Big Easy Ideas

This special episode recaps the Statewide Innovation Strategy event, held at The Nieux in New Orleans on October 2, 2024, where industry leaders and policymakers discussed the future of Louisiana’s startup ecosystem and how a statewide innovation strategy could drive the state's economy forward. 

Speakers included Josh Fleig (Louisiana Economic Development), Dino Paternostro (SBIRC), Aimee Quirk (Ochsner Ventures), Hailey Bathurst (SeaAhead), and Representative Matt Willard (Louisiana House of Representatives), who shared insights on government support for innovation, the role of startups in economic growth, and strategies for talent retention. 

Tune in for key takeaways on how Louisiana can foster a thriving innovation community and position itself as a leader in emerging industries.

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In the coming decades, resilient Gulf Coast communities will learn to adapt to a radically transformed water-inundated intercostal zone to preserve their rich cultural heritage and way of life. Marine-based floating infrastructure and related ‘Blue’ technologies will replace current infrastructure, services, and residential construction forms. You'll hear from Greg Delaune of the Deep Blue Institute and Elliot Metzger, founder of Talisea. 

Listen to discover how New Orleans can become a global Blue Technology Innovation Ecosystem hub, driving exponential development, deployment, and scaling of the climate technologies that will define this future marine-based Blue Economy.

Big Easy Ideas' final episode of #BioTech is here! And we want to take a moment to thank our partners, Tulane University Innovation Institute, for presenting this season, highlighting the latest advancements and entrepreneurial journeys in BioTech, and showcasing how local innovation can drive global impact.

This final episode features a session on the BioTech revolution and entrepreneurship, recorded during NOEW 2021. You will hear Walter Isaacson, renowned author of Steve Jobs & Elon Musk; Leonard Lauder, American philanthropist; and Dr. Eldora L. Ellison, expert in intellectual property law known for defending patents for groundbreaking technologies like CRISPR gene editing.

Tune in for a compelling discussion on monetizing inventions, protecting intellectual property, and more.

How do investment firms decide who to give their funds to? What is unique about BioTech and healthcare investing, and what does a BioTech startup need to know to raise money? This panel features investment experts who will answer these questions and more, from places like New Orleans and other innovation hubs beyond the East and West Coasts.

This season is brought to you by our partners at the Tulane University Innovation Institute!

The Tulane University Innovation Institute is committed to helping students, faculty, and community innovators develop their ideas, launch startups, and attract the resources to fuel innovation in the Gulf South and strengthen the area's economy. From educational webinars and mentorship, to pitch competitions and funding opportunities, the Tulane Innovation Institute supports entrepreneurs at every stage of their journey.

And they are not just about local impact. They are dedicated to advancing discoveries in the local bio-innovation community, making a broader impact globally by supporting researchers and inventors in navigating the process of developing ideas and bringing new products to market. For more information, please visit the Tulane Innovation Institute’s website at innovation.tulane.edu.

Speakers:

• James Barlia, Vice President, Revolution
• Paul Eisenberg, Venture Partner, Apple Tree Partners
• Aimee Quirk, CEO, Ochsner Ventures

In order for technologies to make it from the bench to the bedside, they often need to be developed in a university startup. In this panel, we will hear from four scientific innovators who made the leap into the startup world to bring their discoveries from the lab to the market, learn about their journey, and tips to avoid failure before your innovation gets out into the world.

This season is brought to you by our partners at the Tulane University Innovation Institute!

The Tulane University Innovation Institute is committed to helping students, faculty, and community innovators develop their ideas, launch startups, and attract the resources to fuel innovation in the Gulf South and strengthen the area's economy. From educational webinars and mentorship, to pitch competitions and funding opportunities, the Tulane Innovation Institute supports entrepreneurs at every stage of their journey.

And they are not just about local impact. They are dedicated to advancing discoveries in the local bio-innovation community, making a broader impact globally by supporting researchers and inventors in navigating the process of developing ideas and bringing new products to market. For more information, please visit the Tulane Innovation Institute’s website at innovation.tulane.edu.

Speakers:

• Kornelius Bankston, Managing Partner, TECHPLUG
• Lowry Curley, Co-Founder & Chief Scientific Officer, AxoSim
• Sunyoung Kim, Chief Executive Officer, Chosen Diagnostics
• Nicholas Pashos, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, BioAesthetics
• Chad J. Roy, Associate Dean for Research & Professor, Tulane University School of Medicine

Translational research seeks to bring advances made in the laboratory to patients. This panel looks at not only the "how and why" of scientific discovery, but also "how and who" of product development. Professionals, doctors, and researchers whose scientific discoveries exist on this exciting border between the laboratory and the patient bedside are sure to help you understand the current state of the field and how they drive impact in our world.

