NEW ORLEANS – This year, the Committee for a Better New Orleans (CBNO), a nonpartisan civic engagement nonprofit, is celebrating its 60th anniversary. For six decades, the organization has brought leaders together across race, class, gender, and neighborhood lines to build a better New Orleans. In honor of this milestone, CBNO is taking that work a step further.
The 2026 Bryan Bell Metropolitan Leadership Forum cohort will carry on the legacy of CBNO’s signature program by learning about and navigating the civic issues, processes, and systems that shape the city. But this year is extra special: after the Forum, cohort members will be given funding to turn their passion into action through the Front Porch Lab.
The Bryan Bell Metropolitan Leadership Forum dates to 1968 and has trained more than 2,600 leaders. The program brings participants together to explore issues including housing, economic development, education, transportation and local government while learning how to navigate and influence city decision-making.
The Front Porch Lab, developed in partnership with peacebuilding nonprofit Common Ground USA and the New Orleans Chamber of Commerce Foundation, is named after the place where culture thrives and important conversations happen. The Front Porch Lab will bring a diverse group of 30 New Orleanians together to identify challenges within their communities and develop actionable solutions over the course of 17 months.
The cohort will form four working groups, each with a $10,000 budget to bring their ideas to life and implement a community project. The Lab creates a special opportunity for people to build trust both between each other and in local government; it brings residents together across divides to address the tensions and conflicts that affect everyday life to create a thriving New Orleans.
“New Orleans has no shortage of people who love this city and want to fix what’s broken in it. What’s often missing is the trust, the relationships, and the resources to do it together. That’s what the Front Porch Lab is for,” said Nellie Catzen, Executive Director, CBNO.
Aspen Institute Funding Supports CBNO Program
This project is one of eleven selected to receive funding from the Aspen Institute’s Trust in Practice Awards, which funds work focused on building trust in communities.
“Communities don’t become stronger simply because people care—they become stronger when people who see the world differently learn to work together toward a shared purpose. The Front Porch Lab creates that opportunity by equipping New Orleanians with the skills to navigate differences, build trust, and turn collaboration into meaningful action. We’re proud to partner with CBNO and the New Orleans Chamber Foundation to help strengthen the relationships that make lasting community change possible,” said Krystal James, Program Manager, Common Ground USA
“The New Orleans Chamber Foundation exists to improve quality of life through education and community development, and the Front Porch Lab embodies that mission. By equipping leaders with the tools, relationships, and resources to solve community challenges together, this partnership will help create lasting impact across New Orleans,” said Ashley Hilsman, Chief Operating Officer of the New Orleans Chamber of Commerce.
Recruitment is open now here. Interested applicants can learn more about the program and requirements on CBNO’s blog post or at an Informational Session on Wednesday, August 5th, 4:30–5:00 p.m., virtually on Zoom.
