meet our entrepreneurs.
Propeller Alumni
We’ve been running our accelerator programs since 2011, helping nonprofits and small businesses impact thousands of lives. Our entrepreneurs are working to tackle disparities in community economic development, education, food, health, and water.
2018 Startup Venturs
Angel Chung Cutno, Lauren Barron
24 Carrot Garden
24 Carrot Garden is a cooperative garden space in St. Roch where youth can explore entrepreneurship interests through gardening. Youth work to nurture and harvest plants, research ways to cook them, and experiment with creating value-added products. At 24 Carrot Garden, youth divide 100% of produce sales, teaching youth the value of hard work and the basics of financial literacy.
Angel Chung Cutno
Angel Chung Cutno is a Louisiana native and began her teaching career in Houma, LA before moving to California. In California, she gained experience in community organizing and gardening, nonprofits, and developing project-based curriculum. She recently moved back to Louisiana with her husband and became highly involved in her immediate community straight away. In addition to being a Rotary member and leading as a co-director of 24 Carrot Garden, she serves on OPSB‚ District 2 Education Council and works as the “Culture Queen” at New Harmony; a high school focused on passion-based learning through the lens of coastal restoration.
Lauren Barron
Lauren Barron is from Metairie, Louisiana. She studied at Louisiana State University where she received her BFA in graphic design. She has held leadership positions in various forms, including in radio and art collectives. She recently created an artist collective called Creme de la Femme, with its first show including several artists that she curated. She has worked for 24 Carrot Garden for one year and has created partnerships through restaurant and chef connections.
Conrad M. Bailey, Wanda G. Bailey
Bailey’s Grocery and Market
Bailey’s Grocery and Market is a business that provides healthy, fresh food choices and economic development to the Lower Ninth Ward Community. The Bailey family has served this community since 1948 and serves as a catalyst for economic growth, housing, and supporting new jobs.
Conrad M. Bailey, Sr.
Conrad Bailey, Sr., is runs the operations of Bailey’s Grocery and Markets. He brings 20+ years of experience in the grocery management, in addition to 20+ years as a supervisor for Crescent Crown Distributing.
Wanda G. Bailey
Wanda Bailey is chief financial officer for Bailey’s Grocery. She and Conrad have been married for 38 years and have lived in the Lower Nine for sixty-four years. Together they have two sons and two granddaughters.
Kiyann Clanton, Maya Sewell
Beautify
Beautify is a business delivering hair, nails, and makeup services directly to consumers by connecting them to licensed, vetted, and talented Beauty Pros. The Beautify business model allows customers to book through a mobile app, which allows customers to receive all of their traditional, beauty services in a non-traditional, personalized capacity.
Kiyann Clanton
Kiyann Clanton is the founder of Beautify, a veteran manicurist, and mom. As a current professional in the beauty industry, she found it daunting to maintain a regular beauty routine without compromising hours in a salon; often compromising her beauty routine. She realized that when she received her beauty services, she felt confident, empowered, and at the top of her game. She wanted to create a way in which busy moms and entrepreneurs alike can receive beauty services on their own terms. With few options to receive an at home, on-demand, or mobile service, Beautify was born. Kikis’ focus is to empower women of all-sorts to look and feel good, but also impact the beauty industry by offering educational financial, and professional development to beauty professionals.
Maya Sewell
Maya is a current Accounting Major and intern who has a strong passion in the cosmetic space. Maya possesses a strong desire to work in the beauty industry while contributing a youthful approach to the brand.
Nathan Herring
Bright Side Oysters
Bright Side Oysters grows and sells premium quality oysters year round through “off-bottom cultivation,” a technique that allows for multiple crops per year and less damage, which results in a higher yield.
Nathan Herring grew up with a fish tank next to his bed and a curiosity for the aquatic environment. In college, he studied Wildlife and Fisheries Science with a focus on Aquaculture and worked in the food industry. Every summer, he found a way to work or study close to the water such as taking classes and doing an internship at the University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast Research Lab, cleaning up after the BP oil spill, and volunteering in the conservation field. After school, he worked for the NYC Parks department with the Million Trees Initiative where he was a Forestry Restoration Technician. There he gained an appreciation for ecosystem conservation work and was introduced to the importance of oysters to the health of marine environments through the Billion Oyster project. After much research and soul searching, he decided that raising oysters is the perfect outlet to satisfy all of his interests, make a positive impact on the marine environment, and to make a living
Pepper Bowen
Culinaria Center for Food Law, Policy, and Culture
Conceived as the policy arm of the National Food and Beverage Foundation, Culinaria Center for Food Law, Policy, and Culture is a membership-based community advocacy organization, fighting for equitable environmental and social policies in Louisiana.
Shawn “Pepper” Bowen is an Environmental, Food, and Water attorney and the Founding Director of Culinaria Center for Food Law, Policy, and Culture. She is also chair of the New Orleans Food Policy Advisory Committee, Trustee on the CrescentCare board, and a Steering Committee member of Value Louisiana’s Regional Sustainability Committee. Pepper holds a BS in Computer Information Systems from Tulane University, an MS in Computer Information Technology with a concentration in eCommerce, and a JD with certificates in both Environmental and International Laws. Her writings focus on remediation of invasive species, food systems, and environmental impacts on food.
Glenn Moore
GEM Construction Group
GEM Construction Group is a construction company specializing in residential and commercial projects, new construction and renovations. GEM Construction Group is also an environmentally-driven business, with a focus on water management.
Glenn Moore was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana.
He worked in construction since the age of eight and is a graduate of McDonogh 35 Senior High School. He played football and graduated from Southeastern Louisiana University with a bachelor’s in Business. Glenn is a veteran of the United States Air Force National Guard, an entrepreneur in Construction, Fitness, and Music, father of 3 beautiful daughters, and loves being a blessing and helping others.
Metoqua Anderson, Justin Anderson
Gienetix
Gienetix is a dental supply company working to revolutionize oral hygiene. Gienetix raises the standard of oral healthcare for patients and improves the method of treatment of dental professionals through new ideas and innovative products.
Metoqua Anderson, RDH MBA
Founder of Gienetix, Metoqua Anderson, is an experienced dental hygienist who invented the glossal angle. She is a graduate of LSU Dental School and has been a dental hygienist for a decade; serving in both private practice, corporate, and public health service. She wanted to make a difference in the lives of patients through preventive dentistry. She is a former member of the National Health Services Corps and her mission is to use her skills as an oral health professional to bridge the gap between the under-served population and quality dental care. As an oral health professional and MBA graduate, she leads the roles of marketing as well as research and development for the company.
Justin Anderson, CPA
Justin Anderson is a certified Public Accountant and co-founder of Gienetix. For nearly a decade, Justin has served in nonprofit, governmental, private, and healthcare organizations. He has leadership experience working as the CFO of a mid-sized nonprofit organization, and he is the owner and operator of a small, private business in his hometown of Monroe, Louisiana. He leads Gienetix’s finance and operations roles.
Jordi Figueras
Insanitea Kombucha
Insanitea Kombucha provides tonic drinks packed with healthy enzymes to provide “smoother days” by ultimately improving gut health.
Jordi Figueras hails all the way from Spain and made New Orleans home 8 years ago. Originally an Electrical Engineer, Jordi decided to change paths and in 2010 and entered Tulane University’s MBA program. After sidetracking in the New Orleans software development world, Jordi decided to venture off on his own and start Insanitea Kombucha. Jordi loves testing different flavors, thinking about the benefits of fermentation, and being his own boss.
Adrienne Wallace, Melanie Dukes, Malaika Hankins, Ella Every-Wortman
Irene Morgan Schools
Irene Morgan Schools are small, holistic high schools that serve young people who have had contact with the criminal justice system. IMS is guided in all things that they do by centering the needs of students and their families.
Adrienne Wallace
Irene Morgan Schools’ CEO and founder, Adrienne Wallace, has more than 15 years developing the skills and talents of young people who have previously been incarcerated or are at high risk of being swept up in the system of mass incarceration. Adrienne’s a racial justice advocate, a math teacher, an experienced school leader and soon, a lawyer (Roll Tide!). Adrienne has led school integration and development projects both in the United States and Latin America; she also developed a social justice curriculum. Adrienne is the daughter of a teacher and a therapist, resulting in her appreciation off high-quality education and mental health care. Adrienne founded Underground with Black Students for Black and Brown students who are disproportionately impacted by the system of mass incarceration.
Melanie Dukes
As the Chief of Vision and Execution for Irene Morgan Schools, Melanie brings over 15 years of experience in building innovative programs and processes across a variety of sectors. She believes strongly in social justice and is dedicated to removing the barriers to equity in education, specifically along the lines of race and ethnicity, so all people are empowered to pursue their own path to success. Currently, Melanie serves as the Senior Director of National Operations for Relay Graduate School of Education. In this role, she provides coaching and high quality support to operations leaders and deans across Relay’s various campuses. Prior to joining Relay, Melanie served as a school-based Director of Operations for KIPP NYC. She has also consulted with education non-profits in Brazil and Mexico. Melanie holds a MBA in Finance & Non-Profit Management from Columbia Business School, and a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Georgia Tech. She is working towards her M.A. in Higher Education and Student Affairs with a focus on Social Justice at New York University.
Malaika Hankins
Malaika Hankins is an educator, a student, and an advocate for justice. She is currently pursuing dual Master degrees in Social Work and Public Policy from the University of Minnesota; where she is studying the intersection of education, juvenile justice, and racial equity. After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Malaika worked as the Middle School Program Coordinator at Student U, a college-access nonprofit in Durham, NC. In this role, she was responsible for daily afterschool and summer programming for 150 students and families. She has certifications in hosting restorative justice meditations from the International Institute for Restorative Practices and is a racial equity facilitator with Embracing Equity. Malaika currently lives in Minneapolis, MN but is excited to be returning home to open a school in New Orleans as an Underground School Leader Fellow.
Ella Every-Wortman
Ella Every-Wortman is an educator, social justice youth worker, and restorative justice facilitator. Ella teaches History with the San Francisco Unified School District and is pursuing a Masters in Teaching with the NYU Steinhardt Teacher Residency Program. Ella previously served an Associate Teacher at The IDEAL School of Manhattan, providing individualized learning support in an inclusive classroom setting. Since 2016, Ella has designed and implemented original curriculum on social justice topics for self-identified young women as a Dean and Faculty member for the Sadie Nash Leadership Project. Ella trained as a Restorative Justice Facilitator with the Baltimore Community Conferencing Center in 2016 and facilitated school based restorative circles through the New York Peace Institute. They graduated from Columbia University with a B.A. in Human Rights and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. While at Columbia, they were a core organizer for Columbia Prison Divest, a successful campaign to divest the universities’ endowment from the private prison industry.
Dr. Iisha K. Bailey
Mastectomy Boutique
The Mastectomy Boutique is a New Orleans-based, specialty healthcare boutique that caters to the needs of those surviving breast cancer after mastectomy surgery, while also educating expecting mothers and addressing women’s health issues and disparities.
Dr. Iisha K. Bailey is a New Orleans native and the founder/CEO of The Mastectomy Boutique. She earned a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Xavier University of Louisiana College of Pharmacy and has nearly 12 years of experience as a licensed pharmacist, clinical trainer, and preceptor mentor. Dr. Iisha K. Bailey has nearly two decades of customer service skills, a decade of retail management experience, and experience as a trained mastectomy fitter. After a considerable amount of thought, prayers, faith, the desire to care for others, and investing from her personal savings; she was motivated to fulfill the need of a catered healthcare boutique for breast cancer care and awareness in the Greater New Orleans area. In 2016, four of her love ones were impacted by cancer (breast, pancreatic, skin, and colon) and since then have ended their journey. The hardest hit for Dr. Bailey was the death of her nephew, who was a victim to gun violence in 2016. The death of her nephew and loved ones has become one of the driving forces in her life and has inspired her to create awareness on breast cancer/health, healthcare disparities, and the effects of gun violence on surrounding communities. Dr. Iisha K. Bailey works to meet healthcare needs, oversee the vision, deliver the message, educate and carry out The Mastectomy Boutique’s God-given mission.
