The Louisiana Workforce Commission’s vision is to make Louisiana the best place in the country to get a job or grow a business, and our goal is to be the country’s best workforce agency.

Our mission is simple and straightforward – we put people to work.

owd@lwc.la.gov

EPNO is an initiative to engage young leaders of New Orleans in philanthropy. Members participate in a six-month program, where they pool funds, collaborate on teams and allocate grants impacting issues they care about.

info@emergingphilanthropists.org

EWB is a non-profit humanitarian organization established to partner with developing communities worldwide and locally to improve quality of life. It is a branch of the American Society of Civil Engineers that focuses on solving civil engineering problems to underserved communities. The New Orleans chapter has a unique focus on both international and local development related to post-Katrina rebuilding.

neworleansprofessional@chapters-ewb-usa.org
www.facebook.com/ewbnola

The NextGen Council is an initiative of GNO, Inc. designed to cultivate diverse and energized new leadership, and introduce it to the organization and the region. The NextGen Council is composed of the “next generation” of business and community leaders in Greater New Orleans and supports the larger GNO, Inc. organization in its key initiatives.

1100 Poydras Street, Suite 3475, New Orleans, LA 70163
504.527.6900
rshields@gnoinc.org

Our mission is to be the leader of and catalyst for strategies and services, which promote economic vitality in the Greater Hammond Community.

P.O. Box 1458
Hammond, La 70404
985.345.4457

HYPLA’s mission is to foster the development of the young Hispanic professionals’ community through networking, mentorship and educational resources.

1515 Poydras Street, Suite 1010, New Orleans, LA 70112
504.885.4262
hypla@hccl.biz

The Young Professionals Affinity Group serves newer IEEE members who are within the first ten years of receiving his or her first professional degree. Events and activities are geared toward the needs and interests of young professionals and revolve around professional growth, mentoring, networking, employment resources, and technical development.

Enhancing opportunities for emerging civic and economic leaders through community engagement, local initiatives, networking, and career development. The Jefferson Chamber Young Professionals serves as the voice of the young people in Jefferson Parish.

3421 N. Causeway Blvd., Suite 203, Metairie, LA 70002
504.835.3880
Stephanie@jeffersonchamber.org

The Junior League of New Orleans is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women and improving communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable.

4319 Carondelet Street, New Orleans, LA 70115
504.891.5845
info@jlno.org

The LABI Emerging Leaders Council is a select group of distinguished young entrepreneurs from each region of LA who have a demonstrated commitment to making the state a great place to live and work.

3113 Valley Creek Drive, Baton Rouge La 70808
225-928-5388
cpconaway@labi.org

The purpose of the Young Lawyers Division is to foster discussions and interchange of ideas relative to the duties, responsibilities and problems of the younger members of the legal profession in the State of LA; to aid in their advancement; to encourage their interest and participation in the activities of the LA State Bar Association, and, in general, to further the purposes and objectives of the LSBA.

601 St. Charles Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70130
800.421.LSBA [5722]

NLC works to recruit, train and promote the progressive political entrepreneurs of tomorrow — trendsetters, elected officials and civically-engaged leaders in business and industry who will shape the future landscape. We believe in the possibility of a better, stronger LA and we believe the work we do today will help create a more promising tomorrow.

louisianacomms@newleaderscouncil.org

YPN is a growing group of career-minded real estate professionals who want to stay abreast of the latest tools, resources and networking opportunities that are available at NOMAR, LR and NAR. We offer an ongoing forum where young professionals can get involved, network with peers and connect with industry leaders.

3645 N I-10 Service Rd W Metairie, LA 70002

The Young Fellows are NOMA’s newest affiliate group, comprised of our most vibrant supporters ages 21 through 40.

1 Collins Diboll Circle, New Orleans, LA 70179
504.658.4130
youngfellows@noma.org

The mission of the Northshore Young Professionals committee is to bring young professionals together to engage with one another and the business, political and community leadership in an effort to improve our community and provide a voice of young professionals. Our goals include providing social and networking opportunities, collaboration with other committees, and community outreach.

610 Hollycrest Blvd. Covington, LA 70433
985.273.3008
megan@sttammanychamber.org

PLAYNOLA provides the best and fastest-growing adult sports leagues in New Orleans. PLAYNOLA is the place to meet and compete with active professionals all over the city, providing fun, athletic, and social event options to engage in after work and on weekends.

1307 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd, Suite 303
504.708.4330
play@playnola.com

The mission of YIPS is to cultivate young professionals and future leaders of PIA by providing opportunities for education and networking.

4021 W.E. Heck Court, Building K Baton Rouge, LA 70816
800.349.3434
info@piaoflouisiana.com

StayLocal is Greater New Orleans’ independent business alliance. It is our mission to create an environment for local businesses to thrive through research, education, and advocacy. We do this work because we believe New Orleans’ independent businesses are the backbone of the city’s culture, economy and character.

