- Smoothie King CEO Wan Kim’s rise continues as firm’s name goes up in New Orleans Arena lights
- Fast-growing New Orleans market research firm is processing millions of online surveys each year
- New Orleans digital music company is aiming to set an industry standard
- New Orleans start-up seeks to simplify birth control, attracts investors, grants
- New Orleans graduates of Goldman Sachs small business program are cheering the results
- New Orleans start-up enlists top jazz musicians to offer video-based, virtual music lessons
- Kickboard school data start-up leads growing field of education entrepreneurship in New Orleans
- Resurgent New Orleans attracting seasoned entrepreneurs
- Founder of an online marketplace for hourly wage jobs looks for support at New Orleans Entrepreneur Week
The New Orleans Entrepreneur Week business summit has grown rapidly in recent years. Organizers at The Idea Village start-up support group said the 3,000 participants last year doubled the turnout from 2012. They project the sixth annual installment, from March 22 to March 28, to reach 5,000 attendees.
The event is an unusual mix, with elements of conventional business conference and a New Orleans-flavored festival. There are speakers giving seminars — and there are exuberant entrepreneurs preaching their ideas before roaring crowds.
For our business coverage at NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune, the event offers a framework for examining some of the upcoming and innovative ventures now operating in the New Orleans area. While occasions arise to feature business owners all year, Monday (March 10) we launch a series of profiles spotlighting some who are about to take their products and services into competition at Entrepreneur Week, where they will vie for financial contributions, access to investors and exposure for their brands.
We plan to spotlight one entrepreneur each weekday before the festival opens. First is Alex McConduit, who wants his crowd funding website, FundDat, to become the Kickstarter of New Orleans.
Among the others are entrepreneurs with physical goods and those with online services. They were drawn to start businesses after noticing shortcomings in their industries, identifying problems to solve, spotting gaps in available amenities, looking to build outlets for their creativity or deciding to pursue dreams of growing something new. They represent a sample of the 75 startups participating in Entrepreneur Week.
These stories are about people taking risks, grappling with challenges, confronting daunting amounts of work, pushing to learn and grow, striving to accomplish something.
And lately, New Orleans has become a brighter stage for their effor
