Big Shane’s Landscaping and Lawn Care’s mission is to design, build, and maintain beautiful, functional landscapes that turn dreams into reality. Big Shane’s Lawncare is a professional lawn and landscape maintenance company that has been servicing and manicuring lawns in the greater New Orleans area for over 10 years.

Trevor Monnie is an emerging landscape professional, who has been trained by master gardeners with over 40 years in the industry. He studied horticulture and landscape design at Delgado Community College. Trevor is a graduate of LaunchNOLA Green, where he specialized in green infrastructure and stormwater management.

Racquel Hayes McKay is the Business Manager for Big Shane’s Lawn Care. Her professional mission is to support small businesses with efficient and streamlined back-office support. For the last 20 years, Racquel has specialized in developing office solutions for bookkeeping, document collection, customer service, recruitment, employee onboarding, composing business proposals, and strategic planning. In her spare time she enjoys spending time with her family, and caring for young children during non-traditional hours in family child care.

Community Connection Program’s mission is to create a nurturing and supportive environment for seniors and people with disabilities, ensuring that their physical, emotional, and mental needs are met with utmost professionalism and respect. Their aim is to empower their clients to maintain their dignity and live fulfilling lives in the comfort of their own homes.

Jewel Chavis, is the Operations Director at Community Connection Programs, and the youngest daughter of the company’s founder and Director, Tanda Armstrong. Born and raised in New Orleans, Jewel attended Xavier University Preparatory High School and received her Bachelor of Science in Education with a concentration in Community Development from Howard University in 2015. Jewel’s passion for children, learning, and her community led her to the classroom, where she taught elementary education for three years. Jewel has returned to her family’s business as an operational and social welfare leader.

EntrepreNOLA is a content co-working space, manufacturing, and training facility for creative entrepreneurs. EntrepreNOLA will house art studios, apparel printing rooms, makeup studio, photography studios, conceptual content rooms, and other creative spaces for entrepreneurs. Their mission is to create opportunities for local creative entrepreneurs needing the space, equipment, and training to build and sustain their business.

Janice A. Meredith has been an entrepreneur and mentor for over 20 years. She opened her first beauty salon in 2000 and diligently built her clientele. Soon after, she purchased her first commercial property, expanding her business to include youth mentoring. In 2008, Janice and her team partnered with the City of New Orleans Summer Youth Initiative and has since employed over 300 youth within this program. Janice’s work with youth during the summer inspired her to create an apparel business to keep young people employed year round. She trained and hired youth to run the business which grew to a six-figure enterprise. Last year, she purchased The Ashton Theater, a historic theater in New Orleans to renovate it to EntrepreNOLA, which will be a manufacturing facility as well as content space, co-working space and training facility for creative entrepreneurs.

Fressence is a catering company that highlights bright, light cuisine by bringing fruits and vegetables to the forefront of their culinary creations. Their flagship French Market fruit and juice stand gave way to their commissary kitchen that creates balanced meals designed to refresh the body and mind.

Zak Khanboubi is a culinarian who envisioned Fressence while working in the restaurant industry during college. Upon earning his Bachelor’s in Business Management from the University of New Orleans, Zak enrolled in culinary school in the south of France, a program that culminated in an externship in a Michelin rated restaurant and helped build the foundation for the journey to come. The return stateside included stops in fine-dining kitchens of New Orleans and along the east coast, from New York City to the Florida Keys over the course of his eight years of professional cooking. In 2017, enlightened by the vast array of fruits and vegetables of the Floribbean, Zak decided to come home and open his own fruit and juice stand: Fressence. From there, Zak has merged his affinity for light ingredients with bold, savory flavors to also offer his signature dishes through the company’s catering service. Fressence remains available year round at the French Market, on site deliveries, as well as off-site events such as this year’s Wednesday at The Square series at Lafayette Square.

Gingerbooch specializes in fermented and probiotic food and drinks such as ginger kombucha, kimchi, and sauerkraut. Gingerbooch is dedicated to supporting the New Orleans economy in everything from ingredient sourcing to hiring and production. Their products are currently available at all three Crescent City Farmers market locations, and in the near future at local grocery stores, restaurants, coffee shops, bars, and festivals.

Luke Sirinides began Gingerbooch during the pandemic lockdowns, rapidly growing from direct-to-customer sales to three Crescent City Farmers Markets a week. Before entering the fermentation business, Luke earned his Master of Fine Arts in creative writing at UNO and worked for over seven years for the New Orleans Public Library. A sense of giving back to the community and working for equity in all areas has been a through-line in all his endeavors.