Arien Hall, Luisa Abballe
Mastodonte
Mastodonte is a stormwater management and construction company that provides a holistic approach to historic renovations and stormwater management systems. Mastodonte also offers apprenticeships to young people of color through their lab garden and educational workshops.
Arien Hall
Arien Hall is a Baton Rouge native who attended Loyola University New Orleans with a focus of Arts in Music. After leaving school, she taught music with several orchestra programs around the city, including Ellis Marsalis Center for Music and the Make Music NOLA program. During her work with various non-profits, Arien learned of the AmeriCorps program and the benefit that helping rebuild New Orleans could provide. While working with SBP, she gained skills in carpentry and building. After leaving the non-profit sector, Arien retained a job with Evans + Lighter Landscape Architecture, where she received training in permaculture practices and sustainability as well as construction of stormwater management systems. She now holds six years of experience in the field of construction and stormwater management.
Luisa Abballe
Luisa Abballe hails from bustling New York and is a graduate of Fordham University, where she studied Sociology and Visual Arts with a concentration in painting and drawing. While at Fordham, she became involved in service work and diversity peer education. She continued both when she came to New Orleans in 2011 serving in AmeriCorps, and then as a carpentry manager at SBP. Permaculture techniques and stormwater management became a focus as flooding posed a constant problem for homeowners in the field. Luisa joined the Evans + Lighter team as a project manager, where she gained knowledge and expertise in installing stormwater management systems and landscapes. Luisa is a licensed horticulturist and has a passion for teaching the skills of the trade in stormwater and ecological systems.
Jordan Bridges
New Orleans Council for Community & Justice
The New Orleans Council for Community & Justice’s Anytown NOLA is a one-week camp experience that unites Louisiana high school students to share experiences of their diverse cultural, ethnic, religious, racial and economic backgrounds. Delegates leave Anytown with a comprehensive understanding of what it means to be a world citizen.
Jordan Michael Bridges is an artist, advocate, social innovator, and experienced professional that is passionate about youth and addressing the social challenges of today. He is the Programs Coordinator at the New Orleans Council for Community & Justice, a human relations organization dedicated to promoting understanding and respect among all races, religions, and cultures; through advocacy, conflict resolution and education. In addition to his professional work, Jordan has found much success with his musical endeavors and continues to work within the local music community to advocate for the arts and access to arts education.
Oji Alexander, Monique Pilié, Daniel Johnson
New Orleans Stormwater Management Training Corps
New Orleans Stormwater Management Training Corps (NOSTC) provides affordable solutions to the city’s struggling drainage system by mitigating stormwater at the residential level. To accomplish this, NOSTC educates and trains the area’s opportunity youth for entry into the workforce in the burgeoning stormwater management industry.
Oji Alexander
Oji Alexander is the Executive Director of Home by Hand, Inc., a non-profit affordable housing developer that works to improve neighborhoods and build the skills and family assets of low and moderate-income households. This is done by advancing the national self-help housing movement and creating new resources. He is the former Senior Project Manager at Project Home Again, a nonprofit housing and community development organization in New Orleans. In this capacity, Oji led the development, maintenance and sale of over 170 new, energy-efficient, hurricane-resistant homes in the neighborhoods of northern Gentilly. He has worked with NORA and private real estate professionals to facilitate the transfer of over 250 properties that were blighted or abandoned so they could be used for housing development, gardens or lot-next-door expansions. Oji managed a staff of two in addition to overseeing Project Home Again’s construction team. He worked at PHA since 2008. Prior to joining Project Home Again, Oji was the manager of a 190-seat restaurant in Westhampton Beach, NY where he managed a staff of 50 employees. He received a Bachelor’s degree in interpersonal communication with minor in secondary education from The State University of New York at Albany. In addition, he is an active community member of Gentilly’s Oak Park neighborhood. He sat on the boards of NOLA Tree Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to replacing the tens of thousands of trees lost during Hurricane Katrina, Kickball of Crescent City, a New Orleans based Social Aid and Pleasure Club and Home By Hand, a non-profit self-help housing developer and is a Propeller Incubator Alumni.
Monique Pilié
Monique Pilié was born and raised in New Orleans. After seeing the destruction from Hurricane Katrina, she started a non-profit to help replace the 100,000 trees that were lost in New Orleans due to the storm. She started Hike for Katreena with the goal of planting one tree in New Orleans for each of the 2,175 miles of the Appalachian Trail that she had hiked following the loss of her house and job from the storm. In five years, Hike for Katreena planted over 8,000 trees before Monique handed over the day-to-day leadership of the organization. Monique then went to work for All Hands Volunteers in January 2013 as a Team Leader, quickly working her way up to Field Coordinator, Project Director and Director of U.S. Recovery and Repair before her departure to become the Executive Director of the Louisiana Green Corps in the spring of 2015.
Daniel Johnson
Dan Johnson is a licensed contractor and owner of Greenman Dan, Inc. Dan has turned a lifelong passion for nature and design into a New Orleans landscape and stormwater management construction firm. With his seasoned skills in design and construction, project management, contracting and cost estimating, he is the driving force behind the firm’s high standards for efficiency and professionalism. Projects include: 2017 Neighborhood Initiative, Alternate Land Use Project, New Orleans, LA:
Working with the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority, Greenman Dan renovated 5 vacant lots. Four of the lots had their soil cultivated and seeded with native wildflowers and Bald Cypress trees planted on the perimeter of each lot. Construction at each of these four lots also included wooden fencing and bollards to deter illegal dumping while still providing easy pedestrian access to the property. On the fifth lot, a rain garden was built surrounded by pervious paver pathways. The rain garden was planted with many native wetland plants and the site includes Oak trees and benches for seating.
Aurora Rain Garden, New Orleans, LA: The Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans hired Greenman Dan to construct a rain garden on the vacant land next to a neighborhood pumping station, to collect street runoff before it enters the storm drain. The rain gardens holds and filters the stormwater through deep infiltration pits constructed of a variety of sized gravels and sand. The rain garden was planted with native plants and trees to help with the filtration and absorption process while providing an attractive natural enhancement to the neighborhood. The construction included the installation of underdrains, deep within the rain garden, that are connected directly to the city’s storm water drainage system, as well as a standpipe drain to prevent the rain gardens from overflowing.
N. Claiborne Avenue Rain Garden, New Orleans, LA:
Greenman Dan implemented a rain garden on a vacant corner lot that was designed by Dana Brown & Associates as part of the NORA project to beautify vacant lots. This lot collects storm water runoff from the street curbs along the two streets that border it. The curbs were cut and the runoff directed into the rain garden. The project included the construction of two sidewalk bridges to allow the runoff passage under the sidewalk; also included a concrete filter box connected to the city storm drain system to prevent the rain garden from overflowing.
Lake Carmel Community Park, New Orleans, LA:
The New Orleans Redevelopment Authority commissioned Greenman Dan to construct the Lake Carmel Community Park. The installation included an asphalt walking path and the planting of more than one hundred trees; Bald Cypress and Live Oaks.
Residential Installations, New Orleans, LA:
Various homeowners from across the New Orleans region have contracted Greenman Dan to install a variety of rainwater management systems. Some of the solutions include french drains, infiltration columns, rain gardens and permeable pavers.
Ben Ifshin, Leah Lykins
WhereWeGo
WhereWeGo provides high-quality college guidance software designed to support 9th through 12th graders in building college readiness habits, while supplementing and enhancing the college guidance process for students and counselors. WhereWeGo equips those who need it most with the information that they need in the path to colleges and careers.
Ben Ifshin
As an educator, Ben Ifshin believes that joy is both a classroom and learning imperative. By weaving in music, technology, games, and rigorous work, Ben ensured that his class was a unique place to learn. As an award-winning biology teacher for six years, Ben’s students consistently outperformed their peers on state exams. Equipped with the personal experience of implementing the first generation of edTech platforms in his classroom and the reality of his students’ experiences applying for and persisting in college, Ben founded WhereWeGo to tackle the injustices of college access for students and counselors across the country.
Leah Lykins
In the classroom, Leah Lykins positions student’s personal aspirations at the center of learning and provides opportunities to develop students’ career knowledge. Outside of the classroom, Leah was a member of Leading Educators of New Orleans and NSNO’s Personalized Learning Teacher Fellowship. She has also directed teacher coaching and training in multiple schools and with the City Year organization. From her 8 years working with high schoolers in New Orleans, Leah is driven to tackle the problem of college persistence and to help schools keep the promise of college graduation. As a founding member of WhereWeGo, Leah is now putting those lessons into crafting equitable, accessible EdTech solutions for college guidance counselors and first generation college students.
Freddi W. Evans
KNOW Card Games
KNOW Card Games are interactive teaching tools that engage and entertain students while imparting key facts about the history and culture of New Orleans and of Louisiana. The games support students’ core curriculum, promote culturally responsive education, and are designed for school, home and on the go.
Freddi W. Evans is a veteran arts educator, award-winning author of books for children and adults, independent scholar, cultural activist, and licensed tour guide. She is internationally recognized for her scholarship on historic Congo Square and is the author of Come Sunday, A Young Reader’s History of Congo Square and Congo Square: African Roots in New Orleans (the first comprehensive study of the location), and is the recipient of the 2012 Louisiana Humanities Book of the Year Award. Evans’s research and advocacy influenced the 2011 New Orleans City Council Ordinance that made the popular name “Congo Square,” the official name of the landmark. Her new venture, KNOW Card Games, combines her expertise in history, culture and education.
Shani Christopher
RePurpose Food Co.
RePurpose Food Co. is a New Orleans-based business that uses reclaimed produce to make nutritious, affordable baby food at low or no cost to underserved communities.
Combining her passion for food justice and knowledge of environmental sustainability, Shani Christopher launched RePurpose Food Company to increase the affordability of nutritious baby food and reduce food waste. Shani also serves as the National Director of Sales and Operations at EcoLogic Solutions, a manufacturer of green cleaning products and technology for commercial use. She is the curator of the New Orleans Hub of the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers Community. Shani is also a StartingBloc Social Innovation Fellow and has served as a UN Delegate through SustainUS, a youth environmental advocacy organization. Previously, she co-founded the Volunteer Center of Trinidad and Tobago and has participated in Emerging Philanthropists of New Orleans.
Kimberly Novod
Saul’s Light Foundation
Saul’s Light Foundation provides comfort and community to families with babies in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and to those who experience infant loss. Saul’s Light’s goal is to help meet the financial and emotional needs of parents during these traumatic times.
Kimberly is an educator, advocate, doula, and the founder of Saul’s Light Foundation. For the last decade, she has a been a high school teacher in New Orleans, Louisiana and Brooklyn, New York. Kimberly has a proven track record of implementing successful programming and extensive experience in the health sector working with underserved communities.
Hope Leblanc, Darryl Willis, James E. Vinturella, Mark Raymond Jr.
Split Second Foundation
The Split Second Foundation is a 501©3 nonprofit organization dedicated to finding advance treatments for spinal cord injury, funding research for new SCI treatments, and advocating for more progressive therapies.
Hope Leblanc
Hope LeBlanc has over eighteen years of service in the non-profit community as both a Program Manager and Accountant. She has primary experience with grants, financial management of small non-profits, as well as assisting small businesses to establish and maintain their financial records system. Hope enjoys working behind the scenes in order to ensure that the vision and purpose of nonprofits are fulfilled.
Darryl Willis
Darryl Willis serves as the Vice President of Oil, Gas & Energy at Google Cloud, where he is responsible for driving business across the Energy sector by developing products and solutions, building relationships with key leaders, and providing his business expertise to sales teams. Prior to joining Google, Willis was President and Chief Executive Officer for BP Angola. Willis holds a Master of Science in Management from Stanford University with concentrations in both Managing Global Businesses and Social Responsibility, A Master of Science in Geology and Geophysics from the University of New Orleans, and a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry & Literature from Northwestern State University.
