Addis NOLA is an Authentic Ethiopian Restaurant where their goal is to “allow the diaspora an opportunity to reconnect to the motherland through food and culture, as well as strengthen and solidify the presence of the African community in the city.”

Billiot Development, LLC purchases, renovates, leases and manages rental properties for low-income renters who have traditionally been deemed “hard to house”–including but not limited to persons with criminal histories, drug addiction, chronic homelessness, mental health diagnoses and/or the medically needy. The company also accepts donated properties for perpetual affordability, pays for all closing costs for the title transfer, and provides donors with proof of their donation for tax purposes. Billiot Development, LLC endeavors to ensure that the number of quality, affordable housing units in the city corresponds to the needs of the citizenry.

Michael Billiot is the founder and CEO of Billiot Development, LLC. Billiot is a licensed, Louisiana criminal defense attorney who has represented indigent defendants for the past 14 years. Billiot holds a Bachelor’s degree in English and Philosophy from Tulane University, a law degree from Loyola University New Orleans, and a Master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of New Orleans. He is the founder and Chair of the Diversity Initiative at the Louisiana Urban Land Institute and a member of the United Houma Nation, the largest Native American tribe in Louisiana, to which he provides pro bono legal representation. He was the first Houma Indian to own a law practice in his hometown of Houma, Louisiana.

Community Book Center was founded in 1983 and is a cultural and literary hub that specializes in books, educational materials, art and gifts by and about people of African descent. The mission is to “highlight the contributions African people throughout the diaspora have made to world civilization; debunking the myth that our history began with slavery.” More than a bookstore, CBC is a gathering and meeting place for individuals and grassroots organizers dedicated to addressing educational and social justice issues impacting the community.

Vera Williams has always been passionate about the preservation and celebration of African cultural heritage. As a substitute teacher, she founded Community Book Center while working to provide books, educational materials, and cultural resources to area students, parents and educators which highlighted the true history and contributions African people have made to world civilization. What began as a home based community service nearly 40 years ago, Community Book Center continues to serve New Orleans and the world. Vera is a 1976 graduate of McDonogh#35 Senior High and received her Bachelor of Social Work (1981) and Master of Arts in Museum Studies (2018) both from Southern University in New Orleans.

El Centro is a New Orleans-based nonprofit organization working to empower Latinx individuals with financial literacy and entrepreneurial training in Spanish. El Centro meets its mission by providing individual consultations and small group workshops for both aspiring and established entrepreneurs as well as those interested in strengthening their financial and credit habits. El Centro manages the only Latino dedicated business incubator in the state of Louisiana and Latinx focused VITA site in the Greater New Orleans Area.

Lindsey Navarro is the founder and Executive Director of El Centro Inc., a nonprofit providing financial literacy and business training to the Latino community in south Louisiana. Since launching in 2018, El Centro has served nearly 1,300 Spanish speaking individuals. Prior to launching the organization, Navarro spent 7 years working with LiftFund, where she helped to deploy more than $1.2 million in microloans to Latino entrepreneurs across Louisiana, Arkansas, Alabama, and Tennessee.

Cipher 360 (360)‘s mission is to disrupt how schools build culture by providing a system of training, feedback and collaboration. Birthed from the experience of working to place Black men in classrooms across the cities of New Orleans and Baton Rouge at Brothers Empowered to Teach (BE2T), 360 is a curriculum company that provides culturally relevant professional development to teachers, schools, and districts. Simply put, “if we want to sustain diverse classrooms, we must change school culture.” The concept was well received at the 2019 Propeller PitchNOLA: Education and was a finalist in Camelback Ventures 2019 Fellowship program.

Kristyna Jones is the CEO and co-founder of Cipher360 (360). Kristyna grew up in a family full of urban educators and was fortunate to be raised in a home where education was seen as an adventure, a source of self-discovery, and means to success. One of the greatest influences on her passion of working in education was her grandfather. A life-long learner, 30-year educator, and counsel and sage to generations of young people, he inspired them to see the possibilities beyond their own environment or circumstances. Kris calls herself a ‘reformed community development finance expert’ and has more than 15 years experience in housing and community development in different areas—as a developer, project manager, investment officer and technical assistance provider. She developed her expertise through work in different markets across the country. Kris co-founded Brothers Empowered to Teach from which 360 was birthed. The basis for 360 is the Teacher Development Lab, a concept Kris generated for BE2Tfellows to learn the art and science of childhood development and classroom management. She is a graduate of New York University and The New School’s Milano School for Public Engagement. She continues to be engaged in community development and was recently appointed to the Board of Commissioners for the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority. Kristyna was also recently awarded a fellowship with the WK Kellogg Community Leader‐ship Network as a part of the second cohort.

Larry Irvin is a co-founder of Cipher 360. Larry is also the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Brothers Empowered to Teach (BE2T) from which C360 was birthed. At BE2T, he is the Chief Fundraiser and ensures that the vision and culture always match the mission. Larry is the creator and mastermind of ‘The Cipher,’ BE2T’s in-house personal and professional development space. At 360, Larry is the Chief of Culture where he works to ensure that the content of the training meets the needs of the young people and potential educators who participate in a way that is both culturally relevant and speaks to the needs of the participants. Prior to this role, Larry was a former teacher and high school football coach. Larry has become a member of the Andover Breadloaf Teacher Network and will be pursuing a master’s degree from the Middlebury Breadloaf School of English. A New Orleans native, Larry earned his associate’s degree in Journalism and Media Arts from Delgado Community College followed by earning his bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies with a concentration in Rhetorical Theory and Public Address from Louisiana State University. Larry is a 2016 Camelback fellow and is also a member of the WKKF Kellogg Leadership Network. Educational attainment was always a point of emphasis for Larry growing up. Raised by an early childhood educator, Larry’s mother spent 23 years as a teacher for the Jefferson Parish Head Start program. Larry was most inspired by his mother’s perpetual benevolence, which extended from the classroom deep into the community, and Larry continues to adopt those same values through his work.