Harvest creates access to affordable farmed goods while establishing and managing sustainable markets throughout the New Orleans area. Harvest is committed to offering sustainable solutions to close the gap between New Orleanians and healthy food options by bringing innovative markets and farmers’ markets to an urban environment.

Harvest is founded by New Orleans native, Brandon Pellerin. At a young age he was exposed to the benefits of community gardens which fostered his passion for creating access to healthier food options in New Orleans. At thirteen, Brandon partnered with Parkway Partners and ran three community gardens in the Bywater neighborhood which allowed him to offer his community fresh produce and herbs.

Impacted by Hurricane Katrina, Mr. Pellerin relocated to New York City where he continued to pursue and develop his herbal butter company. Upon his return to New Orleans Mr. Pellerin created projects that reflected his passion for food security and event organizing – bringing people together around culture, healthy food access and community. In doing so Mr. Pellerin presented Harvest to the people of New Orleans.

J&C Marks is an integrated service provider specializing in residential and commercial construction, and real estate development. They provide drywall, painting, flooring, roofing, concrete, electrical and millwork. They also serve clients through real estate investments including short, mid, and long-term rentals.

Jay Marks, co-founder of J&C Marks Enterprise, has always loved watching homes and commercial buildings get built up from the ground up. He started his career in real estate and the construction industry by buying distressed properties and renovating them in low income areas. After 17 years of coaching collegiate sports, Jay decided to pursue his passion to become a general contractor and real estate developer and started helping build up his childhood community.

Throughout the years, Jay honed his skills as a contractor and received his license for pervious concrete and several construction safety certifications. He holds an MBA from Louisiana State University of Shreveport, a Master’s from Georgia Southern University, and a Bachelor’s from Nicholls State University. Jay has attained his Commercial General Contractor license and is also the preferred contractor with Owens Cornings and GAF roofing manufacturers. Jay’s passions are weight training and cooking. He enjoys spending time with his wife, Chabry, daughter, Madisyn and their son, Jayden.

Chabry Marks, co-founder of J&C Marks Enterprise, has always been intrigued by numbers and people. Her creative side allows her to design and coordinate color schemes well. She loves conducting research to determine how J&C Marks Enterprise can give back to the community through their business development, construction, and design. She started her career in real estate and construction by buying distressed properties in impoverished areas and transforming them into eye-catching dwellings that anyone would want to live in.

Throughout the years, Chabry has been a part of many areas of facility management. She has experience with mergers and acquisitions, project management, interior design, finance, operations, contract management and safety/regulatory. She has many years of leadership experience and holds several degrees including a Master of Business Administration from Louisiana State University Shreveport, a Master of Nursing Education from Western Governors University, and a Bachelor of Nursing from Nicholls State University.

Chabry’s hobbies are cooking and traveling and she is also passionate about helping others. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends, especially her husband Jay, her son Jayden, and daughter Madisyn.

Recoup 360 offers physical and manual treatments to athletes to help them perform to their fullest potential. Their clients receive top performance recovery experiences to reset their mobility, to regain full range of motion, and to restore their body.

Jhané Garner is a licensed Athletic Trainer and a Massage Therapist. She graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Athletic Training from Louisiana State University and received her Masters in Sports Management from Florida State University. Jhané created her business Recoup 360 while in graduate school in Tallahassee, Florida as a side hustle, mostly helping athletes from Florida A&M University. Jhané has experience with two Power 5 colleges as well as the NFL. She moved back home to New Orleans to expand her business helping clients achieve their mobility and injury rehabilitation goals through manual therapy.

Kid’s Kingdom Academy and Daycare provides high-quality developmentally appropriate programming in a safe, loving and nurturing environment that fosters the unique identities and personalities of all children in their care. Kid’s Kingdom promotes active learning and provides support for the development of the whole child.

Lynette Marie Rivers is the Director of Kid’s Kingdom Academy and Daycare. She has over 25 years of experience working in early childhood education. Lynette spent several years teaching middle school and high school students. She has a Bachelor of Science, Childhood Development Association (CDA) certification and ancillary credentials in the infant-toddler setting, has partnered with several early childhood organizations, served on a Director’s Advisory Group for City Seats families, and has participated in both the 4PXP Business Coaching Program and LELA (Louisiana Early Learners Academy). She continues to support her staff with onsite training and has been an instrumental source of support for the families that she serves.

Kingdom Culture Academy is working to create a rich learning environment that stimulates children’s physical, social, emotional, and intellectual growth. They believe each child should be provided with experiences that enhance self-esteem, which is essential in the adjusting, exploring, and growing stages of child development. They pride themselves on their family values and their dedication to cultivating the minds of the next generation.

