Biz Talks

In this week's episode, labor and employment attorney Michelle D. Craig of Transcendent Law Firm shares the top questions and concerns she’s hearing from local nonprofits, schools and businesses when it comes to vaccinations and masks and offers up some guidance in the midst of an ever-changing and uncertain legal landscape.

New Orleans-based nonprofit Good Work Network recently changed its name to Go. Be. to better reflect its work helping minority small business owners get the resources they need to succeed and prosper. The group, which is celebrating its 20-year anniversary, has also recently unveiled the Elevate Fund, which will supply small grants of up to $4,000 to qualified applicants. On this week’s podcast, G...

Deanna Rodriguez became the new president and CEO of Entergy New Orleans just three months ago. Who is she? What are her big goals? What does she have to say about the company’s recent controversies and this fall’s proposed rate hike? Hear it all on this week’s episode of Biz Talks.

The delta variant of the coronavirus is is spreading most quickly in places with low vaccination rates. Dr. Stacy Greene of DePaul Community Health Centers has a simple message for those who want to stay safe and for life to return to normal.

Could New Orleans become known as the place to be for STEM education? Dr. Calvin Mackie, founder of the nonprofit STEM NOLA, thinks so. Thanks to millions of dollars in support from foundations and companies like Ochsner, Entergy, Boeing and Chevron, the first STEM NOLA Innovation center is underway, and as of July 20, the organization has gone global in its efforts to bring youth into STEM fields...

This week’s podcast features Neal Shulman, co-founder and CEO of Brewsy, a new direct-to-consumer wine company that doesn't deliver bottles – instead, it helps customers make their own. Based in the Seventh Ward, the company has already sold more than 100,000 fermentation kits to customers around the world.

How can you win two tickets to every single major sporting event in the region for the coming year? What does it take to bring the top sporting events in the nation to New Orleans? What will be the highlights for this coming year? Jay Cicero, president/CEO of Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation, answers all these questions and more in this week’s BizTalks.

The reopening of Carousel Gardens and the return of special events are great news for New Orleans City Park - but new CEO Cara Lambright says support from the community will be essential to keeping the 1,300-acre urban playground looking good for years to come.

We’re in the midst of a whole new employment landscape that has companies struggling to hire and retain good talent. For tips on how best to navigate this new reality, we picked the brain of Anna Steele, operations manager with Delta Personnel, a 53-year-old full-service staffing agency serving the region. What are the most in-demand benefits right now? How has the job search changed for all parti...

Mask mandates and crowd size restrictions are a thing of the past, but New Orleans restaurants are still feeling the effects of the pandemic. On this week's podcast, Stan Harris of the Louisiana Restaurant Association talks about how worker shortages, rising food costs and limited hours are challenging restaurant owners.

Crystal Hot Sauce and Café du Monde are the first two brands to partner with rapidly rising startup MR EATWELL, a New Orleans foodwear brand company formed last year by Irish Channel resident Matt Rebackoff that celebrates food with comfortable loungewear. Rebackoff shares his surprising success story in this week’s episode of Biz Talks.

In this week's podcast, Trey Burvant, vice president of studio operations at Second Line Stages, talks about the state of the city’s film industry as it rebounds impressively from the pandemic shutdown.

Festival season is back!!! And kicking it off is the 13th iteration of Hogs for the Cause this Friday and Saturday, June 4 and 5. The creation of lifelong friends and New Orleans natives, Becker Hall and Rene Louapre, Hogs has grown to become one of the largest barbecue competitions and music festivals in the country. On this week’s episode, the founders give us the inside scoop on what to expect...

In the early 2000s, the four-block section of downtown that would become the South Market neighborhood was mostly empty parking lots and aging office buildings. Today, the area is a $300 million (and counting) blend of housing, retail and dining that has brought updated urban living to the area. On this week's podcast, we talk to real estate developer Matt Schwartz about how the project came...

Dating apps leave something to be desired, say this week’s guests, New Orleans natives Stephanie Hilton and Bayleigh Frickey, which is why they created The Meetery, a new kind of dating app that replace endless online chatting with 15-minute face-to-face ‘first impression’ dates. Frickey and Hilton share how it all works and why they think their app will be a game changer in the multibillion-dolla...

Amy Stelly is an artist, designer, planner and teacher, known for her advocacy work with the Claiborne Avenue Alliance, a coalition "dedicated to the thoughtful development of the Claiborne corridor." Stelly's work made international headlines recently when the Biden administration cited the Claiborne expressway, built by the federal government in the 1960s, as an example of historic inequity.&nbs...

The first-ever Louisiana made craft sake hit the market a month ago and the two women behind it — Nan Wallis and Lindsey Brower, owners of Wetlands Sake — tell us all about it, how it came to be, and where you can grab some on this week’s episode of BizTalks.

Thanks to a long spring break season and exceptionally beautiful weather, visitors have been flocking to New Orleans again - but mostly on weekends and mostly by car. Attractions like the Audubon Zoo have been posting attendance numbers that are similar to 2019, but the hospitality industry - ordinarily a source of more than $10 billion in visitor spending - still has a long way to go. Hospitality...

Whether you’ve been laid off, are looking to make more money in a more in-demand field, or maybe always wanted to get a business degree but didn’t think you had the time or the money, there are some great new programs out there. Dr. Larry Audler and Dr. Barbara Wizer share some great options at University of Holy Cross, including a new Accelerated Business Degree program and lots of options to get...

The COVID-19 pandemic affected the residential and commercial real estate markets very differently. In New Orleans and elsewhere, home prices climbed as buyers sought more space and listings became scarce. The work-from-home trend, meanwhile, has emptied out office buildings while health restrictions reduced foot traffic in hotels, restaurants and stores. In this week's podcast, Henry Shortess of...

This year’s New Orleans Entrepreneur Week, held March 22-26, drew thousands of participants from over 34 countries around the globe eager to hear the latest from the region’s burgeoning entrepreneur community. But if you happened to miss it, all the over 87 sessions and 137 speakers are still accessible at NOEW.org thanks to this year’s completely virtual programming. In this week’s episode, Jon A...

In this week's episode, Jefferson Parish District 5 Councilmember Jennifer Van Vrancken talks about ongoing efforts to revitalize Metairie’s “Fat City” neighborhood. For years, Parish leaders have been looking for ways to create more green space, improve walkability, add street parking and spur development in the area – and recently they sought ideas from potential developers. Van Vrancken highlig...

What’s open? Where are the best deals? Should you book now or wait a bit? How will traveling look different? Melinda Bourgeois, owner of Travel Central travel agency in Metairie since 1988, answers all these questions and more in this week’s episode of BizTalks.  

The "last mile" has always been the most expensive and complicated part of the journey for any product making its way to your home or office. Companies ranging from Amazon to local mom and pops are competing to come up with systems and technology to speed the process up and keep costs down. On this week's podcast, local shipping expert Jason Burns talks about the sale of his family's company - QCS...

If you attended Celebration in the Oaks or Floats in the Oaks, you experienced innovative event solutions from local tech company WRSTBND, including everything from QR code ticketing text messages to traffic flow tracking and a custom-built radio station. As we look to return to more concerts, festivals and fundraisers, organizers will be making every effort to make them safer, more convenient and...