Biz Talks

This week’s guest is Mandy Simpson, owner of NOLA Boards, a New Orleans-based maker of handcrafted cutting boards, countertops, furniture and more. She talks about how celebrity chef Rachael Ray helped boost her business, the importance of supporting local retailers during the holiday shopping season — and her big plans to take her business on the road.

A new headquarters, exciting new partnerships, big gifts: 2022 has been an exciting one for the nonprofit Son of a Saint, which helps area boys without father figures. This week, founder Sonny Lee shares some creative ways individuals and businesses can be part of the movement to stop the cycle of violence in our city.

On this week’s episode, Tulane business professor J. Cameron Verhaal and Urban South Brewery owner Jacob Landry talk about what it takes to build an authentic and scalable beer brand, why Louisiana and Mississippi have fewer breweries than other states — and how inflation is “crushing” the industry in 2022.

In this week’s episode, Dolliole shares his thoughts on how the airport weathered the pandemic — and a very chaotic summer — and looks ahead to exciting new additions. Along with added flight options, travelers will be seeing a new offering at the airport that Dolliole said was the result of an unexpected consumer behavior change during the pandemic. 

This week, Dan Davis — the sommelier, better known as the “Wine Guy,” at Commander’s Palace — is talking wine. Davis shares how the restaurant used wine to bring in extra revenue, and sanity, during the pandemic, plus he talks details of a must-attend event for any wine lover this month, and offers some fun insight into the world of wine, including his top pics for your table this year.

This week’s episode features Greg Feirn, CEO of LCMC Health, and Michael Fitts, president of Tulane University. Last week, the two leaders announced that LCMC intends to acquire three Tulane-affiliated hospitals from HCA Healthcare in a $150 million deal. If approved by regulators, the move will expand the partnership between Tulane and LCMC and change the New Orleans healthcare landscape.

This month, Loyola University New Orleans is celebrating the debut of a $1.9 million dollar experiential learning space that allows nursing students to practice many medical procedures — from drawing blood to delivering a baby — using robotic mannequins and other high-tech devices. In this episode, Collins talks about the new lab, the nationwide nursing shortage, Loyola’s Ochsner partnership and her long-running blog about the PBS show Call the Midwife.

Entrepreneurs on the Northshore no longer have to cross the lake to receive business development support from The Idea Village thanks to the August launch of IDEAinstitute Northshore. Jon Atkinson, CEO of The Idea Village, joins Chris Masingill, CEO of St. Tammany Corporation, and Vincenzo Caronna, entrepreneur in residence and program manager of IDEAinstitute Northshore, to discuss the importance of this new venture.

This week's guest is Natalie Jayroe, president and CEO of the Second Harvest Food Bank, which provides food access, advocacy, education and disaster response to more than 700 community partners and programs across 23 parishes. The nonprofit is about to unveil a $15 million renovation of its Elmwood headquarters after navigating the twin challenges of the pandemic and several busy storm seasons.

As the president and CEO of Greater New Orleans, Inc. — the 10-parish region’s economic development organization — Michael Hecht is a multitasking master. This week, he catches us up on the latest developments in the organization’s work to make the region safer, more affordable, more prosperous and attractive to business.