Welcome to the Q2 2024 issue of REGION Magazine! As we move through 2024, it is vital to showcase the transformative projects and initiatives that are paving the way for Southeast Louisiana’s economic future. This issue of REGION Magazine brings you a collection of stories that illustrate the innovation and progress shaping our region.
We start with an in-depth overview of the upcoming Louisiana International Terminal, a monumental $1.8 billion project spearheaded by the Port of New Orleans. This new container terminal will accommodate vessels of all sizes, ensuring that Louisiana remains a key player in maritime trade. By creating family-supporting jobs and generating statewide opportunities, this terminal will fortify our economy and keep Louisiana competitive on the global stage.
Next, we highlight the incredible work OHUB is doing to foster inclusive innovation in the energy sector for the Greater New Orleans Region. Through a variety of programs focused on creating high growth startups with innovative solutions, OHUB provides equitable access to emerging energy and climate technology sectors, making the Gulf South a hub of opportunity and growth.
Another story shares details of GNO, Inc.’s Innovation Internships program. Originally designed to provide exposure to startup careers for students from local HBCUs, this program has expanded significantly in its fourth year. Now, 23 companies are hosting interns, offering diverse opportunities in STEM, manufacturing, and beyond, ensuring a robust pipeline of talent for our region’s future.
This issue also profiles Shelby Russ of AOS Interiors, whose dedication to the built environment connects clients with the commercial products and expertise needed to bring their design visions to life. His career is a testament to the impact of thoughtful design and collaboration.
Finally, we present a company profile of Hub International, a leading insurance brokerage. The team excels in providing comprehensive solutions for our region’s businesses and communities.
These stories reflect the dynamism, resilience, and strategic foresight that define Greater New Orleans. Each article is a celebration of the people and initiatives driving our region toward a brighter, more prosperous future.
Thank you for being a part of our journey. We hope you find inspiration and insight within these pages as we continue to build a thriving community together.
MICHAEL HECHT GNO, Inc. President & CEO
RELATIONSHIPS . RELEVANCE. RESULTS .
Greater New Orleans, Inc. (GNO, Inc.) is the economic development nonprofit for the 10-parish region of southeast Louisiana.
GNO, Inc. is built on a simple but broad mission: To create a region with a thriving economy and excellent quality of life for everyone.
The key is GNO, Inc.’s two-pronged approach to economic growth: by focusing on business development, the alliance aims to attract, retain and develop businesses that will employ our future workforce, propelling our economy forward and upward. This initiative is coupled with a concurrent nurturing of the business environment: by proposing, promoting and facilitating policies that improve conditions for business operations, GNO, Inc. ensures that businesses and corporate leaders are
positioned for long-lasting success.
For GNO, Inc., it is not enough to simply serve the community: we must also be a part of it. Real influence and significant change starts from within, and the alliance’s presence in the community is evident and expanding. Working together with the business community, regional stakeholders and all levels of government allows GNO, Inc. to coordinate, consolidate and catalyze action on key issues and opportunities, effectively maximizing job and wealth creation and creating systemic impact.
From workforce development and coastal stabilization to fiscal and criminal justice reform, GNO, Inc. is driven by results. It’s helping to create a robust and growing middle class and, in the process, ensuring our region’s continued prosperity.
Greater New Orleans
BY THE NUMBERS Q2 2024
An economic snapshot of Greater New Orleans’ 10-parish market
EMPLOYMENT & ECONOMY STATISTICS
POPULATION
1,425,488
31.1% of Louisiana’s population resides in Greater New Orleans
SOURCE: LIGHTCAST
EMPLOYMENT STATISTICS
$71,000
Regional Average Earnings
SOURCE: LIGHTCAST
ECONOMY
52,165 Private Establishments
SOURCE: BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS, NOT SEASONALLY ADJUSTED, Q3 2023
653,699 Civilian Labor Force
SOURCE: LIGHTCAST
42,251
Unique Job Postings in Q1
SOURCE: LIGHTCAST
4.54%
Regional Unemployment
SOURCE: LIGHTCAST, FEBRUARY 2024
TRANSPORTATION & LOGISTICS
JOBS
27,083
AVERAGE EARNINGS $84,685 GDP $4.3B
SOURCE: LIGHTCAST
FAST FACTS: TRANSPORTATION & TRADE
RECENT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) Ranked Best Airport in North America
Louisiana’s Five Deepwater Ports Funding a Cargo Business Study to be Released in 2024
SOURCE: AIRPORTS COUNCIL INTERNATIONAL, 2024; WORLD TRADE CENTER OF NEW ORLEANS
TRADE
$11.3B
Value of Exports from the New Orleans Metro Area
#7
Largest U.S. metro measured by value of exports
SOURCE: U.S. CENSUS BUREAU; U.S. EXPORTS BY METROPOLITAN AREA, Q3 2023
RANKINGS
RECENT RANKINGS
COST OF LIVING & REAL ESTATE
LIGHTCAST
Local Rent: $10.55/ft2 National Rent: $11.97/ft2 Local Inventory: 84.3M ft2
SOURCE: COSTAR
GNO, Inc. Ranked Best-Performing Economic Development Group in America [Site Selection, 2024]
New Orleans Named a “New Innovation Hotspot” [Axios, 2024]
GNO, Inc.’s mission is to create a Greater New Orleans with a thriving economy and an excellent quality of life, for everyone. For more information about the market, or help with your business, please contact our Research and Business Development team:
Anna Larsen Research Manager alarsen@gnoinc.org
Grady Fitzpatrick Chief Business Development Officer gfitzpatrick@gnoinc.org
*Due to data collection methods, previous GNO By the Numbers are not directly comparable
A New Foundation For The Future
Shepherding the proposed Louisiana International Terminal in St. Bernard Parish to fruition remains critical in keeping the lower Mississippi River a competitive global logistical hub for maritime commerce.