James E. Vinturella
James E. Vinturella was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana and is an attorney in the city. In 1991, he graduated from Loyola Law School. He has over 23 years of personal injury and medical malpractice trial experience and is a trial advocate who successfully tried and won numerous large dollar verdicts. Additionally, James E. Vinturella has more than 30 years experience in the medical field of occupational therapy, where he specialized in catastrophic neurologic injuries such as brain injury, spinal cord injury, and other complex orthopedic conditions.
Mark Raymond Jr.
Mark Raymond Jr., a native New Orleanian. Mark is a graduate of Brother Martin High School and Xavier University of Louisiana. On July 4, 2016, Mark became a C-5 quadriplegic after diving into shallow water while boating on Lake Pontchartrain with friends. After a long journey and clear understanding of the local challenges during recovery, Mark now strives to find advanced treatment and training for those with SCI. Prior to his accident, Mark worked in audio video production with a primary focus in audio engineering for large events. Mark has always been athletic and adventurous whether it is: running, weight lifting, biking, swimming, or playing tennis. His goal is to not only find ways to live in a wheelchair; but to work hard to get out of the wheelchair.
Atianna Cordova
Water Block
Water Block, LLC uses technology to provide a community planning tool for managing storm water, and other development projects, at the neighborhood block level. This culturally sensitive data-driven tool adds weight to community arguments for how open spaces should be used, while creating a process for community driven development.
Atianna Cordova is a designer, researcher and educator that explores the role of art and culture in disaster recovery and community development initiatives. She is recognized as LSU School of Architecture’s first McNair Research Scholar and a 2016 UC Berkeley Undergraduate Prize for Architectural Design Excellence Travel Fellow for her participatory design research. This research examined the formal and informal sheltering strategies used by homeless communities in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, displaced communities following the 2010 Earthquake in Haiti, and the role of designers in addressing global issues of similar concern. Atianna is also a 2017 Salzburg Global Fellow and the co-winner of Propeller’s 2018 Water Challenge Pitch Competition for her commitment to building a new cohort of design and environmental leaders from black and brown communities and exposing black girls to design and environmental education at earlier ages. Atianna received her M. Sc. in Disaster Resilience Leadership from Tulane University, Bachelor of Architecture from Louisiana State University, and Certificate in Community Development Finance from the University of New Orleans.
Angel Chung Cutno, Lauren Barron
24 Carrot Garden
Food
24 Carrot Garden is a cooperative garden space in St. Roch where youth can explore entrepreneurship interests through gardening. Youth work to nurture and harvest plants, research ways to cook them, and experiment with creating value-added products. At 24 Carrot Garden, youth divide 100% of produce sales, teaching youth the value of hard work and the basics of financial literacy.
Angel Chung Cutno
Angel Chung Cutno is a Louisiana native and began her teaching career in Houma, LA before moving to California. In California, she gained experience in community organizing and gardening, nonprofits, and developing project-based curriculum. She recently moved back to Louisiana with her husband and became highly involved in her immediate community straight away. In addition to being a Rotary member and leading as a co-director of 24 Carrot Garden, she serves on OPSB‚ District 2 Education Council and works as the “Culture Queen” at New Harmony; a high school focused on passion-based learning through the lens of coastal restoration.
Lauren Barron
Lauren Barron is from Metairie, Louisiana. She studied at Louisiana State University where she received her BFA in graphic design. She has held leadership positions in various forms, including in radio and art collectives. She recently created an artist collective called Creme de la Femme, with its first show including several artists that she curated. She has worked for 24 Carrot Garden for one year and has created partnerships through restaurant and chef connections.
Conrad M. Bailey, Wanda G. Bailey
Bailey’s Grocery and Market
Food
Bailey’s Grocery and Market is a business that provides healthy, fresh food choices and economic development to the Lower Ninth Ward Community. The Bailey family has served this community since 1948 and serves as a catalyst for economic growth, housing, and supporting new jobs.
Conrad M. Bailey, Sr.
Conrad Bailey, Sr., is runs the operations of Bailey’s Grocery and Markets. He brings 20+ years of experience in the grocery management, in addition to 20+ years as a supervisor for Crescent Crown Distributing.
Wanda G. Bailey
Wanda Bailey is chief financial officer for Bailey’s Grocery. She and Conrad have been married for 38 years and have lived in the Lower Nine for sixty-four years. Together they have two sons and two granddaughters.
Kiyann Clanton, Maya Sewell
Beautify
Education
Beautify is a business delivering hair, nails, and makeup services directly to consumers by connecting them to licensed, vetted, and talented Beauty Pros. The Beautify business model allows customers to book through a mobile app, which allows customers to receive all of their traditional, beauty services in a non-traditional, personalized capacity.
Kiyann Clanton
Kiyann Clanton is the founder of Beautify, a veteran manicurist, and mom. As a current professional in the beauty industry, she found it daunting to maintain a regular beauty routine without compromising hours in a salon; often compromising her beauty routine. She realized that when she received her beauty services, she felt confident, empowered, and at the top of her game. She wanted to create a way in which busy moms and entrepreneurs alike can receive beauty services on their own terms. With few options to receive an at home, on-demand, or mobile service, Beautify was born. Kikis’ focus is to empower women of all-sorts to look and feel good, but also impact the beauty industry by offering educational financial, and professional development to beauty professionals.
Maya Sewell
Maya is a current Accounting Major and intern who has a strong passion in the cosmetic space. Maya possesses a strong desire to work in the beauty industry while contributing a youthful approach to the brand.
Nathan Herring
Bright Side Oysters
Water
Bright Side Oysters grows and sells premium quality oysters year round through “off-bottom cultivation,” a technique that allows for multiple crops per year and less damage, which results in a higher yield.
Nathan Herring grew up with a fish tank next to his bed and a curiosity for the aquatic environment. In college, he studied Wildlife and Fisheries Science with a focus on Aquaculture and worked in the food industry. Every summer, he found a way to work or study close to the water such as taking classes and doing an internship at the University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast Research Lab, cleaning up after the BP oil spill, and volunteering in the conservation field. After school, he worked for the NYC Parks department with the Million Trees Initiative where he was a Forestry Restoration Technician. There he gained an appreciation for ecosystem conservation work and was introduced to the importance of oysters to the health of marine environments through the Billion Oyster project. After much research and soul searching, he decided that raising oysters is the perfect outlet to satisfy all of his interests, make a positive impact on the marine environment, and to make a living
Pepper Bowen
Culinaria Center for Food Law, Policy, and Culture
Water
Conceived as the policy arm of the National Food and Beverage Foundation, Culinaria Center for Food Law, Policy, and Culture is a membership-based community advocacy organization, fighting for equitable environmental and social policies in Louisiana.
Shawn “Pepper” Bowen is an Environmental, Food, and Water attorney and the Founding Director of Culinaria Center for Food Law, Policy, and Culture. She is also chair of the New Orleans Food Policy Advisory Committee, Trustee on the CrescentCare board, and a Steering Committee member of Value Louisiana’s Regional Sustainability Committee. Pepper holds a BS in Computer Information Systems from Tulane University, an MS in Computer Information Technology with a concentration in eCommerce, and a JD with certificates in both Environmental and International Laws. Her writings focus on remediation of invasive species, food systems, and environmental impacts on food.
Glenn Moore
GEM Construction Group
Water
GEM Construction Group is a construction company specializing in residential and commercial projects, new construction and renovations. GEM Construction Group is also an environmentally-driven business, with a focus on water management.
Glenn Moore was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana.
He worked in construction since the age of eight and is a graduate of McDonogh 35 Senior High School. He played football and graduated from Southeastern Louisiana University with a bachelor’s in Business. Glenn is a veteran of the United States Air Force National Guard, an entrepreneur in Construction, Fitness, and Music, father of 3 beautiful daughters, and loves being a blessing and helping others.
Metoqua Anderson, Justin Anderson
Gienetix
Health
Gienetix is a dental supply company working to revolutionize oral hygiene. Gienetix raises the standard of oral healthcare for patients and improves the method of treatment of dental professionals through new ideas and innovative products.
Metoqua Anderson, RDH MBA
Founder of Gienetix, Metoqua Anderson, is an experienced dental hygienist who invented the glossal angle. She is a graduate of LSU Dental School and has been a dental hygienist for a decade; serving in both private practice, corporate, and public health service. She wanted to make a difference in the lives of patients through preventive dentistry. She is a former member of the National Health Services Corps and her mission is to use her skills as an oral health professional to bridge the gap between the under-served population and quality dental care. As an oral health professional and MBA graduate, she leads the roles of marketing as well as research and development for the company.
Justin Anderson, CPA
Justin Anderson is a certified Public Accountant and co-founder of Gienetix. For nearly a decade, Justin has served in nonprofit, governmental, private, and healthcare organizations. He has leadership experience working as the CFO of a mid-sized nonprofit organization, and he is the owner and operator of a small, private business in his hometown of Monroe, Louisiana. He leads Gienetix’s finance and operations roles.
Jordi Figueras
Insanitea Kombucha
Education
Insanitea Kombucha provides tonic drinks packed with healthy enzymes to provide “smoother days” by ultimately improving gut health.
Jordi Figueras hails all the way from Spain and made New Orleans home 8 years ago. Originally an Electrical Engineer, Jordi decided to change paths and in 2010 and entered Tulane University’s MBA program. After sidetracking in the New Orleans software development world, Jordi decided to venture off on his own and start Insanitea Kombucha. Jordi loves testing different flavors, thinking about the benefits of fermentation, and being his own boss.
Adrienne Wallace, Melanie Dukes, Malaika Hankins, Ella Every-Wortman
Irene Morgan Schools
Education
Irene Morgan Schools are small, holistic high schools that serve young people who have had contact with the criminal justice system. IMS is guided in all things that they do by centering the needs of students and their families.
Adrienne Wallace
Irene Morgan Schools’ CEO and founder, Adrienne Wallace, has more than 15 years developing the skills and talents of young people who have previously been incarcerated or are at high risk of being swept up in the system of mass incarceration. Adrienne’s a racial justice advocate, a math teacher, an experienced school leader and soon, a lawyer (Roll Tide!). Adrienne has led school integration and development projects both in the United States and Latin America; she also developed a social justice curriculum. Adrienne is the daughter of a teacher and a therapist, resulting in her appreciation off high-quality education and mental health care. Adrienne founded Underground with Black Students for Black and Brown students who are disproportionately impacted by the system of mass incarceration.
Melanie Dukes
As the Chief of Vision and Execution for Irene Morgan Schools, Melanie brings over 15 years of experience in building innovative programs and processes across a variety of sectors. She believes strongly in social justice and is dedicated to removing the barriers to equity in education, specifically along the lines of race and ethnicity, so all people are empowered to pursue their own path to success. Currently, Melanie serves as the Senior Director of National Operations for Relay Graduate School of Education. In this role, she provides coaching and high quality support to operations leaders and deans across Relay’s various campuses. Prior to joining Relay, Melanie served as a school-based Director of Operations for KIPP NYC. She has also consulted with education non-profits in Brazil and Mexico. Melanie holds a MBA in Finance & Non-Profit Management from Columbia Business School, and a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Georgia Tech. She is working towards her M.A. in Higher Education and Student Affairs with a focus on Social Justice at New York University.
Malaika Hankins
Malaika Hankins is an educator, a student, and an advocate for justice. She is currently pursuing dual Master degrees in Social Work and Public Policy from the University of Minnesota; where she is studying the intersection of education, juvenile justice, and racial equity. After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Malaika worked as the Middle School Program Coordinator at Student U, a college-access nonprofit in Durham, NC. In this role, she was responsible for daily afterschool and summer programming for 150 students and families. She has certifications in hosting restorative justice meditations from the International Institute for Restorative Practices and is a racial equity facilitator with Embracing Equity. Malaika currently lives in Minneapolis, MN but is excited to be returning home to open a school in New Orleans as an Underground School Leader Fellow.
