Welcome to the Q3 2024 issue of REGION Magazine! As we look toward the close of 2024, we are proud to celebrate the global connections, forward-thinking strategies, and innovative technologies that continue to elevate Southeast Louisiana as a center of economic vitality. This issue of REGION Magazine highlights some of the most exciting developments shaping the Greater New Orleans economy.
We begin by showcasing how Greater New Orleans remains a magnet for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in an increasingly competitive global landscape. Centuries of expertise as an international trade hub allow us to attract global companies looking for a foothold in North America. This story underscores our region's role as a gateway to global commerce, creating jobs and expanding opportunities across sectors.
Next, we spotlight an exciting new partnership between GNO, Inc. and Louisiana Economic Development, which is fostering growth for technology-enabled startups in Louisiana. This strategic collaboration not only enhances our entrepreneurial ecosystem but also ensures that major tech firms have the resources and support to bring their operations to Southeast Louisiana.
Our region’s educational institutions are also key drivers of success, and this issue tells the story of how the collective power of our 13 colleges and universities is advancing our talent pipeline. These institutions produce a remarkable 80,000 graduates each year, strengthening the region as a vibrant hub for learning and innovation.
This issue also includes profiles of an impressive leader and emerging company that are each making waves. Evan Nicholl, the managing partner of GWave Holdings and VP of Nicholl's Limousine, continues to lead with vision and dedication, creating a lasting impact on the region’s future. Additionally, we introduce you to Haptech, a local company leveraging video game technology to
revolutionize military training, further proving that innovation thrives right here in our backyard.
Each of these stories reflects the ingenuity, talent, and global competitiveness that define Greater New Orleans. The future of our region is bright, thanks to the people and organizations pushing boundaries and driving progress.
Thank you for joining us on this journey of growth and innovation. We hope the stories in this issue inspire you to continue contributing to the ongoing success of our community.
Warm regards,
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 Q3 2024
An economic snapshot of Greater New Orleans’ 10-parish market
EMPLOYMENT & ECONOMY STATISTICS
POPULATION
1,412,729
31% of Louisiana’s population resides in Greater New Orleans
SOURCE: LIGHTCAST
EMPLOYMENT STATISTICS
$71,900
Regional Average Earnings
SOURCE: LIGHTCAST
ECONOMY
52,892 Private Establishments
SOURCE: BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS, NOT SEASONALLY ADJUSTED, Q1 2024
683,919 Civilian Labor Force
SOURCE: LIGHTCAST, JUNE 2024
TRANSPORTATION & LOGISTICS
JOBS
26,426
AVERAGE EARNINGS $86,159 GDP $4.4B
SOURCE: LIGHTCAST
39,226
Unique Job Postings in Q1
SOURCE: LIGHTCAST Q2 2024
4.66%
Regional Unemployment
SOURCE: LIGHTCAST, JUNE 2024
FAST FACTS: TRANSPORTATION & TRADE
RECENT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) Ranked Best Airport in North America
New Geography writes that New Orleans is Top Five in the US for Auto/Transit Ratio – that is, jobs reachable by public transportation
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
GNO, Inc. Ranked Best-Performing Economic Development Group in America [Site Selection, 2024]
New Orleans Named a “New Innovation Hotspot” [Axios, 2024]
Travel & Leisure wrote that the internet believes that New Orleans has the Best Work/Life Balance in America
SOURCE: LIGHTCAST
Local Rent: $10.72/ft2 National Rent: $12.02/ft2
Local Inventory: 83.7M ft2
SOURCE: COSTAR
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 Business Home Away From Home
A strategic hub for international commerce for centuries, greater New Orleans continues to be a magnet for ‘Foreign Direct Investment’ in this hyper-competitive global marketplace despite its mid-size metropolitan stature.
BY WILLIAM KALEC
Blessed with a unique and commercially advantageous topography, coupled with a thorough, unrivaled infrastructure that promotes cost-effective and energy-efficient intermodal transit, greater New Orleans has enjoyed a welcomed wave of “Foreign Direct Investment” (FDI) over the past 12 months.
Be it new construction or the expansion of their existing U.S. facilities along the Mississippi River, international heavyweights such as Birdon, UBE, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners and Industrial Fuel Groups, and Spain’s Life For Tyres, have made eight, nine, even ten-figure commitments to south Louisiana since 2023. These are expansive projects that bring with them high-salaried permanent careers and help sustain indirect jobs.
