About

Sponsors


Sponsors

New Orleans Entrepreneur Week was brought to life by our tireless supporters and those who believe in the power of innovation. The Idea Village would like to thank the following generous believers in New Orleans Entrepreneur Week for their unflagging support, and for making it all possible.

NOEW Major Sponsors NOEW Corporate Sponsors

About the Sponsors

EDA

EDA

www.eda.gov

The Economic Development Administration (EDA) was established under the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. § 3121), as amended, to generate jobs, help retain existing jobs, and stimulate industrial and commercial growth in economically distressed areas of the United States. EDA assistance is available to rural and urban areas of the Nation experiencing high unemployment, low income, or other severe economic distress. In fulfilling its mission, EDA is guided by the basic principle that distressed communities must be empowered to develop and implement their own economic development and revitalization strategies. Based on these locally - and regionally - developed priorities, EDA works in partnership with state and local governments, regional economic development districts, public and private nonprofit organizations, and Indian tribes. EDA helps distressed communities address problems associated with long-term economic distress, as well as sudden and severe economic dislocations including recovering from the economic impacts of natural disasters, the closure of military installations and other Federal facilities, changing trade patterns, and the depletion of natural resources.

DDD

Downtown Development District

www.neworleansdowntown.com

The Downtown Development District of New Orleans (DDD) was created by the Louisiana Legislature in 1974 as the nation's first assessment-based business improvement district (BID) to provide enhanced services in economic development, cleaning and safety. The DDD services the area bounded by Iberville Street, the Pontchartrain Expressway, Claiborne Avenue and the Mississippi River. It is governed by an 11-member Board of Commissioners which represents a cross section of the diverse Downtown community. Appointed by local elected officials, the commissioners help guide the policies and programs of the DDD.

Downtown New Orleans is experiencing continued growth and development. Almost $4 billion dollars worth of projects are in some phase of development, including more than 2,500 apartments, 850 condos and 2,000 hotel rooms. In addition to the new living space, Downtown is seeing significant investment in the medical industry and theater complexes. The mission of the DDD is to drive the development of Downtown New Orleans and be the catalyst for a prosperous, stimulating, innovative heart of the Crescent City.

Google

Google

www.google.com

Google's mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful. As a first step to fulfilling that mission, Google's founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin developed a new approach to online search that took root in a Stanford University dorm room and quickly spread to information seekers around the globe. Google is now widely recognized as the world's largest search engine - an easy-to-use free service that usually returns relevant results in a fraction of a second.

When you visit www.google.com or one of the dozens of other Google domains, you'll be able to find information in many different languages; check stock quotes, maps, and news headlines; lookup phonebook listings for every city in the United States; search billions of images and peruse the world's largest archive of Usenet messages - more than 1 billion postdating back to 1981.

Google also provides ways to access all of this information without making a special trip to the Google homepage. The Google Toolbar enables you to conduct a Google search from anywhere on the web. And for those times when you are away from your PC altogether, Google can be used from a number of wireless platforms including WAP and I-mode phones.

Google's utility and ease of use have made it one of the world's best known brands almost entirely through word of mouth from satisfied users. As a business, Google generates revenue by providing advertisers with the opportunity to deliver measurable, cost-effective online advertising that is relevant to the information displayed on any given page. This makes the advertising useful to you as well as to the advertiser placing it. Google believes that you should know when someone has paid to put a message in front of you, so ads are always distinguished from the search results or other content on a page. Google does not sell placement in the search results themselves, or all people to pay for a higher ranking there.

Thousands of advertisers use the Google AdWords program to promote their products and services on the web with targeted advertising, and it is believed that AdWords is the largest program of its kind. In addition, thousands of web site managers take advantage of the Google AdSense program to deliver ads relevant to the content on their sites, improving their ability to generate revenue and enhancing the experience for their users.

New Orleans Saints

New Orleans Saints

www.neworleanssaints.com

The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are the current champions of the National Football League (NFL) and play in the South Division of the National Football Conference (NFC). In addition to bringing their fans unprecedented success on the football field, they focus their core values on success, support, and investment in the region. The Saints are a part of the fabric of the Gulf South: a cornerstone of the region economically and a leader in charitable causes.

