Festival season is back!!! And kicking it off is the 13th iteration of Hogs for the Cause this Friday and Saturday, June 4 and 5. The creation of lifelong friends and New Orleans natives, Becker Hall and Rene Louapre, Hogs has grown to become one of the largest barbecue competitions and music festivals in the country. On this week’s episode, the founders give us the inside scoop on what to expect for the event’s triumphant return and what they’re most looking forward to after a tough year off.

In the early 2000s, the four-block section of downtown that would become the South Market neighborhood was mostly empty parking lots and aging office buildings. Today, the area is a $300 million (and counting) blend of housing, retail and dining that has brought updated urban living to the area. On this week's podcast, we talk to real estate developer Matt Schwartz about how the project came to be, what’s next for the area and what other projects are on the horizon for Domain.

Dating apps leave something to be desired, say this week’s guests, New Orleans natives Stephanie Hilton and Bayleigh Frickey, which is why they created The Meetery, a new kind of dating app that replace endless online chatting with 15-minute face-to-face ‘first impression’ dates. Frickey and Hilton share how it all works and why they think their app will be a game changer in the multibillion-dollar online dating industry in this episode of Biz Talks.

Amy Stelly is an artist, designer, planner and teacher, known for her advocacy work with the Claiborne Avenue Alliance, a coalition "dedicated to the thoughtful development of the Claiborne corridor." Stelly's work made international headlines recently when the Biden administration cited the Claiborne expressway, built by the federal government in the 1960s, as an example of historic inequity. On this week’s Biz Talks podcast, Stelly explains why the elevated expressway never should have been built, why it should come down and how to get the job done.

The first-ever Louisiana made craft sake hit the market a month ago and the two women behind it — Nan Wallis and Lindsey Brower, owners of Wetlands Sake — tell us all about it, how it came to be, and where you can grab some on this week’s episode of BizTalks.

Thanks to a long spring break season and exceptionally beautiful weather, visitors have been flocking to New Orleans again - but mostly on weekends and mostly by car. Attractions like the Audubon Zoo have been posting attendance numbers that are similar to 2019, but the hospitality industry - ordinarily a source of more than $10 billion in visitor spending - still has a long way to go. Hospitality officials are waiting for meetings, cruises, big weddings and international flights to return before they pop any champagne corks.

On this week’s podcast, we talk to New Orleans & Company president and CEO Stephen Perry about the state of the industry, his high hopes for the fall and the slow road back to full health.

Whether you’ve been laid off, are looking to make more money in a more in-demand field, or maybe always wanted to get a business degree but didn’t think you had the time or the money, there are some great new programs out there. Dr. Larry Audler and Dr. Barbara Wizer share some great options at University of Holy Cross, including a new Accelerated Business Degree program and lots of options to get into booming health sciences careers.  

The COVID-19 pandemic affected the residential and commercial real estate markets very differently. In New Orleans and elsewhere, home prices climbed as buyers sought more space and listings became scarce. The work-from-home trend, meanwhile, has emptied out office buildings while health restrictions reduced foot traffic in hotels, restaurants and stores. In this week's podcast, Henry Shortess of Urban Properties Real Estate gives his take on regional commercial real estate trends.

This year’s New Orleans Entrepreneur Week, held March 22-26, drew thousands of participants from over 34 countries around the globe eager to hear the latest from the region’s burgeoning entrepreneur community. But if you happened to miss it, all the over 87 sessions and 137 speakers are still accessible at NOEW.org thanks to this year’s completely virtual programming. In this week’s episode, Jon Atkinson, CEO of Idea Village, the producer of NOEW, shares the highlights from this year’s event.

In this week's episode, Jefferson Parish District 5 Councilmember Jennifer Van Vrancken talks about ongoing efforts to revitalize Metairie’s “Fat City” neighborhood. For years, Parish leaders have been looking for ways to create more green space, improve walkability, add street parking and spur development in the area – and recently they sought ideas from potential developers. Van Vrancken highlights what's been done and potential next steps.