Electric Girls builds girls’ confidence and capabilities by engaging them through STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math). Their programs help girls build fundamental STEM skills and then give girls the space, resources, and guidance to implement these skills into their own self-directed projects and inventions that they design, build, present, and take home.

Jillian Sandoval comes to Electric Girls as the new Executive Director, replacing founder Flor Serna in October 2019. She is currently pursuing her Master’s degree at the University of New Orleans in Public Administration and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences from Tulane University. Jillian has 13 years of experience working in New Orleans nonprofits in human resources, finance, fundraising, volunteer management, community outreach & engagement, program development and evaluation. In her spare time, Jillian loves to read and tend to her garden.

WhereWeGo is a program finder for New Orleanians to discover, connect, and apply to job up-skill and career education pathways. In partnership with programs at community colleges, non-profits, and new models, WhereWeGo collects information about the best programs in the city and actively works to improve their web presence and connect them with recent high school graduates and any out of work person at any age.

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.

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.

Diva Dawg is a gourmet hot dog truck and catering business serving the New Orleans area since 2012. With their signature sauces, dawgs and gourmet catering, Diva Dawg brings deliciousness to festivals, weddings, parties, and corporate events.

Ericka Michelle Lassair aka “Chef Diva” the Founder of Diva Dawg Food Truck is a New Orleans native and graduate of Southern University A&M College and Delgado Culinary Arts. She is a Tory Burch Foundation Fellow/Ambassador and was featured in the January 2017 Vogue magazine alongside Tory Burch. In Cosmopolitan’s “Get That Life,” and an episode of Modern Hero on Amazon Prime, Ericka shares the story of her entrepreneurial journey. The summer of 2017, Ericka was featured in Essence magazine as the Celebrity Chef for ‘Essence Eats’ and had an appearance in the movie “Girls Trip” in the Diva Dawg truck. In 2020, Ericka will be featured on several episodes of WYES TV show Kitchen Queens.

FOWLMOUTH is a New Orleans-based kitchen whose flavors spotlight the chinchoorros, or beachside food and drink kiosks, of Puerto Rico. FOWLMOUTH adores the simple and vibrant flavor profiles that characterize this subset of Puerto Rican cuisine and specialize in grilled preparations and pair this idea with a touch of southern flavors and Japanese culinary curiosity to bring you modern Puerto Rican street food.

Ozzie originally came to New Orleans on a trip for work as a cafe consultant with a dream to one day operate his own space. After having experienced the familiar Caribbean culture and seeing the many ways in which street cooks make a name for themselves, he decided to become a part of the mix. Some 4 years later, his proven record in sales, marketing, COGS development and more have set him apart from your average street cook, as he has since “graduated” from the street now operating his venture inside the walls at Lost Love Lounge. Ozzie’s ultimate goal is to shine light on a long standing perspective of the American identity which he believes is often overlooked–that of the Puerto Rican.

Grey Bird Baking Co. is a New Orleans-based, Black owned bakery that specializes in making lavish, quality desserts for every occasion. Grey Bird primarily focuses on hand crafted macaroons in a variety of flavors, but has expanded product offerings that include cakes, cookies, and even a monthly subscription service.

Taylor Moore is the owner of Grey Bird Baking Co. She initially moved to New Orleans with aspirations of pursuing a career in medicine before channeling her focus on entrepreneurship. She cultivated the skill of baking at a young age and would turn to this talent while preparing to establish her first company, Grey Bird Baking Co., in January of 2019.

The MANDELA BURGER is a signature hand-crafted vegan burger, 100% soy and gluten-free prepared with all organic beans & whole food produce. The Mandela Burger company does not seek to mimic meat, but stays true to form: flavorful while leaving the customer in awe after a delightfully tasteful experience of the patty. Given the movement toward healthy plant-based food choices, the company has instituted a product model enabling the placement of the MANDELA BURGER in the nooks and crannies of the city, region and country, thereby making them accessible to customers nationwide.

Ogban Okpo, a graduate of Theatre Arts and Mass Communication from the University of Jos is the founder and co-owner of Tanjariné Kitchen. He is the creator of The Mandela Burger. Before venturing into business, he spent nine years working as an administrative officer in a government tourism development corporation where he realized the employee life wasn’t for him. Accordingly, and thereafter, he went on to establish an ethnic television company called Gamzaki Channel. He has invested in the food service business, publishing, tourism consulting business concerns.

April Okpo, is the wife of Mr. Ogban Okpo and co-owner of Tanjariné Kitchen. In her previous work experience as an Education and Non-Profit administrator, she has held leadership roles in business finance & operations with a keen interest in establishing system driven processes while improving efficiency in organizations. As a native of New Orleans, she believes entrepreneurship can provide unique experiences for all who seek to create opportunities for their communities. She is an event planner and has developed a special knack in developing strong community relationships.