Jefferson Parish Pulse

On this episode of the Jefferson Parish Pulse powered by JEDCO, we feature an interview with Jahida Lewis Crawford, owner of the Law Office of Lewis-Crawford. Jahida is an attorney. It is her mission to positively impact and support the people in her community. She has always wanted a career in the justice system. When she decided to open her business, JEDCO loaned her the money to make it happen....

On this episode of the Jefferson Parish Pulse powered by JEDCO, we feature an interview with Francisco Gutierrez, founder and owner of Agua Fresca Coffee. Francisco owns and operates a coffee farm in Nicaragua and he imports that coffee to New Orleans coffee companies for distribution. Francisco talks about fulfilling his dream of owning a coffee farm, pursuing his many passions in business and ju...

This week on the Jefferson Parish Pulse, we interview Hieu Doan, owner of Boil Seafood House and Hieux Boil Seafood House. Both restaurants offer Viet-Cajun cuisine, a unique spin on traditional Cajun and Vietnamese dishes. JEDCO helped Hieu open Boil Seafood House with an SBA 504 loan, which was used to turn a dilapidated historical building on Magazine Street into a bustling restaurant on one of...

This season on the Jefferson Parish Pulse, we're featuring conversations with business owners who have received loans through JEDCO to start up, grow, and expand their companies. To kick things off, we're introducing JEDCO Finance Director Jennifer Lapeyrouse. In just two years, Jennifer increased JEDCO's loans by 300% and has been tremendous resource for small businesses in Jefferson Parish and b...

This week on a very special BONUS episode of the Jefferson Parish Pulse, we interview JEDCO President and CEO Jerry Bologna about the Jefferson EDGE 2025. This new long-term economic development strategic plan was designed to help transform the Jefferson Parish economy and lean into business recovery, social equity and competitiveness. Check out the full Jefferson EDGE Plan here . Visit us at www....

On the Season 3 finale of the Jefferson Parish Pulse, we interview Jefferson Parish Councilman-at-Large Scott Walker. Councilman Walker was elected one year ago and is a relative newcomer to the Jefferson Parish Council. During this episode, we talk about the pandemic and its impact on his first year in office, projects he's most proud of, and his focus on transparency and accessibility. We also d...

On this episode of the Jefferson Parish Pulse, we interview Larry Manshel, the President and fourth generation owner of ITC4 Promos, a 122-year-old company that specializes in innovation and creative promotional products and marketing support. Larry talks about adapting to a changing marketplace over the years, taking over the family business and moving to Louisiana, and the company's focus on giv...

This week on the Jefferson Parish Pulse, we interview Kristi Trail, the executive director of the Pontchartrain Conservancy. The Pontchartrain Conservancy is a non-profit designed to support our region and our waterways through scientific research, education and advocacy. Kristi talked about the impacts of the 2020 hurricane season on the Louisiana coastline, how the Pontchartrain Conservancy's wo...

On this episode of the Jefferson Parish Pulse, we interview Teresa Lawrence. Lawrence is a Cuban-born entrepreneur and the owner Delta Personnel, a local staffing agency based in Jefferson Parish. Teresa talks about how her childhood experiences and her family helped to shape her into the business owner she is today, the value of a strong company and her best advice for entrepreneurs. She also tal...

On this episode of the Jefferson Parish Pulse, we feature an interview with Dr. Lana Joseph-Ford, founder of High Level Speech and Hearing Center, which specializes in the evaluation, identification, and treatment of speech and hearing concerns in both children and adults. Dr. J talks about building her business from the ground-up, the value of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the Greater New Orle...

This week on the Jefferson Parish Pulse, we interview Linda Auld, better known as the NOLA Bug Lady. Linda is the owner of Barber Laboratories, a third generation pest control supply shop in Jefferson Parish. Linda wears many hats: business owner, pest control expert, author and conservationist. She is an absolute wealth of knowledge when it comes to bugs. And while she's an expert on solving pest...

This week on the Jefferson Parish Pulse, we feature an interview with Vince Hayward, CEO of Camellia Brand/L.H. Hayward & Company. The business packages dry beans, peas and lentils in their Jefferson Parish manufacturing facility. The business was founded in 1923 and has grown into a locally famous brand. On this episode, Vince talked about carrying the torch of the fourth-generation family-ow...

