In the heart of a tough industrial part of town, on a scorching Sunday afternoon, parents sit in a dimly lit warehouse watching children repeatedly skate around an unpretentious roller-rink. The young skaters are learning to hip whip, recycle, snowplow,…
Getting and keeping clients is the overriding goal of any business, so imagine running a business that triggers pit-in-the-stomach fear in some of the very clients you are trying to reach. It has been estimated that 12 percent of…
The organization also helps with a family’s last-minute or miscellaneous needs, which can include things like WalMart cards, gas cards and even Visa cards to cover an insurance copayment. Seen on the right is Executive Director Mark Firmin. On four…
August is National Breastfeeding Month. I breastfed my daughter until she was easing into her third year. It remains the most rewarding experience of my entire life. My mother, who nurtured me at the height of formula’s popularity in the…
“I love what I do because I love bringing people together,” says Olandra Lickter, dance instructor and co-owner of From This Dance Forward. She and her business partner, Lindsey Zan, opened their business nine months ago, offering a variety…
When Joel Brown, owner of Kosher Cajun NY Deli & Grocery, visits his daughters in New York City he brings the deli with him. That’s just how good his deli food is. At Kosher Cajun, amidst multitudinous Saints memorabilia and…
“In selecting a brand name, it is important to know who you’ll be serving, their beliefs and perceptions,” says Betsie Gambel, president of Gambel Communications. “If customers feel that the brand name is a good fit and authentic, they will…
“I like to go to Congo Square because I always get to drum and take my shoes off and dance in a circle,” says Pinkie Harris, a 7-year-old student at Bricolage Academy. “The drums make my heart vibrate.”…
There is a mini debate about how red beans became a traditional dish on Mondays in New Orleans. Some say it’s because it was wash day and the beans could be simmered on the back of the stove while…
In her Gentilly neighborhood, Renee Rednour joyously toils in her three tiny garden patches. One is in her backyard, one on the side of her house and the showcase garden is in her front yard. “I’d go crazy if…
What do Oprah, Bruno Mars and Kyrie Irving all have in common? They are all Cap Heroes with Caps For Kids, a national nonprofit organization that provides kids with cancer with a ball cap autographed by their favorite celebrity. …
Years ago, through her informative column in the Hinds County Gazette, Jane Brent helped the citizens of Raymond, Mississippi keep up with what was going on in the area. “It was the kind of paper that reported on whose…
Born and raised in New Orleans, Jacque Touzet often helped his father work in the family business, a saddle workshop near the New Orleans Fairgrounds. As a child, he enjoyed riding mini-bikes, go-karts and any other type of wheeled…
Lighthouse Louisiana When a group of businessmen came together in 1915 with the primary goal of providing meaningful employment for the blind, one of the first things they settled on producing was sturdy brooms. Since those early beginnings, the organization…
In New Orleans, we love our Saints, our festivals and our snoballs. And whether its Plum Street or Pandora’s we all have our favorite stand to procure those sweet icy concoctions. Mary Collins’ stand of choice is Downtown 504…
Yesterday my Facebook page blew up with friends posting photos of their fathers and sharing treasured stories of paternal love. I was not particularly close to my father, but my grandfathers hold a truly tender place in my heart.…
“My hands have always provided for me,” says Denise Taylor, owner of Mes Amis Quilt Shop. When Taylor was a young girl, her grandmother made her stay inside during the heat of the day and taught her how to…
Eschewing the corporate corner offices and Brooks Brothers suits, an entrepreneurial triumvirate strategize their next moves en plein air beneath a blue pop-up tent in an Uptown courtyard. Cary Greenwood, Noah Stambovsky and Sam Stein are the team behind Drinker’s Edition, an app that connects…
Ever since the 1400s, when a Scot first used a club to hit a wooden ball, golf has been about more than just a precision putt or a soaring drive; it’s been a mental and physical challenge, a friendly…
On the Sunday before last, flooding in the city was so widespread that New Orleans' Regional Transit Authority suspended all bus and streetcar service. Many families canceled their Mother’s Day outings to instead meet with insurance adjusters or bail…
When he lived in San Francisco, Rahn Broady cooked professionally. Now in New Orleans, he’s turned his talents to gardening, teaching and making tasty ice cream — Broady is the owner of The New 7th Ward Ice Cream Speakeasy.…
Yesterday was Cinco de Mayo, and celebration that typically involves cerveza, chips, salt-rimmed glasses of margaritas and much jubilation. ¡Vamonos NOLA!, a Spanish language program celebrates all Latin holidays equally. They offer play-based language learning programming, which includes camps,…
In the mid-1980s, only 5.8 percent of engineers in the United States were women. Today, it’s not much better. According to the Congressional Joint Economic Committee, only 14 percent of engineers are women. And it’s not just the engineering…
“We’ve heard about used bookstores, but we’d never seen one,” is what Steve Lacy, owner of Dauphine Street Books, often hears as young people wander into his business to escape the French Quarter’s verve and bustle. Upon entering the…
Randy Newman’s song, “Louisiana 1927” pretty much sums up New Orleans’ interminable challenge with having just way too much water. “Louisiana, Louisiana. They’re tryin’ to wash us away.” And as the sea levels continue to rise, we continue to…
Advocate Supervisor Tanyanika Franklin and Executive Director Joy Bruce Every two minutes, a child enters the foster care system in this country. In one month, 300 Louisiana children will be removed from their home due to abuse and/or neglect and…
Three years ago, in a completely haphazard fashion, Mark Sanders built a burgeoning business with only $100 and the engrossing desire for a bit of privacy. His business, Ninth Ward Nursery, is a small-scale garden center specializing in tropical plants,…
After more than 40 years, Pamela Marquis thinks she can claim New Orleans citizenship. A frequent contributor to Biz New Orleans and New Orleans Homes and Lifestyles, Marquis has decades of experience as a freelance writer specializing in business writing. Marquis spent many years working in the non-profit world and holds a master’s degree in social work from the University of Missouri.
Living in and loving the 7th ward, she spends her spare time walking her foster dog, playing with her brilliant granddaughters and dashing grandson and gardening.