Kisha Brown attended Delgado Community College, majored in Business Administration, and has over 5 years of hands-on experience to couple with her passion to foster an environment for kids to love themselves, learn and grow.

Monarch Learning Academy is a licensed in-home family child care center established in 2021 to provide high quality child care to families in New Orleans East. Monarch Learning Academy serves children between 24 months to five years in a hands-on learning environment that teaches practical life skills through positive learning experiences.

Kynisha Jackson is the owner and director of Monarch Learning Academy with over 20 years of experience in the early childhood education field. As an educator, she’s also worked as a Lead Head Start Teacher, Center Director, and Childcare Specialist. She’s passionate about early childhood education and believes that a strong program is necessary to build a solid foundation for young children to be successful in life. She has a National Administrator Credential, Child Development Associates Credential and she is also a Certified Family Childcare Trainer.

Motivate Wellness Behavioral & Relationship Health Services is a private group mental health practice headquartered in Jefferson Parish. Motivate Wellness provides individuals, couples, and families with the tools they need to create healthy, meaningful relationships. Motivate Wellness works in conjunction with their non-profit sister agency Healing Through Change to provide counseling services, sexual awareness education, and support groups for the BIPOC women who have been sexually assaulted.

Ledora Yerks-Birdlow is a New Orleans native. She graduated from the Loyola University at New Orleans with a Master’s in Counseling Education in 2002. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor, a National Certified Counselor, and a Certified Clinical Sexologist. Ledora is also a credentialed Licensed Professional Counselor supervisor. She decided to open the doors to Motivate Wellness Behavioral & Relationship Health Services to provide affordable mental health counseling services and increase therapy awareness and accessibility.

She is the president-elect (2025-2026) of the SAIGE-LA, a division of the Louisiana Counseling Association, and an initial member of the first Goldman Sachs One Million Black Women Black in Business program cohort. Ledora is also the founder and CEO of Healing through Change a non-profit agency working with BIPOC women who are sexual trauma survivors.

Reju Juice provides healthy and delicious juice made with whole fruits and vegetables to the Greater New Orleans community. Reju empowers the community, providing education on how healthy fruit and vegetable juices without preservatives and sweeteners can positively impact their quality of life, and assist in reaching their health and fitness goals.

Kelley is a health education activist whose journey started with a Crohn’s Disease diagnosis at the age of fifteen. After many years of suffering and countless hospitalizations, Kelley found that juicing was an effective way to calm and prevent her excruciating flare-ups. Since discovering the benefits of juicing she has successfully managed her Crohn’s flare-ups without prescription medication or regular hospitalizations. She feels that sharing juicing with the community is her calling.

Shop Bayou is a concept store that is part gift shop for the Musee de Free People of Color, part art gallery for emerging Black artists, and part brick-and-mortar hub for a collective of Black makers, artisans, and artists. Their mission is to provide Black makers the same commercial opportunities to market their creations as other less marginalized groups by creating equitable partnerships with thoughtful turnarounds for payment and co-marketing strategies.

Small Royalty Learning Center helps children reach their fullest potential by providing early childhood education opportunities. They focus on meeting each child’s individual needs, helping children develop positive self images, and offering age-appropriate learning content.

Dionne Phillips is the owner and Director of Small Royalty. Dionne holds a certificate from the Childhood Development Association and is currently obtaining her associate’s degree in early childhood education. Along with these credentials she has completed a multitude of training through the Louisiana Department of Education and has worked in the profession of early childhood education for over 16 years.

Universal Printing is a digital printing company located in eastern New Orleans. They have been in business for over 12 years. The company offers high quality products, professional service, and takes pride in offering personalized design and printing services to their community, the Greater New Orleans area, and beyond.

Psytia Fleming Jordan is the Co-owner and Operator of Universal Printing, a full service digital printing company established in 2011. Psytia and her husband Aaron Jordan also own Main Street Studio Event Hall and three other business condominiums in New Orleans East. Psytia earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Finance from the University of New Orleans and has spent more than thirty years working in consumer lending and management. She worked for Wells Fargo Financial as a Branch Manager for 20 years. Psytia enjoys providing her customers professional printing services, including business cards, booklets, banners and more.

Viola’s Heritage Breads is a better-for-you bread and baked goods brand that uses simple ingredients and minimal processing. Viola’s Heritage Breads crafts a premium product that moms and health conscious individuals can have shipped directly to their homes or purchase through other food businesses. Buying from Viola’s Heritage Breads, a Black women owned brand, for daily and celebration bread needs is the perfect recipe for supporting a rising legacy.