“FDI is critical to the long-term success of our region, it creates well-paying jobs, diversifies the economy, and encourages innovation,” said Harrison Crabtree, director of World Trade Center New Orleans. “People around the world know and love New Orleans and the attraction of world class businesses continues to enhance our brand as a global city.”
Crabtree said these “wins” showcase that the region is not a “one-trick pony.”
“We are able to successfully attract companies for a diverse set of industries across different regions in the world,” Crabtree said.
Despite its modest population for a metropolitan area, greater New Orleans thrives as an industrial expansion destination for international companies for several reasons – both naturally-occurring and manmade.
Nestled near the mouth of the Mississippi River, New Orleans serves as the gateway to the Gulf of Mexico – a key artery for global connectivity – AND the entry point for imports seeking to reach most regions within the United States. Wisely, over the years, civic leaders and economic advocacy groups have fortified New Orleans’ natural geographic benefits by building up a second-to-none intermodal infrastructure for commerce.
Home to the world’s largest Port system – 6 deep-water draft ports, in total – New Orleans has emerged as not only a vital hub for maritime commerce, but a place where any type of product can be sent pretty much anywhere thanks to the 6 Class I railroads that converge with deep-water port access. To aid on-site manufacturing along the Mississippi River, industries benefit from 5,000 miles of pipeline, affording access to a variety of affordable and readily available fuel sources.
Lastly, understanding the multi-layered positive social and economic impact that comes with luring billion-dollar investments to the region, the state of Louisiana continues to expand and refine its extensive catalog of incentives for companies that reach certain job-creation thresholds.
“There’s no one incentive that’s tied to just FDI...but the same business incentives brought forth by the State of Louisiana that appeal to domestic investors also appeal to global investors, as well,” said Paige Carter, LED’s Chief Business Development Officer. “So you look at our ‘Industrial Tax Exemption Program,’ or ‘Quality Jobs Program,’ and the ‘LED FastStart Program,’ which is one of the top workforce training programs in the country...those types of business-friendly job-creating incentives coupled with the unique, beneficial logistics of the area help New Orleans standout in a climate that’s more and more competitive each year when it comes to landing FDI.”
In March 2024, investors from Denmark and officials at the Port of South Louisiana announced that construction would begin this year on a $4.6 billion St. Charles Clean Fuels blue ammonia facility – an ambitious project that aligns with the Port’s mission to diversify its clientele within the Port District and promote environmentally-friendly practice. At St. Charles Clean Fuels, the carbon emitted during the production process for the blue ammonia is captured and buried underground, thus substantially lessening the amount of CO2 released into the atmosphere. Once operational, St. Charles Clean Fuels will be responsible for
more than 200 new full-time positions.
One month earlier, Japanese chemical producer UBE announced plans to open its first U.S. facility for a pair of critical ingredients found in EV Lithium Ion Batteries – dimethyl carbonate and ethyl methyl carbonate. The $500 million plant, located in Jefferson Parish, will employ approximately 50 workers and calls for 300 construction specialists at the apex of the building process.
Last year, Life For Tyres from Spain dedicated $46 million to expand its operations to the U.S. with a facility in the River Parishes. The international “upcycling” leader transforms discarded rubber from old car and truck tires into top-of-the-line alloy steel, advanced biofuels and black recovered carbon through environmentally sustainable methods. The 10-acre facility will lead to 46 direct jobs and 151 indirect jobs, according to LED.
“I look at (FDI) as wealth generation: ‘How can we attract new wealth generated for the state of Louisiana originating outside of our borders?’” Carter said. “This is organically taking funding and money from outside and bringing it into the walls, into the state. When we talk about wealth generation and how to bring new positivity and innovation into the area, that influx of external funding is substantially important.”
Beyond its gifts from Mother Nature (namely the Mississippi River) and its advanced infrastructure, greater New Orleans continues to set itself apart from other municipalities seeking FDI thanks to its rapid advancements in workforce development. With government officials, vocational schools, and traditional colleges and universities all aligned to nurture south Louisiana’s workforce ecosystem, resources have been maximized and integrated in a way that’s been productive and catalytic for the state’s future workforce – giving them the tools and skills needed to succeed in a rapidly-evolving energy and manufacturing sector.