Ella Every-Wortman
Ella Every-Wortman is an educator, social justice youth worker, and restorative justice facilitator. Ella teaches History with the San Francisco Unified School District and is pursuing a Masters in Teaching with the NYU Steinhardt Teacher Residency Program. Ella previously served an Associate Teacher at The IDEAL School of Manhattan, providing individualized learning support in an inclusive classroom setting. Since 2016, Ella has designed and implemented original curriculum on social justice topics for self-identified young women as a Dean and Faculty member for the Sadie Nash Leadership Project. Ella trained as a Restorative Justice Facilitator with the Baltimore Community Conferencing Center in 2016 and facilitated school based restorative circles through the New York Peace Institute. They graduated from Columbia University with a B.A. in Human Rights and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. While at Columbia, they were a core organizer for Columbia Prison Divest, a successful campaign to divest the universities’ endowment from the private prison industry.
Dr. Iisha K. Bailey
Mastectomy Boutique
Health
The Mastectomy Boutique is a New Orleans-based, specialty healthcare boutique that caters to the needs of those surviving breast cancer after mastectomy surgery, while also educating expecting mothers and addressing women’s health issues and disparities.
Dr. Iisha K. Bailey is a New Orleans native and the founder/CEO of The Mastectomy Boutique. She earned a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Xavier University of Louisiana College of Pharmacy and has nearly 12 years of experience as a licensed pharmacist, clinical trainer, and preceptor mentor. Dr. Iisha K. Bailey has nearly two decades of customer service skills, a decade of retail management experience, and experience as a trained mastectomy fitter. After a considerable amount of thought, prayers, faith, the desire to care for others, and investing from her personal savings; she was motivated to fulfill the need of a catered healthcare boutique for breast cancer care and awareness in the Greater New Orleans area. In 2016, four of her love ones were impacted by cancer (breast, pancreatic, skin, and colon) and since then have ended their journey. The hardest hit for Dr. Bailey was the death of her nephew, who was a victim to gun violence in 2016. The death of her nephew and loved ones has become one of the driving forces in her life and has inspired her to create awareness on breast cancer/health, healthcare disparities, and the effects of gun violence on surrounding communities. Dr. Iisha K. Bailey works to meet healthcare needs, oversee the vision, deliver the message, educate and carry out The Mastectomy Boutique’s God-given mission.
Arien Hall, Luisa Abballe
Mastodonte
Water
Mastodonte is a stormwater management and construction company that provides a holistic approach to historic renovations and stormwater management systems. Mastodonte also offers apprenticeships to young people of color through their lab garden and educational workshops.
Arien Hall
Arien Hall is a Baton Rouge native who attended Loyola University New Orleans with a focus of Arts in Music. After leaving school, she taught music with several orchestra programs around the city, including Ellis Marsalis Center for Music and the Make Music NOLA program. During her work with various non-profits, Arien learned of the AmeriCorps program and the benefit that helping rebuild New Orleans could provide. While working with SBP, she gained skills in carpentry and building. After leaving the non-profit sector, Arien retained a job with Evans + Lighter Landscape Architecture, where she received training in permaculture practices and sustainability as well as construction of stormwater management systems. She now holds six years of experience in the field of construction and stormwater management.
Luisa Abballe
Luisa Abballe hails from bustling New York and is a graduate of Fordham University, where she studied Sociology and Visual Arts with a concentration in painting and drawing. While at Fordham, she became involved in service work and diversity peer education. She continued both when she came to New Orleans in 2011 serving in AmeriCorps, and then as a carpentry manager at SBP. Permaculture techniques and stormwater management became a focus as flooding posed a constant problem for homeowners in the field. Luisa joined the Evans + Lighter team as a project manager, where she gained knowledge and expertise in installing stormwater management systems and landscapes. Luisa is a licensed horticulturist and has a passion for teaching the skills of the trade in stormwater and ecological systems.
Jordan Bridges
New Orleans Council for Community & Justice
Education
The New Orleans Council for Community & Justice’s Anytown NOLA is a one-week camp experience that unites Louisiana high school students to share experiences of their diverse cultural, ethnic, religious, racial and economic backgrounds. Delegates leave Anytown with a comprehensive understanding of what it means to be a world citizen.
Jordan Michael Bridges is an artist, advocate, social innovator, and experienced professional that is passionate about youth and addressing the social challenges of today. He is the Programs Coordinator at the New Orleans Council for Community & Justice, a human relations organization dedicated to promoting understanding and respect among all races, religions, and cultures; through advocacy, conflict resolution and education. In addition to his professional work, Jordan has found much success with his musical endeavors and continues to work within the local music community to advocate for the arts and access to arts education.
Oji Alexander, Monique Pilié, Daniel Johnson
New Orleans Stormwater Management Training Corps
Water
New Orleans Stormwater Management Training Corps (NOSTC) provides affordable solutions to the city’s struggling drainage system by mitigating stormwater at the residential level. To accomplish this, NOSTC educates and trains the area’s opportunity youth for entry into the workforce in the burgeoning stormwater management industry.
Oji Alexander
Oji Alexander is the Executive Director of Home by Hand, Inc., a non-profit affordable housing developer that works to improve neighborhoods and build the skills and family assets of low and moderate-income households. This is done by advancing the national self-help housing movement and creating new resources. He is the former Senior Project Manager at Project Home Again, a nonprofit housing and community development organization in New Orleans. In this capacity, Oji led the development, maintenance and sale of over 170 new, energy-efficient, hurricane-resistant homes in the neighborhoods of northern Gentilly. He has worked with NORA and private real estate professionals to facilitate the transfer of over 250 properties that were blighted or abandoned so they could be used for housing development, gardens or lot-next-door expansions. Oji managed a staff of two in addition to overseeing Project Home Again’s construction team. He worked at PHA since 2008. Prior to joining Project Home Again, Oji was the manager of a 190-seat restaurant in Westhampton Beach, NY where he managed a staff of 50 employees. He received a Bachelor’s degree in interpersonal communication with minor in secondary education from The State University of New York at Albany. In addition, he is an active community member of Gentilly’s Oak Park neighborhood. He sat on the boards of NOLA Tree Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to replacing the tens of thousands of trees lost during Hurricane Katrina, Kickball of Crescent City, a New Orleans based Social Aid and Pleasure Club and Home By Hand, a non-profit self-help housing developer and is a Propeller Incubator Alumni.
Monique Pilié
Monique Pilié was born and raised in New Orleans. After seeing the destruction from Hurricane Katrina, she started a non-profit to help replace the 100,000 trees that were lost in New Orleans due to the storm. She started Hike for Katreena with the goal of planting one tree in New Orleans for each of the 2,175 miles of the Appalachian Trail that she had hiked following the loss of her house and job from the storm. In five years, Hike for Katreena planted over 8,000 trees before Monique handed over the day-to-day leadership of the organization. Monique then went to work for All Hands Volunteers in January 2013 as a Team Leader, quickly working her way up to Field Coordinator, Project Director and Director of U.S. Recovery and Repair before her departure to become the Executive Director of the Louisiana Green Corps in the spring of 2015.
Daniel Johnson
Dan Johnson is a licensed contractor and owner of Greenman Dan, Inc. Dan has turned a lifelong passion for nature and design into a New Orleans landscape and stormwater management construction firm. With his seasoned skills in design and construction, project management, contracting and cost estimating, he is the driving force behind the firm’s high standards for efficiency and professionalism. Projects include: 2017 Neighborhood Initiative, Alternate Land Use Project, New Orleans, LA:
Working with the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority, Greenman Dan renovated 5 vacant lots. Four of the lots had their soil cultivated and seeded with native wildflowers and Bald Cypress trees planted on the perimeter of each lot. Construction at each of these four lots also included wooden fencing and bollards to deter illegal dumping while still providing easy pedestrian access to the property. On the fifth lot, a rain garden was built surrounded by pervious paver pathways. The rain garden was planted with many native wetland plants and the site includes Oak trees and benches for seating.
Aurora Rain Garden, New Orleans, LA: The Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans hired Greenman Dan to construct a rain garden on the vacant land next to a neighborhood pumping station, to collect street runoff before it enters the storm drain. The rain gardens holds and filters the stormwater through deep infiltration pits constructed of a variety of sized gravels and sand. The rain garden was planted with native plants and trees to help with the filtration and absorption process while providing an attractive natural enhancement to the neighborhood. The construction included the installation of underdrains, deep within the rain garden, that are connected directly to the city’s storm water drainage system, as well as a standpipe drain to prevent the rain gardens from overflowing.
N. Claiborne Avenue Rain Garden, New Orleans, LA:
Greenman Dan implemented a rain garden on a vacant corner lot that was designed by Dana Brown & Associates as part of the NORA project to beautify vacant lots. This lot collects storm water runoff from the street curbs along the two streets that border it. The curbs were cut and the runoff directed into the rain garden. The project included the construction of two sidewalk bridges to allow the runoff passage under the sidewalk; also included a concrete filter box connected to the city storm drain system to prevent the rain garden from overflowing.
Lake Carmel Community Park, New Orleans, LA:
The New Orleans Redevelopment Authority commissioned Greenman Dan to construct the Lake Carmel Community Park. The installation included an asphalt walking path and the planting of more than one hundred trees; Bald Cypress and Live Oaks.
Residential Installations, New Orleans, LA:
Various homeowners from across the New Orleans region have contracted Greenman Dan to install a variety of rainwater management systems. Some of the solutions include french drains, infiltration columns, rain gardens and permeable pavers.
Ben Ifshin, Leah Lykins
WhereWeGo
Education
WhereWeGo provides high-quality college guidance software designed to support 9th through 12th graders in building college readiness habits, while supplementing and enhancing the college guidance process for students and counselors. WhereWeGo equips those who need it most with the information that they need in the path to colleges and careers.
Ben Ifshin
As an educator, Ben Ifshin believes that joy is both a classroom and learning imperative. By weaving in music, technology, games, and rigorous work, Ben ensured that his class was a unique place to learn. As an award-winning biology teacher for six years, Ben’s students consistently outperformed their peers on state exams. Equipped with the personal experience of implementing the first generation of edTech platforms in his classroom and the reality of his students’ experiences applying for and persisting in college, Ben founded WhereWeGo to tackle the injustices of college access for students and counselors across the country.
Leah Lykins
In the classroom, Leah Lykins positions student’s personal aspirations at the center of learning and provides opportunities to develop students’ career knowledge. Outside of the classroom, Leah was a member of Leading Educators of New Orleans and NSNO’s Personalized Learning Teacher Fellowship. She has also directed teacher coaching and training in multiple schools and with the City Year organization. From her 8 years working with high schoolers in New Orleans, Leah is driven to tackle the problem of college persistence and to help schools keep the promise of college graduation. As a founding member of WhereWeGo, Leah is now putting those lessons into crafting equitable, accessible EdTech solutions for college guidance counselors and first generation college students.
Freddi W. Evans
KNOW Card Games
Education
KNOW Card Games are interactive teaching tools that engage and entertain students while imparting key facts about the history and culture of New Orleans and of Louisiana. The games support students’ core curriculum, promote culturally responsive education, and are designed for school, home and on the go.
Freddi W. Evans is a veteran arts educator, award-winning author of books for children and adults, independent scholar, cultural activist, and licensed tour guide. She is internationally recognized for her scholarship on historic Congo Square and is the author of Come Sunday, A Young Reader’s History of Congo Square and Congo Square: African Roots in New Orleans (the first comprehensive study of the location), and is the recipient of the 2012 Louisiana Humanities Book of the Year Award. Evans’s research and advocacy influenced the 2011 New Orleans City Council Ordinance that made the popular name “Congo Square,” the official name of the landmark. Her new venture, KNOW Card Games, combines her expertise in history, culture and education.
