NEW ORLEANS — Tech and media incubator Gramercy Labs said it will create a new location – and 25 jobs – in New Orleans.
“New Orleans is like a second home to me,” says Gramercy Labs Founder and CEO, Kevin Fortuna. “As an alumnus of Jesuit High School and UNO, and a property owner in New Orleans, I’ve got a lifelong connection to this place. I’m really excited to see the way the city is rising based on the intersection of its talent pools in both art and science. I locked arms with local talent to make my first indie film, The Dunning Man, and, in addition to our tech start-ups, I’m excited to be able to make an announcement soon about our ambitious new film projects, the first of which we will produce here in NOLA. We hope this will be the first of many.”
With locations in NYC, St. Louis, London and Dublin, Gramercy Labs is a tech and media incubator spanning digital media, wine distribution, film, music, and pop culture. Gramercy’s portfolio companies are leaders in categories spanning from marketing technology to digital media, wellness, music, film and cannabis/CBD.
“Education and corporate life are changing before our eyes in the wake of COVID. Borders are disappearing at home and abroad. That said, the U.S. still leads the way in tech.” says Michael Sprague, Gramercy Labs chief technology and innovation officer. “New Orleans has a deep well of talent that suits our hiring needs, and we’re eager to tap that talent and create jobs for the local economy.”
President and CEO Michael Hecht of Greater New Orleans Inc., an economic development nonprofit, said the city’s low-cost, high-culture market has already attracted and grown a pipeline of local tech talent that competes with Silicon Valley, NYC and Austin. Gramercy Labs will support both our burgeoning workforce and local tech startups. Tech companies such as DXC, Accruent, and Testronic have all made significant investments in the region, while major investments have also been made in workforce training and higher education.
Gramercy’s first full-time hire was local developer Astha Sharma, who received a master’s degree in computer science from the University of New Orleans.
