It's New Orleans: Out To Lunch

You don t have to be the host of a business show to hear good ideas for making money. I bet you ve heard a few. Maybe you ve even had a few. Getting your business idea to actually happen though, well, that s not always so easy. Sometimes it s a matter of having enough cash to kick off with. And somebody who knows something about business to help. That s where New Orleans micro loan business accelerator, Fund 17 comes in. Haley Burns, the founder of Fund 17, joins Peter Ricchiuti for lunch. And briings along a couple of folks with her Khulu Kevin Buckner and Journey Allen. Khulu Kevin Buckner started a business called Sangoma House. Sangoma House is a healing clinic and lifestyle consultancy based on Kevin s study of herbs and healing in New York, and working with tribes in Zimbabwe. Journey Allen is an artist, and the owner of the Journey Allen Gallery Studio on Broad Street. The gallery is more than just bare walls to hang paintings on, Journey runs it as a creative community center and has plans for expansi

There is, apparently, more than one way to skin a cat. You might imagine, however, that choices become more limited if you think about how many ways you could shuck an oyster. Or buy a steak. Well, time to expand your imagination. Peter s guests on today s Out to Lunch have found new ways to shuck oysters. And sell meat. Becky Wasden is the owner of a company called Two Girls One Shuck. Two Girls One Shuck delivers sacks of oysters to your place along with a couple of girls to shuck em, an oyster bar, and all the fixings. Marshall Bartlett s company has a less racy name Home Place Pastures. Home Place Pastures is the Netflix of organic meat. For a monthly subscription you get farm raised meat from a family farm that oversees every step of the process from the animal s delivery at birth to its eventual delivery to you. Becky moved from Utah to New Orleans where she tasted her first oyster, while Marshall is the 5th generation to farm his family s land in Mississippi. They re coming from different places and ha

Of the many things that divide us, there is one thing that unites us all. We all get sick. So it s ironic that healthcare is one of the most divisive issues in the country. While political arguments about healthcare seem to be stuck in an endless loop, healthcare technology continues to advance. At New Orleans Ochsner Health System, Aimee Quirk is CEO of a division called Innovation Ochsner where they re working with both patients and providers to revolutionize healthcare. Amy Dye Domangue is the founder of a company called ALIS Health, a woman centered provider of affordable, cutting edge, genetic testing. Amy Dye Domangue and Aimee Quirk are both right here in New Orleans, and they both join Peter Ricchiuti on this edition of Out to Lunch. Photos at Commander s Palace by Alison Moon.

What do you think when someone you re doing business with tells you, "I m not in it for the money" You assume they re in it for the money, right I mean, why else would they say that Well, once in a while you meet people in business who genuinely are in it for reasons other than money. Like Mike Kantor and Andy Kopplin. Mike is the interim director of the Grow Dat Youth Farm a working urban farm in City Park that teaches kids about agriculture. Andy Kopplin is President and CEO of The Greater New Orleans Foundation, where they match up generosity with genuine need. Andy comes from a background of years of experience in state and local politics. And Mike is a young guy who has turned his back on a traditional career path to work in the community. Both Mike and Andy are heading up businesses, but they re not business as usual. Photos at Commander s Palace by Alison Moon.

We assume people like to visit New Orleans for the food and music. Which they do. But most music is at night. And there s only so many hours a day you can eat. If you visit Magazine Street on any given day you ll find tourists shopping alongside locals on almost every block of the 6 miles of stores that stretch from the Lower Garden District to Uptown. Magazine Street has been a commercial backbone of New Orleans since the city s inception. The street s contribution to our economy is as colorful as it is important. And it s chronicled in a new book, The Incomparable Magazine Street. Its author, historian John Magill, joins Peter Ricchiuti for this edition of Out to Lunch at Commander s Palace. Desiree Petitbon is a board member of the Magazine Street Merchants Association and co owner of Basics Underneath, one of the oldest stores on street, and Basics Swim and Gym, one of the newest. Desiree s first hand observations about the changes of both shoppers and shop owners along Magazine Street over the past two d