Shani Christopher
RePurpose Food Co.
Food
RePurpose Food Co. is a New Orleans-based business that uses reclaimed produce to make nutritious, affordable baby food at low or no cost to underserved communities.
Combining her passion for food justice and knowledge of environmental sustainability, Shani Christopher launched RePurpose Food Company to increase the affordability of nutritious baby food and reduce food waste. Shani also serves as the National Director of Sales and Operations at EcoLogic Solutions, a manufacturer of green cleaning products and technology for commercial use. She is the curator of the New Orleans Hub of the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers Community. Shani is also a StartingBloc Social Innovation Fellow and has served as a UN Delegate through SustainUS, a youth environmental advocacy organization. Previously, she co-founded the Volunteer Center of Trinidad and Tobago and has participated in Emerging Philanthropists of New Orleans.
Kimberly Novod
Saul’s Light Foundation
Health
Saul’s Light Foundation provides comfort and community to families with babies in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and to those who experience infant loss. Saul’s Light’s goal is to help meet the financial and emotional needs of parents during these traumatic times.
Kimberly is an educator, advocate, doula, and the founder of Saul’s Light Foundation. For the last decade, she has a been a high school teacher in New Orleans, Louisiana and Brooklyn, New York. Kimberly has a proven track record of implementing successful programming and extensive experience in the health sector working with underserved communities.
Hope Leblanc, Darryl Willis, James E. Vinturella, Mark Raymond Jr.
Split Second Foundation
Health
The Split Second Foundation is a 501©3 nonprofit organization dedicated to finding advance treatments for spinal cord injury, funding research for new SCI treatments, and advocating for more progressive therapies.
Hope Leblanc
Hope LeBlanc has over eighteen years of service in the non-profit community as both a Program Manager and Accountant. She has primary experience with grants, financial management of small non-profits, as well as assisting small businesses to establish and maintain their financial records system. Hope enjoys working behind the scenes in order to ensure that the vision and purpose of nonprofits are fulfilled.
Darryl Willis
Darryl Willis serves as the Vice President of Oil, Gas & Energy at Google Cloud, where he is responsible for driving business across the Energy sector by developing products and solutions, building relationships with key leaders, and providing his business expertise to sales teams. Prior to joining Google, Willis was President and Chief Executive Officer for BP Angola. Willis holds a Master of Science in Management from Stanford University with concentrations in both Managing Global Businesses and Social Responsibility, A Master of Science in Geology and Geophysics from the University of New Orleans, and a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry & Literature from Northwestern State University.
James E. Vinturella
James E. Vinturella was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana and is an attorney in the city. In 1991, he graduated from Loyola Law School. He has over 23 years of personal injury and medical malpractice trial experience and is a trial advocate who successfully tried and won numerous large dollar verdicts. Additionally, James E. Vinturella has more than 30 years experience in the medical field of occupational therapy, where he specialized in catastrophic neurologic injuries such as brain injury, spinal cord injury, and other complex orthopedic conditions.
Mark Raymond Jr.
Mark Raymond Jr., a native New Orleanian. Mark is a graduate of Brother Martin High School and Xavier University of Louisiana. On July 4, 2016, Mark became a C-5 quadriplegic after diving into shallow water while boating on Lake Pontchartrain with friends. After a long journey and clear understanding of the local challenges during recovery, Mark now strives to find advanced treatment and training for those with SCI. Prior to his accident, Mark worked in audio video production with a primary focus in audio engineering for large events. Mark has always been athletic and adventurous whether it is: running, weight lifting, biking, swimming, or playing tennis. His goal is to not only find ways to live in a wheelchair; but to work hard to get out of the wheelchair.
Atianna Cordova
Water Block
Water
Water Block, LLC uses technology to provide a community planning tool for managing storm water, and other development projects, at the neighborhood block level. This culturally sensitive data-driven tool adds weight to community arguments for how open spaces should be used, while creating a process for community driven development.
Atianna Cordova is a designer, researcher and educator that explores the role of art and culture in disaster recovery and community development initiatives. She is recognized as LSU School of Architecture’s first McNair Research Scholar and a 2016 UC Berkeley Undergraduate Prize for Architectural Design Excellence Travel Fellow for her participatory design research. This research examined the formal and informal sheltering strategies used by homeless communities in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, displaced communities following the 2010 Earthquake in Haiti, and the role of designers in addressing global issues of similar concern. Atianna is also a 2017 Salzburg Global Fellow and the co-winner of Propeller’s 2018 Water Challenge Pitch Competition for her commitment to building a new cohort of design and environmental leaders from black and brown communities and exposing black girls to design and environmental education at earlier ages. Atianna received her M. Sc. in Disaster Resilience Leadership from Tulane University, Bachelor of Architecture from Louisiana State University, and Certificate in Community Development Finance from the University of New Orleans.
2018 South Broad Business Initiative
James Washington Sr. & James Washington Jr.
A Priority One Rental Car
A Priority One Rental Car is a local family-owned and operated rental car company providing low rates for daily and weekly rentals since 2001.
Donald Smith
Chef D’z Café
Chef D’z Café is a full service restaurant and catering company located on South Broad Street.
Chef Donald Smith was born and raised in New Orleans, the heart and soul of Creole and Cajun culture. He learned the ins and outs of authentic Cre- ole Cuisine at the feet of his mother and uncle. Donald relocated to the Bay Area in 2001, with Aramark Corporation. To enhance and broaden his knowledge and skills of Creole Cuisine and add a little more professional twist to it, he attended Louisiana Vo-Tech College and obtained a certi cate in Culinary Arts. Donald later attended Delgado Community College, where he earned an AOS De- gree in Culinary Arts in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Ty Davis
Emerald Service
Emerald Service is a financial services company that provides tax preparation, bookkeeeping, and credit repair to individuals, as well as small businesses. Their mission is to Educate, Exceed Expectations, and Excel.
Ty Davis is an Independent Business Owner with a demonstrated history of working in the accounting industry. This experience has molded her skills in Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, Payroll, Customer Service, Data Entry, Recruiting and also Tax Course Instructing. Ms Davis is certified as a QuickBooks Accountant ProAdvisor, Xero Accountant Advisor, an ERO with the IRS, as well as a Life Licensed Producer with the state of Louisiana Department of Insurance.
Trevone Sansom
We Bleed Ink
We Bleed Ink is a premier tattoo and piercing studio with a focus on high quality, custom artwork and impeccable customer service.
Trevone Sansom is a New Orleans native and lifetime tattoo artist. In 2013, he and Ashley Price formed the company We Bleed Ink to provide New Orleans with a premier tattoo and piercing studio.
Beverly D. Smith
Umoja Visions
Umoja Visions is a New Orleans-based company devoted to healthy hair. The company manufactures and sells a comprehensive hair care treatment system for men, women, and children with excessively curly hair.
Tara Simmons
Lipstiq Lady Cosmetics
The Lipstiq Lady Cosmetics provides high-quality, non-toxic, vibrant hair and skin care products. The company also offers private labeling and wholesale opportunities to local beauty entrepreneurs. Their formulas are vegan, cruelty free, and 90-100% organic.
Tara Simmons is a local budding talent with a passion for crafting and community.
Sonjauh V. Green
Nola Organic Spa
Nola Organic Spa is an ideal environment for one’s physical, mental, and spiritual renewal. Nola Organic offers treatment manicures, pedicures, facials, and massages using organic products.
Sonjauh V. Green is the owner of Nola Organic Spa located at 213 S. Broad St. She is a licensed cosmetologist, interior designer, mother, wife, and entrepreneur, and is currently studying to be an herbalist. She has a love for decorating and creating loving spaces dedicated to creating a clean, healthy spa for men and women in New Orleans.
James Washington Sr. & James Washington Jr.
A Priority One Rental Car
Community Economic Development
A Priority One Rental Car is a local family-owned and operated rental car company providing low rates for daily and weekly rentals since 2001.
Donald Smith
Chef D’z Café
Food
Chef D’z Café is a full service restaurant and catering company located on South Broad Street.
Chef Donald Smith was born and raised in New Orleans, the heart and soul of Creole and Cajun culture. He learned the ins and outs of authentic Cre- ole Cuisine at the feet of his mother and uncle. Donald relocated to the Bay Area in 2001, with Aramark Corporation. To enhance and broaden his knowledge and skills of Creole Cuisine and add a little more professional twist to it, he attended Louisiana Vo-Tech College and obtained a certi cate in Culinary Arts. Donald later attended Delgado Community College, where he earned an AOS De- gree in Culinary Arts in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Ty Davis
Emerald Service
Community Economic Development
Emerald Service is a financial services company that provides tax preparation, bookkeeeping, and credit repair to individuals, as well as small businesses. Their mission is to Educate, Exceed Expectations, and Excel.
Ty Davis is an Independent Business Owner with a demonstrated history of working in the accounting industry. This experience has molded her skills in Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, Payroll, Customer Service, Data Entry, Recruiting and also Tax Course Instructing. Ms Davis is certified as a QuickBooks Accountant ProAdvisor, Xero Accountant Advisor, an ERO with the IRS, as well as a Life Licensed Producer with the state of Louisiana Department of Insurance.
Trevone Sansom
We Bleed Ink
Community Economic Development
We Bleed Ink is a premier tattoo and piercing studio with a focus on high quality, custom artwork and impeccable customer service.
Trevone Sansom is a New Orleans native and lifetime tattoo artist. In 2013, he and Ashley Price formed the company We Bleed Ink to provide New Orleans with a premier tattoo and piercing studio.
Beverly D. Smith
Umoja Visions
Community Economic Development
Umoja Visions is a New Orleans-based company devoted to healthy hair. The company manufactures and sells a comprehensive hair care treatment system for men, women, and children with excessively curly hair.
Tara Simmons
Lipstiq Lady Cosmetics
Community Economic Development
The Lipstiq Lady Cosmetics provides high-quality, non-toxic, vibrant hair and skin care products. The company also offers private labeling and wholesale opportunities to local beauty entrepreneurs. Their formulas are vegan, cruelty free, and 90-100% organic.
Tara Simmons is a local budding talent with a passion for crafting and community.
Sonjauh V. Green
Nola Organic Spa
Community Economic Development
Nola Organic Spa is an ideal environment for one’s physical, mental, and spiritual renewal. Nola Organic offers treatment manicures, pedicures, facials, and massages using organic products.
Sonjauh V. Green is the owner of Nola Organic Spa located at 213 S. Broad St. She is a licensed cosmetologist, interior designer, mother, wife, and entrepreneur, and is currently studying to be an herbalist. She has a love for decorating and creating loving spaces dedicated to creating a clean, healthy spa for men and women in New Orleans.
2018 Growth Ventures
Arpit Bhopalkar & Elora Turner
Bhoomi
Bhoomi develops cane water based cold-pressed beverages, which are refreshing, hydrating and naturally delicious. Bhoomi is made by cold pressing sugarcane stalk that contains naturally occurring vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes.
Arpit Bhopalkar (Co-Founder & CEO) Arpit is originally from Indore, India and came to New Orleans five years ago to study at Tulane University for his MBA. As a former International Table Tennis athlete for India, he was advised by his trainers and coaches to consume cane water for its natural hydrating properties. He grew up watching people around him consuming and benefitting from cane water.
Since coming to New Orleans, he immersed into the entrepreneurial scene in New Orleans and has consulted for various startups. He was surprised to see sugarcane grown on a large scale in the U.S. but cane water was not readily available to the people. While at Tulane, he was determined to introduce benefits of the cane water in the U.S. After graduating, he led Bhoomi’s participation in local startup competitions and ended up winning the Jedco Challenge and the Food showcase at the New Orleans Entrepreneur Week 2017. Bhoomi is in various locations across New Orleans and is growing rapidly.