1307 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd, #309 New Orleans, LA 70113
504.252.1259
info@staylocal.org
https://www.facebook.com/staylocalnola/

Sylvain Society is the New Orleans Opera’s Young Professionals affiliate group whose purpose is to connect the operatic arts to the Greater New Orleans community. Membership is free for men and women ages 21-45 and includes invitations to membership mixers and business networking events throughout the community.

sylvain@neworleansopera.org

YLG fosters the involvement of under 35-year olds and enhances knowledge among the next generation of responsible real estate industry leaders. YLG events provide an opportunity to network with experienced professionals and build relationships and mentorships with key industry leaders.

900 Camp Street, Suite 3C15, New Orleans, LA 70130
nicole.depietro@uli.org
504-867-9942

Our mission is to engage young professionals in Southeast LA who are focused on improving their communities through the mission of United Way of Southeast LA. We will foster participation, commitment, growth and education of young leaders to further the work of UWSELA.

2515 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA 70119
https://www.facebook.com/groups/UWSELAYoungLeadersUnited/

NOLAYP is an Urban League of LA auxiliary of young professionals committed to promoting and supporting the ideas and goals of the Urban League movement throughout the New Orleans area through community outreach, fundraising and membership development.

4640 S. Carrollton, Suite 210, New Orleans, LA 70119
504-620-2332
Newsletter@ulgoyp.org
www.facebook.com/nolaypmovement

VAYLA is an intersectional AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander) nonprofit organization based in New Orleans focused on advocacy through providing climate and reproductive justice education, community organizing education, comprehensive civic engagement and pathways to citizenship. They empower the community through honoring our cultures, traditions, and history while they push for progress. They are dedicated to forging a world which grants all young folx the space for identity and cultural exploration as well as academic, and professional foundation through leadership opportunities and skills needed to create vibrant and thriving communities.

13235 Chef Menteur Hwy, Suite A, New Orleans, LA 70129
504.253.6000
contact@vayla-no.org

The LA Chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) is the premier M&A association in LA made up of professionals looking to grow middle-market companies. ACG LA has initiated Young ACG LA for professionals age 35 and younger involved in corporate growth, corporate development and mergers and acquisitions.

ACG LA, 5500 Prytania Street, Box 229, New Orleans, LA 70115
acglouisiana@acg.org

Young Leadership Council is a nonprofit, nonpartisan civic organization created to develop leadership through community projects. Through volunteer-created community projects, YLC recruits and retains young professionals to Greater New Orleans, creating a positive impact on the quality of life in the region. Founded in 1986, YLC is the oldest independent young professionals’ organization in the country. Join one of YLC’s JumpStart meetings on the 2nd Tuesday of the month, every other month, to learn about all their volunteer projects. Email info@ylcnola.org for the next date.

1840 Euterpe Street, New Orleans, LA 70113
504.585.1500
info@ylcnola.org

YPO connects over 24,000 chief executives in more than 130 countries around a shared mission: Better Leaders Through Education and Idea Exchange™. Membership opens access to an extensive offering of local, regional and international education experiences, world-class resources, alliances with top learning institutions, and specialized networks that help members enhance their business, community and personal leadership. To receive an invitation to join YPO, one must be under the age of 45 and the chief operator (CEO, managing director, president, chairman or equivalent) of a company that fulfills minimum size and revenue requirements.

1615 Poydras St., Suite 1281, New Orleans, LA 70112
504.593.0042
Nicole@ypola.com

The mission of the 100 Black Men of Metro New Orleans, Inc. is to provide support and improve the quality of life for African Americans, and youth in particular, in the New Orleans Community.

The organization’s vision is to become the city’s strongest, most self-reliant African-American volunteer organization focused on education, enrichment, and empowerment. The chapter has an aggressive plan entitled, Four For The Future, to address four key areas to strengthen the future of black youth: mentoring, education, health and wellness, and economic empowerment.

High school students in the New Orleans area can now benefit from a nationwide program designed to introduce them to the wide range of career opportunities open to young people in architecture, construction, engineering, and related areas of the building design and construction industry. At weekly meetings, student teams work directly with professionals from leading area firms, who volunteer their time to mentor the teams as they design hypothetical projects, tour local construction sites, and visit architectural, engineering and construction offices.

For students, it’s a unique chance to discover and develop new skills, solidify future goals and get on track to exciting, rewarding careers. In addition, many students form positive relationships with industry professionals who can provide important references for obtaining college admissions, scholarships, internships and full-time employment.

826 New Orleans cultivates and supports the voices of young writers ages 6-18 through creative collaborations with schools and communities. 826 New Orleans offers a variety of free, innovative programs that provide under-resourced students, aged 6-18, with opportunities to explore their creativity and improve their writing skills. They also aim to help teachers get their classes excited about writing. The services are structured with the understanding that great leaps in learning can happen with one-on-one attention and that strong writing skills are fundamental to future success.