Remember that time you had a good idea that was going to make you a millionaire It was probably an idea for an app, right In the back of your mind you re still thinking about doing it if you could just find the time to figure it out. And find someone who builds apps. And find someone to kick in some money. Brice Sanderford knows the process. He built the app MySquad. MySquad hooks up people looking for a place to go out right now with bars and restaurants that have special deals right now. Brice s dad, Britton Sanderford, has had one or two good ideas of his own. Actually he s had more than 70 of them. That s the number of U.S. patents that are in his name. You might not know it, but you re probably using some of the technology Britton Sanderford invented right now. If you re a convicted bank robber, or you own a bank, you have come in direct contact with Britton s creations. The Sanderfords arguably have the highest father and son IQ in New Orleans. Photos at Commander s Palace by Alison Moon.

Before you get on a plane, you go through a number of layers of security. The airline and the TSA both check to make sure you are who your ID claims you are. One of the methods the TSA uses is a version of a security check system that s also used by IBM, Tesla, and some of the world s largest retailers when you check out with a debit or credit card. The technology for these security checks is provided by a company called IDScan.Net. Believe it or not, IDScan is a New Orleans company. IDScan s Co founder and CEO Denis Petrov joins Peter on this edition of Out to Lunch. By night you might know David as a flute, clarinet or saxophone player on gigs around town and on records. By day, David is an MBA grad who is the Director of Technology Commercialization at The New Orleans BioInnovation Center. If you listen to this show regularly, you might have gotten so used to hearing about innovative entrepreneurs with successful businesses in New Orleans that you are no longer surprised by innovation or success. If you ha

In Louisiana, although gumbo and jambalaya are everyday foods, finding the time to make a good gumbo or jambalaya from scratch is not so easy. You can cut down on prep time by making these traditional dishes with a mix out of a box. If you re a purist, you might turn your nose up at that. On the other hand, there s Jambalaya Girl. Jambalaya Girl is a mix in a box that is an old family recipe created with input from legendary Chef Paul Proudhomme. Jambalaya Girl is also a real person. Her name is Kristen Preau Moore. Lauren Wightkin is part of the 4th generation of cake bakers at Swiss Confectionery, the New Orleans bakery where the family business has been making wedding cakes and other specialty cakes for nearly 100 years. On this edition of Out to Lunch, Peter Ricchiuti covers the New Orleans business field from an old family business that makes specialty items, to a recent business that packages traditional foods in little yellow boxes. Photos at Commander s Palace by Alison Moon.

If you re like most Americans, you like to shop. Either in a store or on your phone. Every single retailer in America right now from Walmart to your local shoe shop is trying to figure out how to get you off your phone and into their store. Somebody somewhere is going to have to figure that out to save retail stores from going the way of the dinosaur. That somebody might be New Orleanian Mike Massey. Along with other local developers, Mike has come up with a new piece of new technology that takes web searchers and turns them into local shoppers, wherever local happens to be. This new. potentially economy changing software is called Locally. It might just be the next big thing. Along with saving the retail industry, today s Out to Lunch reveals how you can save money on your homeowner s insurance. Ramsey Green s new company, My Strong Home, promises it can do just that and turn your home into a hurricane resistant property into the bargain. Oh, and by the way, the insurance company will pay for it. Stephanie R

From the beginning of recorded history we ve had a fascination with the blurred lines between the real world and the supernatural world. Greek gods and Hindu gods were described as humans with superpowers who lived in other dimensions and interacted with people on Earth. In biblical times, an all powerful but invisible God granted some humans super powers, like parting seas and feeding multitudes. In our own times we ve continued to blur the lines between the real and non real worlds. We ve created a non real online world where a regular person can have a whole different persona on places like Facebook. We can strap on goggles and walk, swim and even fly, in what we call virtual reality. And when it comes to business, we re coming to accept the blurred line between transactions that happen in the online world and real world as perfectly normal. Peter s lunch guests are both on the cutting edge of this blurred line if in fact a blurred line can have a cutting edge. Stephen Morel is Chief Legal Officer at a com