The Aspen Institute

The Aspen Institute

www.aspeninstitute.org

The Aspen Institute mission is twofold: to foster values-based leadership, encouraging individuals to reflect on the ideals and ideas that define a good society, and to provide a neutral and balanced venue for discussing and acting on critical issues. The Aspen Institute does this primarily in four different ways.

Seminars help participants reflect on what they think makes a good society, thereby deepening knowledge, broadening perspectives and enhancing their capacity to solve the problems leaders face. Young-leader fellowships around the globe bring a selected class of proven leaders together for an intense multi-year program and commitment. The fellows become better leaders and apply their skills to significant challenges. Policy programs serve as nonpartisan forums for analysis, consensus building, and problem solving on a wide variety of issues. Public conferences and events provide a commons for people to share ideas.

The Aspen Method is a moderated dialogue in a small group setting where participants from various backgrounds and perspectives learn from each other through an interactive discussion of specific readings.

The Institute is based in Washington, DC, Aspen, Colorado, and on the Wye River on Maryland's Eastern Shore and has an international network of partners.

Chase

Chase

www.chase.com

At JPMorgan Chase (NYSE: JPM), we do our best to manage and operate our company with a consistent set of business principles and core values. First and foremost, this means always trying to do the right thing. It means continuing to focus on maintaining a "Fortress Balance Sheet", strong capital ratios, and strong credit ratings. It means being willing to sacrifice short-term growth for long-term opportunity. During these turbulent times, this approach is vital. As we move forward, we believe that shareholders will benefit as we do the right thing by our customers and the communities we serve. Our U.S. consumer and commercial banking businesses serve customers under the Chase brand.

CVB

New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau

www.neworleanscvb.com

New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau offers convention services and information for visitors to New Orleans. Whether you are planning a New Orleans vacation, a business trip, or traveling with friends to one of the many New Orleans events, like Mardi Gras, including Bourbon Street and French Quarter festivities, you can find what you need here. Along with coupons for various stores and events, and information on where to do the best New Orleans shopping, you'll also get information on New Orleans hotel availability, culture and background, New Orleans restaurants, and the best in New Orleans music and entertainment.

GNO, Inc.

GNO, Inc.

www.gnoinc.org

The GNO, Inc. Mission is to serve as the catalyst for wealth creation in the Greater New Orleans region. GNO, Inc. will accomplish this by pursuing an aggressive agenda of business development - marketing the region - and product development - improving regional business conditions through policy, workforce, and research initiatives.

The GNO, Inc. Vision is for the Greater New Orleans region to fulfill its potential as one of the best places in the country to grow a company and raise a family. The ultimate indication of success for GNO, Inc. will be the presence of a robust and growing middle class in southeastern Louisiana.

Gambit

Gambit

www.bestofneworleans.com

Twenty-eight years ago the first issue of Gambit Weekly was published. Today, 40,000 papers are distributed every week to over 375 locations throughout the metro New Orleans area. This locally owned newspaper is one of the most successful weeklies in the country, and the recipient of numerous annual awards for editorial and design achievement.

Harrah's

Harrah's

www.harrahs.com

Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. is the world's largest provider of branded casino entertainment. Since its beginning in Reno, Nevada, more than 70 years ago, Harrah's has grown through development of new properties, expansions and acquisitions, and now owns or manages casinos on four continents. The Company's properties operate primarily under the Harrah's RRRR, Caesar's RRR and Horseshoe RRR brand names; Harrah's also owns the London Clubs International family of casinos and the World Series of Poker RRR. Harrah's Entertainment is focused on building loyalty and value with its customers through a unique combination of great service, excellent products, unsurpassed distribution, operational excellence and technology leadership.

