplains: Monsignor Andrew Taormina Very Reverend Joseph Doyle Very Reverend Neal McDermott Assisting Chaplain Fr. Ronnie Calkins
Join these Catholic leaders and their spouses each month for Mass, dinner and a great Catholic speaker.
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Events St. Tammany West Chamber “Success for Breakfast”
UNO Economic Outlet and Real Estate Seminar
May 5, 2015
May 8, 2015
N’Tini’s, Mandeville
University of New Orleans, UC Ballroom
Guest speaker Kim Walker of 5 Stones Media shared her advice for success and happiness with the Northshore Rising Professionals.
UNO’s Institute for Economic Development and Real Estate Research presents this annual event examining trends in both residential and commercial real estate. The Northshore version will be held June 12 at the Clarion Inn and Suites Convention Center in Covington.
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1. Adam Thibodaux, Melissa Bordelon and Tom Sheldon 2. Kim Walker 3. Ryan Pearce, JR Portman, Maryellen Kanode and Trip Keller 86
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1. Brandon Nelson, James Dunne, Amanda Seale and Justin Seale 2. Dr Ivan Miestchovich 3. Chris Ross, Cynthia Iselin and Teddy Newmeyer Photos by Cheryl Gerber
Rise of the Rest Road Trip with Steve Case
8th Annual ACG Louisiana Awards
May 8, 2015
May 12, 2015
Commander’s Palace, New Orleans
The Roosevelt Hotel, New Orleans
A celebration of the entrepreneurial spirit, this event offered local startups the chance to win $100,000 from AOL co-founder Steve Case. GoToInterview was the winner in New Orleans, the last stop on the tour that included Richmond, Raleigh-Durham, Charleston and Atlanta.
Mike Eckert, chairman of the NO/LA Angel Network, served as the keynote speaker during this awards ceremony designed to honor local businesses and professionals. The ACG Corporate Cup award this year went to Tulane University.
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1. Hunter Hill, Lindsy Sanders and Russell Sanders 2. Steve Case 3. Ti Martin, Steve Scalise, Alden McDonald and Steve Case
Photos by Cheryl Gerber
1. Board members Ken Najder, Les Alexander and Scott Whittaker 2. Mike Eckert 3. Award winners Yuan Zheng, Quian Ann, Wu Yinuo, Perfeeno Wang Yulu, Evelyn Zhang and Yutiancheng Tim Hu BizNewOrleans.com June 2015
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Behind the Scenes
KREWE du optic Stirling Barret, 26, founded KREWE du optic in August 2013. The handdesigned, handcrafted eyewear company inspired by the city of New Orleans just released its summer collection of 10 new frames featuring hand-carved acetates and 24-karat gold metal detailing. Based in downtown New Orleans, KREWE is on track to experience 300 percent growth in its second year, with distribution set in Asia, Australia and North America. Kreweduoptic.com
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