Biz Talks

The pandemic relief program for childcare just expired Sept. 30, which means 3.2 million children around the country are expected to lose access to care in the coming months and 70,000 childcare programs are likely to close. How will this affect Louisiana and what can be done to meet this critical need? Find out in this week’s podcast with Libbie Sonnier, executive director of the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children.

This week’s episode features Jennifer Baldwin, chief operations officer at Revelry, a New Orleans-based software development company. She explains how Revelry’s apprenticeship program has trained more than 50% of its permanent, full-time employees, and she talks about why Revelry is committed to growing Louisiana’s technology community — and economy overall.

This week, Sept. 20 and 21, the Women’s Business Enterprise Council South (WBEC South) will host their annual WE Summit Awards and Scholarship Gala at the Roosevelt Hotel. Who is the WBEC South and why should women owned businesses get certified with them? President and CEO Phala Mire shares all the details and benefits on this week’s podcast. 

Sean Mulligan, program and events coordinator for the Idea Village, talks about the nonprofit’s new music business accelerator, designed to support entrepreneurs seeking to solve problems or create new opportunities in the music industry.

With Louisiana facing more than 600 wildfires just in August, Biz talks with disaster recovery company First Onsite Property Restoration general manager Steven Latham about the business of disasters. What are the biggest threats facing Louisiana businesses near these fires and what can a company like this do to help?  

That’s how owner Renee Melchiode describes the experience at Exchange Pickleball & Bar, which opened August 8 behind the Walmart on Tchoupitoulas Street. In this week's episode, hear the story of how they city's only marriage of the fastest growing sport in the nation with food and beverage offerings came to be in New Orleans. 

Hurricane protection and coastal restoration projects are lowering Louisiana residents’ risks, yet the state continues to see premiums rise. Chip Kline, former chairman of the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, says the opposite should be happening. On this week’s episode, he talks about the connection between insurance and the environment. Kline will be one of the featured speakers at the annual Economic & Real Estate Forecast Symposium hosted by the New Orleans Metropolitan Association of Realtors on Oct. 5. At the event, experts in real estate, insurance and finance will tackle the theme “Adapting to Unpredictability.”

Last week, Caesars Superdome officials unveiled a portion of the major renovations planned for the Caesars Superdome in advance of Super Bowl LIX in 2025. Mike Hoss, media relations manager for the project, talks about how the changes in the Dome will make game day more convenient and entertaining for fans. Since he’s also the Saints radio play-by-play announcer, he shares his thoughts on the upcoming season.

The United Way of Southeast Louisiana has just introduced a new program that aims to be a game-changer for the African-American small business community in Southeast Louisiana. Thriving African-American Small Business Initiative (TAASB) seeks to boost the profit potential and resilience of Black-owned businesses and help close the racial wealth gap in the region. For all the details, Biz talks to Chiquita Lattimore, senior VP of community impact and financial capability.

Dillard University President Dr. Rochelle Ford’s first-year achievements include infrastructure improvements, a fundraising boost and changes designed to support faculty and staff culture. Now she’s overseeing the construction of a $40 million residence hall near campus. It’s part of her plan to transform the iconic HBCU into a “living, learning, serving communiversity.”

There’s a lot going on at Tulane’s School of Professional Advancement, including two big new master’s degree opportunities and a new partnership with another local university. Ilianna Kwaske, associate dean for academic affairs and senior professor practice, shares all the details on this week’s podcast. 

This week's guest is Geoffrey Meeker, founder and owner of French Truck Coffee. The business began in 2009 in his laundry room and it has now grown to encompass 10 shops with two more on the way. Over the last decade and a half, Meeker has had to become a coffee expert and a pro at scaling and managing a business through extreme weather events, the pandemic and all the challenges that come with life in New Orleans.

This spring, leaders in Jefferson Parish completed a first-ever quality of life survey for the parish called Jefferson Now. In this week’s podcast, we chat with Jefferson Business Council Chairman Philip Rebowe about what residents feel are the parish’s strong points, and where there’s room for improvement.  

This week, Becky Gustafson, financial advisor with Gustafson Wealth Management in Metairie, discusses the actions individuals in the LGBTQ+ community can take to build a strong retirement plan and feel confident in their financial future.  

On this week’s episode, the longtime leader of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry talks about his plans to build the state’s economy and stop neighboring states from “gobbling up our people, families and businesses.”

Theresa Jones is the CEO of EVALV IQ, the first woman and minority-owned, full-service cybersecurity firm in Louisiana. Since launching in 2019, the firm has grown both nationally and internationally, with clients including the Port of South Louisiana. This week, Jones shares the latest cybersecurity trends and looks at the explosion of cybercrime since the pandemic and what business owners should be doing.