Hibernia Homestead Bank

Hibernia Homestead Bank

www.hiberniahomesteadbank.com/

Hibernia Homestead Bank has been giving personalized service to New Orleans and Jefferson Parish since 1903. It was initially founded to provide residential mortgage loans to homeowners, and over the years has grown to become a full service institution offering a broad range of financial services to meet the needs of customers in the New Orleans Metropolitan Area. In addition to the special brand of friendly personal service, Hibernia Homestead is known for competitive rates on loans and deposits, and for careful attention to every detail in managing the accounts of clients. Unlike many mortgage lenders and brokers, Hibernia Homestead takes great pride in their policy of personally servicing all of their loans, for the life of the loan. They want to make sure that you will always receive the personal treatment you deserve.

New Orleans Hornets

New Orleans Hornets

www.hornets.com

The New Orleans Hornets are proud to be a New Orleans business that happens to be an NBA franchise. Under the leadership of owner George Shinn, the Hornets remain committed to revitalize South Louisiana through numerous community initiatives and by providing world-class entertainment on the court that appeals to the entire family.

Jones Walker

Jones Walker

www.joneswalker.com

Since its inception in 1937, Jones Walker has grown over the past several decades in size and scope to become one of the largest law firms in the Gulf South. JW serves local, regional, national, and international business interests in a wide range of markets and industries. Today, it has more than 275 attorneys in Alabama, Arizona, the District of Columbia, Florida, Louisiana, and Texas.

Jones Walker is committed to providing proactive legal services to major multinational, public, and private corporations; Fortune 500® companies; money center banks and worldwide insurers; and family and emerging businesses located in the United States and abroad.

The firm has close ties to many types of businesses and industries, and the attorneys are heralded for their experience in several practice areas. They focus on building lasting relationships with clients and gaining a thorough understanding of clients' businesses and industries. Regardless of size, Jones Walker works with each client's specific needs in mind, focusing on achieving the best results in the most efficient manner.

Jones Walker attorneys are licensed to practice in multiple states and the District of Columbia, and have international experience in several countries. A number of our attorneys are regularly published in an array of legal, commercial, and industry journals. Several of our legal professionals serve as featured speakers for professional, trade, and business seminars, and as instructors for law school courses. Each of our attorneys maintains a steadfast commitment to community leadership and charitable work, and all are actively involved in our communities. Firmwide, we support numerous local and national civic and charitable organizations by dedicating time, talent, and financial resources to improve our communities and help those in need.

Limousine Livery

Limousine Livery

www.limolivery.com

Limousine Livery offers one-stop shopping for chauffeured transportation services throughout the world. Limousine Livery is committed to providing ground transportation for executives, business travelers and special event & meeting professionals. We supply each of our clients with the ground transportation services they need to remain on top of their complex professional and personal lives.

Limousine Livery is a proud Member of the Limousine Environmental Action Partnership, National Limousine Association, National Business Travel Association and Meeting Professionals International.

Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation

Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation

www.lra.louisiana.gov

The mission of the Louisiana Recovery Authority is to ensure that Louisiana rebuilds safer, stronger and smarter than before. There are five areas of focus: securing funding and other resources needed for the recovery, establishing principles and policies for redevelopment, leading long-term community and regional planning efforts, ensuring transparency and accountability in the investment of recovery funds, and communicating progress, status and needs of the recovery to officials, community advocates and the public. Throughout its initiatives, the LRA is committed to a recovery and rebuilding process that is fair and equitable to everyone.

State Farm

State Farm

www.statefarm.com

State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company was founded on June 7, 1922, by George J. Mecherle, a retired farmer. It initially concentrated on meeting auto insurance needs of Illinois farmers through a mutual organization owned by the customers. By 1942, the company was the nation's largest auto insurer, a ranking it has held ever since. About one out of every five cars on the road is insured with State Farm®. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is a mutual insurance company and as such does not have any shareholders. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company began marketing health insurance in 1965.

State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is also the parent company of several wholly-owned subsidiaries that provide property and life insurance, banking products and mutual funds. The overall mission of State Farm is to help people manage the risks of everyday life, recover from the unexpected, and realize their dreams.

Tulane University

Tulane University

www.tulane.edu

Tulane University is one of the nation's leading educational and research institutions. Founded in 1834 in New Orleans, Tulane offers degrees in architecture, business law, liberal arts, medicine, and public health and tropical medicine, the sciences and engineering, and social work.