Chef Carla Briggs has an abiding passion for the way New Orleanians use food to celebrate and communicate. Most important, though, is her desire to strengthen community ties through food by honoring the contributions of unacknowledged Black and Brown people in the hospitality industry.

Since graduating from Johnson and Wales University in Baking and Pastry Arts, Carla has seen many talented Black peers struggle to find solid footing in a white male–dominated culinary industry despite their skills and experience. She has also struggled herself, fighting to keep her dream alive while contending with racial and gender bias, supply chain issues, and the daily challenges of operating a small business.

Despite it all, she continues growing personally and professionally while remaining rooted in authentic community, culinary traditions, and crafted cultural experiences. Where food and education meet, she thrives. She is a chef, educator, and entrepreneur with expertise in early childhood, special education, and food safety. Carla is effective at creating practical tools, resources, and curriculums that assist individuals and organizations in designing, implementing, and evaluating program success. In her free time, you can find her completing her latest Lego challenge or exploring history at a local museum.

“I just think for me business has to be more than just me making money . . . I’ve gone to school and learned professionally how to do this as any other person would do, but I still don’t find the same success that others have found. So I can’t just make it about me because I also have to change the industry to make sure that other people can also find success, because I can’t do it by myself.” – Carla Briggs

Wake is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that provides meaningful, affordable, and environmentally sustainable deathcare resources to the greater New Orleans community. Wake’s network of death care providers connect with individuals who are struggling with death, either their own or a loved one’s, and help connect them to direct services, like affordable funeral services, bereavement support, and legal assistance.

Liz Dunnebacke’s professional career began in the entertainment industry in California, where her experience ranged from property development for Comedy Central to free-lance work on PBS documentaries. Since moving to New Orleans in 2004, Liz’s work has toggled between television production and nonprofit administration, occasionally blending the two. In 2020, she founded Wake after experiencing the death of close family members. Liz has served on the board of directors of several New Orleans-based nonprofit organizations, as well as national organizations, like the Green Burial Council and the Equitable Disposition Alliance. Liz holds a BA in Theatre Arts from Brown University.

Whimscapes is a New Orleans-based gardening business rooted in the belief that practicing natural land care and reclaiming gardens and lawns for the wild are small steps towards environmental justice. Their holistic garden installs include native species, insect host plants, plant debris composting and recycling, rain barrels, and avoid ecologically irresponsible techniques like leaf blowers and chemical ground treatments.

Kellye Shcroeder began their professional gardening career at Hollygrove Market and Longue Vue House and Gardens, along with several private homes around the Greater New Orleans area. Before coming to gardening they worked in management, both stateside and abroad. Working at Longue Vue House and Gardens in several different capacities helped define Kellye’s fine nature based land care style: gardening in service of environmental sustainability with ecologically sound principles, neatly placing native and habitat plants into beautiful and elegant garden plans.

Mariah Theobald comes from a hodge-podged background in horticulture and education. She has worked on a large-scale monoculture farm, on an organic bed and breakfast homestead, and as an Agriculture and Environment Extension Agent for the US Peace Corps. She has been living and gardening in NOLA since 2014, developing her skills in aesthetic-focused gardening and Garden Education alongside Kellye at Longue Vue House and Gardens. She has managed education departments and designed and implemented gardens-based educational programs at both Longue Vue and at partner schools in the city. She is a licensed Landscape Horticulturist with the state of Louisiana and an occasional Pedicab driver!

Nestled in the middle of the city’s oldest street, where free people of color historically sold their wares to weary travelers, Whiskey and Sticks is a unique combination of upscale lounge meets neighborhood bar. It’s a place where diversity is met with open arms and where everybody is somebody. Whisky and Sticks offers an expertly curated spirits list and a well-appointed selection of cigars.

Kelder has over 20 years in the hospitality industry, primarily in food and beverage (catering, convention services, and event management), with previous roles that include Event Service Manager, Conference Center Manager, Sales Manager, Director of Business Development and currently Business Owner at Whiskey & Sticks. Combine that with her passion for cultural storytelling, a sound professional judgment and research capabilities to promote measurable change, extensive community engagement and the fact that she is well known throughout the region thanks to her 30 year broadcasting career, and you have a recipe for success. She is most proud of the fact that she and her partner, Ken Jones, were able to sustain and grow Whiskey & Sticks, even through the pandemic, and are now looking to open a second location.