Biz Talks

Kathy Laborde, president and CEO of Gulf Coast Housing Partnership, is helping spearhead an $80 million affordable housing and healthcare development in Central City. With partial support from health insurance company Aetna, the project aims to demonstrate that onsite, accessible care improves health outcomes at a lower cost, and it’s expected to bring more foot traffic to Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard, a once-bustling commercial corridor that’s been a nexus of investment and rehabilitation since Hurricane Katrina.

Intralox is a global manufacturer of conveyor belts that is headquartered in Jefferson Parish with additional facilities located around the world. The company has grown dramatically in the last several years thanks to the rise of e-commerce and now employs more than 3,000 people worldwide. In this week's episode, we talk to Intralox CEO and President Edel Blanks about the company's inception, why business is booming and how the company has built and maintained its reputation as a great place to work.

Drew Brees, John Georges, Tania Tetlow, Todd Graves… these are just a few of the people whose leadership styles are analyzed in a new book called “The Seismic Shift in Leadership” by executive coach and Loyola University Gaston Chair of Business Dr. Michelle K. Johnston. What kind of leadership style leads to the best results? What are some easy things you can start doing now? How does good leadership translate into financial success? What are some common mistakes good intentioned leaders make? Find out in this week’s episode.

Over the last two years, Ochsner Health and other healthcare providers have navigated an extraordinary set of challenges related to the pandemic and extreme weather events. On this week's podcast, Warner Thomas, the president and CEO of Ochsner, discusses the lessons learned in the process and how they will change the healthcare industry going forward.

New Orleans Entrepreneur Week is back, live and in-person in locations around the city March 21-25. The event will culminate with the Idea Pitch, where top startups from The Idea Village’s VillageX accelerator program compete for a $50,000 prize. This week, Corey James, program director for VillageX, discusses the competition’s top prospects and his other “don’t miss” picks for NOEW 2022.

The New Orleans Police Department is designed to function with more than 1,500 police officers on the force but currently has less than 1,000 patrolling the streets. Rafael Goyeneche, longtime president of the Metropolitan Crime Commission, believes this is one of the primary causes of the recent spike in violent crime. In this week's podcast, he discusses strategies for rebuilding the NOPD’s ranks over the long term while applying policy, strategy, technology and other “force multipliers” to get the immediate crisis under control.

In this week's podcast, General Manager Mali Carow talks about how the Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans, the city's first five-star hotel, has fared since it’s opening last summer, how their first Carnival season is going and shares some details on two more large features set to open in the next month.

As of January 2022, there were more than 70,000 onshore wind turbines in operation throughout the United States. And, in 2020, onshore wind power provided 25% of all energy used by the Texas power grid. Move offshore, though, and the number of U.S. wind turbines drops to an amount you can count with the fingers on one hand. As it happens, Louisiana companies were instrumental in constructing the five giant wind turbines off the coast of Block Island, Rhode Island back in 2016. Now, the Pelican State’s roots in offshore oil production — and its meteorological good fortune — may position the state as an industry leader. On today’s podcast, James Martin, CEO of Gulf Wind Technology, talks about the opportunities, challenges and timelines as the offshore wind industry in Louisiana revs up.

Metairie native Thomas Richards’ family has owned and operated what has been known as Clearview Mall for over 50 years. Now, Richards is behind the mall’s reinvention into Clearview City Center, a mixed-use project set to include a “super clinic” from Ochsner and high-end apartment community, among its new offerings. This week, Richards chats about what people can expect from the new development and when they should expect it, as well as shares some details about another exciting retail development he just launched on the Northshore.

This week’s podcast features Marquita White, workforce training and development manager at the New Orleans Culinary & Hospitality Institute. The school is now accepting applications for its Pathways for Upward Mobility Program, which is focused on hospitality professionals from the BIPOC community (Black, Indigenous and People of Color). The 8-week crash course provides leadership and entrepreneurship skills designed to kick start career growth.