We’ve all heard about the Amazon Effect and how ecommerce is seriously disrupting the retail world. Savvy entrepreneurs are figuring out how to carve a niche for themselves, whether by offering unqiue products or that special personal touch you can’t get online, creating a unique shopping experience , or, by creating a whole new business…

Workplace accidents cost American companies some $60 billion every year. But, unlike the trajectory of most workplace costs, accident expenses are actually going down. The reason is better training and more proactive safety measures that come from the public and private sectors. Kathy Trahan is president and CEO of the Alliance Safety Council, a 60-year-old…

Seven out of 10 American households own a pet, generally a dog or cat. This has created a huge pet care industry and unlimited opportunity for creative, animal-loving entrepreneurs. It has also led to an unfortunate side-effect: little-loved animals, particularly cats, wandering our streets.  Angela Schifani is Development Director of Cat Haven, a non-profit cat…

“The disruption economy” refers to the fact that technology is changing the traditional constructs of our capitalist economy. Amazon is one of the most obvious examples. Uber is another. Closer to home, local companies are part of that disruption economy, changing the rules of the game for everyone. Chris Meaux is founder and CEO of…

In 2015, Louisiana lawmakers joined their counterparts in a growing number of states to legalize medical marijuana for a long list of diseases and disorders, including cancer, cerebral palsy, seizure disorders, epilepsy and muscular dystrophy. Today, therapeutic cannabis is opening up all sorts of new and promising business opportunities for physicians, pharmacies that can dispense…

Health and wellness is big business today—between 2013 and 2015, the global wellness industry grew nearly 11 percent —from 3-point-3 trillion to more than 3-point-7 TRILLION dollars. And it is continuing to grow. For local entrepreneurs, that is creating a lot of opportunities – but that also means there’s a lot of competition.   Nicole…

Local Baton Rouge companies are carving out an amazing space in the tech sector. They’re designing impressive software platforms and tools that are attracting worldwide attention.   Steve McKinney  is the Chief Operating Officer of Cell Control, a Baton Rouge company that, in 2009, came up with technology to help eliminate distracted driving. In the…

One of the chief goals of technology is to improve efficiency—to make it quicker and easier to do our jobs and to make money. Baton Rouge is home to a growing number of tech companies that are coming up with software products and services that increase efficiency in a variety of sectors.  Joel Costonis is…

South Louisiana doesn’t usually get much recognition for being home to IT and biotech talent, but there are impressive start-up businesses you may never have heard of that are turning heads around the country. And beyond. Casey Roussel is Executive Vice President of Cloud Gavel, a company that is revolutionizing the way law enforcement officers…

Ann Connelly is a legend in the art world. Ann is founder and owner of Ann Connelly Fine Art where she is a curator, interior designer, and consultant to homeowners and businesses. Over the past 25 years, Ann has grown her business into a gallery that today carries the works of more than 40 creatives,…