BY WILLIAM KALEC
The backbone of South Louisiana’s maritime trade sector has always been and will always be the Mississippi River.
The main artery within an expansive inland system of connecting waterways capable of reaching more than 30 U.S. states, the Mississippi River offers importers and exporters across a wide spectrum of different industries strategic, built-in logistical benefits that can’t be replicated anywhere else in the world.
And yet, in this fast-paced, bottom-line era where efficiency (from both a time and money perspective) trumps all
else when moving cargo, several prominent local civic and business leaders have pointed out the economic opportunities and advancements in maritime transit lost to neighboring regions (namely Mobile and Houston).
Finally, the wait appears to be over.
For decades Louisiana has struggled to coalesce around a plan for a downriver container terminal due to changes in politics, shipping and the environment. Over the years many sites and been evaluated and proposed with little to no support from the market. The Louisiana International Terminal (LIT) - a state-of-art facility proposed by the Port of New Orleans meets
the markets expectations and subsequently has gained the support of the maritime community, Local, State, and Federal stakeholders. This is evidenced by the $800 million dollar private investment commitment, $180 million State Funding and $300 million in federal grants to date.
“The Louisiana International Terminal will serve vessels of all sizes, dramatically increasing Louisiana’s import and export capacity while also fostering strategic inland growth,” said Port of New Orleans Press Secretary Kimberly Curth. “With our unmatched inland connections and no bridge restrictions, LIT will meet market demands for much-needed supply chain solutions and bring prosperity to our region.
Curth said LIT combined with the Napoleon Avenue Container Terminal in New Orleans will create a true strategic port complex that can meet the needs of the market for decades to come.
Situated on approximately 400 acres of 1,200 total acres of land in Violet that hugs a naturally deep section of the Mississippi River and a fortified federal levee system offering protection from hurricanes and storm surges, meeting the needs of shipper's now and well into the future.
Construction is scheduled to begin on the $1.8 billion facility in summer 2025, once the environmental process is completed and a permit has been issued. The first berth is anticipated to be open in 2028.
Once complete, LIT would be able to accommodate New Panamax and Post Panamax vessels – larger (and generally less cost-prohibitive) container ships that the current Port of New Orleans site can’t handle because of height/air-draft restrictions from the Crescent City Connection Bridge – a troubling inefficiency that occasionally causes companies to look out of state for alternative transit solutions.
“People like to spin things in a positive way, but the reality is we are playing ‘Catch-Up’ to some degree with the repeated delays involving a downriver terminal,” said Kristiann App, Vice President of Business Development a J.W. Allen & Co., a global logistics provider.
“Currently, as we stand, with the investments that have been made to attract other services to the Port of Mobile, shippers in Louisiana — including some of my customers — have actually chosen to truck freight from South Louisiana over to Mobile because they have better shipping options by bypassing the Port of New Orleans,” App continued. “So, what we’re trying to do with the downriver terminal is to provide a more-attractive option that keeps Louisiana cargo leaving Louisiana ports.”
Forecasts suggest a modern container facility fully outfitted to move cargo that meets the demands of the current global economy, like LIT, will have a multi-layered economic impact throughout Louisiana.
According to the Baton Rouge financial firm Lewis, Terrell and Associates, the Louisiana International Terminal within 25 years will create more than 18,000 new
direct and indirect jobs in the state, leading to $1 billion in new tax revenue. Conversely, predictors indicate that without a facility capable of handling larger container vessels, Louisiana’s maritime transit sector will lose nearly 10,000 existing jobs and over $10 billion in output in the state would be lost in just a decade without LIT.
“The thing that’s important about LIT is that you’re not just going to see an impact on the New Orleans metro area. You’re going to see impacts across the state,” said Harrison Crabtree, Director of the World Trade Center in New Orleans. “For instance, you’ll see warehousing development on the Northshore to accommodate the increase in goods coming through to the Port.”