The site of the former Six Flags, and the future of the location, has been the talk of the community for years. Businessman and real estate developer Troy Henry hopes to convert the former theme park site. In this week's episode, he shares his plans of a youth sports complex combined with indoor/outdoor waterpark, hotel, retail and more.

This week’s episode features Jeff and Ben Albright, the father-and-son team that leads the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of Louisiana. The Albrights represent independent agents and brokers in their interactions with government, the industry and consumers. They’ve got a front-row seat for — and many thoughts about — the current homeowners’ insurance crisis in Louisiana.

El Guapo CEO Christa Cotton continues to build out and scale up her company’s Gravier Street headquarters as three of her products hit the shelves of a national supermarket chain. In this week's episode, she talks about the success of her young enterprise — which makes cocktail bitters, syrups and mixers — and her love of the city that inspired it.

During National Teacher Appreciation Week, we talk to Courtney Williams, the CEO of Torsh, a tech company that works with area schools and teachers in multiple ways to help increase teacher satisfaction and retention. How does Torsh work and what has it meant to area schools? Find out on this week’s BizTalks.

This week’s guest is Andy Kopplin, president and CEO of the Greater New Orleans Foundation. The philanthropic institution is celebrating its 100-year anniversary this year — and, on May 2, it will host its 10th annual GiveNOLA Day, an annual online event that’s designed to raise millions for nearly 1,000 participating nonprofits.

Having just broken ground on their fourth location in New Orleans and first in Jefferson Parish, Felipe’s Taqueria continues to build upon its success. Co-owner Pike Howard says the family-run business continues to meet the challenges of hiring and retention, in part by using technology. In this week’s episode, he shares some of his top recommendations.

This week’s guest is Jay Cicero, CEO of the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation. His team is leading the preparations for New Orleans to host the Super Bowl on Feb. 9, 2025. It will be the 11th Super Bowl in New Orleans and the eighth in the Superdome.

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

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

How do you make healthcare settings safer while also addressing an industry facing major workforce issues? Local company Performance Health Partners helps tackle both with its proprietary software. This week, CEO Heidi Raines talks about the power of anonymous reporting and her new book, "Shared Voices," ahead of her appearance at New Orleans Entrepreneur Week.  

For this week’s episode, there are two “Brennans on Duty”: Lally Brennan and Ti Adelaide Martin, co-proprietors of Commander’s Palace. The first cousins discuss the past, present and future of their family’s beloved Creole restaurant, which debuted way back in 1893 before being purchased and revived by the Brennan family in the late 1960s. The Commander's team has planned a year's worth of celebrations, programs, promotions and collaborations to mark the occasion.

On its 105th year in business, Blue Runner Foods has just welcomed a new CEO, Katie Bautsch, the first woman to lead the company in its history. In this week’s episode, Bautsch shares the changes that lay ahead for this local staple as it looks to capture the hearts, and stomachs, of a new generation.

Liz Maxwell is director of community and communications at the Idea Village, which produces the annual New Orleans Entrepreneur Week. On this week's podcast, she talks about how the event is growing and changing in tandem with the city’s flourishing entrepreneurial community.

Feb 17 marked the start of the sixth season of Nola Gold Rugby — one of 12 major league teams in the country. If you're not yet a fan, new CEO Chase Langdon explains why it's time you give rugby a "try."

Loyola University New Orleans Environmental Law Chair Rob Verchick, a former EPA official in the Obama administration, is the author of the new book “The Octopus in the Parking Garage: A Call for Climate Resilience.” On this week’s episode, he’ll discuss ways south Louisiana can protect itself from increasingly extreme threats from wind and water.

After leading a team of over 1,000 to help build the most powerful rocket ever launched last fall, 2022 Executive of the Year Jennifer Boland-Masterson, director of manufacturing and site leader for the Boeing Space and Launch program, shares the road that led her to the space program, what she’s doing to diversify its workforce, and what her team is up to now.

On this week’s episode, the CEO of the Home Builders Association of Greater New Orleans says the vast majority of insurance claims during recent Louisiana hurricanes were caused by roof failures that could be prevented by improved installation techniques. So, getting some of the region's roofs up to code could be the key to solving the current residential insurance crisis.

Aaron Gailmor is the CEO (Chief Eats Officer) of Brass Roots, a snack food company whose plant-based products use organic Sacha Inchi Seeds, nicknamed “the Incan peanut.” Launched in 2019, the company has quickly grabbed national attention, which amplified last Friday, Jan. 20, with Gailmor’s appearance on the ABC hit TV show Shark Tank.