This week on the Jefferson Parish Pulse, we interview Leigh D'Angelo, cof-founder and CEO of Dig - The Dog Person's Dating App and Tabby - The Cat Person's Dating App. Leigh runs the global business from Gretna, LA. On this episode, we talk about love in the time of COVID, being a part of the multi-billion dollar pet industry, and the best advice she has for entrepreneurs. Hosted on Acast. See aca...

This week on the Jefferson Parish Pulse, we feature an interview with Joshua Dean, founder of Little J's Donuts in Harahan. JEDCO helped this startup donut shop go from dream to reality with our JEDgrow Loan Program. Through our small business financing arm, JEDCO was able to finance nearly 90% of this new project. Joshua spoke about the importance of community support for startups, opening a busi...

On the Season 3 premiere of the Jefferson Parish Pulse, we welcome JEDCO President & CEO Jerry Bologna back to the show to help kick off our next round of interviews. Jerry discussed the importance of the Spend Local JP campaign, a new initiative to encourage residents to support local businesses during the pandemic. He highlighted how the campaign got started and how businesses can get involv...

In the Season 2 finale, we interview Jefferson Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng. More than six months into office, Cynthia is leading the Parish through a pandemic. Cynthia talked about her first months in office, where Jefferson Parish stands with the pandemic right now, the importance of wearing a mask in public, upcoming elections and what is being done to keep voters safe at the polls and mo...

This week on the Jefferson Parish Pulse, we interviewed Barbara Blank, founder of Clean Creations. Clean Creations prepares and delivers fresh, healthy meals to their customers all over the Greater New Orleans area. We talked about the importance of spending local, the joy of doing business in the City of Gretna and how the company has fared through the pandemic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/pri...

This week on Jefferson Parish Pulse, we interview Neel Sus, the founder and CEO of Susco. We talked about the importance of having a strong entrepreneurial ecosystem, trends in the tech industry during the pandemic, and the value of company culture and engagement - especially right now. Neel offers excellent advice for work that all business leaders should be doing and he shares his thoughts on co...

On this week's episode of the Jefferson Parish Pulse, we chat with the queen of sugar, Jeanne O’Leary. Jeanne is the founder of Poof Cotton Candy, a startup food manufacturer based in Jefferson Parish. But if you’re imaging the pink and blue county fair cotton candy of old, you’re not thinking of Poof. This company is far from traditional. The business spins up fluffy, fabulous flavors of cot...

This week on the Jefferson Parish Pulse, we feature an interview with Mayra Pineda, President & CEO of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Louisiana. The Hispanic Chamber has been an invaluable resource throughout the pandemic. The organization helped to usher in Spanish translations of important documents, resources and press conferences during the pandemic and they hosted weekly conference c...

This week on the Jefferson Parish Pulse, we spoke with Floor 13 owner Holis Hannan. The company had just moved into its new location in Elmwood when the pandemic hit the area. COVID-19 presented challenges that eventually sparked the idea for Dat Desk, a program to donate beautiful, hand-painted desks to children in the Greater New Orleans area. We talked with Holis about overcoming hardships and...

This week on the Jefferson Parish Pulse, we spoke with Sean McCloskey, founder of Stop & Block and former JEDCO Challenge finalist. This startup company designed single-serve sunscreen dispensers for folks on-the-go. The dispensers can typically be found at outdoor venues, sporting events and festivals, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced Sean to change his business strategy. Stop & Block is...

This week on the Jefferson Parish Pulse, we spoke with the Honorable Scott U. Schlegel, a judge for the 24th Judicial District Court in Jefferson Parish. With Judge Schlegel's guidance, the Jefferson Parish justice system has continued to move forward - even during the pandemic. Judge Schlegel talked about the types of technology being implemented in his court, how it has impacted his cases and wh...

In early May, Ochsner Health announced the launch of a COVID-19 prevalence study in Jefferson and Orleans parishes to better understand the spread and impact of the virus. JEDCO sat down with Dr. Leonardo Seoane, Sr. Vice President and Chief Academic Officer for Ochsner Health. He discussed the importance of the prevalence study, the reopening of the economy and how Ochsner Health can support busi...

This week on the Jefferson Parish Pulse, we spoke with Justin Hartenstein, the founder and Director of Product Development at Oracle Lighting. This Fat City-based manufacturer has been producing automotive lighting parts since 1999. We talked with Justin about giving back to the community during the pandemic and pivoting to sustain the business during a crisis. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/priva...