Special Guests

James Carville, Jim Coulter, Bob Brown, General Wesley Clark, Amy Cosper, Dr. Scott Cowen, Mark Cuban, Michael Hecht, Walter Isaacson, Julie Silard Kantor, Robin Keegan, The Honorable Mitch Landrieu, Mary Matalin, Irvin Mayfield, Stephen Perry, Peter Reiling, Hugh Weber & Kurt Weigle

  • "Inspired by Design"

    Entrepreneur.com - 5/3/10

    Just recently, Hardy was chosen as one of seven entrepreneurs to partner with an MBA team in New Orleans Entrepreneur Week 2010, when over 150 top MBA students, corporate volunteers, and our nation's most accomplished entrepreneurial talent congregated and collaborated in New Orleans to provide 9,121 hours of direct service to 329 early-stage New Orleans entrepreneurs....

  • "Reaping the Reward"

    myNewOrleans.com - 4/8/10

    What a year it has been so far! And now we are smack in the middle of festival season: Pinch me, I must be dreaming in the land of dreamy scenes. As good as it has been (Thank you, Saints. Thank you, Mitch. Thank you, Rex, etc.), plenty has been going on in parallel to all the Big Things that should not go unnoticed.

  • "How Businesses Are Launched, Big Easy Style"

    GOOD - 4/8/10

    Right after Hurricane Katrina hit, the academic world responded to the disaster. Schools sent students to do relief work, symposiums were planned.... Over spring break, while many of their peers lapped up tropical-flavored drinks, business students from around the country flew to New Orleans, where they were matched with local entrepreneurs as part of Idea Village's Entrepreneur Week.

  • "C.U. Team Takes First Place in Entrepreneur Challenge"

    The Cornell Daily Sun - 4/2/10

    The first time's a charm. The Johnson School of Management team travelled to New Orleans from Mar. 20 to Mar. 27 to compete for the first time in the Entrepreneur Challenge and won first place - beating out rival business schools Stanford, Northwestern, University of California-Berkeley and University of Chicago.

  • "Big Easy Blends wins Entrepreneur Week competition"

    New Orleans CityBusiness - 3/30/10

    Big Easy Blends, makers of the portable potable Mar-GO-rita, were chosen winners of New Orleans Entrepreneur Week’s competition among up and coming businesses. One of CityBusiness’ Innovator of the Year honoree in 2009, Big Easy Blends was founded in 2007 by Craig Cordes....

  • "Jazz Festival for Entrepreneurship"

    TravelTalk Media - 3/28/10

    Mixing work with fun is a longtime New Orleans specialty and nobody does it better. Mix they did again this week in the Big Easy for the annual New Orleans Entrepreneur Week where some of the nation’s most creative minds congregated to celebrate, support and promote entrepreneurship and innovation.

  • "Johnson School team wins New Orleans IdeaCorps Challenge!"

    Cornell University The Johnson School - 3/27/10

    A team from the Johnson School, participating in their first IdeaCorps Challenge in New Orleans, took first place among other visiting business-school teams from Kellogg, Booth, Haas and Stanford.

  • "Students team up for New Orleans Entrepreneur Week"

    Tulane University Freeman School of Business - 3/27/10

    Jack and Jake's Local and Organic Market is a new business that plans to bring locally grown food to customers in underserved neighborhoods within three days of harvest, but to achieve that goal, the company first needs a top-notch distribution system. That’s where a team of MBA students from Tulane, Loyola and UNO comes in.

  • "New Orleans entrepreneurs merge commercial and social-welfare interests"

    The Times-Picayune - 3/23/10

    Hurricane Katrina disrupted the sense of detachment and malaise that can often envelope communities, and in doing so it laid the groundwork for a burgeoning innovative entrepreneurial community in New Orleans, the president and chief executive officer of the Aspen Institute said Monday.

  • "Entrepreneur Week Kicks Off In New Orleans"

    Good NOLA - 3/22/10

    Entrepreneur Week Kicks Off In New Orleans. Entrepreneur Week in New Orleans is a meeting of the minds for upstart businesses and up-and-coming talent. The week is about matching top business talent from across the country with ...