On this week’s episode, T. Parker Host Chairman and CEO Adam Anderson talks about a his company's $445 million deal to sell Avondale Global Gateway to the Port of South Louisiana — and his vision for how the 254-acre site will contribute to the future of south Louisiana river commerce.

The S&P 500 hit its high mark on the first trading day of 2022 and never came close to that number again for the rest of the year. This week, senior investment management consultant Shepard Buckman of Equitas Capital Advisors talks about what contributed to the rough year for retirement accounts in 2022 and his strategies for recovery in 2023.

In the words of this week’s guest, “New Orleans’s future workforce is not going to prepare itself.” As such, New Orleans Career Center has been working since its opening in 2018 to prepare area young people and adults for a wide variety of high-wage, high-demand local careers. The organization’s CEO, Claire Jecklin, shares how the organization is partnering with local industries and the details of NOCC’s incredible new 143,000-square-foot space.

Each December, Biz New Orleans magazine finishes out the year highlighting the top stories that made headlines. For the past 12 months, those stories included crime, tech and insurance issues - among others. In our final episode of the year, Biz New Orleans editor (and "Biz Talks" co-host) Kim Singletary counts down the most consequential deals and developments of 2022.

Just in time for the holidays, Children’s Hospital welcomed a new addition with the grand opening Dec. 8 of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of South Louisiana’s new house. In this week’s podcast, Grace McIntosh, executive director at RMHC-SLA, shares all the exciting features of the new home, how it finally came to be, and how businesses and individuals can make a real difference for families of children in need of medical care. 

This week’s podcast features Linda Thurman and Ed Poole of Movie Poster Archives, a nonprofit that operates a brand-new gallery and store at 605 Lapalco Boulevard in Gretna. Their new venture features an exhibition space, research center, gift shop and screening room. They talk about the importance of movie posters and other film accessories and how JEDCO helped make their new retail location a reality.

More than 10 million lights are on display now at Lafreniere Park, with almost all of the creations custom made. Park Director Tripp Rabalais discusses this year's exciting big addition, as well as how the park fared during the pandemic and what the future holds.

This week’s guest is Mandy Simpson, owner of NOLA Boards, a New Orleans-based maker of handcrafted cutting boards, countertops, furniture and more. She talks about how celebrity chef Rachael Ray helped boost her business, the importance of supporting local retailers during the holiday shopping season — and her big plans to take her business on the road.

A new headquarters, exciting new partnerships, big gifts: 2022 has been an exciting one for the nonprofit Son of a Saint, which helps area boys without father figures. This week, founder Sonny Lee shares some creative ways individuals and businesses can be part of the movement to stop the cycle of violence in our city.

On this week’s episode, Tulane business professor J. Cameron Verhaal and Urban South Brewery owner Jacob Landry talk about what it takes to build an authentic and scalable beer brand, why Louisiana and Mississippi have fewer breweries than other states — and how inflation is “crushing” the industry in 2022.

In this week’s episode, Dolliole shares his thoughts on how the airport weathered the pandemic — and a very chaotic summer — and looks ahead to exciting new additions. Along with added flight options, travelers will be seeing a new offering at the airport that Dolliole said was the result of an unexpected consumer behavior change during the pandemic. 

This week’s episode features Greg Feirn, CEO of LCMC Health, and Michael Fitts, president of Tulane University. Last week, the two leaders announced that LCMC intends to acquire three Tulane-affiliated hospitals from HCA Healthcare in a $150 million deal. If approved by regulators, the move will expand the partnership between Tulane and LCMC and change the New Orleans healthcare landscape.

This month, Loyola University New Orleans is celebrating the debut of a $1.9 million dollar experiential learning space that allows nursing students to practice many medical procedures — from drawing blood to delivering a baby — using robotic mannequins and other high-tech devices. In this episode, Collins talks about the new lab, the nationwide nursing shortage, Loyola’s Ochsner partnership and her long-running blog about the PBS show Call the Midwife.

Entrepreneurs on the Northshore no longer have to cross the lake to receive business development support from The Idea Village thanks to the August launch of IDEAinstitute Northshore. Jon Atkinson, CEO of The Idea Village, joins Chris Masingill, CEO of St. Tammany Corporation, and Vincenzo Caronna, entrepreneur in residence and program manager of IDEAinstitute Northshore, to discuss the importance of this new venture.

This week's guest is Natalie Jayroe, president and CEO of the Second Harvest Food Bank, which provides food access, advocacy, education and disaster response to more than 700 community partners and programs across 23 parishes. The nonprofit is about to unveil a $15 million renovation of its Elmwood headquarters after navigating the twin challenges of the pandemic and several busy storm seasons.