Harrison said the rail connectivity of LIT will have positive impacts in central and north Louisiana. “So, it’s not just ‘HERE.’ It’s not just jobs in Orleans and St. Bernard Parish. You’re going to see them pop up in St. Tammany and Tangipahoa and so on,” he said.
“As we’ve seen in places like Mobile, when you have a true container hub like the LIT terminal it promotes and serves existing industry and support industries throughout the state, but also can create a ‘ripple effect’ scenario that facilitates new economic opportunities that simply didn’t exist before,” Harrison said.
The Violet location in St. Bernard Parish affors the Port of New Orleans room to expand, if needed, within the 1,200 acres footprint via a public permitting process. The site also comes equipped with pre-existing intermodal logistical solutions for companies looking to optimize logistical options or diversify transportation methods in case one or multiple links in the supply chain ever become compromised.
From the Violet site, cargo movers would have access to four critical interstate systems via the proposed St. Bernard Transportation Corridor, a new roadway that would relieve existing local traffic congestion, provide additional hurricane evacuation routes for residents, and provide trucks leaving LIT an alternate driving route.
LIT is also situated to provide connectivity to 6 Class I railroads – an increasingly-popular mode of commercial transit that’s experienced a bit of a renaissance because of its affordability and minimal environmental impact. According to data from the Association of American Railroads, average rail rates were 44 percent lower in 2021 than they were in 1981 – affordability that saves U.S. industries (and by proxy, consumers) billions of dollars each year and keeps American entities competitive in the global marketplace.
“What I like to preach is, ‘We’re not out of the game. We just need to get ourselves put back in play,’ The downriver terminal does that,” App said. “We exist within a global economy, and that’s not going to change any time soon. We need to position Louisiana to make sure that Louisiana is going to compete, going to grow, and is going to create jobs to keep our people here, not elsewhere.”
Pathways to Success
Opportunity Hub partners with GNO, Inc., to increase racial equity in the energy and climate technology industries.
BY MISTY MILIOTO
Founded by Drs. Rodney and Shanterria Sampson in 2013, Opportunity Hub serves as a support program for high-growth entrepreneurship and company-building for new energy and climate technology startups — all while ensuring racial equity in the future’s workforce.
Now, through a partnership with GNO, Inc., OHUB is building a diverse, inclusive and equitable new energy and climate technology ecosystem in New Orleans and South Louisiana. Additionally, the New Energy Technology Incubator is helping entrepreneurs start and grow their companies.
OHUB, which is composed of companies, federal agencies and economic development organizations, works to provide budding companies with exposure to experts, knowledge and skills; upwardly mobile career pathways; company-building resources; and early-stage capital and investment opportunities. In addition to GNO, Inc., other partners include the United States Economic Development Administration and the United States Treasury Department. These federal agencies and economic development organizations are a source of funding for OHUB x NOLA’s New Energy Technology Incubator and OHUB’s Capital Formation Initiatives.
PROBLEMS & SOLUTIONS
According to Salem Habte, Workforce & Entrepreneurship Manager at GNO, Inc., in the United States, only one1 percent of venture-backed founders are Black and 1.8 percent are Latino. “This statistic is rooted in years of systemic denial of wealth to communities of color,” Habte said. “Louisiana has seen more oil and gas job loss than any state, with nearly 22,000 positions lost from 2001-2020.”
Habte said that, in the energy industry, while jobs are well-paying, only 29 percent are held by minorities, compared to over 50 percent in lower-wage hospitality jobs. This disparity is reflected in average wages, which are $62,000 for whites and $33,000 for African Americans (ACS 5-year estimates). Moreover, air and soil pollution disproportionately affect populations living in fence-line communities close to industry, which are predominantly Black.
As a result of these figures, GNO, Inc., and OHUB are working to support technologies that create cleaner energy and reduce carbon emissions—all while putting the communities most affected by the negative aspects of the energy industry in the driver’s seat of the energy transition.
“We will narrow the racial wealth gap by ensuring that our founders have the startup support and capital access to grow and scale their high-growth startups,” said Rodney Sampson, Executive Chairman and CEO of OHUB. “Wealth is assets minus liabilities and is generated in entrepreneurship through company profits, dividends, acquisitions or initial public offerings.”
Sampson believes that once these founders generate new multi-generational wealth with no reliance on pre-existing multi-generational wealth via OHUB, they
are more inclined to invest in other founders that are aiming to do the same thing. Given time, this builds an ecosystem of wealth, which eventually becomes community wealth.
OHUB is providing, in Rodney’s words, “contextual and culturally relevant” entrepreneurial support to founders at the pre-seed or seed-stage. “The OHUB team is extremely good at identifying products and technologies with serious potential,” Habte said. “They then fill the gaps and help those founders with the company-building aspect: the business acumen; access to early collaborators; and capital. This allows founders who encounter obstacles in growing their businesses to achieve high growth, using the many resources here in Louisiana.”