For the past 50 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast Louisiana has been a leading provider of afterschool and summer enrichment programs for at-risk youth. As an independent, local non-profit organization, Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast Louisiana depends on the support of volunteers to provide additional support to our programs as tutors, mentors, guest speakers and more for Club programs and to work on Club beautification projects to enhance our Club buildings. Each of our volunteers is critical to the organization’s continued ability to save the lives of at-risk kids across southeast Louisiana in the communities that we serve. We are honored by the strong commitment of individuals, community organizations and corporate partners who provide volunteer support at our Clubs.

The Butterfly Movement is pollinating the planet through our camps, circles, training, experiential workshops and retreats that contain culturally enriched exercises, tools and activities designed to activate a deeper connection with themselves and the earth.

The process of identity construction is a daunting life task for all human beings, but for women and girls of color, their identity construction is further complicated by having to integrate who they are as both females and minorities in a society in which both racial and gender stereotypes persist. Compounded with issues of cultural displacement and lack of a stable support system, some minority women and girls not only struggle with defining themselves, but also lack basic survival skills that can further thwart the normal and healthy development of a productive and secure self-identity and connection to the earth.

The Butterfly Movement is committed to Reframing, Reconnecting, Regenerating and Reactivating, women and girls as they Rebuild their personal and land ecology all over the planet.

Isaiah 43 is a parenting and mentoring program created in partnership with the Archdiocese of New Orleans. The program is rooted in Judeo-Christian values and teachings with a mission of strengthening and supporting families to bring about a change in the culture of our society. Isaiah 43 empowers parents and youth to be active in promoting peace in their neighborhoods and to live by the values of love, peace, and forgiveness. The program engages youth and parents to encourage peaceful conflict resolution, skillful communication, constructive discipline, forgiveness, and leadership development.

Our mentoring program targets youth ages 10-18 and connects them with a caring role model. Isaiah 43 utilizes proven methods to work toward a culture that respects human life and teaches each person to respect him or herself and treat others with dignity.

College Track is a comprehensive college completion program that equips students confronting systemic barriers to earn a bachelor’s degree in pursuit of a life of opportunity, choice, and power.

As college graduates, our students rise above systemic social and cultural barriers to contribute their talents to the world. This work has truly never been more important.

At Communities In Schools, they work hand in hand with schools, communities, and families to surround their students with a caring network of support to help them stay in school and succeed in life. Their staff works with nearly 42,000 volunteers on the ground working in more than 2,200 PreK-12th grade public schools in the most challenged communities in 26 states and the District of Columbia serving 1.3 million young people and their families every year.

Communities In Schools established its New Orleans affiliate in 1996. Today they serve 6,000 students in grades PreK-12th across 18 New Orleans public schools.

Community Works (CW) is a New Orleans-based non-profit organization that is dedicated to building a community of healthy and creative learners through programs that integrate arts, recreation, and education support. CW strives to create equity in access to enrichment activities for all New Orleans youth.

Community Works currently has sixteen in-school and after-school programs and works with over 850 students daily, teaching art, music, dance, STEAM, sports, and career visioning and work readiness skills.

Dress for Success’ purpose is to offer long-lasting solutions that enable women to break the cycle of poverty. Dress for Success is part of a global movement for change, empowering women to obtain safer and better futures.

They provide each client with professional attire to secure employment. Besides physically equipping the client with apparel and accessories, their programs furnish her with a confidence that she carries forever and the knowledge that she can actively define her life, the direction she takes and what success means to her.

They are an ever-expanding network of affiliates who work together with referral agencies, volunteers and companies across the world to make a big impact in women’s lives.

Each One Save One is a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering children in our community by providing an army of volunteer mentors throughout the metropolitan area. Each One Save One works with school districts and local government agencies to establish workable mentoring programs where none exist. Our mentors serve one hour during the school day each week for an entire school year. The purpose of Each One Save One is to recruit, screen, train, and support mentors. Training, guidance and support will also involve mentees, parents and teachers.

Girls on the Run is a non-profit program for girls in the 3rd through 8th grade. Their mission is to inspire girls to be joyful, healthy and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum which creatively integrates running.

The 20-lesson Girls on the Run curriculum combines training for a 5K running event with lessons that inspire girls to become independent thinkers, enhance their problem solving skills and make healthy decisions. All of this is accomplished through an active collaboration with girls and their parents, schools, volunteers, staff, and the community.

Meeting twice a week in small teams of 8-15 girls, they teach life skills through dynamic, conversation-based lessons and running games. The 20-lesson curriculum is taught by certified Girls on the Run coaches and includes three parts: understanding ourselves, valuing relationships and teamwork and understanding how we connect with and shape the world at large. Running is used to inspire and motivate girls, encourage lifelong health and fitness, and build confidence through accomplishment.

Heart of Passion is a nonprofit organization in New Orleans that empowers high school students to independently plan, organize, fundraise for, and execute a four-day, all-expense paid VIP retreat for teens with cancer. Young professional mentors guide 15-20 high school students through this year-long planning process using monthly workshops to impart business, communication, and servant leadership skills that support the execution of the retreat for teens with cancer.