For Carter, in order to sustain success, the key is to promote and reinforce their message to potential outside investors.
“Louisiana is a place where you can come and have unmatched levels of commitment in terms of infrastructure and connectivity, a business-friendly environment, coupled with a world-class workforce and workforce solutions,” Carter said. “That is our advantage. And that’s why Louisiana stands apart as an unparalleled investment opportunity for international companies, no matter where they originate.”
Leaders in Innovation
Louisiana Economic Development partners with GNO, Inc., to further innovation initiatives in the state.
BY MISTY MILIOTO
Louisiana Economic Development (LED), which is responsible for strengthening the state’s business environment, is currently ramping up its efforts to strengthen the local economy. For starters, under SB 494 last spring, LED passed a bill that reorganized the department’s leadership structure, creating new leadership roles.
As such, LED has hired Josh Fleig for the newly created position of chief innovation officer. Fleig, who previously served as senior vice president of the business development group at GNO, Inc., is tasked with creating and executing a strategy that supports high-growth, technology-enabled startups in Louisiana. He is working closely with GNO, Inc. to do just that.
We will continue to attract expansion opportunities from innovative companies, but … we need to build the innovation headquarters of tomorrow.”
– JOSH FLEIG, LED CHIEF INNOVATION OFFICER
LED LEADS THE CHARGE
Globally speaking, Fleig said that the high-growth, high-wage jobs needed in Louisiana come from innovation industries (such as technology, healthcare and energy). And not only is it important to attract these types of companies, but even more imperative to build them.
“Louisiana deeply lacks in headquarters — the types of high paying jobs that create greater economic impact on the community than any other,” Fleig said. “Headquarters have an outside positive impact on their communities: wages are higher; philanthropy is heavier in their own backyard; they create more indirect jobs; and [they will make] purchase decisions for Louisiana in Louisiana. We will continue to attract expansion opportunities from innovative companies, but … we need to build the innovation headquarters of tomorrow.”
To that end, Fleig works to provide everything startups need to thrive, from products (such as capital programs like the Angel Investor Tax Credit program, or SSBCI) to services (like technical assistance, and accelerators and incubators). He also steers policy that helps to build and support an innovation ecosystem, and he works with colleges and universities to better commercialize research and development in higher education.
“My first order of business is redesigning aspects of our SSBCI program to allow the $113 million from the U.S. Treasury to freely flow into high-growth, technology-enabled startups,” he said. “Nearly $90 million is earmarked for seed capital, and the remaining $23 million is for small loan-assistance programs.”
Fleig said that so far, in the Greater New Orleans region, there are six funds participating in the program—meaning they are responsible for getting the money into the hands of the startups: New Orleans Startup Fund; Momentum Fund (The Idea Village); Boot64 Ventures; Tulane Innovation Fund; Ochsner Louisiana Innovation Fund; and Propeller.
“Each fund is writing seed capital checks to startups across the region that align with their individual mission and goals,” Fleig said.
LED (a limited partner in the Ochsner Louisiana Innovation Fund) pushed through $5 million in SSBCI funds, which was then matched by the fund. This money is being used to invest in healthcare-related companies across the region and the state.
Fleig said that global investment in AI also is growing at a rapid pace. “During the last legislative session, we acted quickly to pass a bill to capture some of the growth in AI infrastructure,” he said. “Act 730 was designed to quickly enter the AI hyperscaler in -
vestment race, which is predicted to hit $200 billion globally by next year, [according to] Goldman Sachs.”
As company attraction relates to Act 730, Fleig said there are some fish on the line. “It’s brand new, so we will see how effective our competitive program can be,” he said. “One company that has recently expanded into the Greater New Orleans region that I’m proud of is Outlier, a sports-intelligence app company based in Austin that is building an engineering team in the Warehouse District.”
According to Fleig, it is also critical to focus on growing startups in the entertainment industries (such as film and television production, game development and music production). “[New Orleans] has a strong head start in all three industries,” he said.
In addition to hiring Fleig, LED is now able to procure its own contracts with third parties as part of the revamp. “We just built out a new advisory board, the LED Partnership Board, composed fully of individuals from the private sector to help steer the strategic direction of the department and bring an active, pro-industry voice to the table,” Fleig said.