ECO-BUILDERS
A main component of OHUB is an ecosystem of builders (local programs and funds centered around founders of color) working to create economic growth. For example, Rodney said that The New Orleans Startup Fund — a nonprofit evergreen seed fund for early-stage businesses — has the largest portfolio of women founders and founders of color in the state.
Another program, IDEAfuel, is a venture accelerator within the Idea Village. “The Idea Village has been a convener for most entrepreneurial activity in [New Orleans] and has served thousands of entrepreneurs at various stages,” Habte said. “Their graduates have gone on to secure millions of dollars in funding and acquisition. IDEAfuel supports select startups founded by BIPOC founders with non-dilutive capital and one-on-one mentorship.”
On the climate side, Habte said that Finance New Orleans and Elemental Excelerator collaborated to create a $2 million fund and launched the NOLA Affordable and Resilient Homes Challenge to deploy climate technologies in new and retrofitted single-family homes. “A few of the venture capitalists based in Louisiana have or are looking to invest in climate tech, and only more will join them as this industry takes the forefront in the next few years,” she said.
Other resources and policies also are helping entrepreneurs to start and scale high-growth companies as part of this ecosystem. “The State Small Business Credit Initiative is expected to allocate over $90 million in capital to organizations and venture funds in the state, providing more funding sources for companies in 2024,” Habte said. “When allocated, some of this funding will be invested in select startups in the New Energy Technology Incubator.”
We have unique market conditions and challenges in the Gulf to build nationally competitive solutions around building wealth. Louisiana can boost our innovation activity with strategic focus in equipping our universities, minority-serving institutions and HBCUs into the language of entrepreneurship, and building local capital and programs to grow interconnectivity between local entrepreneurs and the resources available around them.”
OHUB X NOLA’S ENERGY TECHNOLOGY INCUBATOR
OHUB has partnered with GNO, Inc., as part of H2theFuture, to launch OHUB x NOLA’s New Energy Technology Incubator. An initiative that GNO, Inc., leads in partnership with 25 organizations across South Louisiana, H2theFuture applied for the Economic Development Administration’s Build Back Better Regional Challenge with a vision for the widespread use of green hydrogen to decarbonize South Louisiana’s industrial corridor.
“H2theFuture won the award for $50 million, met by Louisiana Economic Development by almost $24.5 million,” Habte said. “We [are using] this money now to lead our clean energy transition by developing business, strengthening our universities and research, and training our workforce.”
In the context of NETI and H2theFuture, primary ecosystem-builders include GNO, Inc., which serves as the coalition lead, convener and funder; The Beach at UNO, which is building a state-of-the-art co-working space; and Dillard University, which is creating a minor in Climate Tech Entrepreneurship and hosting events, bootcamps and demo days. Habte’s team is helping founders graduating from NETI to integrate into
Louisiana’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by connecting them to potential customers, partnering on grants and more.
Through NETI, founders have access to masterclasses and networking events, climate technology bootcamps, demo days and OHUB’s ecosystem app.
“We host monthly events featuring subject-matter experts, such as our founders and H2theFuture partners; quarterly climate technology bootcamps for up to 35 founders; and demo days where we give founders who complete the bootcamp the opportunity to pitch for a $50,000 investment,” Rodney said.
NETI’s first cohort, consisting of 48 startups, began in Q4 2023 and lasted for 12 weeks. During the process, founders learned how to develop their business model, bring their product to market, acquire customers and raise venture capital. OHUB invested $275,000 in five climate technology startups (Tikal Industries, Oga Street Tech, Maiven Energy, ECGO and Gro Enterprises). The second cohort, currently underway with 41 startups, includes an increased focus on doing business in Louisiana. Additional cohorts and demo days will take place every quarter until the end of 2026.
In addition to NETI, GNO, Inc., has a range of offerings aimed at advancing innovation and education in the 10-parish region.
“We coordinate resources and facilitate connections using our ecosystem tool, StartupNOLA, and we host monthly ecosystem-building events,” Habte said. “Through H2theFuture, we’ve built testbeds at our leading universities to boost their research and development capacities, which, when completed, will be accessible to technologists outside of
the universities, and we have launched classes in new energy at four HBCUs, baking in entrepreneurial concepts.”
In fact, Rodney said the courses at Dillard University were developed in partnership with OHUB to incorporate the teachings from their masterclasses into the curriculum. “All of these work streams will aid the efforts of OHUB at an ecosystem level,” he said.
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
For Habte, the Greater New Orleans Region is bursting with talent and innovation. “We have unique market conditions and challenges in the Gulf to build nationally competitive solutions around building wealth,” she said. “Louisiana can boost our innovation activity with strategic focus in equipping our universities, minority-serving institutions and HBCUs into the language of entrepreneurship, and building local capital and programs to grow interconnectivity between local entrepreneurs and the resources available around them.”