Junior Achievement’s purpose is to inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy. They are the nation’s largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their futures, and make smart academic and economic choices. Junior Achievement’s programs—in the core content areas of work readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy—ignite the spark in young people to experience and realize the opportunities and realities of work and life in the 21st century.

The Orchid Society is a young professional network of African American women serving as positive role models for young minority girls in the New Orleans metro area through mentoring, community service and social awareness programming.

Since its inception, The Orchid Society has expanded its youth focused approach and adapted it to meet a more holistic approach. Recognizing that New Orleans youth do not live, obtain their education, and play in a vacuum, but rather, their daily lives are vastly influenced by the communities in which they thrive, we have expanded our focus beyond our interpersonal relationships with our mentees.

Their mission is to maintain a strong network of professional women while serving as positive role models for young girls in the community through community service, mentoring and social awareness programming.

Power Ties is a career awareness program in the New Orleans area operated by the Young Leadership Council (YLC) that links professionals from various occupations with 8th grade students at area New Orleans public school to talk about career readiness and business etiquette.

The Roots of Music empowers the youth of New Orleans through music education, academic support, and mentorship while preserving and promoting the unique musical and cultural heritage of our city. The Roots of Music fills a void in music education programs in New Orleans schools. Today, the Roots of Music serves over 100 students, making up a full marching band that has successfully paraded the city since Mardi Gras 2009.

The program provides music history and theory as well as instrumental instruction and ensemble performance preparation. They also provide academic tutoring, mentoring, and homework assistance. They serve kids ages 9-14 from low-income households — and to reduce common barriers to participation, they also provide students with round-trip transportation and a hot meal 5 days a week, 12 months a year.

Roots of Renewal is a nonprofit social enterprise located in New Orleans, Louisiana that directly employs young adults directly out of prison to renovate blighted and abandoned properties into affordable housing.

Through job training, direct employment, and wraparound social services, Roots of Renewal helps neighbors transitioning from prison to their neighborhoods so that they can become the backbone of new, thriving communities in New Orleans.

Son of a Saint exists to enhance the lives of fatherless boys through mentorship, emotional support, development of life skills, exposure to constructive experiences and formation of positive, lasting peer-to- peer relationships. Each year, Son of a Saint selects a group of boys ages 10-13 to join the existing kids in the program. The boys must be fatherless due to their father’s incarceration, death, or abandonment. Each boy remains a member of Son of a Saint until he is 18 and receives his college acceptance letter.

Son of a Saint equips boys with the tools they need to become productive men. The Son of a Saint mentors’ most important role is simply to be a good example.

Silverback Society’s purpose is to supply the next generation of women and children with men who will have the “capacity” to contribute to better living for those who depend on them.

They gather men and resources from the community to ensure that every boy in middle school has an opportunity to meet his future, face to face before he is challenged with the opportunity of high school and further learning. In doing so, they believe that the men will be more likely to have satisfying and fulfilling lives and will not have to resort to violence to feel respected by their peers or their women and children.

In the fall of every school year, STAIR’s second-grade students are identified by their teachers as at risk of academic failure. These children attend school regularly. STAIR is not designed to help children with special learning needs or behavioral problems. Rather, STAIR targets children who need assistance in reading and whose teachers believe their skills will blossom given one-on-one attention.

STAIR uses a step-by-step professionally detailed program designed to enhance the curriculum of the public schools. STAIR supplies the students with reading practice booklets, workbooks, and basic supplies such as pencils, crayons, glue sticks, and flashcards; free books and a dictionary also are provided. For many children, these are the only books for their reading level in the home.

For an hour and a half Monday/Wednesday or Tuesday/Thursday after school (2 and a half hours on Saturday mornings), STAIR tutors work with their students to complete the lessons included in 5 units of reading instruction. The volunteer tutor and child read together, play word games, practice phonics and write stories. A bond is forged between tutor and student, and learning occurs in a safe, nurturing environment. The hundreds of individuals who volunteer their time and talent for this program understand that the single most important aspect of a young child’s early academic development is the ability to read and comprehend.

STEM NOLA’s purpose is to expose, inspire and engage members in the surrounding communities about the opportunities in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). STEM NOLA designs and delivers activities, programs and events that bring inspiration, motivation and training to all STEM stakeholders, specifically focusing on underserved communities across the city. The mission of STEM NOLA is to grow future Innovators, Creators, and Entrepreneurs through inspiration, engagement, and exposure

Volunteers of America of Greater New Orleans addresses the most challenging issues of the day and develops innovative solutions to meet the needs of the community. They offer more than 20 human services programs that enables them to support and empower children, families, seniors, individuals with disabilities, and veterans in 16 south Louisiana parishes. Delivering lifesaving short-term, as well as lifelong services to those in need, they support over 55,000 of the most underserved individuals in the community annually.