Maybe you've thought about all the things you could do, if you didn't have to work. Sometimes we tell ourselves we're going to do those things later - when we retire. For example, you could spend more time playing guitar. Or you could try your hand at standup comedy. Peter's guests on this edition of Out to Lunch decided not to postpone doing what they liked best. John Rankin has devoted his life to playing guitar. He plays professionally - you've probably seen him - and he teaches guitar, and songwriting, at Loyola University. Mike Strecker was running the public relations department at Tulane University when, as a side hustle, he started doing standup comedy. He's still at Tulane but now he has a parallel life as a comedian, and as an author of joke books. On today's Out to Lunch we're at the intersection of entertainment and education. Photos at Commander's Palace by Alison Moon.

There are very few things that you pay for every month, and hope that you get nothing back for your money. Except insurance. Nobody enjoys paying their insurance premium. But you know your insurance agent is right. You need it. Which is where the old classic Frank Crumit song comes from, "There is no one with endurance like the man who sells insurance." If you don t know that song it s worth clicking on the link. Even before Frnk Crumit recorded that song, since 1933, Gillis Ellis and Baker have been selling insurance here in New Orleans. One of the products you can buy from your insurance agent these days is cyber insurance. The President of Gillis Ellis Baker, Anderson Baker, joining Peter Ricchiuti for this edition of Out to Lunch, explains why you need it and how much you might expect to pay for it. Attorney Geoff Elkins wrote the book on cybersecurity for business. It s called The Architecture of Cybersecurity. Geoff, an attorney with a certified specialization in privacy protection, is leading the charg

In the 1600 s, Galileo discovered that the Earth was not the center of the universe. Until then, we thought everything revolved around us. There are still people who believe the universe revolves around New Orleans. It s Caitlin Cain s job to convince anyone who does not believe it, that it s true. Caitlin is the CEO of the World Trade Center of New Orleans. Just as an aside there is proof that we are the center of the universe. The New Orleans World Trade center was the first World Trade Center in the world. Jason DeRouen has a whole universe that revolves around him. Online. One day Jason was just a regular guy with a cell phone in Thibodaux. Today, Jason is The Cajun Ninja an online star with millions of viewers who watch his home cooking videos. Caitlin and Jason are both bringing New Orleans to the world. And bringing the world to New Orleans. And Thibodaux.

People often compare business strategy to combat, and sports. In sports, we grow up learning it s the game that counts winning isn t everything. Which is true, unless you ve got money on the game. It s not always legal to bet on the outcome of games. But Zach Dixon has found a way. Zach is the co founder of Players Lounge a real and virtual place where you can bet on the outcome of video and computer games. Brian Levy is not concerned with winning. As a matter of fact he s focused on not winning. Which is not the same as losing. The win win outcome is one of the principles of a Japanese martial art called Aikido. Brian Levy is the Director and chief instructor at NOLA Aikido in Mid City. Brian Levy and Zach Dixon are two New Orleanians with two very different takes on winning and business. Photos at Commander s Palace by Alison Moon.

In the past 12 months, Americans have spent over 60 billion dollars on their pets. Almost half of that, 30 billion dollars, was spent on food. If you re a dog owner, or if you ve been in a pet store lately, you know that we don t feed dogs a 45 pound bag of 3 dog chow any more.The dog food section of the pet store these days looks more like Whole Foods. Words that have never before been associated with dogs gluten free, lamb, duck, all natural, and heart healthy are everywhere. And then there s the dog treats. See if you can even find the old Milk Bone dog biscuits these days amongst the myriad of jerkies and dental chews. If you re in New Orleans you can even find local New Orleans specialties for your dog, with names like Shrimp Gumbones, Fleur des Snaps, and Louisiana Yard Dog. These all natural, healthy, NOLA themed dog treats are made by a local company called Amis Des Paux, the full time business of co founders Sarah Johnson and, Peter s guest on Out to Lunch, Kelly Frisch. Whatever a dog eats, whether