Additionally, Habte cites the 2023 Greater New Orleans Startup Report, compiled yearly by the Albert Lepage Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Tulane University’s A. B. Freeman School of Business. “[The report] found that regional startups are attracting funding and creating more jobs despite inflation,” she said. “They state that the regional gender gap in access to angel investment has shrunk from 13 percent in 2022 to 1 percent in 2023, and the gap for BIPOC founders dropped from 17 percent to 3 percent over the same period. This is great news for our region.”
Joel Holton, founder and CEO of Gro Enterprises, began working with OHUB as part of NETI’s first cohort, and he continues to work with OHUB via programming offered through the Climate Tech Bootcamp. Through his social enterprise, Holton is developing healthy and sustainable housing using industrial hempbased building components (such as flooring materials and insulation) in underserved communities in the Greater New Orleans area.
“The OHUB team does an excellent job in helping underrepresented founders navigate the tech space from its leadership team headed by Rodney and Shanterria Sampson, Leroy Brown, Michelle Jackson and Darrell Frater,” Holton said. “OHUB specifically coached the company in several growth metrics including our storytelling, product market fit and new customer acquisitions.”
OHUB invested $50,000 in Gro Enterprises as part of the $275,000 total awarded to the five climate technology startups. The funds will be used to help execute the company’s next proof-of-concept micro home build in partnership with two local nonprofits, Phoenix Project NOLA and The First 72+. Gro Enterprises also is using the funding to build a new workshop that will help the company increase production and store materials.
Visit opportunityhub.typeform.com/to/NUulbRY7 to apply for the next NETI cohort.
Rocking the Region
GNOrocs STEM Programs Benefit Everyone
BY KELLY HITE
Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) are so integral to daily life that many of us take these for granted. The cars we drive, the medicines we take, our cell phones and computers, the plastics, chemicals, and utilities we rely on, all require STEM know-how.
This is where GNO, Inc. rocks — literally. The Greater New Orleans, Inc. Region One Center for STEM, or GNOrocs, works to improve access to STEM education and increase participation and advancement in the STEM workforce. It is one of nine strategically located STEM Network Centers throughout Louisiana created by the Louisiana Board of Regents STEM Advisory Council in 2022. They support access to STEM learning at every level, from early childhood to higher education and adult workforce training.
MIND THE GAP
There are around 89,000 STEM jobs in the GNOrocs region (Orleans, Jefferson, St. Charles, St. Bernard, St. James, St. John the Baptist, Tangipahoa, Washington, Plaquemines, and St. Tammany parishes) and the number is growing. In just two years (2021-2023), STEM jobs grew by ten percent and there are currently over 25,000 positions available. With a quarter of the STEM workforce slated to retire soon, the need for people with STEM education, training, and experience will only continue to grow.
Despite the increased demand for STEM occupations across the region, incentivized graduates in STEM fields have gradually declined since 2015. GNOrocs programs directly improve their chances of landing relevant, rewarding STEM jobs thereby benefiting the entire region.
“GNO, Inc. is dedicated to growing the STEM ecosystem and establishing a regional STEM brand that showcases Greater New Orleans as a top producer of STEM talent,” said Michael Hecht, President and CEO of GNO, Inc.
GNO INNOVATION INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
Founded on the principles of equity, partnership, and sustainability, GNOrocs focuses on closing the STEM opportunity gap for underserved and under-represented populations.
“We saw the pool of skilled tech personnel shrinking while the demand for tech was growing,” said Daphine Barnes, GNO Inc.’s Director of STEM and Economic Mobility. “We found that STEM graduates were leaving Louisiana, especially graduates of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).”
The loss is felt across the board, including in the computer and data science industries where approximately 46% of graduates in the region are persons of color but only occupy 36% of the computer and data science jobs.
This is where GNO Inc.’s GNO Innovation Internships Program comes in. Students from Dillard University, Southern University and A&M College, Southern University at New Orleans, and Xavier University of Louisiana, who win one of the coveted internships gain access to a range of professional services and are selected by southeast Louisiana’s top STEM businesses for an eight-week paid internship.
"At the GNO Innovation Internship Program, our interns are far from mere coffee runners," said Barnes. "Our host companies offer them valuable, hands-on experiences that significantly enhance their resumes and make them highly marketable in the job market post-graduation."
Kylan D. Steele is one of them. His hands-on experience as a medical intern at Cornerstone Chemical Company was instrumental in his decision to pursue a career as a physician.
“I worked under the guidance of several nurses and physicians’ assistants, performing tasks like charting patient information, running physical wellness exams, and performing EKG tests,” Steele said. “This internship was vital to solidifying my drive to become a physician and allowed me ample opportunities to experience various aspects of medicine, inevitably assisting me in earning an acceptance to medical school.”
The GNO Innovation Internship Program (GIIP) started out with twelve interns and more than doubled in its second year. To date there have been 58 interns in the program.
BENEFITS TO HOST BUSINESSES
Business and industry are growing in southeast Louisiana and they want highly-skilled and well-educated workers. The GIIP helps host businesses find talent, funds the internships, helps host businesses diversify, and potentially injects new insights into the way they do business.
