The Silicon Bayou has been buzzing with tech and entrepreneurial news. Here are the most popular stories published on Silicon Bayou News in the past seven days:
Uber Hires Tom Hayes as General Manager of New Orleans Operations
The venture-funded, on demand car request service Uber has been working on an expansion into New Orleans, news that was heard around the city in November 2013. As the transportation network company expands to new cities, the need for talented, entrepreneurial-minded hires does as well. Uber has hired Tom Hayes as General Manager for New Orleans following an extremely comprehensive hiring process.
Tympanogen Wins 2nd Overall at International Business Model Competition
New Orleans-based Tympanogen has created a new medical technology, a gel patch called Perf-Fix, that will provide a non-surgical treatment to eardrum perforations. After taking home the grand prize of $25,000 at the Tulane Business Model Competition, Tympanogen gained entrance into the International Business Model Competition headquartered at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. The Tympanogen team, which is led by a team of engineers and physicians at Tulane University, ended up coming in second place overall after the final round, winning a check for $12,000.
Gleason Initiative Foundation Receives $5 Million Donation from Saints Owner
Tom and Gayle Benson, owners of the New Orleans Saints, recently donated a sum of $5 million to the Gleason Initiative Foundation to cover operating expenses for its House for Innovative Living. The Foundation is part of Team Gleason, an empowering organization started by Steve Gleason, a former Saints player who is living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), to help provide individuals with muscular diseases or injuries with leading edge technology, equipment and services and to raise public awareness toward the disease.
Louisiana International Film Festival Now Includes Music Video, Animation, Interactive and New Media
The state will welcome the second annual Louisiana International Film Festival this year in its capital Baton Rouge. Organizers have not only chosen to host all of its events outside of New Orleans, but also announced expanded programming into music video, animation, interactive and new media. The festival took place May 8-11 and included over 50 screenings related to Louisiana and southern history are scheduled. Features included keynote and workshops by filmmakers from a range of in state productions such as American Horror Story, Terminator and True Detective.
504ward Hopes to Connect Potential Future Employees to Globalstar
504ward is a collaborative movement designed to retain the influx of young talent, both new and native, to the New Orleans region. The home base for young talent is currently spreading the word about job openings at Globalstar, a leading provider of mobile satellite and data services company that builds and operates worldwide, low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite-based digital telecommunications systems. More information and job listings can be found here.
Macs vs. PCs; iPhones vs. Android – What’s Riskier?
Computers and smartphones are supposed to make our lives simpler. Though they do make life exponentially more convenient, they can also leave us with frustrating feelings of not feeling all too safe. Whether you’re using a Mac instead of a PC or an Android phone over an iPhone, you could be the victim of a compromised identity. The question is though – is any device definitively safer than another? Click here to read more.
Anedot – Donations on the Go
Roy Daya is a business consultant with over 15 years of experience innovating to create better, smarter and more sustainable businesses. Now called “The Business Model Pro,” Daya is based in Israel and travels the world giving keynotes, coaching, and engaging in conversations about business models and business strategy. His most recent post discusses the site that makes it easy to accept donations on the go Anedot.
‘Propeller Pop’ to Showcase 2014 Accelerator Fellows and Pop-Up Style Food and Activities
Propeller: A Force for Social Innovation, the New Orleans-based nonprofit organization that incubates innovative community-based ventures to solve local social and environmental challenges, has recently announced an update to their major annual event. “Propeller Pop 2014,” the annual benefit and celebration of the 2013-2014 Social Venture Accelerator class of 15 Fellows. The event will take place on May 22nd from 7:00 PM to 10:30 PM at the Propeller Social Innovation Incubator.
What Does it Mean to Start a Business?
The team behind 52 Businesses, a startup that will literally launch a new company every week for a year, contributes weekly to Silicon Bayou News. COO Max Walters writes, “Now that we have the opportunity to help like-minded entrepreneurs bring their ideas to life, we at 52 have been working to define exactly how we can assist our community partners. To do so, we must begin with the overarching question: What does it mean to ‘start a business’?”