Young Creative Agency is a youth design studio that pays teens a fair wage to do real client work under the guidance of experienced design mentors during out-of-school hours. Youth pitch to clients, receive and implement feedback, and deliver a polished product that shows clients’ investment in the future of New Orleans’ youth and creative economy.

The technical skills in design software, professional education in a creative career field, and network of clients established through this job creates pathways for underserved youth to the high-wage, high-need creative digital media industry. Studio behaviors and mindsets, such as collaboration, problem-solving, and persistence, prepare young people for any workplace seeking 21st Century Skills.

College Admissions Project pairs YLC volunteers with under-served high school seniors to help them navigate the requirements necessary to successfully apply to college. Volunteer “Guides” meet with students regularly to help draft a college wish list, meet application deadlines, edit essays, tackle FAFSA, search for and apply for financial aid, etc. Guides receive a manual and training, as well as support meetings to help properly serve the student they are matched with.

The Youth Empowerment Project (YEP) is a community-based non-profit organization. YEP’s founders started the organization in 2004 in order to assist young people returning to New Orleans from correctional facilities. They started as the first-of-its-kind re-entry program for juvenile offenders in Louisiana and now they are the region’s most comprehensive and established agency working with at-risk, court-involved and out-of-school youth.

YEP now runs eight programs out of seven locations which provide over 1,000 youth annually with GED and literacy services; job skill development; mentoring; intensive case management; enrichment and summer activities; and a holistic set of client-centered ancillary wrap-around services that are unique to each youth and their individual circumstances.

Founded in 2010 as an after-school club in St. Bernard Parish, Youth Run NOLA benefited from a wealth of generosity and guidance as a project of the Young Leadership Council. They create and empower a community of healthy, young leaders through running, with an intensive eight-month guided training program of twice weekly practices and monthly events overseen by teacher-coaches and volunteer running buddies. The program combats the obstacles facing our youth – many of whom cope with unsafe, unhealthy, and unsupportive circumstances – with positive, structured after-school engagement.

Drawing from all sectors of the community – business, faith, nonprofit, neighborhood and civic groups – the purpose is to provide information about, analysis of, and opportunities to explore key metropolitan issues and needs.

EPNO is an initiative to engage young leaders in New Orleans in philanthropy. Members participate in a six-month program, where they pool funds, collaborate on teams and allocate grants impacting issues they care about.

A leadership development program for nonprofit managers working in southeast Louisiana nonprofit human service organizations. Emerging Leaders focuses on two of the critical content areas that pose significant challenges for many community-based organizations and leaders. The first challenge is to supervise, develop, inspire, and influence people. The second challenge is to develop business acumen with an emphasis on financial strategy, comprehension, and literacy. Cohort of 20 people.

The New Orleans Business Alliance’s Economic Development Ambassador Program provides in-depth insight into the work of growing and diversifying the city’s economy. Because economic development cuts across every industry and impacts the economic security of all New Orleanians, this seven week program convenes experienced professionals in a variety of business sectors to engage participants and produce informed ambassadors for our city.

The program connects participants with industry experts and business leaders across all facets of the economic landscape in New Orleans. Leveraging experiential learning, design thinking, and panel formats, the program pairs data with discussion around issues, opportunities, and plans for New Orleans’ economic future. Program participants are encouraged to engage and contribute to the agenda for the evening. In addition to weekly sessions, the program offers tours of companies and locations that serve as the community’s major economic drivers. The program culminates with group presentations related to session themes.

Get on Board is a single day workshop providing knowledge and skills to current board and staff members and those that wish to be placed on a nonprofit board at the conclusion of the training.

The Lemann-Stern Leadership Development Program was begun in 1960 for the purpose of training outstanding young men and women in the Greater New Orleans Jewish community for positions of leadership. Participants in the program are selected from self-nominations or nominations made by past Lemann-Stern participants and community leaders. The program is two years in length and includes a mission to Israel, monthly meetings and a retreat.

The Glass Leadership Institute (GLI) is the cornerstone leadership development program at ADL. GLI empowers young professionals to fight hatred and bigotry and provides unique opportunities to explore ADL’s core mission “to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and secure justice and fair treatment for all.” Participants gain first-hand exposure to ADL’s activities and interests including: combating hate, bigotry and prejudice, fighting anti-semitism, defending civil rights, and much more.

Since 2003, YLC has hosted a Leadership Development Series (LDS) as a service to its members. Class members develop a concept for a project or organization over a 10-week period. Each week they receive specific direction about Fundraising, Community Relations, Volunteer Recruitment, Finances, Marketing, and other categories that are vital to a successful organization.

Leadership Jefferson is a nine-month program designed to develop a diverse network of dedicated business and community leaders. Facilitated by a professional leadership team, the interactive workshops expose participants to local leaders and activists working to resolve critical issues facing Jefferson Parish. Specific session topics include education, health care, quality of life concerns, criminal justice, diversity, community involvement and economic development.