Kris Khalil, Executive Director of the New Orleans BioInnovation Center (NOBIC) said, “We have been proud participants in the HBCU Innovation Internship program since its inception, and we have had the privilege of working with three outstanding interns. These interns have not only made a significant impact on our organization but have also contributed to the broader biotech startup community in New Orleans.”
Host businesses represent a large and varied cross-section of the region’s economy so the impact of the GIIP is significant. Host businesses include large companies like Ochsner Health, biotechnology companies like NOBIC and Obatala Sciences, construction companies, including two woman-owned firms in Gibbs Construction and Landis Construction, niche businesses like Swaybox Studios which brings the magic of innovative puppetry to the big screen, and Urban Systems, Inc., a woman owned civil engineering firm, servicing the marine transportation industry.
The GIIP started with a small cohort of interns working at companies like Lucid Software and Levelset, and now, as the program’s third year commences, twenty-three companies are hosting. So far, 40 percent of the internships have been extended, paid for by host companies, and this percentage is expected to grow.
“Their contributions have been invaluable in helping startups navigate complex market landscapes and iden -
tify growth opportunities,” Khalil said. NOBIC has extended internships for all their interns and has already offered a permanent position to one.
BENEFITS TO INTERNS
Besides getting paid to work in rewarding jobs at cutting-edge companies, GIIP interns also receive professional assistance like interview preparation and advice on resume writing.
"These students entered college during COVID, and while they are career-ready, we provide a great opportunity to further develop their soft skills," said Barnes. "Through selected business partnerships, they receive holistic exposure to professional development, ensuring they are well-rounded and prepared for their future careers."
Briana Smith, one of the GIIP interns majoring in Civil Engineering at Southern University and A&M College, worked at Landis Construction in the first year of the program and Woodward Design+Build in the second. “My interpersonal skills have been enhanced because I started off as quiet and very soft spoken but
now I am finding my voice and opening up more,” Smith said. “I’m proud to have been given this opportunity.”
GNOrocs partners with local businesses to prepare interns for employment. Maroon, Inc. provides a “Transitioning from the Classroom to the Workplace” course covering things like corporate structure while Youth Force NOLA leads them through the interview process. The Lab by Techplug powered by Healthy Blue provides training in entrepreneurial and start-up concepts.
Extending GIIP and the Black Engineering Collection of New Orleans
Innovation Internship Program has been so successful that the demand for GIIP interns exceeds the program’s resources. “Significant investments have been made in creating an extensive, holistic internship experience,” Barnes said. “We’ve been deliberate in focused on the whole individual through professional development within several prominent local companies.”
This is where the Black Engineering Collection of New Orleans (BECNO) breaks new ground. It expands the GIIP concept to people in under-represented groups enrolled in colleges and universities that are not HBCUs.
The University of New Orleans (UNO) and Southeastern did not raise any additional money, but we can say that GNOrocs raised an additional funding (remove specific of $25,000) to support the BECNO track of programming in response to increased demand for engineering majors in the region.
WIN-WIN-WIN SCENARIO
The success of GNOrocs’ approach is showing up in the data. According to the global labor market analytics specialist, Lightcast, New Orleans is now ranked number four in the country for the number of African Americans working in tech.
The HBCU Innovation Internship Program is a success story for both students and local businesses. “Interns apply classroom knowledge to real-world scenarios while contributing to the growth and innovation of host companies,” Barnes said.
It helps keep diverse, “home-grown” STEM talent in the region thereby contributing to the vitality of their families, our local communities, and the broader regional economy.
All About the People
Shelby Russ loves life in New Orleans, and never stops trying to improve it for all
BY MM KAUFMAN
The way Shelby Russ speaks about New Orleans, you would believe he was destined to call the Crescent City home. From his early days in the public school system, to his dreams of opening a museum dedicated to Louisiana’s musical heritage, his gratitude for the city’s culture is what drives him to improve life for its residents.
A native of coastal North Carolina, Shelby Russ spent most of his grade school years near the Jersey Shore so his father could commute to work in Manhattan. But at age twelve, the family returned to the American South. Once they had settled in the Algiers subdivision of Tall Timbers, they realized hadn’t simply returned to the South, they had found a very unique and special culture that was all its own.
Russ is proud to call himself a public school kid. He attended an Orleans Parish public high school then went on to complete his education at Louisiana State University. His pride stems from the gift he feels the diversity of a public-school education gives a child.
“I was able to learn with other kids from many different socio-economic backgrounds,” Russ said. “I did not realize at the time what a great gift this was.”
Over the years, Russ has held many roles at AOS Interior Environments, the largest design-assist subcontractor for commercial furniture, fixtures, and manufactured construction in the Gulf South. Some of his titles have included Business Developer, Vice President of Marketing and ultimately President/CEO/Owner. The company collaborates with the architecture, design, and construction community to design highly functional commercial spaces that pair form and function with style.
