Meet the Connectors for Restaurant Night at Justine
Restaurant Night at Justine is here and we’re very excited to see you!
Over dinner and drinks, you will have the opportunity to rub elbows and clink glasses with five of our region’s leaders in business and economic development, and hear firsthand the stories of their careers, insights into their industries and their perspectives on the future of the Greater New Orleans Region.
Cocktails and networking will begin at 6 p.m., so bring your business cards. At 7:10, we will move into the dinner portion of the evening where you and other diners will be seated at a table with one of our Connectors to enjoy a more intimate conversation.
But before the dinner bells ring and we sit down to a sumptuous French meal, we’d like to take a moment to introduce you to your dinner dates.
Meet Our Connectors:
Lynnette White-Colin | Senior Vice President of Small Business Growth | NOLA Business Alliance
Lynnette White-Colin is the vice president of Small Business Growth at the New Orleans Business Alliance (NOLABA), a public-private partnership with the City of New Orleans. The organization works to deliver economic development for the city through efforts supporting business attraction and retention; talent and workforce development; strategic neighborhood development and small business growth. Lynnette develops and implements strategies toward alleviating barriers to growth for underrepresented founders, and works to ensure the small business ecosystem encompasses resources necessary for overall small business growth.
Lynnette leads “InvestNOLA,” a business growth accelerator focused on scaling high growth-potential businesses owned by ethnic minorities. Additionally, she manages relationships within the community of local private sector corporations, anchor institutions and public agencies, fostering development of procurement and contract opportunities for small businesses with an emphasis on contract connections for businesses owners of color. Prior to joining the New Orleans Business Alliance, she directed economic development programming at the Urban League of Louisiana, directing the Women’s Business Center and founding the Contractors Resource Center and the Women-In-Business Challenge.
Lynnette holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of New Orleans. She serves on the boards of the International Business Innovation Association (InBIA); New Orleans Redevelopment Unlimited, an auxiliary of the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority (NORA); the New Orleans Regional Black Chamber of Commerce.
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Shelby E. Russ Jr. | President & CEO | AOS Interior Environments
As the president and CEO of AOS Interior Environments, Shelby Russ Jr. has devoted his career to the built environment through connecting clients with the commercial solutions and expertise necessary to turn their visions into reality. His relationships with the architectural community combined with over 40 years of industry experience have fostered a deep understanding of the critical role space plays in addressing human needs.
His desire to help build a better community extends far beyond the design profession alone. Shelby has spent his career supporting the arts, music and cultural institutions that make the southern Louisiana region one of a kind. AOS has served as the Title Sponsor of the Wednesday at the Square Concert Series, underwritten artists at French Quarter Fest and the Jazz and Heritage Foundation, sponsored exhibits for the Historic New Orleans Collection, the New Orleans Museum of Art and the Contemporary Arts Center, to name only a few. Shelby champions the next generation of socially responsible leadership through support of the National Organization of Minority Architects’ Project Pipeline, serving as a Role Model for the Young Leadership Council, and through countless hours directly mentoring young professionals.
Shelby is a graduate of Louisiana State University and has been married to his wife, Susan, for 34 years. They live in downtown New Orleans within a few blocks of their three adult children, Caroline, Trip and Zac, where they all enjoy live music and the unique cultural landscape of New Orleans.
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John Landrum | Vice President for Innovation | Intralox, LLC
John Landrum manages New Product Development and Marketing at New Orleans-based Intralox, LLC – a billion-dollar company selling patented industrial components worldwide.
John was a co-founder and is a past president of the Young Leadership Council. He also served as board chair of Lighthouse Louisiana, and KIPP New Orleans charter schools. Currently, he serves on the board of the Idea Village and the Bureau of Governmental Research. He is also the creator and host of “Triple Win Workplace” podcast series.
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Jackie Dadakis | Chief Executive Officer | Green Coast Enterprises
Jackie Dadakis is the Chief Executive Officer of Green Coast Enterprises. She stepped into this role in 2020, taking over from founder William Bradshaw. Jackie joined the company in 2013 to launch GCE Services, a consulting firm that provides services to property owners, municipalities, and utilities seeking to be more energy efficient. In 2017, she moved into the role of Chief Operating Officer for Green Coast Enterprises taking responsibility for the operating entities including the successful launch of the Pythian Market in 2018.
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Dr. Calvin Mackie | Founder & CEO | STEM NOLA
Dr. Calvin Mackie founded STEM NOLA, a non-profit organization to expose, inspire and engage communities in learning about opportunities in STEM. Since 2013, STEM NOLA has engaged more than 100,000 students – mostly in under-resourced communities – in hands-on STEM project-based learning. Based in New Orleans, STEM NOLA is at an inflection point, taking much of what they’ve learned in New Orleans to expand their work by managing operation of their model in 47 cities and five countries. In 2021, Mackie launched STEM Global Action, a network and campaign that pursues the advancement of STEM education for children and communities everywhere.
We look forward to seeing you all at dinner!
