NEW ORLEANS – New Orleans Entrepreneur Week (NOEW) will return with in-person experiences March 21-25 at various locations around town. The celebration of entrepreneurship and innovation is presented by Idea Village, a nonprofit business accelerator. Now in its 11th year, NOEW brings together “entrepreneurs, startup founders, industry leaders, forward-thinking investors, and business-minded creatives who are committed to imagining and building an exceptional future for New Orleans.” The majority of NOEW events are free and open to the public.
We caught up with Idea Village CEO Jon Atkinson to see how he’s feeling as the big event approaches.
What are you most excited about this year?
New Orleans Entrepreneur Week 2022 is an opportunity to celebrate the incredible startup successes of the past year. With over $2.5 billion in realized value from startups in 2021, New Orleans has proven that it can build innovative world-class companies. Now, our challenge shifts to demonstrating that this is repeatable, that we can build inclusivity into our startup community and that we can define what New Orleans will ultimately be known for. The 50-plus events of the next week are about digging into this and defining what we want the next 20 years to look like.
What’s it feel like to get ready to throw a real, live event again?
People are excited to convene and engage. The pandemic has given us a new appreciation for this type of event, and we are excited about the opportunity to bring people back together.
How has the New Orleans innovation scene changed since you last hosted a live event and how will that be evident?
In 2019, we felt like it was working, but now we have proof that it works. Investing in startups and building a vibrant startup community is a way to move the needle for New Orleans. Now we need to double down.
Click here to register for New Orleans Entrepreneur Week.
Download the NOEW app to start scheduling now.