SUPPORT FROM STARTUPNOLA
Meanwhile, Evie Poitevent Sanders, who has served as director of innovation and entrepreneurship at GNO, Inc., for nearly three years, primarily focuses on regional ecosystem development via the StartupNOLA strategic initiative. “There are three main pillars of work that fall under the StartupNOLA umbrella: community; connections; and capital,” she said.
In terms of community, Poitevent Sanders launched and manages the monthly StartupNOLA Now meetup series to bring together players from the ecosystem — often with a specific topic and speaker or panel. She also oversees other StartupNOLA programming geared toward educating founders, including the new quarterly Access to Capital series that kicks off in September.
“Greater New Orleans is by far the largest startup ecosystem in the state, so whatever LED
unveils statewide on the innovation front,
GNO, Inc., and StartupNOLA will surely be involved in due to the size of our ecosystem
–
EVIE POITEVENT SANDERS, GNO, INC. DIRECTOR OF INNOVATION & ENTREPRENEURSHIP
(startupnola.com), which serves as an online directory and aggregator of all startups and resource providers in GNO, Inc.’s, ecosystem.
When it comes to connections, Poitevent Sanders also supports high-growth startup founders, funders and ecosystem service providers (such as entrepreneur support organizations, accelerators, incubators and higher education centers for entrepreneurship). “This includes ecosystem overview meetings with startups, venture capitalists and numerous out-of-state parties,” she said. “From those meetings, I regularly facilitate warm introductions to a wide variety of stakeholders for networking purposes.”
Finally, Poitevent Sanders also facilitates introductions between equity investors (both local and statewide) and founders, national venture capitalists, and various local and out-of-state parties for deal-flow purposes. For example, prior to most of the Access to Capital sessions, startups can pitch and directly interface with funders within that given funding area.
WORKING TOGETHER FOR THE GREATER GOOD
GNO, Inc., works closely with its partners at LED across all departments. “Greater New Orleans is by far the largest startup ecosystem in the state, so whatever LED unveils statewide on the innovation front, GNO, Inc., and StartupNOLA will surely be involved in due to the size of our ecosystem,” Poitevent Sanders said.
Likewise, Fleig credits GNO, Inc., for being the boots on the ground to help reach startups and the broader startup support ecosystem. “We co-develop programming, cross-promotion of products and services, and we work closely to measure growth and success,” he said.
Both organizations also offer training and resources for workforce development. For example, GNO, Inc., which has been designated a Region 1 STEM Network Center by the Louisiana Board of Regents LaSTEM Advisory Council, offers the GNOu Workforce program, economic mobility initiatives and more.
The efforts of both organizations are beginning to spin the flywheel. “For startups to thrive in Louisiana, they need the 3 C’s: capital; coaching; and customers,” Fleig says. “We’ve been seeing [progress] since the wave of startup exits began with Levelset [in 2021], and now with the influx of capital from those exits plus SSBCI turbocharging opportunity for innovation in the region. Step one was improving our capital program. Next, we will turn to enhancing coaching and customers. If innovation companies can find all three—in abundance and in working order—we can win.”
Thirteen Cheers For Higher Education in The Greater New Orleans Region
BY KELLY HITE
New Orleans is known for its rich cuisine, incredible music, and, of course, Mardi Gras. But many may not realize the region is also a thriving educational hub that produces a whopping 80,000 graduates per year and has one of the highest per capita higher education concentrations in the nation.
THE HIGHER EDUCATION CONSORTIUM
The New Orleans Higher Education Consortium is a group of thirteen diverse colleges and universities in the Greater New Orleans region that have joined forces with GNO Inc. to strategically maximize the region’s strengths not just as a great place to study, but as a great place to live and work. The consortium evolved out of a desire to work together
THE
13
CONSORTIUM MEMBERS ARE:
University of Holy Cross
Delgado Community College
Nunez Community College
Loyola University
Southern University at New Orleans
Dillard University
University of New Orleans
Northshore Technical Community College
River Parishes Community College
Southeastern Louisiana University
LSU Health
New Orleans
Xavier University
Tulane University
No single institution can address every difficulty. Our region’s thirteen higher education institutions play a pivotal role in driving economic growth and innovation.”