When we talk about "the New Orleans business community" we generally have a mental picture of the CBD. We might include spokes that poke out from that center a few miles the Marigny, Mid City, and Uptown. If we re particularly expansive we might even talk about "the metro area" as a way to include Metairie and the North Shore. On this edition of Out to Lunch we re pushing the business boundary out a little further. Both West and South. You re going to be surprised about what we discover and who we meet. Heading west along the I 10 from New Orleans, just past the airport, you can turn off to Luling. It s near Boutte and Paradis. Most of the folks out this way are connected in some way to what they call "the plants." They re not talking about nature. In fact, quite the opposite they re talking about oil and chemical refineries. Kimberley Lipari lives in Luling. But she doesn t work at the plant. Kimberly is Chief of Operations for a company called Valet. Valet has employees across the country, from Florida to W

Typically, nationwide businesses start out in a big city where there s a big market. As the brand grows and demand grows with it, the business gradually spreads across the country to ever smaller markets until eventually everybody s within a few miles of, say, a Walgreens. There are notable exceptions to this pattern. For example the largest retailer on Earth, WalMart, started out as a single store in Rogers, Arkansas. In New Orleans we ve gotten used to getting national brands long after they ve made it big in other places. Trader Joe s comes to mind. As does Target. And even WalMart itself is a relatively recent addition to Orleans parish. But with the entrepreneurial climate here in New Orleans about as hot as our summer, we re not a brand afterthought any more. Quite the opposite. We re a city where brands originate. New Orleanian Lauren Myerscough launched a brand here, called Cocktail and Sons. Cocktail and Sons makes all natural, handcrafted syrups designed for classic cocktails. They re used by profes

We have a nationwide opioid epidemic. We consume a huge amount of alcohol. There s a trend toward legalizing marijuana. And over 10 of us are prescribed mood altering medication. These are all attempts at coping with life. Another approach to making life more bearable is to spend more time focusing on the good parts. That s what my guests today on Out to Lunch do. Tippy Tippens is the CEO of a company called Goods That Matter. Goods That Matter makes and sells hand made products, manufactured exclusively with eco friendly materials, in the U.S. With every product sold, the company gives back to social and environmental causes. And in case you were assuming Tippy s title, CEO, stands for Chief Executive Officer, it doesn t it stands for Chief Eternal Optimist. Chad Almquist is co owner of a business called Canoe and Trail Adventures that celebrates nature taking folks out into the swamps and bayous around New Orleans. Chad is a Louisiana Master Naturalist and Canoe and Trail is a family business that has guide

Despite having a Constitution and any number of Federal statutes that guarantee us all equality, there still seem to be plenty of creative ways for employers to discriminate against women. On Out to Lunch we don t normally talk about big issues. We talk about small business. On this edition of the show we can do both Lelia Gowland s small business, Gowland Llc, deals with the big issues of women in the workplace. Lelia is a writer for Forbes Magazine, a consultant for companies like GE, and for national associations like the American Association for Justice, and an acknowledged thought leader on the subject of women in business. T.Cole Newton is the owner of one of New Orleans hip barrooms, 12 Mile Limit. Cole opened the bar in 2010 and it s been on the Times Picayune s list of the city s top 10 bars every year since. That s no small feat given the number of bars in New Orleans and the growing list of hipster joints that continue to open. Cole also co hosts a popular bar related podcast called "A Round With S

There are certain things we all do. We all buy food. And when we do, we take for granted that supermarket shelves are going to be stocked. We all watch TV and movies though these days mostly on a small screen. And when we do other than certain types of film we take for granted that actors are going to be clothed. But food doesn t magically appear on supermarket shelves. And clothes don t magically appear on actors. Alison Parker is a professional costumer. She s one of the people who puts clothes on actors. Alison has costumed actors on stages in London, New York, and St Petersburg, in the air and underwater for Cirque du Soleil, and you ve almost certainly seen Alison s work on TV and in movies. She s worked with directors John Waters, Tim Burton, Steven Soderberg, and many more. Simone Reggie is the owner of Simone s Market on Oak Street, Uptown. Simone puts food on supermarket shelves. In the past Simone has worked in marketing for Chef John Besh, she was instrumental in starting up the short lived but pop