Mollie Sciacca
Bellegarde Bakery
Bellegarde Bakery is a commercial bakery that actively promotes the integrity of flavor, craftsmanship, and sourcing of identity preserved whole grains that come from our region.
A native of New Orleans, Mollie Sciacca has worked in the local hospitality industry for nearly a decade. Currently, she is the Operations Manager at Bellegarde Bakery. She is working with the bakers to further the vision of Bellegarde Bakery and its role in the community by using regionally sourced ingredients and providing education outreach.
Michele Burton-Oatis & Melissa Woods
Cupcake Fairies
Cupcake Fairies is owned by a native New Orleanian sister duo creating delectable custom confections. Cupcake Fairies are best known for their appearance on the Food Network’s Cupcake Wars and have also featured their treats at the historic French Market, the Riverwalk, Essence Gospel Show, and the Super Bowl.
Emily Shinn
Recirculating Farms Coalition
The Recirculating Farms Coalition is a collaborative group of farmers, educators, health and food activists using research, training and advocacy to support communities in creating eco-efficient farms with programs to grow local, accessible, fresh food, advance overall health and wellness, and create stable green jobs.
Emily is the Programs and Outreach Coordinator for the Recirculating Farms Coalition, helping to organize and plan our community events and classes. Emily is a native of Richmond, Virginia and a recent graduate from Boston College where she studied sustainable agriculture and food policy. She is passionate about promoting access to local, sustainable, fresh and healthy sources of food here in Louisiana and beyond.
Nicole P. Mackie & René P. Guzman
Ma Momma’s House of Cornbread, Chicken, and Waffles
Ma Momma’s House of Cornbread, Chicken, and Waffles (MMH) is a family-owned restaurant specializes in southern comfort foods with recipes handed down from the owners’ mothers, grandmothers, aunts and uncles. Guests enjoy an atmosphere replicating an authentic New Orleans’ Soulful Momma’s Kitchen, where they can often reminisce of being at their Momma’s House.
Nicole P. Mackie
Nicole P Mackie is a Cum Laude accounting graduate of Xavier University of Louisiana and holds 45% ownership in the MMH Brand. Nicole has worked in the financial services industry for 19 years, in such roles as Internal Auditor, Mortgage Loan Officer, and National Sales Manager. Her responsibilities for the MMH Brand include: external sales, media voice, business development, social media, bookkeeping, policy & procedures.
Rene P. Guzman
Rene P. Guzman has over 21 years of restaurant experience, in such roles as hostess, server, pantry chef, pastry chef, line cook, and lead cook. In her nine years in the financial services industry, her roles included line teller, teller supervisor and assistant retail branch manager. Rene holds 10% ownership in the MMH Brand, and her current responsibilities are general manager of restaurant operations and food services, recipe documenter and tester, trainer, inside sales, and media face.
Heather Szapary, Arianne Carson, Chris Lee
Teaching Responsible Earth Education
Teaching Responsible Earth Education (T.R.E.E.) provides comprehensive curriculum-based life science and earth education programs in outdoor classroom for children, parents, and teachers throughout the New Orleans metropolitan area.
Heather Szapary (Executive Director)
Heather Szapary became Executive Director of T.R.E.E. in 2013 with a solid understanding of T.R.E.E. programming and how the organization fits in our educational and environmental communities. She taught for T.R.E.E. from 1998-2000 with Founder, Sue Brown, and continued her education and career receiving a Masters of Urban and Regional Planning from the University of New Orleans in 2002. Heather ran her own consulting firm focused on urban planning and proposal writing working on many government and non-profit projects. Her technical writing expertise brought her back to T.R.E.E. in 2007, when she began managing the grant program. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners, a Loyola University Institute for Environmental Communication Fellow, and member of the Historic District Landmark Commission.
Arianne Carson (Business Manager)
Starting in 2017, Arianne Carson is T.R.E.E.‘s Business Manager. She spent many years in arts programming with Young Audiences in New York City and as a business manager for a New Orleans area landscape architecture firm. She has a B.A. in Drama from Hofstra University and is currently an MBA candidate at Auburn University. She volunteers as Treasurer for the Benjamin Franklin High School Alumni Association which helps current students in need of extra support in their scholarly endeavors.
Chris Lee (Marketing & Development)
Chris Lee started assisting T.R.E.E. with its marketing and fundraising efforts in June 2016. He has successfully diversified T.R.E.E.‘s fundraising portfolio through creative online campaigns. His diverse background includes producing his own stage productions and events in New Orleans and Austin and working in advertising as a copywriter, strategist and trend researcher in San Diego. In Virginia, he helped manufacturers reduce their waste and convert to 100% recycled packaging with a sustainable packaging and recycling company, and he conducted grassroots fundraising under the sunny skies of Pacific Beach and on the frozen streets of Manhattan. He received a B.A. in Drama & Communications from the University of New Orleans and brings a passion for science communication, thought provocation and environmental activism to his work.
Nathan Lott & Talia Latch
Water Collaborative of Greater New Orleans
The Water Collaborative of Greater New Orleans is an interdisciplinary community of practice, bringing together engineers, landscape architects, scientists, teachers, planners and community leaders to confront the challenge of “living with water” in Southeast Louisiana.
Nathan Lott (Director)
As director of the Water Collaborative, Nathan Lott manages monthly working groups, organizes educational tours and workshops, and helps the organization grow its reach and effectiveness. Before joining the Water Collaborative in 2015, Nathan was executive director of Virginia Conservation Network; in that role he helped launch the six-state Choose Clean Water coalition. Nathan received his master’s from Tulane School of Architecture, where his studies focused on climate change and resilience at historic places.
Talia Latch (Program Coordinator)
Talia serves as program coordinator for the Water Collaborative through a partnership with Tulane Center for Public Service and Americorps. Talia received her bachelor’s in environmental science from Tulane and studied ecotourism and international development in Thailand.
Oji Alexander
Home by Hand
Home by Hand is a 501c3 non-profit, single-family, affordable housing developer that improves neighborhoods and builds the skills and family assets of low-to-moderate income households by employing the best practices in self help housing, homebuyer training, community revitalization and stormwater management.
Oji Alexander is the Executive Director at Home by Hand, Inc. As the former Senior Project Manager at Project Home Again, a nonprofit housing and community development organization in New Orleans, Oji led the development, maintenance and sale of over 170 new, energy-efficient, hurricane-resistant homes in the neighborhoods of Gentilly. He has worked with NORA and private real estate professionals to facilitate the transfer of over 250 properties that were blighted or abandoned so they could be used for housing development, gardens or lot-next- door expansions. Oji managed a staff of two in addition to overseeing Project Home Again’s construction team. He worked at Project Home Again since 2008.
Prior to joining Project Home Again, Oji was the manager of a 190-seat restaurant in Westhampton Beach, NY where he managed a staff of 50 employees. Oji received a Bachelor’s degree in interpersonal communication with minor in secondary education from The State University of New York at Albany.
Oji is a resident of the Oak Park neighborhood in Gentilly and is an active community member. Oji also sat on the boards of NOLA Tree Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to replacing the tens of thousands of trees lost during Hurricane Katrina, Kickball of Crescent City, a New Orleans based Social Aid and Pleasure Club and Home By Hand, a non-profit self-help housing developer.
Dana Eness
Urban Conservancy
Urban Conservancy catalyzes equitable practices and policies related to the urban built environment and local economy through research, education, and advocacy.
Dana Eness has been Executive Director of The Urban Conservancy since 2007. Dana was a founding board member of The Urban Conservancy’s Stay Local! initiative in 2003, which is dedicated to creating a robust economy based on strong locally-owned businesses.
Since receiving her MA in Latin American Studies from Tulane University, Dana worked in non-profit administration, programming, community development and systems building while developing and managing cross-cultural and literacy programs abroad, at Tulane University, and for the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities. Post-Katrina, Dana took the position at The Urban Conservancy to work on issues related to New Orleans’ sustainable recovery.
She lives in the Riverbend neighborhood with her husband and two children.
Mette Dyhrberg, Eric Lubow
Mymee
Mymee’s Digital Therapeutics program reverses the symptoms of chronic autoimmune disease through data analytics and health coaching, reducing or eliminating the need for expensive drugs.
Mette Dyhrberg (Founder)
Mette Dyhrberg is a serial entrepreneur and digital health innovator. An economist turned diagnostician, she’s the Sherlock Holmes of anamnestic data that first entered the functional medicine arena in an attempt to tackle her own chronic health issues. For years, Mette battled a constantly changing and ever expanding array of medical diagnoses. In 2011, she took matters into her own hands, hacked her own health and founded Mymee. In doing so, she created a tool that solved her own health problems and helped restore quality of life of chronic autoimmune patients who had been failed by the modern medical system.
Eric Lubow
Eric Lubow is a proven CTO and problem solver. He was co-founder and CTO of SimpleReach, the leading content data platform. He specializes in building and architecting distributed systems with a focus on reliability and monitoring. Eric also has experience building R&D teams, engineering, development, and dev-ops teams, and business related teams. Eric is one of the authors of Practical Cassandra and has been using Cassandra in production for almost 10 years. He also led soldiers in combat during his time in the service. Eric continues to pass on knowledge by mentoring junior executives in his spare time.
Dr. Eric Griggs
Doc Griggs Foundation
“Doc Griggs” is the health and wellness awareness persona of Dr. Eric Griggs, a New Orleans-based Community Medicine physician and health educator who has dedicated his professional life to raising health and wellness awareness in communities across the United States.
Dr. Griggs graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1992 and Tulane University School of Medicine in 1996 and has always held a special place in his heart for the City of New Orleans. He has been an active health advocate since graduation and has made it his life work to educate the community on health and well-being. Doc is an active participant in all of his programs.
Upon completion of medical school in 1996, Dr. Griggs received the Robert C. Baird Award for overachievement in pursuit of a Medical Degree. In 2013, Dr. Griggs received the “Champion for Change” Award from The Links, Incorporated of New Orleans. Most recently, he was awarded the Jack leadership and community service award by the New Orleans chapter of Jack and Jill Incorporated.
Doc Griggs’ mantra is “Get Checked. Get Fit. Get Moving!™” His approach transcends race and gender barriers. His ability to speak proficient Spanish allows him to utilize a comprehensive creative approach to engage men, women, and children of both English and Spanish-speaking heritage. His efforts as a health educator and health and awareness advocate have been recognized by District 7 State Senator David R. Heitmeier in a 2014 Resolution naming Dr. Eric Griggs, Health and Wellness Ambassador of the State of Louisiana. In May, the New Orleans City Council named him as the Health and Wellness Ambassador for the City of New Orleans and he was later appointed Chairman of the Healthcare Sector for FitNOLA, the City of New Orleans’ fitness initiative. Dr. Griggs currently works for Access Health Louisiana as the Director of Community Medicine and serves as the Medical Advisor for Xavier University School of Pharmacy Health and Wellness Center.
Doc Griggs is an active participant in several organizations that promote positive change in the community. He is the Health and Wellness Chair for 100 Black Men of Metro New Orleans and also serves on the 100 Black Men National Health and Wellness Board. In March of 2014, Dr. Eric Griggs was named Spokesperson for the American Cancer Society – Greater New Orleans and is also a member of their Executive Leadership Council. As Chairman of the American Heart Association’s Multicultural Leadership Committee, he is also a member of their Greater Southeast Affiliate Multicultural Initiatives Committee (AL, LA, MS, TN, GA, FL, PR).
While Health and Wellness are near and dear to his heart, Dr. Griggs works closely with the youth as well. Dr. Griggs proudly serves as the Director of Life Sciences for STEM NOLA, serves on the Board of Directors for Playworks-Louisiana, Bike Easy and previously, on the Broadmoor Charter School Board. Dr. Griggs also co-founded and directed the Broadmoor Basketball Association, a basketball program for at-risk youth. Earlier this year, Dr. Griggs was appointed by Governor John Bel Edwards to the Louisiana Children’s Cabinet Advisory Board and as a spokesperson for the Governor’s Louisiana Youth For Excellence program.