The Institute of Politics (IOP) has worked to educate individuals interested in politics and political leadership in our region. Today, more than ever, we need to call forth citizens whose vision includes a vibrant New Orleans, one in which our traditions meet with realities of life in post-Katrina south Louisiana. Specifically, we are searching for people who have the talent and willingness to make a difference in the political process and take on the leadership roles which are so needed as we rebuild New Orleans.

The Nancy M. Marsiglia Institute of Justice is a 12-week course honoring the late Nancy Meyers Marsiglia that will engage residents of all backgrounds in exploring and debating elements of the U.S. Constitution. The Institute will be conducted through 12 two-hour sessions to be held on Thursday evenings at Loyola University New Orleans College of Law. Each session will explore the U.S. Constitution through its articles, Bill of Rights and amendments.

Civic Leadership Academy (CLA) is an engaging 8-week program that provides residents with an in-depth look at City government. The program includes tours, hands-on demonstrations and presentations that give participants an insider view of how the City of New Orleans operates. With this knowledge, participants will be better equipped to lead collective action towards the advancement of neighborhoods and residents’ quality of life.

The Emerging Leaders Program seeks individuals who have exemplary track records in their own classrooms. We also look for individuals with the adult and personal leadership skills required to establish a culture of high expectations and guide colleagues — and their students — to similar success. Individuals with a record of instructional leadership, such as teacher leaders, grade-level chairs, school leadership team members, and professional developers.

New Leaders Council (NLC) was formed in 2005 to address a gap in the progressive leadership development infrastructure. NLC believes in recruiting emerging leaders from outside of the traditional power structures, engaging them on both local and national levels, and equipping them to be civic leaders – not only for elective office but also in their communities and workplaces.

NLC accomplishes its mission primarily through the NLC Institute; the nation’s premiere political entrepreneurship training program that builds local teams of outstanding young professionals in twenty cities across the nation. NLC Fellows engage in an intensive ten days of training over a five-month period to learn cutting-edge entrepreneurship, leadership, and political management skills from over 150 industry-leading volunteer faculty. Upon graduation, Fellows are paired with career mentors, join a national alumni network, and agree to fundraise to support the next class of Fellows.

The result of NLC is a growing corps of diverse and highly-skilled new progressive leaders who rise to the top of their fields, working together across sectors and in their local cities to build, expand, and improve the progressive infrastructure necessary for a strong democracy, social justice, and equal opportunity.

New Orleans Economic Development Ambassadorship Program is the singular program in New Orleans providing in-depth insight into the work of growing and diversifying the city’s economy. Given that economic development is a cross-cutting issue affecting businesses in every industry and the economic security of all New Orleanians, through this program, the New Orleans Business Alliance (NOLABA) brings together through this program experienced, mid-career professionals from a variety of sectors who desire to become better-informed ambassadors for the city.

In five sessions, NOLA Economic Ambassadors will learn about what is unique to economic development in New Orleans, and gain a comprehensive understanding of the city’s performance, assets and strategies. Key NOLABA staff members will present their areas of expertise, guide discussion and direct participants toward resources for further enrichment and opportunities to connect their professional work with these strategies.

The broad elements of the leadership program focus on: community engagement, skill enhancement and Trusteeship/leadership. About 40 NORLI participants get an unparalleled opportunity to meet with the region’s leaders and experts during their one-year experience. The year begins with a two-day opening retreat, followed by seven educational sessions held throughout the 10-parish area. Participants hear from the area’s leaders on a number of important topics from education to crime to the environment. It is a unique and fascinating “classroom” that provides insights about the important issues facing our community.

NOLA LEADs will recruit 50 individuals from across New Orleans to participate in a new leadership training institute. This opportunity is free and open to New Orleans residents who are concerned about improving the lives of their neighbors and the conditions of their communities. It is specifically for people who have not worked in public health previously.

The institute includes a series of six trainings held over three months. The training will focus on helping people develop the skills and knowledge needed to advocate for changes in structural conditions – such as zoning laws, school policies, and transportation systems – that contribute to health disparities. Participants will create advocacy plans to put the lessons into action.

In connection with Xavier University of Louisiana (Xavier), the Norman C. Francis Leadership Institute (NCFLI) was founded in 2012 to educate and prepare professional men and women for consequential civic engagement and purposeful social responsibility. Participants will receive extensive education and training to enhance their leadership skills and preparation for service in the public or private sectors of society.

Participants will analyze research findings related to social and economic issues currently facing African Americans and other racial/ethnic groups. With a primary focus on urban cities, institute participants will examine public policies and their effectiveness, and the methods for best communicating policies to the larger population of affected citizens. Participants will study and visit foreign countries in order to develop and explore opportunities for partnership and participation in the global economy.

This program from the Touro Infirmary Foundation is a 5-week course designed to bring key healthcare topics and leaders to a discussion table to inform and engage the community. The series is held every Tuesday in August and is free. An application is available on the website with a capacity of 20-25 people per cohort. Membership is not limited to those in healthcare. In fact, those in other vocations are strongly encouraged to apply.