  • "Village Capital and The Idea Village: Starting Social Enterprises"

    TechDrawl - 3/21/10

    The Idea Village in New Orleans is an excellent model for how a small group of dedicated entrepreneurs have created a remarkable ecosystem. A group of young entrepreneurs in New Orleans went to Atlanta, New York, Boston, and Chicago, did well in start-ups and finance, and then moved back to the city....

  • "Entrepreneur Week billed as Jazz Fest for business"

    The Times-Picayune - 3/21/10

    Despite their splashy appearance, the three-foot-long, black and yellow flags emblazoned with a light bulb and the phrase "It's On In NOLA" that were sent to businesses around the metro area this month may prove to be an understated way ...

  • "Bloomberg Television to focus on New Orleans entrepreneurs"

    The Times-Picayune - 3/19/10

    The digital-cable business network Bloomberg Television will present a live New Orleans edition of "On the Road with Betty Liu" on Tuesday (March 23) from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m.

  • "Idea Village sets economic development pace"

    New Orleans CityBusiness - 3/19/10

    Let's spend a few minutes celebrating a victory and remembering what could have been. First of all, congratulations to The Idea Village for making its 10th year and helping countless New Orleans area entrepreneurs make something of themselves and their good ideas.

  • "Big Help in the Big Easy"

    Inc.com - 3/17/10

    Organizers of New Orleans Entrepreneurship Week estimate the event will provide some $900,000 worth of consulting to local businesses. New Orleans already is the fastest-growing city in the U.S. - and a local nonprofit wants its businesses (and hopefully, a reputation for fostering innovation) to keep pace.

  • "Johnson School team to be part of Entrepreneur Week's IDEACorps"

    Cornell - 3/16/10

    A team of Johnson School students has, for the first time, been invited to compete with the best in the Idea Village Entrepreneur Challenge in New Orleans, LA from March 20-28. The challenge, which is part of Entrepreneur Week, charges teams from the nation's leading MBA schools to use their professional skills in short-term, high impact service roles in the revitalization of New Orleans.

  • "New Orleans Entrepreneurship Week: Meet With Google, Deloitte, Salesforce.com"

    BayouBuzz.com - 3/3/10

    Google, Deloitte and Salesforce.com…Jazz Fest of Entrepreneurship…What a week…Attend Friday's Introduction, Cocktail Party and Mingler. Idea Village, a leading organization in Southeast Louisiana is announcing Entrepreneur Week which will be a week-long event involving many New Orleans sites, business and major national industry leaders.

  • "Blue Ocean: Can the popular business strategy help Louisiana find its next big catch?"

    1012 Corridor - 2/9/10

    When state economic development officials talk about the kinds of companies they want to attract to Louisiana, they point to TurboSquid.

  • "Receivables Exchange capitalizes on the down economy"

    The Times-Picayune

    Nic Perkin and The Receivables Exchange, an online auctionhouse for accounts receivable are trailblazing for a new generation of entrepreneurs by capitalizing on a huge theoretical market. New Orleans is welcoming driven entrepreneurs with open arms, says Tim Williamson, co-founder of The Idea Village. "The biggest ideas are the ones that have skepticism in the beginning."

  • "Back in Business After Katrina"

    CNN - 10/22/09

    Sean Callebs reports on how Rock 'n Bowl bounced back after Hurricane Katrina. Rock 'n Bowl discusses with CNN the generous grant he received from The Idea Village which made it possible for them to quickly open their doors to the public news-Katrina.

  • "The New NOLA Tech Zone"

    Where Y'At Magazine - 10/15/09

    According to Tim Williamson, President and Co-founder of the Idea Village, New Orleans possesses, among other things, a university system and a creative culture. New Orleans is also a "worldwide brand." "The good news is that the foundation is there," Williamson says.

  • "After the Storm: New Orleans' economic rebirth"

    CNN - 8/27/09

    "If you look at the people that have come since Katrina, there has been this influx of talent who has come to New Orleans, initially to help, but now they are here to stay and live and to grow new companies. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to reinvent an American city," Tim Williamson said.

