NEW ORLEANS – The Idea Village, a nonprofit business accelerator, will present the 2023 New Orleans Entrepreneur Week March 27-April 1 at various locations throughout the city. The event will connect attendees with national and local industry leaders in the categories of technology, music, food, and more. Presented by JPMorgan Chase, NOEW celebrates entrepreneurship, innovation, and culture.
Now in its 12th year, NOEW (pronounced noh-wee!) brings together business owners, startup founders, industry leaders, forward-thinking investors, and business-minded creatives committed to imagining and building an exceptional future for New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region through entrepreneurship. While the majority of NOEW 2023 events will remain free and open to the public, some parts of NOEW this year will require a paid ticket.
“NOEW 2023 is about innovation and culture,” said Jon Atkinson, C.E.O. of The Idea Village. “The goal of NOEW is to educate, facilitate connections, inspire action, and bring our startup community together. This year, NOEW will expand regionally and be a destination for people from across the Southeast interested in innovation, entrepreneurship, and the distinct culture and music of New Orleans.”
New for NOEW 2023 will be the addition of a “music fest” inside NOEW, with multiple nights of live music programming. These experiences will encourage NOEW attendees from across the region to spend the entire week in New Orleans and stay through the weekend.
“NOEW has traditionally ended on Friday evening after IDEApitch,” said Atkinson. “In 2023, we will offer attendees spectacular live music shows Wednesday through Saturday that encourage attendees to participate in the new ‘NOEW Fest’ and celebrate the cultural aspects that make our entrepreneurial ecosystem so unique,” he said.
It’s impossible to be in New Orleans without talking about food; NOEW 2023 will be no different, providing world-class food and showcasing our many local “EATrepreneurs.” Through both on-site programming and highlighting opportunities for individual restaurant experiences throughout the week, NOEW participants will enjoy the best of New Orleans’ unique and highly gratifying food scene, and learn from industry leaders about the unique aspects of building and scaling successful food businesses
NOEW 2023 will also feature many “EATrepreneurs” through on-site programming and opportunities for individual restaurant experiences throughout the week.
Friday at NOEW will be “Pitch Day,” when companies will be invited to pitch their businesses to a panel of judges who work with startups. The winning IDEApitch 2022 startup, JammAround, received a funding commitment of $400,000, with two other Idea Village VILLAGEx companies, Iconic Moments and Cluey Consumer, receiving funding commitments of $175,000 each.
Ahead of NOEW 2023, The Idea Village has launched a new podcast called Big Easy Ideas on all major streaming platforms. Recorded live at past NOEW events, Big Easy Ideas is a thought leadership podcast focused on startups, innovation, entrepreneurship, technology, and culture. Listen now at www.bigeasyideas.com.
Monday through Thursday will remain free as it always has been and host the majority of NOEW 2023. This year, however, there will also be two paid ticket options, with enhanced experiences and additional opportunities to connect directly with startup founders, attend a uniquely NOEW music fest, and have increased access across additional days and ticket tiers. The NOEW Fest Pass is available at a discounted price of $79 and the NOEW VIP Pass is available at a discounted price of $200. On March 1st, the Fest Pass and VIP Pass will go up to full price of $99 and $250 respectively. To purchase a free NOEW access pass or a NOEW Fest/VIP pass, visit this link: Buy Pass
For more information: www.NOEW.org.
LOCATION: New Orleans, Louisiana or Gallier Hall
545 St. Charles Ave., New Orleans, LA 70130
My Past NEOW Experiences!
Once again, New Orleans Entrepreneur week was packed with great information for the small business professional and those aiming to start a business. The free sessions are golden nuggets, especially for those who can not afford to attend similar sessions hosted in the city. I attended with a couple of ladies I met last year. Entrepreneurs and New Orleans Small Businesses benefit from the wealth of information, free services, opportunities, and exposure that the NOEW brings each year. And they host fantastic parties with great entertainment and delicious New Orleans cuisine.
NOEW 2022 Photo Gallery – all owned by The Idea Village / NOEW, & available for public use; Photo credit: @sharp.photography @advidly.creative
NOEW 2019 Pitch Competition Winners & Highlights Include:
RentCheck and the University of Alabama won the “IDEAcorps MBA Consulting Challenge” hosted by Loyola University New Orleans.
In partnership with the Brees Dream Foundation and The Idea Village, Junior Achievement of New Orleans hosted the “Trust Your Crazy Ideas Challenge,” which ended in a tie between Baby Be-Gan from Baton Rouge and Glamour On The Go from Lafayette. Each team walked away with $7,500 in scholarships and a $3,750 prize for their high schools.
Cocktail & Sons won $7,500 in cash plus additional in-kind services from the Junior League of New Orleans during its “Woman Entrepreneur Fellowship.”
The Love Label won $500 cash and services valued at $1,900 from Launch NOLA during its pitch competition highlighting businesses along the Claiborne Corridor.
Urban League of Louisiana named Southern Comfort Real Estate Services the winner of the $10,000 prize at its annual “Women-In-Business Challenge.”
New Orleans Business Alliance hosted its second “New Orleans Health Innovators Challenge,” and MedAux was selected as the winner. They will receive $36,000 in cash, as well as in-kind services.
The “Tulane Business Model Competition” narrowed down its finalists to KnoNap (George Washington University), RentCheck (Tulane University), and Speeko (University of Iowa). The final pitch was held on April 8th, and RentCheck was selected as the $35,000 grand prize winner.
Schmelly’s Dirt Farm took home the grand prize of over $80,000 in funds and services at the Startup St. Bernard pitch competition.
TrayAway, RentCheck, and SampleChain participated in The Idea Village’s annual “IDEApitch Competition” to close out NOEW. RentCheck received first place and access to a $50,000 investment from The Idea Village, thanks to the
support of Jim Coulter and Patrick Comer.
NOEW 2022 Photo Gallery – all owned by The Idea Village / NOEW, & available for public use; Photo credit: @sharp.photography @advidly.creative
Dat NOLA Chic 