– Stanton F. McNeely III
to take a more proactive approach to addressing the needs of the future and to boost resiliency during volatile times.
“No single institution can address every difficulty,” said Stanton F. McNeely III, President of the University of Holy Cross and Chair of the Higher Education Consortium. “After Hurricane Ida and Covid, we realized we needed to work hand in hand with local businesses to create strategic and forward-thinking solutions.”
McNeely said they first looked at the corporate structure that was in place in other successful cities where similar circumstances exist. They realized that, although other cities have done well, the GNO region is unique in the American South because its diversity.
“That’s the key,” McNeely said. “It represents an enormous opportunity.”
GNO, Inc. is the vital link between the consortium and the region’s dynamic economy. “We are committed to supporting the development and retention of talent across the Greater New Orleans area with a particular focus on connecting our vibrant academic community with local industry needs,” said Marco Tejeda-Kemp, Director of Talent and Workforce, Greater New Orleans, Inc. “Our region’s thirteen higher education institutions play a pivotal role in driving economic growth and innovation.”
GETTING DOWN TO BUSINESS
Forging strong, mutually beneficial bonds with industry and business is a major part of the consortium’s work. “The consortium approach, combined with the invaluable data provided by GNO, Inc., ensures that the educational programs at Delgado and other member schools are aligned with the evolving needs of employers,” said Dr. Larissa Littleton-Steib, Chancellor of Delgado Community College and Vice Chair of Consortium. “By staying attuned to these priorities, we can structure our courses to prepare students with the skills and knowledge that are most in demand, further strengthening the link
between education and workforce readiness in the region.”
The benefits of this approach are already paying off. “Examples of successful collaborations have culminated in groundbreaking research and federal funding in energy, healthcare, aerospace, advanced manufacturing, entertainment and the arts, and entrepreneurship to name a few,” said Dr. William S. Wainwright, President, Southeastern Louisiana University.
“The mission of Southeastern Louisiana University is to lead the educational, economic, and cultural development of Southeast Louisiana. The GNO Inc. Higher Education Consortium has directly benefited Southeastern in achieving this mission.”
RE-BRANDING THE REGION
An important part of this effort involves rebranding the Greater New Orleans region’s image to more accurately reflect its achievements and opportunities. The idea is for people to naturally and spontaneously think of the GNO region as a major hub for higher education, innovation, research, and jobs. “So we’re not just seen as a short-term party destination, but as a knowledge intensive region with a broad spectrum of colleges and universities that work together with local businesses,” said McNeely.
StudyNOLA, an interactive website designed to attract students and help them find the right higher education match, explore job opportunities, and see what the region has to offer, is an important re-branding tool. Funded by a grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, StudyNOLA is a virtual “one-stop-shop” for prospective students.
“Our public and private institutions, including our HBCU’s, are some of the best in the nation in terms of quality, diversity, and value. StudyNOLA helps people discover that New Orleans is a world-class destination for higher education,” said Michael Hecht, President and CEO of GNO, Inc.
The GNO Region has seen success after success not just from top research institutions but with all the Higher Education Consortium members. Examples include $23 million for Tulane University to create an advanced cancer imaging system, $1.5 million from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Workforce Opportunity for Rural Communities initiative for Southeastern Louisiana University to address the nursing shortage, and a further $5.75 million from their Strengthening Community College initiative to improve access to infrastructure-related careers for historically underrepresented students in Southeast Louisiana.
The infrastructure-related funding in particular highlights the benefits when Consortium members work together. It allowed the creation of the Greater New Orleans Infrastructure Partnership (GNOIP) – a collaborative effort led by Delgado Community College together with Northshore Technical Community College, Nunez Community College, River Parishes Community College, and GNO, Inc.
“This collaboration not only boosts the workforce pipeline for vital infrastructure-related businesses but also provides workers with good jobs that sustain their families and drive economic growth in our region,” said Littleton-Steib.
While the overall population in the Greater New Orleans region has decreased in recent years, the people who have remained here are better educated than ever before. According to statistics from the Census Bureau and a July 2024 report by The Data Center, the number of people in the GNO region with high school diplomas and bachelor’s degrees has increased.
A SUPER REGION
GNO Inc. hosted the GNOu Summit: Workforce and Training Pathways Conference on September 25-26, bringing together education and training providers with business and industry partners to develop industry-relevant programs and curricula.