This season is brought to you by our partners at the Tulane University Innovation Institute!

The Tulane University Innovation Institute is committed to helping students, faculty, and community innovators develop their ideas, launch startups, and attract the resources to fuel innovation in the Gulf South and strengthen the area's economy. From educational webinars and mentorship, to pitch competitions and funding opportunities, the Tulane Innovation Institute supports entrepreneurs at every stage of their journey.

And they are not just about local impact. They are dedicated to advancing discoveries in the local bio-innovation community, making a broader impact globally by supporting researchers and inventors in navigating the process of developing ideas and bringing new products to market. For more information, please visit the Tulane Innovation Institute’s website at innovation.tulane.edu.

Speakers:

• Dr. Heddwen Brooks, Professor & Chair, Tulane School of Medicine
• Dr. Caroline Copeland, Postdoctoral Scholar, Stanford University
• Dr. Monica Embers, Associate Professor, Microbiology and Immunology, Tulane National Primate Center
• Paolo Goes, Dean, Tulane University - A.B. Freeman School of Business
• Dr. Kalen Hall, Chief Executive Officer, Informuta
• Dr. Nassir Marrouche, Director, Tulane University Heart and Vascular Institute

Welcome to Season 8 of Big Easy Ideas, presented by the Tulane University Innovation Institute! This season focuses on the newest developments in the BioTech sector. In the first episode of this season, you’ll hear a keynote address from Dr. David Weiner, an author & researcher with extensive experience as a Chief Medical Officer as well as a CEO of therapeutics companies. He gives us an overview of the BioTech landscape in the country at large and what this prognosis means for the industry here in New Orleans, all through the lens of his personal history in the sector.

This season is brought to you by our partners at the Tulane University Innovation Institute!

The Tulane University Innovation Institute is committed to helping students, faculty, and community innovators develop their ideas, launch startups, and attract the resources to fuel innovation in the Gulf South and strengthen the area's economy. From educational webinars and mentorship to pitch competitions and funding opportunities, the Tulane Innovation Institute supports entrepreneurs at every stage of their journey.

And they are not just about local impact. They are dedicated to advancing discoveries in the local bio-innovation community, making a broader impact globally by supporting researchers and inventors in navigating the process of developing ideas and bringing new products to market. For more information, please visit the Tulane Innovation Institute’s website at innovation.tulane.edu.

Speaker:

• Dr. Dave Weiner, Author & Researcher

NFTs and other market developments are allowing artists to connect with their fans and customers in new ways. In this conversation moderated by Angelique Roché of Marvel Entertainment, you’ll hear from Erin Frankenheimer of Amazing Radio; visual artist and jazz fest poster designer Terrance Osborne; and Lindsey Roussel of Nieux Society and Sidewalk Side Studio.

Speakers:

• Terrance Osborne, Terrance Osborne Gallery
• Erin Frankenheimer, Amazing Radio
• Lindsey Roussel, Nieux Society
• Angélique Roché, Marvel Entertainment

Technology is creating opportunities to bring new levels of immersion to live performance and events. Join Otura Mun of ÌFÉ, who married traditional Cuban hand drumming with modern sampling technology; Everett Woods, co-founder of spatial computing company Rypplzz; and moderator Lou Hill, to hear how they're expanding the live experience.

Speakers:

• Otura Mun, ÌFÉ
• Everett Woods, Rypplzz
• Lou Hill, Water Seed

Episode 3 consists of a panel on how technology is shaping the music industry, as well as music’s place in the film and gaming industries. The panel is moderated by Alana Harris from the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Economy, and features: Pell, rapper and co-founder of the GLBL WRMNG collective; Jonathan McHugh, veteran music supervisor and chair in Music Industry Studies at Loyola University; Christopher Douglas of Xbox Game Studios’ Game Camp; and Kimberly Thomas, Innovation CEO for IGL Foundation.

Speakers:

• Alana Harris, Mayor’s Office of Cultural Economy
• Pell, GLBL WRMNG Collective
• Jonathan McHugh, Loyola University New Orleans
• Christopher Douglas, Xbox
• Kimberly Thomas, IGL Foundation.