Recent renovations include the Caesar’s Superdome
and Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, as well as ongoing work for clients like Ochsner, Entergy, LSU, Tulane, Xavier, Hancock Whitney and LCMC. Russ leads a diverse team of talented interior designers, architects, project managers and operations personnel to execute the design and completion of commercial spaces.
“We have had the privilege to collaborate on many high-profile projects throughout this region for over 47 years,” Russ said.
What Russ loves most about working at AOS is how the work brings the company inside the inner working of so many different businesses and institutions. “I love learning how other organizations function,” he said.
For Russ, the greatest reward comes when collaborative work with other professionals both supports the mission of the clients and improves their work life.
Russ started at AOS immediately upon graduation from LSU and, at that time, AOS worked in the niche space of designing records management systems. In 1992, Knoll, one of the largest commercial furniture manufacturers in the world, asked for their regional representation. In 2006, they partnered with an innovation Canadian company, DIRTT, to introduce disruptive technology for construction of commercial interior spaces.
What drove this personal and corporate evolution? An acquired appreciation of design.
“Growing up there were no architects nor design professionals in my extended family,” Russ said. “Looking back, I think that if I had been exposed to the profession, my educational path may have been different. It is interesting, however, upon reflection, that as I grew the business, I grew it along the lines of this new passion.”
But living in New Orleans means life is never all about work. Russ and his wife Susan love exploring all that South Louisiana has to offer.
“Within walking distance of our front door, we find world class restaurants, an abundance of museums and art galleries, sports arenas, and performing arts theaters that would be impossible to find in another city of similar scale,” he said.
Russ describes living in New Orleans as having an embarrassment of riches, with arts, entertainment, and lifestyle attractions that are incredibly accessible from a proximity, supply, and cost standpoint. “Maybe the best in the country,” he said.
His favorite aspect of New Orleans culture is all about the people and the joie de vivre. “People are genuine and authentic,” Russ said. “I find great comfort in that.”
As much as Russ loves Southern Louisiana, he knows that life here can be improved. He enjoys leveraging his past experiences to help civic causes he feels will further advance the quality of life for the entire region. He’s currently investing considerable time working with groups that are import -
ant to me and where I feel I can make a positive impact. He said his focus has been on the arts, culture, economic development, and youth empowerment.
If there was one thing he wished people knew more about it would be the world class museum community. A particular favorite of his is the World War II Museum. But he doesn’t just love visiting museums, he’s currently working with a group that is trying to establish a 120,000 square foot, $160M Louisiana Music and Heritage Experience (Museum) in the new River District development site.
“Our state’s role in the birth of original American music is a story that, to date, has not been properly told,” Russ said. “It is largely a story of marginalized people, and it needs to be told to the world in a world class manner.”
Through challenging times in and outside of the workplace, Russ always returns to one element: “I have found humanity to be the greatest tool we all have in navigating turbulent waters. When we step out of our individual fight-or-flight mode and remember that we are all in this together, there is a brighter future on the other side.”
This mindset allowed him to lead AOS through two unprecedented crises: Hurricane Katrina and the COVID19 pandemic. For Russ, while unique in their complexities and impact, both have called for courage, humility, and unwavering commitment to one another.
Shelby Russ is a man who leads by example. His community engagement is reflected in his team at AOS Interior Environments. He is surrounded by people who are “passionate about making our region a more vibrant, diverse, and inclusive place to live.” And like him, they achieve that through countless volunteer hours, board positions, and personal contributions outside of their professional roles.
WUnmatched in the Industry
Ryan Rodrigue Reflects on HUB International’s Impact in the Gulf South
BY MM KAUFMAN
hen he was a managing partner for a regional brokerage firm, Ryan Rodrigue saw many national firms over the years try to acquire the agency. But it wasn’t until 2019 when HUB International Limited entered the picture that something felt different. It wasn’t simply the enticing growth opportunities and expanded resources for clients that attracted Rodrigue, it was what he called a “great culture fit.”
HUB International is a leading North American insurance brokerage that provides employee benefits, business, and personal insurance products and services. They help companies and individuals navigate the complex landscape of insurance and risk management to help protect what matters most to them.
After the merger, Rodrigue became responsible for leading his benefits team through new business development and client-focused strategic benefit consulting. As managing partner, he is responsible for the strategic direction, management, finances, growth, and the business operations of Hollis Companies. He describes HUB International as an organization that values entrepreneurship, integrity, teamwork, accountability, and service.
Ryan Rodrigue grew up in Thibodaux and has lived in south Louisiana his entire life. After completing his education at Harvard on the Bayou, Nicholls State University, he moved to the New Orleans area in 2009. He has been a broker and consultant for a little over ten years. Insurance is particularly challenging right now for
individuals and businesses alike Rodrigue shares, so no two days in the office are the same. But that is a daily challenge he is ready to face. “I really enjoy helping our clients find solutions to the challenges of rising costs and a scarcity of insurers available to them,” he said.
