entrepreneurism
Anonymous Donation Doubled Prize Money for PitchNOLA
Instead of splitting $10,000 between two entrepreneurs dedicated to increasing affordable access to health care and nutritious food for all New Orleanians, PitchNOLA: Living Well, presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana, awarded $20,000 — $5,000 to each of the four semi-finalists — thanks to an anonymous donation that came in toward the end of the event on May 23.
The four winners were:
Okra Abbey — a giving garden that grows fruit and vegetables and shares free community meals for food insecure individuals in New Orleans.
RePurpose Food Co. — which rescues food waste to create healthy baby food for low-income communities of color.
Gienetix — provides innovative products that remove harmful plaque and bacteria to tackle periodontal disease and the systemic health issues they cause.
Saul’s Light Foundation — helps New Orleans families navigate the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) journey by providing non-medical, financial assistance and supports them through the trauma of infant loss by offering mental health-based services. Saul’s Light Foundation also received the Audience Favorite Award of $500.
Technology
University of New Orleans to Develop First “Cyber Range”
The University of New Orleans has been awarded $195,400 through the Louisiana Board of Regents Enhancement Grant to develop the state’s first so-called “cyber range,” an advanced training facility for cybersecurity and operations that simulates real cyber threats in a contained virtual environment.
The new facility will be closely aligned with the mission of the Greater New Orleans Center for Information Assurance at the University of New Orleans (GNOCIA), designated a Center of Academic Excellence by the National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security. GNOCIA is led by UNO’s Department of Computer Science faculty member Vassil Roussev — who, along with co-faculty members Irfan Ahmed and Minhaz Zibran, will lead this new project.
The new “cyber range” will be used in at least 12 undergraduate and graduate courses to help at least 250 students and working professionals each year to acquire workforce knowledge and skills in the growing field of cybersecurity.
Real Estate
Berkadia Announces $56 Million Sale
Alabama-based Multifamily Management Inc. purchased Gretna multifamily communities Cedarwood Apartments and Baywood East and West Apartments from Berkadia for $56 million on June 11.
Managing Director Gregg Cordaro of Berkadia’s Louisiana office led the sale of the two properties on behalf of the seller, Delta Alliance Capital Management.
Cedarwood Apartments — located just across the Mississippi River from downtown New Orleans and the French Quarter at 2350 Park Place Drive — is a 226-unit garden-style multifamily community that was upgraded following Hurricane Katrina in 2007. The community offers one-, two- and three-bedroom units.
Baywood East and West Apartments is a 514-unit garden-style multifamily community located at 500 Wall Blvd. The community offers one-, two- and three-bedroom floorplans.
culinary
Nunez Instructor Named Chef of the Year
The New Orleans chapter of the American Culinary Federation named Chef Ruth Varisco, program manager of the Nunez Community College Culinary Arts Program, its “2018 Chef of the Year.” Nunez’s Culinary Arts Program prepares students for careers in bakeries, restaurants, hotels, schools and cafés. Past recipients include Chef Paul Prudhomme.
rankings
New Orleans Ranked Among Top Cities for Job Seekers
Job search firm Indeed.com recently ranked the 50 metro areas with the most job postings on its site to determine the top cities for job seekers based on:
Favorability of the local labor market to the job seeker;
Average salary, adjusted for cost of living;
How employers scored on work/life balance on its review database; and
How employers scored in terms of job security and advancement opportunities.
New Orleans ranked No. 14 of the 50 metro areas, ranking 7th in job security and advancement, and 9th for work/life balance. When it came to job market favorability and salary, however, the rankings dipped sharply to 43rd for both categories.
“Often, after we’ve been working with a health care company, they would seek my advice on who else in the city understood how to provide the HIPAA specialized services they needed. I quickly realized that many other health care companies were in the same boat, and wouldn’t it be great if I could bring together an alliance of companies that could be a central resource?”
David Bourgeois — founder, Louisiana Healthcare Support Alliance, which launches this month. The alliance is composed of a broad group of local experts that specialize in working with medical providers in Southeast Louisiana on issues ranging from HIPAA compliance to protecting and generating revenue to facilities issues. For more information, visit LAHealthcareSupportAlliance.com.