The event will be a key opportunity for the Higher Education Consortium, which plans to leverage the summit and the global spotlight on the region created by next year’s Super Bowl to showcase New Orleans as a hub for education and business opportunities.
“With the Super Bowl, we have a captive audience,” said McNeely. “It’s our chance to capture their attention.”
The goal is to make a substantial, long-term economic impact on the region. “We envision higher education being recognized as a major economic driver here, alongside our strong maritime, hospitality, healthcare, and oil and gas sectors,” McNeely said. “We want to help shape the local economy.”
Others echoed his enthusiasm. For Wainwright, GNOu and StudyNOLA exemplify how higher education institutions in Greater New Orleans can align their missions with the needs of local businesses and industries. “This alignment strengthens educational programming and attracts significant regional investments through grants and research, forming powerful partnerships that benefit everyone,” Wainwright said.
Wainwright emphasized the unique diversity of higher education in the region. “Greater New Orleans is home to one of the most diverse concentrations of public and private two-year and four-year institutions in the country. By collaborating with industry sectors, we create market-responsive programs that fuel workforce development, stimulate economic growth, and promote social mobility. The Higher Education Consortium maximizes resources, fosters efficiency, and advances research and industry-driven programs that attract and retain talent essential to the success of our communities and citizens.”
The
goal is to make a substantial, long-term economic impact on the region. We envision higher education being recognized as a major economic driver here, alongside our strong maritime, hospitality, healthcare, and oil and gas sectors. We want to help shape the local economy.”
EPay it Forward, Dance it Out
Evan Nicoll Finds Motivation in the People and Spirit of New Orleans
BY MM KAUFMAN
van Nicoll likes to joke that he is a jack-ofall-trades but a master of none. What he is clearly a master at though is staying busy and giving back. “I often joke, that I get involved in so many things because of my undiagnosed ADHD, Nicoll said. “But in truth, I get involved in so many things because they each feed into different areas that are of interest to me.”
And Nicoll certainly has a lot of interests. This native of Kenner is a managing partner of GWave Holdings, vice president of Nicoll’s Limousine & Shuttle Service, and an adjunct lecturer at Tulane University. He is also heavily involved in local philanthropic work and supporting the music scene of New Orleans. Anyone who’s been to a Mardi Gras parade knows those 610 Stompers come with a lot of energy, but where does Nicoll find his?
As a lecturer at Tulane, Nicoll tells his students when meeting new people to focus on building the relationship for the sake of it, not with the end goal of what they could get from it. “You never know the person you’re going to meet, the relationship you have the opportunity to build–and not for transactional purposes–but because you never know where that can lead in 6 months from now, a year from now, 5 years from now,” he said.
Nicoll is a graduate of Tulane University. But some of his greatest lessons came long before he stepped onto the campus, when his high school experience was interrupted by Katrina.
The storm brought Nicoll to the panhandle of Florida to J.R. Arnold High School Panama City Beach, a co-ed
school without uniforms, just a block from the beach. Quite a change from an all-boys catholic school. It’s not the beach he remembers the fondest though: “I will forever be indebted to the people of that region who took us in, literally clothed and housed us, and treated us like family,” he said. “While Katrina was many things, it also brought out some of the kindest acts I’ve ever seen from absolute complete strangers.”
It is easy to see how these ideas of showing kindness to strangers in need and getting to know people for the simple beauty of community, are still very strong values in Nicoll’s life. He serves on the Executive Board of the Young Leadership Council as VP of Development and is a member of GNO Inc.’s Next Gen Council. He also works with local nonprofits and civic organizations like Fund 17, and Emerging Philanthropists of New Orleans.
“First and foremost, I think it’s very important that we should give more than we take…You can’t take the wealth you create with you to the grave, and I think we have a moral and ethical obligation to do what we can to leave this world better than we found it.”
Though Nicoll doesn’t believe we’ve achieved that noble goal as a society (yet), he sees each day as a new opportunity to make good on that promise. As an individual, he focuses on ways he can make the greatest impact at the local level. “It’s not just about giving your treasure,” he says, “but your time and talent as well.”