  • "Entrepreneurs Take to 'Big Easy'"

    Wall Street Journal - 8/24/09

    Small-business owners who left are now coming back, driven by a sense of mission to help the struggling city and to take advantage of generous tax breaks. Young professionals have moved to the Big Easy to help with its recovery, enjoy its cultural offerings and start businesses.

  • "The changing face-and faces-of New Orleans"

    The Times Picayune - 8/23/09

    "Now you have some people who are here not just for the recovery, but who have drunk the Kool-Aid and want to be part of the long-term economic and social change of New Orleans," Tim Williamson said.

  • "A Place of Their Own"

    1012 Corridor - 8/1/2009

    "If you’re a young, bright entrepreneur, New Orleans looks pretty interesting right now," [Idea Village CEO Tim] Williamson says. "There aren’t hundreds of thousands of layoffs; there’s actually a growing, entrepreneurial community. We’ve got our coolness, but there’s also a sense of opportunity here, because we’re going through a transformation."

  • "Entrepreneurs Leverage New Orleans's Charm to Lure Small Businesses"

    The New York Times - 7/30/09

    "Competitive gets you nowhere. It's about being collaborative. And this city is so like that, from the people helping each other rebuild their homes to building businesses," said Seema Sudan, the owner and director of the knitwear company LiaMolly.

  • "Introducing the Entre-pioneers of the 'New' New Orleans"

    Social Earth - 7/30/09

    Clusters are a validation that entrepreneurs can create economic and social change.

  • "Persevering in New Orleans"

    The Washington Times - 7/29/09

    Driven by the mantra "Trust your crazy ideas," The Idea Village is a nonprofit dedicated to accelerating the city's for-profit entrepreneurial culture. Through a combination of talent attraction, technical support and connection to financing, the organization has supported more than 255 entrepreneurial ventures representing 946 jobs and more than $69 million in revenue.

  • "Think Tank"

    WWL - 7/24/09

    Think Tank hosts Tim Williamson, Miji Park, Jo Ann Minor and Amy Cosper, Editor in Chief of Entrepreneur Magazine, on July 24th to discuss entrepreneurship in New Orleans and the grand opening of The Entergy Innovation Center.

  • "Entrepreneur Magazine Highlights the New Orleans Entrepreneurial Ecosystem"

    Entrepreneur Magazine - 7/23/09

    "When The Idea Village was founded in 2000, we were building the framework for vibrant entrepreneurial community. 9 years later, this nascent spirit is alive and growing" says Tim Williamson.

  • "Laid-off Wall Streeters Find Entrepreneurial Spirit"

    Christian Science Monitor - 7/23/09

    "Clustering entrepreneurs is quite useful," says Tim Williamson, President of The Idea Village, a New Orleans business incubator. "It allows people to interact closely, bump into each other at the water cooler, [and it] forces conversation," he says.

  • "Entrepreneurial Hubs Are Springing Up Across the City And Spurring Economic Development"

    The Times Picayune - 7/19/09

    "The hubs operate under edgy names - Entrepreneur's Row, The Icehouse, The IP and the Entergy Innovation Center. The hubs encourage networking and collaboration among innovative companies while seeking to recreate a freewheeling culture reminiscent of Silicon Valley."

  • "Despite the National Recession, New Orleans is Attracting a Wave of Workers Pursuing Entrepreneurial Jobs"

    The Times Picayune - 6/26/09

    "New Orleans is attractive because there are lots of opportunities here and less layoffs than in other places like Boston or San Francisco," Tim Williamson said.

  • "Trumpet named one of top 10 marketing agencies in the country by Fast Company magazine"

    The Times-Picayune

    Regional New Orleans ad agency continues to craftily reinvent itself news-Katrina by becoming a startup incubator.

  • "3-D role in building up America"

    Anderson Cooper 360

    Turbosquid, a New Orleans-based 3-D imaging company becomes a worldwide leader in its industry despite difficult odds.

  • "James Carville: New Orleans is Storming Back"

    CNN

    James Carville pens a tribute to New Orleans’s historic rebirth.