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:
An Investment in New Orleans: Habana Outpost Restaurant Plans Approved by Vieux Carré Commission
Sean Meenan is at the center of controversy over the approval of his proposed restaurant, Habana Outpost, on the corner of Esplanade Avenue and N. Rampart Street. Yesterday, his modified plans were presented again to the Vieux Carré Commission (VCC). With only one of the eight voting committee members in opposition, Meenan’s plans, which gained approval to move forward from the Architectural Review Committee last week, were given the green light. For the whole story, including testimonials from local entrepreneurs such as Ron Bienvenu and Tim Williamson, click here.
First Ever Market Research Sampling Conference Welcomes National Industry Leaders to New Orleans
SampleCon will bring together creators, innovators and leaders who are shaping the future of market research sampling. Federated Sample, a New Orleans-based market research technology firm, is hosting the first ever sample-only conference today. Follow @SampleCon on Twitter for information as the day progresses.
Four Years After Start, NewOrleansTech.net Relaunches to Highlight Local Tech Movement
NewOrleansTech.net is back and better than ever. On August 26th, the site relaunched in partnership with GNO, Inc. with new features and contributions to the local tech community. New and updated features include community videos, groups with a listing of every local user groupand an organizations list for IT professionals, events and resources. The events calendar lists all tech meetups, events and conferences happening in New Orleans available by month, list, week, map and photo view. NewOrleansTech.net is also listing several resources regarding professional development, education, funding and so on that will benefit local techies.
New Orleans-Only Crowdfunding Platform Launches to Highlight City’s Entrepreneurs
FundDat, a brand new reward-based, crowdfunding platform has officially launched in beta development. The company strives to be an empowering and educational source for New Orleans companies. Founders Alex McConduit and Marc Juneau decided early on that FundDat would be a New Orleans-only platform. Projects have to be about New Orleans or based in New Orleans. FundDat has already secured five companies for the site and is currently seeking additional featured launch projects. On September 10th and 12th, they will host ”Conversations on Crowdfunding” events for companies that are interested in learning more information.
Loyola Law Students Develop Technology Products for Louisiana Laws
A group of 10 third-year law students at Loyola University’s College of Law have developed three apps and one search engine to help hack Louisiana law, making it easier for law professionals better represent clients in court in addition to improve law practices. According to Loyola, students represent clients in real cases each fall and use those experiences as inspiration for tech-law projects to develop in the spring. Last year was the inaugural program through the College of Law’s Litigation and Technology Clinic. Four applications have been developed to date. For more information, click here.
Blade Dynamics Fails to Meet Cleantech Incentive Benchmarks
Cleantech company Blade Dynamics announced in 2010 a move to New Orleans to begin manufacturing wind turbine blades at the Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF). The Louisiana Economic Development (LED) provided an incentive package totaling nearly $30 million in value. Per the incentive package, Blade Dynamics had to create 600 direct jobs by 2015. After Blade Dynamics CEO Theo Botha disclosed employment records, it became apparent that the company was failing to meet employment benchmarks set in 2010. LED Secretary Stephen Moret attributed the shortcoming to to wind energy market conditions.
Covington-Based Globalstar Seeks to Increase Nation’s Wi-Fi Capacity
Launched in 1991 as a joint venture of Loral Corporation and Qualcomm, Globalstar now builds and operates worldwide, low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite-based digital telecommunications systems. The company is a leading provider of mobile satellite voice and data services. Globalstar supports actions to expand the country’s leadership in wireless innovation, including work of their own. More specifically, the renewed effort to accelerate to the use of additional spectrum for mobile broadband applications.
Calling All Early-Stage Social Entrepreneurs – Register for UnLtd USA Startup + Drive Bootcamp in New Orleans
At the end of July, UnLtd USA, an incubator for early stage social entrepreneurs, had a project successfully funded through Indiegogo that would take the incubator on the road. The month-long journey from coast to coast, putting on popup bootcamps for startup social entrepreneurs, will take place in cities around the United States. New Orleans, ranked as one of the top startup cities in the country by Entrepreneur Magazine, is a stop on the tour, which launched this month. On September 15th, UnLtd USA will be hosting a free startup + drive bootcamp at 4.0 Schoolsfrom 12:00 to 6:00 PM.
Which Gizmo is Best for Conference Calling? Tech Update for New Orleans Citizens
Conference calling is available to everyone, even individuals outside of any business arena. The important factor that should be prioritized by thriving companies is its maximization. Those who already incorporated conference calling to their working procedures usually do not possess sufficient knowledge and understanding of it. How, then, do you expect to enhance your communication? For the full rundown of conference calling gizmos, click here.
The #1 Social Media Tool You Didn’t Know You Needed: A Content Calendar
Disorganized social media marketing plans are recipes for disaster. So, a simple content calendar is the best solution for getting your social media goals right back on track. SBN contributor and social media specialist Megan Hargroder wrote that choosing a layout that works, staying relevant with content, setting up the content calendar and utilizing management tools to enhance the calendar are all ways to stay organized.
Envoc Names Jason Lasseigne New COO
With offices in Baton Rouge and Hammond, leading custom software and design company Envoc is continuing to grow. Last week, the company announced Jason Lasseigne as Chief Operating Officer. The addition will allow the company to continue to innovate, create, and provide a better reality for both its clients and employees.
The Human Side of a Successful Entrepreneur – Why’s It’s Important
Contributor Mark Lewis believes there is another important side of a successful entrepreneur that is often ignored: the human element. The four things he thinks help people become successful entrepreneurs are: the ability to get along with people, the ability to network with people, and approach that is always positive, and the belief that service is the driver not money.
How to Restrict the Growth of Cyber Crime in Louisiana
Justin Kemp writes, “The growth of cyber crime has paralleled the growth of the digital industry. In fact, one could argue that the people and methods behind cyber crime have grown to be more sophisticated and their evolution much faster-paced than anticipated. So, how does one protect themselves from this virtual onslaught?” Click here to read more.