The StartingBloc Institute is a transformative 5-day experience for entrepreneurs, activists, students, bridge-builders and other innovators.

9-session educational leadership academy, which will provide you with the knowledge, resources, and network to act in support of sustaining quality educational options and policies. The Urban Leaders for Equity and Diversity (ULEAD) is the premier training institute for Black leaders in the community. ULEAD exposes leaders to the current education landscape of New Orleans as well as an opportunity to learn from current education leaders.

The fellowship supports both emerging and existing leaders and is helping form new, self-sustaining networks in the foundation’s four U.S. priority places – Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico and New Orleans. Class One of WKKF Community Leadership Network fellows launched in 2014. Each fellow spends three years honing leadership skills and sharing their experiences with a cohort of developing leaders.

4.0 Schools is an early-stage education incubator that brings educators, entrepreneurs and technologists together to launch ventures that redefine school. To date, 4.0 has launched more than 20 ventures and trained more than 400 in our approach to innovation in education. 4.0 Schools has three programs: the Essentials Program, Tiny Fellowship Program, and Community Catalyst Program.

Soubou organizes every Friday at noon a power lunch featuring a local entrepreneur who is ready to share free advice. It’s face time with a business and start-up pro

The Center offers state-of-the-art facilities, subsidized and often free business assistance, educational events year-round, and the BioFund capital program to support growing technology companies. To assist startups in commercializing biotech, digital health, environmental, and clean technologies, NOBIC offers direct technical assistance. We assess promising new technologies, developed within and outside of local universities, and then help propel them toward the market. Our programming also includes seminars and networking events held throughout the year. These explore legal, finance, and other topics of interest to entrepreneurs. In addition, we have several capital offerings for small businesses.

Camelback Ventures aims to address the inequities of entrepreneurship by providing coaching, capital, and connections to underrepresented entrepreneurs. We work with our social impact innovators through our Fellowship with the vision of creating great schools and prosperous, livable communities for all families.

Capital One Bank’s Getting Down to Business small business development program in greater New Orleans is a free program, offered over several months. The program is designed to provide qualified business owners with information and guidance to help them grow their businesses.

The Catapult Fund supports entrepreneurs in the culinary arts, targeting chefs, restaurant owners, caterers, food truck operators, food market vendors, food product manufacturers, cooking schools and others with small, Louisiana businesses in the culinary arts. The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation has partnered with four organizations to provide small business owners in the food industry with training – and grant funding. Detailed guidelines available.

Fund 17 partners with micro-entrepreneurs or self-employed individuals who are running informal, home-based, or small-scale enterprises. They offer business development relationships to provide the knowledge and support necessary to expand your business and livelihood, and Financial Empowerment seminars on basic personal finance as well as customized workshops based on the requests of community partners.

Good Work Network is a 501(c)3 organization that provides business development services to minority- and women-owned businesses throughout a 15-parish region in Southeast Louisiana. Good Work Network strengthens small businesses by developing members’ skills, enabling them to realize their full potential. We work to increase market connections so small business owners may become active participants in the local economy.

Founded in 2000, The Idea Village formalized in 2002 as an independent nonprofit dedicated to engaging our community to embrace innovation, entrepreneurship, and new thinking. The Idea Village has established itself as a globally-recognized leader in developing place-based entrepreneurial ecosystems. As a result, New Orleans is now in the top 10% of best cities to start a business in the country (WalletHub), with startup activity 64% above the national average (The Data Center). We’ve been called America’s #1 Biggest Brain Magnet (Forbes) and 1 of the 20 Hottest Startup Hubs in America (The Kauffman Foundation).

The Idea Village is committed to sustaining the local entrepreneurial movement by providing direct services to entrepreneurs, engaging the community, and supporting initiatives that leverage entrepreneurship to catalyze change. The company has many different programs for entrepreneurs including IdeaX, Digital MediaX, EnergyX, CapitalX, and Idea Sessions. The Idea Village also organizes the annual New Orleans Entrepreneur Week, a unique festival experience, free and open to the public, that celebrates and elevates the New Orleans entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Lift Fund is a nonprofit organization that helps small business owners with limited access to capital have a chance to live their dreams. Lift Fund offers services in New Orleans and throughout Louisiana.

NewCorp, Inc. is a private non-profit 501(C)(3) CDFI that provides financial products and services, technical assistance, training, counseling and advisory services to small/medium, minority and women owned businesses.

The New Orleans Startup Fund is a nonprofit venture fund focused on business creation and innovation in the 10-parish Greater New Orleans region. The Fund exists to accelerate the growth of early-stage, pre-revenue companies looking for proof-of-concept capital. The Startup Fund’s mission is to create jobs and economic prosperity for the 10-parish Greater New Orleans region by providing seed capital and business assistance to early-stage firms that demonstrate significant growth potential.