For anyone visiting New Orleans, Nicoll has a message: Come and enjoy the food, music, and culture, but, never forget that New Orleans can be more than that. “We can
be the place where you can find work-life balance, probably tipping the scales to more of the latter.”
He also has a message for life-long New Orleanians as well: Stay open-minded to outsiders. “If we keep doing what we’ve always done, then we’ll always get what we’ve always got. We should keep our hearts open to new ways of doing things if we want better outcomes.”
If his mind and heart are always open, then his legs are always dancing. When’s he’s not teaching an entrepreneurship or leadership course at Tulane, or working with the family business, Nicoll’s Limousine & Shuttle Service, or finding more ways to help the startup community find investment through GWave Holdings, you can find him dancing it out with the 610 Stompers.
“Being a 610 Stomper is one of the most fun things I’ve had the pleasure of getting to do. It’s hard to describe what it’s like dancing down St. Charles Avenue, shaking your tailfeather and having a blast being a total silly goose,” Nicoll said. “I love getting to see the looks on people’s faces, particularly someone who’s never seen us before, and see their jaw hit the ground when we pass by.”
When pressed for a favorite anecdote of a time he donned the stache and short-shorts, Nicoll passes up the time he had a dance party on St. Charles Avenue with Steve Gleason, for the time the 610 Stompers were invited to the 2019 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and he proposed to his now wife while dancing down 6th Avenue.
“The Stompers embody some of the best aspects of what it’s like to be in this city. A joie de vivre, and the most extraordinary dance moves only an ordinary man can do.”
Plus, the Stompers pay forward the support they receive by giving grants to numerous organizations across the crescent city. They aren’t just masters of great dance moves, but also of Evan Nicoll’s favorite trade—giving back.
From Gaming to Military Training
Haptech’s Technological Breakthroughs
BY MM KAUFMAN
Within the industry, most vendors view Haptech Inc.’s technology as the future of military weapons training. But Kyle Monti, founder and CEO, would be the first to tell you that it took a lot of time and effort to make that statement the reality it is today. The technology-driven company solving modern-day problems has had its highs and lows, but over the past ten years it has fought hard to win industry credibility.
The son of an entrepreneur, and a graduate of Hahnville High School and the University of New Orleans with a degree in physics, Monti and his team create problem-solving technologies specializing in electronics and motor-driven haptic simulation. Monti’s innovations and Haptech patents have built hyper-realistic gaming and U.S. Military training environments that are quickly outpacing existing tech, with less expensive and smarter equipment that is both adaptable and easier to maintain.
Haptech’s founding in 2014 came about when Monti was inspired by an existing problem with pneumatic simulators in training weapons. He put his analytical skills to the test to find a
way to create an electrically based technology to simulate recoil. In other words, he wanted to create an industry game changer.
In three years, he had the patents and prototypes with the linear motor technology ultimately used for the application. But there still lay the obstacle of getting the defense industry to adopt the technology. With a brilliant pivot, Monti and his team decided to develop blasters for the VR gaming market. These first products made up StrikerVR—now a Haptech subsidiary. If you’d like to see this tech in action on the silver screen, check out the 2020 movie Max Reload and the Nether Blasters starring Kevin Smith.
Just a few years later in 2018, Haptech had an opportunity to place the technology into an ongoing U.S. Navy program— their first military success. They have been refining their products for the defense industry as Haptech Defense Systems, and gaming with Striker VR, ever since. Haptech continues to work to integrate their proprietary systems in more applications and devises for the U.S. Military and beyond.
Born and developed in New Orleans, Haptech has grown a lot in ten years, but has managed to do so organically which
allows them to add capability at a rate that can be supported locally. The company sees itself as an active participant in helping make the dream of New Orleans as a national innovation hotspot a reality.
“We have certainly pressed the area for more and more sophisticated talent,” Monti says, “and we plan to continue this moving forward. We’re here to help. It will take many more years for this vision to fully come into focus, but we’ll be around to see it through.”
Haptech was confident their system would be a drastic upgrade from the antiquated pneumatic training weapons the government had been using for almost 50 years. But it took patience and tenacity to get their technology in front of the right people to begin securing larger government contracts. In 2023, they landed their first significant U.S. Army contract, which all together totals over $11 million dollars. They are currently in the research and development phase of these contracts.