Dr. Griggs appears weekly on Fox 8 WVUE’s Morning Edition as a Health Educator every Thursday morning at 7:40 AM. He also broadcasts every Tuesday with “The Doc Griggs Show” on WBOK 1230AM from 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM. In addition, he makes monthly appearances on the “Good Morning Show” with Oliver Thomas. Dr. Griggs is also a contributing medical writer for Data News Weekly, a local community paper and Breakthru Magazine, a local community magazine.
Adrianne Jackson
Magnolia Yoga Studio
Magnolia Yoga Studio is minority owned and operated business promoting health and wellness through affordable beginning yoga classes to a diverse population in downtown New Orleans.
Ajax considers herself a “Yoga Concierge” at Magnolia Yoga, she is also the owner, visionary and lead teacher. Her main purpose is to help facilitate your hot yoga experience & your yoga dreams!
Ajax is of mixed heritage—Spanish & African-American and ultimately considers herself a modern-day woman of the world. She has an extensive background in Arts Education, a degree from the University of Southern California in Cultural Anthropology and much experience in the non-profit sector along with having traveled to 20+ countries around the world finding her purpose and place within it.
Ajax loves New Orleans for the music, culture and people and feels an ancestral connection to NOLA and therefore is happy to live, serve and enjoy this mecca of culture & celebration.
Early on Ajax felt the calling for teaching yoga and has taught for 9 years straight almost every day since becoming certified! She believes, “when you are fortunate enough to find what you were born to do in life, putting in the effort to study, learn and seek knowledge and understanding is an honor and pleasure!” Her passion for life, people and yoga is apparent and her vibrant energy is contagious.
Ajax teaches from experience having practiced yoga for 13 years consistently. She has used the healing art form to quit smoking, manage her weight, improve her relationship to self and with family, reduce severe joint pain in her knees, eliminate her asthma condition, migraines, reduce her annual bouts of bronchitis and strengthen her resolve and confidence.
One of her best attributes is helping people feel comfortable and welcomed. Ajax is also a great example of how to use yoga to fulfill a robust active and balanced lifestyle, as you will often find her teaching yoga, practicing yoga, socializing, resting, reading, cooking, studying, volunteering, networking, planning, dining out, enjoying live music, traveling, swimming, writing, dancing and living life to its fullest!
She believes in the human potential and her commitment to people’s health and wellness is what gets her out of bed everyday. We have no doubt you will feel the Ajax effect and love it!
Qasim Davis, Brandi Freemen, Christine Saja, Trishana Williams
Playworks
Playworks leverages the power of safe, fun, and healthy play at school to create a place for every kid to feel included, be active, and build valuable social and emotional skills.
Elise Gallinot Goldman
KID smART
KID smART engages children in dynamic, creative and rigorous learning through the arts. KID smART’s approach focuses on arts integration – linking instruction in the arts with instruction in the academic curriculum – to increase students’ academic achievement, build their critical thinking/problem-solving skills, foster creativity and imagination, enhance their social/emotional growth and engagement, while increasing teacher efficacy and job satisfaction.
As Education Director at KID smART, a New Orleans based arts education organization, Elise Gallinot Goldman has been crafting imaginative and instructive collaborative artist residency and professional learning programs in arts integration for the past fifteen years. Elise has been instrumental in developing partnerships with cultural partners and schools and has designed and presented engaging professional development for teaching artists and classroom teachers. She received her B.A. from the University of Georgia, her Masters Degree in Arts Administration from the University of New Orleans, and has researched and trained in best practices through national models and received her certification training in Montessori education. In addition to her work as an artist and educator, she has worked in the non-profit arts sector as Executive Director of the DeKalb Symphony Orchestra and Associate Director of the New Orleans Film Festival.
Veronica Reed & Amanda Chittenden
Start the Adventure in Reading
Start the Adventure in Reading (STAIR) improves the reading skills and self-esteem of lower elementary school students across greater New Orleans.
Veronica Reed (Executive Director)
Veronica M. Reed, Executive Director of Start the Adventure in Reading, holds a B.A. in Political Science from Creighton University and a M.A. in Public Policy from Georgetown University. The first 20 years of her career consisted of leadership and management positions in the public, private and non-profit sectors focused primarily on community development, customer satisfaction, performance improvement and research and evaluation in Washington, DC, Indianapolis, and Houston. That experience included time as executive director of the Indiana Association for Community Economic Development, senior project manager at the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development, and senior account performance manager in the petroleum industry. Since returning to Louisiana in 2008, Veronica has held a deputy director position with the City of New Orleans, a director-level position with New Schools for New Orleans and worked as a management consultant focused on public education reform and non-profit operations.
Amanda Chittenden
Amanda Chittenden holds a B.S. in Marketing from the University of New Orleans. After beginning her career working as a Media Coordinator at a local advertising agency, Amanda ventured into the world of non-profits when she became the Public Relations Manager at The Blood Center. Before joining STAIR, she spent time at Junior Achievement of Greater New Orleans working as a program manager recruiting schools in Jefferson, Orleans, St. Bernard and Plaquemines parishes and the volunteers needed to deliver programming to the students in those parishes. Due to her extensive marketing and PR experience, her position evolved to Marketing Manager where she led all communications activities. She is the VP of Membership for the Public Relations Association of Louisiana-New Orleans Chapter.
Arpit Bhopalkar & Elora Turner
Bhoomi
Food
Bhoomi develops cane water based cold-pressed beverages, which are refreshing, hydrating and naturally delicious. Bhoomi is made by cold pressing sugarcane stalk that contains naturally occurring vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes.
Arpit Bhopalkar (Co-Founder & CEO) Arpit is originally from Indore, India and came to New Orleans five years ago to study at Tulane University for his MBA. As a former International Table Tennis athlete for India, he was advised by his trainers and coaches to consume cane water for its natural hydrating properties. He grew up watching people around him consuming and benefitting from cane water.
Since coming to New Orleans, he immersed into the entrepreneurial scene in New Orleans and has consulted for various startups. He was surprised to see sugarcane grown on a large scale in the U.S. but cane water was not readily available to the people. While at Tulane, he was determined to introduce benefits of the cane water in the U.S. After graduating, he led Bhoomi’s participation in local startup competitions and ended up winning the Jedco Challenge and the Food showcase at the New Orleans Entrepreneur Week 2017. Bhoomi is in various locations across New Orleans and is growing rapidly.
Mollie Sciacca
Bellegarde Bakery
Food
Bellegarde Bakery is a commercial bakery that actively promotes the integrity of flavor, craftsmanship, and sourcing of identity preserved whole grains that come from our region.
A native of New Orleans, Mollie Sciacca has worked in the local hospitality industry for nearly a decade. Currently, she is the Operations Manager at Bellegarde Bakery. She is working with the bakers to further the vision of Bellegarde Bakery and its role in the community by using regionally sourced ingredients and providing education outreach.
Michele Burton-Oatis & Melissa Woods
Cupcake Fairies
Food
Cupcake Fairies is owned by a native New Orleanian sister duo creating delectable custom confections. Cupcake Fairies are best known for their appearance on the Food Network’s Cupcake Wars and have also featured their treats at the historic French Market, the Riverwalk, Essence Gospel Show, and the Super Bowl.
Emily Shinn
Recirculating Farms Coalition
Food
The Recirculating Farms Coalition is a collaborative group of farmers, educators, health and food activists using research, training and advocacy to support communities in creating eco-efficient farms with programs to grow local, accessible, fresh food, advance overall health and wellness, and create stable green jobs.
Emily is the Programs and Outreach Coordinator for the Recirculating Farms Coalition, helping to organize and plan our community events and classes. Emily is a native of Richmond, Virginia and a recent graduate from Boston College where she studied sustainable agriculture and food policy. She is passionate about promoting access to local, sustainable, fresh and healthy sources of food here in Louisiana and beyond.
Nicole P. Mackie & René P. Guzman
Ma Momma’s House of Cornbread, Chicken, and Waffles
Food
Ma Momma’s House of Cornbread, Chicken, and Waffles (MMH) is a family-owned restaurant specializes in southern comfort foods with recipes handed down from the owners’ mothers, grandmothers, aunts and uncles. Guests enjoy an atmosphere replicating an authentic New Orleans’ Soulful Momma’s Kitchen, where they can often reminisce of being at their Momma’s House.
Nicole P. Mackie
Nicole P Mackie is a Cum Laude accounting graduate of Xavier University of Louisiana and holds 45% ownership in the MMH Brand. Nicole has worked in the financial services industry for 19 years, in such roles as Internal Auditor, Mortgage Loan Officer, and National Sales Manager. Her responsibilities for the MMH Brand include: external sales, media voice, business development, social media, bookkeeping, policy & procedures.
Rene P. Guzman
Rene P. Guzman has over 21 years of restaurant experience, in such roles as hostess, server, pantry chef, pastry chef, line cook, and lead cook. In her nine years in the financial services industry, her roles included line teller, teller supervisor and assistant retail branch manager. Rene holds 10% ownership in the MMH Brand, and her current responsibilities are general manager of restaurant operations and food services, recipe documenter and tester, trainer, inside sales, and media face.
Heather Szapary, Arianne Carson, Chris Lee
Teaching Responsible Earth Education
Water
Teaching Responsible Earth Education (T.R.E.E.) provides comprehensive curriculum-based life science and earth education programs in outdoor classroom for children, parents, and teachers throughout the New Orleans metropolitan area.
Heather Szapary (Executive Director)
Heather Szapary became Executive Director of T.R.E.E. in 2013 with a solid understanding of T.R.E.E. programming and how the organization fits in our educational and environmental communities. She taught for T.R.E.E. from 1998-2000 with Founder, Sue Brown, and continued her education and career receiving a Masters of Urban and Regional Planning from the University of New Orleans in 2002. Heather ran her own consulting firm focused on urban planning and proposal writing working on many government and non-profit projects. Her technical writing expertise brought her back to T.R.E.E. in 2007, when she began managing the grant program. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners, a Loyola University Institute for Environmental Communication Fellow, and member of the Historic District Landmark Commission.
Arianne Carson (Business Manager)
Starting in 2017, Arianne Carson is T.R.E.E.‘s Business Manager. She spent many years in arts programming with Young Audiences in New York City and as a business manager for a New Orleans area landscape architecture firm. She has a B.A. in Drama from Hofstra University and is currently an MBA candidate at Auburn University. She volunteers as Treasurer for the Benjamin Franklin High School Alumni Association which helps current students in need of extra support in their scholarly endeavors.
Chris Lee (Marketing & Development)
Chris Lee started assisting T.R.E.E. with its marketing and fundraising efforts in June 2016. He has successfully diversified T.R.E.E.‘s fundraising portfolio through creative online campaigns. His diverse background includes producing his own stage productions and events in New Orleans and Austin and working in advertising as a copywriter, strategist and trend researcher in San Diego. In Virginia, he helped manufacturers reduce their waste and convert to 100% recycled packaging with a sustainable packaging and recycling company, and he conducted grassroots fundraising under the sunny skies of Pacific Beach and on the frozen streets of Manhattan. He received a B.A. in Drama & Communications from the University of New Orleans and brings a passion for science communication, thought provocation and environmental activism to his work.
Nathan Lott & Talia Latch
Water Collaborative of Greater New Orleans
Water
The Water Collaborative of Greater New Orleans is an interdisciplinary community of practice, bringing together engineers, landscape architects, scientists, teachers, planners and community leaders to confront the challenge of “living with water” in Southeast Louisiana.
Nathan Lott (Director)
As director of the Water Collaborative, Nathan Lott manages monthly working groups, organizes educational tours and workshops, and helps the organization grow its reach and effectiveness. Before joining the Water Collaborative in 2015, Nathan was executive director of Virginia Conservation Network; in that role he helped launch the six-state Choose Clean Water coalition. Nathan received his master’s from Tulane School of Architecture, where his studies focused on climate change and resilience at historic places.