The NO/LA Angel Network is a group of accredited investors from New Orleans and throughout Louisiana who work together to evaluate, fund and nurture early-stage companies. Our members make individual decisions to invest in high growth Louisiana based businesses, where the path to exit is understood. NO/LA Angel Network members will invest in the seed or Series A financing rounds of companies based in New Orleans or Louisiana that are in dynamic growth markets, have strong value propositions, a sound business plan, and a strong management team with deep market knowledge. If you feel your company could be a good fit, we invite you to submit your company for consideration. You will need to complete a brief application that details your management team, customer problem, solution, market, etc. along with uploading an Executive Summary, Investor Pitch Deck, and a Video (if you have one).

NxLeveL is a multi-week course for potential and existing entrepreneurs that offers a practical, condensed series of entrepreneurial technical and training sessions. The purpose of the course is to teach entrepreneurs better business planning skills, from business concept development to actual preparation of a comprehensive business plan. The course enables participants to work through the various stages of business growth and development. Unlike other training programs, NxLeveL addresses the special needs of the entrepreneur by providing a practical, hands-on, common sense approach to developing their small business – whether just starting out or ready to grow.

PowerMoves takes a comprehensive approach by supporting entrepreneurs of color from the concept stage all the way through the process of growing a profitable business prepared for an acquisition. The “Early Stage Startup Bootcamp” program is a 6-week intensive bootcamp that takes a learn-by-doing approach through providing 20 – 30 startup founders with the information, guidance, and network necessary to build viable business models designed for exponential growth. The “Accelerator for Maturing Companies” program is an annual accelerator supporting up to 6 maturing companies with a founder-friendly investment, free office space, coaching, networking, and expert mentorship. The “Growth Stage Company Showcases” is a program in which their top entrepreneurs compete for cash-prizes in a room full of potential partners and investors to accelerate their fundraising efforts.

Propeller is a New Orleans-based nonprofit organization that helps launch social ventures to address local challenges. Propeller’s Impact Accelerator accelerates established and startup ventures in water, food, health & education to grow and scale their ventures. The Growth Track is a three-month intensive program specifically designed to connect social entrepreneurs with the industry-specific resources they need to grow and scale their ventures. One-on-one mentorship, access to high-level networks and investors, pro bono resources, and free office space are just some of the benefits.

Propeller also hosts several Pitch competitions in the areas of water, food, health & education. The Water Challenge 2017 will award $15,000 in total start-up funding for solutions that will address our urban water, coastal environment, or local water economy. Pitch your solution in front of a panel of judges and 200+ audience members and help make a difference.

Prosper Jefferson is an educational series brought to you by the Jefferson Chamber the Jefferson Parish Economic Development Commission (JEDCO) to support small business owners and help them reach the next level of success in Jefferson Parish.

Each seminar features different speakers from the Greater New Orleans region and highlights new informational topics to assist local businesses in achieving their goals. We also now offer Virtual Prosper Jefferson seminars that can be accessed online. Our online seminars are available to members online. Further information and access is provided in the right sidebar.

Rising Foundations’ small business incubator empowers formerly incarcerated people to develop small businesses to (at first) supplement their income while they continue working low-wage jobs, with an overall goal for these businesses to grow to provide full time employment for themselves, and eventually other formerly incarcerated people. The program addresses both personal development and business development by meeting people where they are at, respecting their strengths and experiences, and identifying needs.

Startup St. Bernard presented by the Meraux Foundation and the St. Bernard Economic Development Foundation is seeking out innovative entrepreneurs willing to give 110% to compete for a prize package worth $110K designed to help propel their business to the next level. Entrepreneurs are invited to apply for a chance to pitch their business to a panel of judges in St. Bernard Parish during New Orleans Entrepreneur Week on Monday, March 20, 2017 at the Meraux Foundation’s Docville Farm. Startup St. Bernard is looking for innovative entrepreneurs to locate their businesses in St. Bernard Parish. The Parish is a land of opportunity for businesses, especially startups. While just minutes away from downtown New Orleans, land, labor, and costs of doing business are low — and the business support network is robust. The challenge is being organized by the Meraux Foundation, the St. Bernard Economic Development Foundation and The Idea Village™. Supporting partners include Nunez Community College, St. Bernard Chamber of Commerce, and Leadership St. Bernard.

Many organizations have great traction but need guidance as they navigate the challenges of growth, trepwise is an impact consulting firm whose mission is to use entrepreneurial thinking and approaches to grow and sustain for-profit and nonprofit organizations by providing innovative and practical solutions.

The Urban League’s Women’s Business Resource Center (WBRC) provides educational programs, technical assistance, and other support services to existing business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs. Services provided by the WBRC are designed to help you improve your leadership and management skills, strengthen your operations, and increase profitability. Signature programs include, “Contractor’s Resource Series”, “The Start-up Institute” and the “Women-In-Business Challenge.” To learn more or to register your business for services, call the WBRC at 504-620-9647. All services are provided by knowledgeable and experienced business consultants.