From leadership to his team and colleagues, Rodrigue describes HUB as having a best-in-industry group with a spirit of teamwork and collaboration prevalent throughout the organization.
“I’m very fortunate to be able to work alongside a team of phenomenal professionals in an effort to deliver best in class service and support to our clients and their employees,” Rodrigue said.
There isn’t a one size fits all approach to the way that HUB does business. Rodrigue said that because each client has unique needs, he’s afforded the autonomy and flexibility to do what is in the best interests of his clients to best support them. At HUB, they do not stop working once they’ve addressed a client’s current needs but are always looking for trends and future challenges the client might face and how to best address them.
HUB International is of course an international company, but they maintain a strong and mutually beneficial relationship with the Greater New Orleans area and the gulf region at large. The HUB Gulf South Headquarters is located in Metairie, where they employ several hundred people in the Greater New Orleans region and nearly 1,000 people across their Gulf South footprint.
Of the company’s relationship to the gulf south, Rodrigue said HUB has earned the trust of thousands of companies who rely on them for help. They prioritize engagement, participation, and support of many local civic and philanthropic efforts across the region.
“It’s no secret that our region faces many challenges,” Rodrigue said. “Insurance being one of them, along with economic opportunity, business and legal climate, infrastructure, public safety, education, workforce development.” He said he sees these as major areas of opportunity for the state and region to improve upon.
Rodrigue’s answer to these challenges is to get involved. He is part of several business, civic, and philanthropic organizations in the area.
“I really enjoy my work with the Jefferson Chamber of Commerce,
GNO Inc., and New Orleans Chamber. I’m honored to currently serve as Board Chairman for the Jefferson Chamber,” Rodrigue said. “Working with these organizations provides an opportunity to advocate for improvements in these areas.”
Like HUB International, Rodrigue is also committed to the future success of the southern Louisiana region. Having spent his entire life here, it’s his dream that his young children will choose to finish their education, have quality career opportunities, and one day raise families of their own in Louisiana without sacrificing quality of life as compared to other states in the region.
When it comes to facing challenges in the workplace, Rodrigue says it’s all about the day-to-day successes. “From managing a challenging policy renewal, to helping an individual with a claim, I find it truly rewarding to help a client through a process that would have been challenging for them without our assistance,” Rodrigue said.
The insurance and risk management world is constantly changing, but HUB International continues to make investments in specialty practice resources and technology to provide their clients with data and support to make the most informed decisions possible.
“It’s hard to know for sure what the future will hold, but I know that HUB is committed to investing in the talent and resources to continue to offer a breadth and depth of services which are unmatched in the industry,” Rodrigue said.
JAZZ FEST HOUSE
GNO, Inc. hosted its firstever Jazz Fest House event, bringing together over 500 regional leaders and business attraction prospects for three days of festside networking. We honored local startups, New Orleans Food and Beverage members, GNO, Inc. investors, and introduced “Louisiana Future Energy” (LFE). LFE represents a visionary leap, leveraging our state’s rich legacy to drive diversified energy solutions, igniting economic growth and reshaping Louisiana’s trajectory through energy innovation.
NGC DAY AT THE CAPITOL
In April, GNO, Inc. hosted our annual GNO, Inc. Next Gen Day at the Capitol! Next Gen members had the chance to explore a range of topics, including an overview of the constitutional convention, updates from LED’s new administration, insights on current bills from state legislators, and a panel on combatting the insurance crisis.
STARTUP NOLA NOW
In May, Tulane University Innovation Institute hosted our monthly Startup NOLA Now meetup. It was a great night at the Broadside, filled with networking and live music!
GNOROCS INNOVATION INTERNSHIP
GNO, Inc. kicked off the GNOrocs Innovation Internship with a signing ceremony at the New Orleans BioInnovation Center! Startup and STEM interns from regional universities received a comprehensive program overview and had the chance to network with employers.
HYDROGEN AMERICAS
The H2theFuture Coalition attended the Hydrogen Americas 2025 Summit & Exhibition in Washington, D.C. - the premier gathering for the global hydrogen community in the Americas. The team was invited to the White House to meet federal partners from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), and National Science Foundation (NSF). All were ecstatic with our progress in growing Louisiana’s clean energy economy.
Essence Festival of Culture proudly celebrated its 30th year in New Orleans. Essence magazine’s marquee celebration, held during the first weekend each July, is a beloved tradition that embodies the heart and soul of New Orleans, drawing visitors from all over the world. This year the event marked three decades of celebrating African American culture, music, and community.
Demo Day, hosted by OHUB x NOLA New Energy Technology Incubator, showcased minority founders in South Louisiana working to secure early-stage investments for climate-tech startups. The event marked the culmination of a 10-week pre-accelerator program for OHUB’s “New Energy Technology Incubator (NETI)” Batch 2.0. The cohort included 41 founders, representing a diverse group of entrepreneurs, dedicated to developing innovations to address climate and energy challenges facing coastal communities.