Talia Latch (Program Coordinator)
Talia serves as program coordinator for the Water Collaborative through a partnership with Tulane Center for Public Service and Americorps. Talia received her bachelor’s in environmental science from Tulane and studied ecotourism and international development in Thailand.
Oji Alexander
Home by Hand
Water
Home by Hand is a 501c3 non-profit, single-family, affordable housing developer that improves neighborhoods and builds the skills and family assets of low-to-moderate income households by employing the best practices in self help housing, homebuyer training, community revitalization and stormwater management.
Oji Alexander is the Executive Director at Home by Hand, Inc. As the former Senior Project Manager at Project Home Again, a nonprofit housing and community development organization in New Orleans, Oji led the development, maintenance and sale of over 170 new, energy-efficient, hurricane-resistant homes in the neighborhoods of Gentilly. He has worked with NORA and private real estate professionals to facilitate the transfer of over 250 properties that were blighted or abandoned so they could be used for housing development, gardens or lot-next- door expansions. Oji managed a staff of two in addition to overseeing Project Home Again’s construction team. He worked at Project Home Again since 2008.
Prior to joining Project Home Again, Oji was the manager of a 190-seat restaurant in Westhampton Beach, NY where he managed a staff of 50 employees. Oji received a Bachelor’s degree in interpersonal communication with minor in secondary education from The State University of New York at Albany.
Oji is a resident of the Oak Park neighborhood in Gentilly and is an active community member. Oji also sat on the boards of NOLA Tree Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to replacing the tens of thousands of trees lost during Hurricane Katrina, Kickball of Crescent City, a New Orleans based Social Aid and Pleasure Club and Home By Hand, a non-profit self-help housing developer.
Dana Eness
Urban Conservancy
Water
Urban Conservancy catalyzes equitable practices and policies related to the urban built environment and local economy through research, education, and advocacy.
Dana Eness has been Executive Director of The Urban Conservancy since 2007. Dana was a founding board member of The Urban Conservancy’s Stay Local! initiative in 2003, which is dedicated to creating a robust economy based on strong locally-owned businesses.
Since receiving her MA in Latin American Studies from Tulane University, Dana worked in non-profit administration, programming, community development and systems building while developing and managing cross-cultural and literacy programs abroad, at Tulane University, and for the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities. Post-Katrina, Dana took the position at The Urban Conservancy to work on issues related to New Orleans’ sustainable recovery.
She lives in the Riverbend neighborhood with her husband and two children.
Mette Dyhrberg, Eric Lubow
Mymee
Health
Mymee’s Digital Therapeutics program reverses the symptoms of chronic autoimmune disease through data analytics and health coaching, reducing or eliminating the need for expensive drugs.
Mette Dyhrberg (Founder)
Mette Dyhrberg is a serial entrepreneur and digital health innovator. An economist turned diagnostician, she’s the Sherlock Holmes of anamnestic data that first entered the functional medicine arena in an attempt to tackle her own chronic health issues. For years, Mette battled a constantly changing and ever expanding array of medical diagnoses. In 2011, she took matters into her own hands, hacked her own health and founded Mymee. In doing so, she created a tool that solved her own health problems and helped restore quality of life of chronic autoimmune patients who had been failed by the modern medical system.
Eric Lubow
Eric Lubow is a proven CTO and problem solver. He was co-founder and CTO of SimpleReach, the leading content data platform. He specializes in building and architecting distributed systems with a focus on reliability and monitoring. Eric also has experience building R&D teams, engineering, development, and dev-ops teams, and business related teams. Eric is one of the authors of Practical Cassandra and has been using Cassandra in production for almost 10 years. He also led soldiers in combat during his time in the service. Eric continues to pass on knowledge by mentoring junior executives in his spare time.
Dr. Eric Griggs
Doc Griggs Foundation
Health
“Doc Griggs” is the health and wellness awareness persona of Dr. Eric Griggs, a New Orleans-based Community Medicine physician and health educator who has dedicated his professional life to raising health and wellness awareness in communities across the United States.
Dr. Griggs graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1992 and Tulane University School of Medicine in 1996 and has always held a special place in his heart for the City of New Orleans. He has been an active health advocate since graduation and has made it his life work to educate the community on health and well-being. Doc is an active participant in all of his programs.
Upon completion of medical school in 1996, Dr. Griggs received the Robert C. Baird Award for overachievement in pursuit of a Medical Degree. In 2013, Dr. Griggs received the “Champion for Change” Award from The Links, Incorporated of New Orleans. Most recently, he was awarded the Jack leadership and community service award by the New Orleans chapter of Jack and Jill Incorporated.
Doc Griggs’ mantra is “Get Checked. Get Fit. Get Moving!™” His approach transcends race and gender barriers. His ability to speak proficient Spanish allows him to utilize a comprehensive creative approach to engage men, women, and children of both English and Spanish-speaking heritage. His efforts as a health educator and health and awareness advocate have been recognized by District 7 State Senator David R. Heitmeier in a 2014 Resolution naming Dr. Eric Griggs, Health and Wellness Ambassador of the State of Louisiana. In May, the New Orleans City Council named him as the Health and Wellness Ambassador for the City of New Orleans and he was later appointed Chairman of the Healthcare Sector for FitNOLA, the City of New Orleans’ fitness initiative. Dr. Griggs currently works for Access Health Louisiana as the Director of Community Medicine and serves as the Medical Advisor for Xavier University School of Pharmacy Health and Wellness Center.
Doc Griggs is an active participant in several organizations that promote positive change in the community. He is the Health and Wellness Chair for 100 Black Men of Metro New Orleans and also serves on the 100 Black Men National Health and Wellness Board. In March of 2014, Dr. Eric Griggs was named Spokesperson for the American Cancer Society – Greater New Orleans and is also a member of their Executive Leadership Council. As Chairman of the American Heart Association’s Multicultural Leadership Committee, he is also a member of their Greater Southeast Affiliate Multicultural Initiatives Committee (AL, LA, MS, TN, GA, FL, PR).
While Health and Wellness are near and dear to his heart, Dr. Griggs works closely with the youth as well. Dr. Griggs proudly serves as the Director of Life Sciences for STEM NOLA, serves on the Board of Directors for Playworks-Louisiana, Bike Easy and previously, on the Broadmoor Charter School Board. Dr. Griggs also co-founded and directed the Broadmoor Basketball Association, a basketball program for at-risk youth. Earlier this year, Dr. Griggs was appointed by Governor John Bel Edwards to the Louisiana Children’s Cabinet Advisory Board and as a spokesperson for the Governor’s Louisiana Youth For Excellence program.
Dr. Griggs appears weekly on Fox 8 WVUE’s Morning Edition as a Health Educator every Thursday morning at 7:40 AM. He also broadcasts every Tuesday with “The Doc Griggs Show” on WBOK 1230AM from 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM. In addition, he makes monthly appearances on the “Good Morning Show” with Oliver Thomas. Dr. Griggs is also a contributing medical writer for Data News Weekly, a local community paper and Breakthru Magazine, a local community magazine.
Adrianne Jackson
Magnolia Yoga Studio
Health
Magnolia Yoga Studio is minority owned and operated business promoting health and wellness through affordable beginning yoga classes to a diverse population in downtown New Orleans.
Ajax considers herself a “Yoga Concierge” at Magnolia Yoga, she is also the owner, visionary and lead teacher. Her main purpose is to help facilitate your hot yoga experience & your yoga dreams!
Ajax is of mixed heritage—Spanish & African-American and ultimately considers herself a modern-day woman of the world. She has an extensive background in Arts Education, a degree from the University of Southern California in Cultural Anthropology and much experience in the non-profit sector along with having traveled to 20+ countries around the world finding her purpose and place within it.
Ajax loves New Orleans for the music, culture and people and feels an ancestral connection to NOLA and therefore is happy to live, serve and enjoy this mecca of culture & celebration.
Early on Ajax felt the calling for teaching yoga and has taught for 9 years straight almost every day since becoming certified! She believes, “when you are fortunate enough to find what you were born to do in life, putting in the effort to study, learn and seek knowledge and understanding is an honor and pleasure!” Her passion for life, people and yoga is apparent and her vibrant energy is contagious.
Ajax teaches from experience having practiced yoga for 13 years consistently. She has used the healing art form to quit smoking, manage her weight, improve her relationship to self and with family, reduce severe joint pain in her knees, eliminate her asthma condition, migraines, reduce her annual bouts of bronchitis and strengthen her resolve and confidence.
One of her best attributes is helping people feel comfortable and welcomed. Ajax is also a great example of how to use yoga to fulfill a robust active and balanced lifestyle, as you will often find her teaching yoga, practicing yoga, socializing, resting, reading, cooking, studying, volunteering, networking, planning, dining out, enjoying live music, traveling, swimming, writing, dancing and living life to its fullest!
She believes in the human potential and her commitment to people’s health and wellness is what gets her out of bed everyday. We have no doubt you will feel the Ajax effect and love it!
Qasim Davis, Brandi Freemen, Christine Saja, Trishana Williams
Playworks
Health
Playworks leverages the power of safe, fun, and healthy play at school to create a place for every kid to feel included, be active, and build valuable social and emotional skills.
Elise Gallinot Goldman
KID smART
Education
KID smART engages children in dynamic, creative and rigorous learning through the arts. KID smART’s approach focuses on arts integration – linking instruction in the arts with instruction in the academic curriculum – to increase students’ academic achievement, build their critical thinking/problem-solving skills, foster creativity and imagination, enhance their social/emotional growth and engagement, while increasing teacher efficacy and job satisfaction.
As Education Director at KID smART, a New Orleans based arts education organization, Elise Gallinot Goldman has been crafting imaginative and instructive collaborative artist residency and professional learning programs in arts integration for the past fifteen years. Elise has been instrumental in developing partnerships with cultural partners and schools and has designed and presented engaging professional development for teaching artists and classroom teachers. She received her B.A. from the University of Georgia, her Masters Degree in Arts Administration from the University of New Orleans, and has researched and trained in best practices through national models and received her certification training in Montessori education. In addition to her work as an artist and educator, she has worked in the non-profit arts sector as Executive Director of the DeKalb Symphony Orchestra and Associate Director of the New Orleans Film Festival.
Veronica Reed & Amanda Chittenden
Start the Adventure in Reading
Education
Start the Adventure in Reading (STAIR) improves the reading skills and self-esteem of lower elementary school students across greater New Orleans.
Veronica Reed (Executive Director)
Veronica M. Reed, Executive Director of Start the Adventure in Reading, holds a B.A. in Political Science from Creighton University and a M.A. in Public Policy from Georgetown University. The first 20 years of her career consisted of leadership and management positions in the public, private and non-profit sectors focused primarily on community development, customer satisfaction, performance improvement and research and evaluation in Washington, DC, Indianapolis, and Houston. That experience included time as executive director of the Indiana Association for Community Economic Development, senior project manager at the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development, and senior account performance manager in the petroleum industry. Since returning to Louisiana in 2008, Veronica has held a deputy director position with the City of New Orleans, a director-level position with New Schools for New Orleans and worked as a management consultant focused on public education reform and non-profit operations.
Amanda Chittenden
Amanda Chittenden holds a B.S. in Marketing from the University of New Orleans. After beginning her career working as a Media Coordinator at a local advertising agency, Amanda ventured into the world of non-profits when she became the Public Relations Manager at The Blood Center. Before joining STAIR, she spent time at Junior Achievement of Greater New Orleans working as a program manager recruiting schools in Jefferson, Orleans, St. Bernard and Plaquemines parishes and the volunteers needed to deliver programming to the students in those parishes. Due to her extensive marketing and PR experience, her position evolved to Marketing Manager where she led all communications activities. She is the VP of Membership for the Public Relations Association of Louisiana-New Orleans Chapter.
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