The latest newsletter from the Idea Village is full of well wishes for 2012 and a look back at 2011. Read on and click here to subscribe to future Idea Village newsletters.
Happy New Year from the Idea Village People!
Every year starts off with a list of “What Ifs:” What If I kept my New Year’s resolution? What If I finally took the first step in starting my own business? What If I could create a global business in New Orleans? It’s been an successful year for the New Orleans entrepreneurial community but we still have a lot of work to do in 2012.
Many What Ifs have been asked and answered… let’s take a look back at the 11 coolest things that happened in 2011 and reflect on all the progress in New Orleans:
- New Orleans was named the coolest startup city in America by Inc.com and the #1 brain magnet and the #2 best city for jobs by Forbes.
- 13 of New Orleans’ most exciting entrepreneurial ventures, Federated Sample, Cordina,Sucre, Schedulist, LRG, AudioSocket, Kickboard, The Occasional Wife, The Receivables Exchange, iSeatz, LaunchPad, Naked Pizza, and TurboSquid,have collectively created 498 jobs and plan to hire over 165 more people this year.
- The 3rd annual New Orleans Entrepreneur Week 2011 engaged 1,000 of the best and brightest local and national minds to invest $1,023,946 in capital, strategic consulting, and resources to 475 New Orleans entrepreneurs.
Mark your calendar: NOEW 2012, March 10-16. - 21 new New Orleans-based entrepreneurs teamed up with The Idea Village in the 2012 IDEAxcelerator, accelerated by IBERIABANK, to answer their own “What Ifs.” The 2012 companies are AMPS, APMT, Bayou Native, Be Well Nutrition, Bluebag,ChapterSpot, DesignerSocial, Dukky, Inciteful, Huka Entertainment, NanoFex,NOLACajun.com, NOvate Medical Technologies, SixP, SOLarchitect Studio, Tierra Resources, VoiceHIT, TRUEsee, Whetstone, Wirefly Communications, and ZingBoard,
- New Orleans Entrepreneurs Stormed The White House! Jen Medbery (who was named to Inc. Magazine’s 30 Under 30), founder of Kickboard, and Craig Cordes, co-founder of Cordina Frozen Cocktails, were named “Champions of Change” by The White House.
- New Orleans entrepreneurs created significant partnerships. The New York Stock Exchange Partners with Receivables Exchange in a deal that both raises the state’s business profile and more closely links New Orleans to major capital markets like New York and Chicago. Vimeo taps Audiosocket’s music-as-a-service for their music store to offer filmmaker’s an easy way to search and license music.
- The New Orleans BioInnovation Center (NOBIC), which houses biotech and life sciences entrepreneurs and startups, opened on Canal Street.
- Local entrepreneurs secured funding: Federated Sample, VoteIt, Cordina,Schedulist, Kickboard, AudioSocket, NOLA Brewing Company, and adverCar.
- NOLA Brewing Company launched its canning line, Cordina released two new frozen cocktail flavors, Naked Pizza went global by opening N_k_d Pizza in Dubai, Kickboardexpanded in to schools in 14 states, and NOLA Couture was asked to design the 2012 Sugar Bowl tie.
- NPR recognized New Orleans’ Startup Boom. Check out the other media highlights from 2011.
- The Idea Village closed out the 11th year since its founding in 2000 and our success is due in large part to our Board of Directors and Advisors led by Yvette Jones of Tulane University.
What if 2012 was even more impactful that 2011? Check out this video to see how entrepreneurs are leading the positive change in New Orleans.
Remember to trust your crazy ideas,
The Idea Village Team