Week in Review, Jan. 31-Feb. 4: NOEW, Loyola Law, Wetlands Sake and More

NEW ORLEANS — The Idea Village, a nonprofit business accelerator, has announced that New Orleans Entrepreneur Week (NOEW) will return with in-person experiences in 2022 after being virtual in 2021 and cancelled just a few weeks before opening in 2020 due to the pandemic.  Now in its 11th year, NOEW brings together entrepreneurs, startup founders, industry leaders, forward-thinking investors, and business-minded creatives who are committed to imagining and building an exceptional future for New Orleans. The majority of NOEW events are free and open to the public. “We’re looking forward to getting together in-person to celebrate entrepreneurship,” said Idea Village CEO Jon Atkinson. “As always, NOEW’s goal is to educate, facilitate connections, inspire action, and bring our startup community together. And this year we’ll be able to do that while supporting and enjoying some of our favorite venues in New Orleans.”

Here are more of the week’s top business stories:

The Loyola University New Orleans College of Law announced that it has changed its admissions policy to allow applicants to submit either the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) to be considered for the school’s three-year Juris Doctor program. The decision comes a month after the American Bar Association officially announced it was allowing law schools to accept either test.  “This is such an exciting opportunity for Loyola Law to reach a broader group of applicants,” said Loyola Law Dean Madeleine Landrieu in a press release. “To solve tomorrow’s problems, we need diverse and innovative leaders — engineers, doctors, nurses, journalists, accountants, business and healthcare leaders, entrepreneurs, and first-generation applicants — who want to pursue the study and practice of law. Those with existing GRE scores can now apply for admission without having to sit for yet another exam.” …

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Wetlands Sake celebrated the grand opening of its new taproom on Feb. 3 at 634 Orange Street in the Lower Garden District. Located in a converted warehouse, the facility has large picture windows overlooking the sake brewing area. It is fitted with a garage door that opens to outdoor seating, pergolas and a covered patio. The bar has eight taps pouring limited-edition sakes, ranging from the traditional to sparkling concoctions and cocktail-inspired sake infusions. An adjoining market and eatery, dubbed the Commissary, will open in late February to serve “elevated bar fare.” …

Audubon, an Atlanta-based real estate firm, has announced the groundbreaking of The Metro at Clearview. The 270-unit multifamily community is one component of a $250 million redevelopment of the 50-year-old Clearview Mall into a mixed-use hub with retail and entertainment space, a hotel, a 200,000-square-foot Ochsner Health Systems medical facility and green space for events. The whole project is dubbed Clearview City Center. “This groundbreaking represents the start of another phenomenal project for our team in a market that means so much to us as a company,” said Audubon CEO Andrew Schwarz in a press release.. “I know The Metro at Clearview will continue this pattern of impressive growth for Jefferson Parish, and my team and I are very excited to deliver game-changing apartment homes to the community.” …

New Orleans-based integrated marketing agency Peter Mayer has announced Michelle Edelman as its next CEO and owner. Edelman, who was named president and chief strategy officer of the agency in 2020, succeeds Mark and Josh Mayer, whose father founded the agency in 1967, and who have jointly owned and managed the agency for more than 30 years. The change in ownership is the capstone of a new leadership team that has been put in place over the last five years. “It was important to us that the agency remain independent, and that there would be continuity of our values,” said Mark Mayer. “We are excited about the agency’s future under Michelle’s leadership. She is a brilliant strategist and a proven leader, and will run the agency with character, intelligence and heart.” …

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Heirloom, a “large-format luxury accommodations provider” with more than 300 properties nationwide, has announced the relocation of its headquarters to New Orleans. In addition to hiring 30% more New Orleans-based employees, the company said it plans to invest $30 million this year in local development projects. “We built our company to provide memorable travel experiences, and New Orleans is one of those cities where it makes sense to invest in this. Over the last seven years, Heirloom has brought nearly $70 million into the New Orleans economy through construction, tourism spending and historical renovations. Now that we’re able to call New Orleans home, we anticipate investing upward of $30 million into the city’s economy each year moving forward.”

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