You may be wondering how Haptech’s Electromagnetic Recoil System works and Kyle Monti can break it down so anyone can understand. In grade school, many students learn about electromagnets by winding a copper wire around a nail, running a current through the wire, thus creating an electromagnet strong enough to pick-up paperclips.
“Our motor is based around a similar idea,” Monti explains, “but with multiple coils and permanent magnets. Instead of the current only being applied in one direction, it can be applied in reverse to produce opposite motions. So, when you pull the trigger of a Haptech training weapon or a StrikerVR gaming blaster, you feel a recoil which is dynamic in nature just like the real thing. There are no bullets, no blanks and no projectiles – just electromagnetics applied in a new way.”
Beyond weapons training and gaming, Monti reminds that haptics are part of the technology in our everyday lives. Like the buzz you feel when you text or dial on a modern cell phone, and it’s moving in new domains every day, he tells us.
“Right now, somewhere in America, a surgeon is using haptics in robotics to perform a delicate operation, while a member of the U.S. Coast Guard is using that same technology in training simulations to intercept illegal drug trafficking in the Gulf of Mexico, and a small business owner is opening a location-based entertainment venue to transport gamers into immersive virtual experiences using the products they hold.”
It is that drive to discover more ways in which technology can enrich our lives that keeps Haptech Inc.’s wheels turning. “The applications of this technology are limited only by our imagination and as a creator,” Monti adds, “that’s an exciting space to be a part of.”
DC FLY IN
GNO, Inc.’s Executive Board traveled to Washington, D.C. to meet with our Louisiana Congressional delegation, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Director Liz Klein, and White House Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young, discussing key initiatives like energy, urban and rural development, flood insurance, infrastructure, trade, workforce development, coastal restoration, and public safety.
LANDRY POLICY TEAM
GNO, Inc. welcomed members of Governor Landry's Policy Team for a multi-day economic development familiarization tour to meet with economic development stakeholders, tour port infrastructure, and see firsthand a few of the diverse economic assets driving the GNO economy.
GNOROCS INTERNSHIP
In July, we celebrated the closing ceremony of the 2024 GNOrocs Innovation Internship at the New Orleans BioInnovation Center. Our 24 interns from local universities worked at various STEM companies, including labs, engineering firms, construction companies, and tech startups.
ETERNAL SEEDS
MECHATRONICS
Eight students completed the Mechatronics program at Nunez Community College. The Mechatronics program is a two-year commitment that provides both technical classroom instruction and on-the-job training using an earn-while-you-learn model with training costs covered by the employer.
Eternal Seeds completed their stunning mural on Girod Street! We are thrilled to witness the beginning of the Super Bowl LIX murals, with the beautification of our community already underway.
NASA MICHOUD
Our staff visited the NASA Michoud Assembly Facility to witness the departure of Artemis II, which is set to bring the first woman and person of color to the moon in 2025. The five Artemis missions represent an investment of $93 billion, with 90% of each rocket constructed at Michoud, solidifying New Orleans East as a critical hub for space exploration. Michoud employs more than 3,000 people in the Greater New Orleans region.
LFEC GROUNDBREAKING
The groundbreaking of the Louisiana Future Energy Center marks a significant step forward in Louisiana’s clean energy leadership. Located at The Beach at UNO and made possible by the U.S. Economic Development Administration, this state-of-the-art facility will fuel innovation, sustainability, and economic growth by supporting energy startups and advancing next-generation clean energy technologies.
The NOLA Coalition made national headlines for its efforts in helping to reduce homicides in New Orleans by 45% — as well as a 44% decrease in robberies and a 21% decrease in aggravated assaults this year. By comparison, other cities across the country recorded an average 8% decrease in homicides and a 5% drop in aggravated assault. The Coalition was also highlighted for raising $8 million of its $15 million to support local youth programs like mentoring and mental health services, as well as recreational improvements.
GNO, Inc. and multiple regional, state, and federal partners made two major announcements that bring Louisiana tangibly closer to our vision of the state as an international hub of an “all-of-the-above” energy future. First, Canadian company Woodland Biofuels announced a $1.35 billion investment at the Port of South Louisiana to establish the largest renewable natural gas plant in the world. Second, the Louisiana Future Energy Center, located at the Beach at UNO, will be the physical and symbolic headquarters of the “all-of-theabove” future energy movement for Louisiana
