Week in Review: August 18, 2014

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:

The Idea Village Announces 2015 Entrepreneurs-in-Residence: Investor Hank Torbert and Serial Entrepreneur J. Anthony Miguez

On July 28th, the entrepreneurial hub in New Orleans The Idea Village launched their annual Entrepreneur Season, which is action-packed with workshops, accelerator programs, networking events and cumulates with New Orleans Entrepreneur Week (NOEW) each spring. The 6th annual IDEAx accelerator program (formerly IDEAxcelerator) has officially signed on investor Hank Torbert and serial entrepreneur J. Anthony Miguez as the Entrepreneurs-in-Residence for the season. The dynamic duo of advisory talent, with over 35 years of combined startup experience, will provide individualized coaching, intensive business consulting, and opportunities for peer learning to select local entrepreneurs.

Video: Get to Know BarCampNola

BarCamp New Orleans organizers held the seventh annual  “unconference” of passionate people with amazing minds exactly one month ago (July 12-13, 2014). “It may have started out as a technology event, but it has become a place where all are welcome to come and share ideas which matter to them,” they explained. If you missed the event, check out the BarCampNola 7 video, created by Michelle Calabro, here.

JEDCO Releases 2013 Annual Report, Highlights Most Successful Year Yet

The Jefferson Parish Economic Development Commission (JEDCO) is an independent, yet complementary arm of Jefferson Parish government with the main objective of attracting, growing and creating new business in the area. It’s been a big year for the New Orleans-area organization. They hired two new economic development specialists back in May and unveiled a state-of-the-art conference center located at their headquarters in the newly rebranded Fairfield. The organization has also released the 2013 JEDCO Annual Report, showing off its most successful year in history. The report explains: “For 27 years, JEDCO has played a role in enhancing the economic outlook of Jefferson Parish through retention, expansion and job attraction.”

I Went to a New Orleans City Council Meeting and I Hated It

Contributor Max Gaudin wrote about his experience attending a New Orleans City Council meeting regarding the city’s transportation laws, including the much-debated Uber. “In the typical ‘it’s better to beg for forgiveness than to ask for permission sense that startups are often known for Uber enters into new markets and begins operating regardless of what the local laws say in hopes that they can get them changed later,” he explains. “This understandably has been pissing off municipalities and cab companies across the world for the last four years. New Orleans is no different.” Click here to read more.

New Orleans Business Alliance President and CEO Steps Down, National Search for Replacement to Follow

The New Orleans Business Alliance is a non-profit tasked with leading economic development initiatives in the city. The organization seeks to catalyze job growth, create wealth, and build an equitable and sustainable economic future for New Orleans. It was recently announced the President and CEO of the organization, Rodrick Miller, has accepted the role as CEO of the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation. He will be leaving the Alliance at the end of the month.

Nearly Ten Years Later: How Hurricane Katrina Transformed New Orleans into an Attractive Market

Author Camalla Kimbrough is a New Orleans-based attorney in the Advocacy Department at Baker Donelson where she focuses her practice on employment law and commercial litigation. She writes of how, after Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans has become an attractive market. “Nearly ten years later, New Orleans has made significant strides in the realm of public education and has become a hotbed for entrepreneurship and retail development.” For more of Kimbrough’s post, click here.

Did Facebook Buy A $2 Billion Trade Secret Lawsuit?

Author Micah Fincher is an associate in the firm’s Intellectual Property (IP) section within the Business & Commercial Litigation Practice Group. He also writes for Trade Secret Insider, a legal blog committed to providing timely legal insights on trade secrets, non-competes, computer fraud, and data theft. This post was originally published on tradesecretinsider.com.