The Idea Village

OUR MISSION IS TO IDENTIFY, SUPPORT, AND RETAIN ENTREPRENEURIAL TALENT IN NEW ORLEANS AND THE SURROUNDING REGION.

THE IDEA VILLAGE IS A NONPROFIT ACCELERATOR PROGRAM WHOSE CORE BELIEF IS THAT ENTREPRENEURSHIP IS AN AGENT OF SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CHANGE. AS AN EARLY CHAMPION OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN NEW ORLEANS, THE ORGANIZATION HAS PLAYED AN INTEGRAL ROLE IN CATALYZING THE CITY'S ENTREPRENEURIAL MOVEMENT. IN ADDITION TO SUPPORTING OVER 14,955 ENTREPRENEURS, THE IDEA VILLAGE HAS SUCCESSFULLY ELEVATED NEW ORLEANS' REPUTATION AS A HUB OF INNOVATION, ENTREPRENEURSHIP, AND BUSINESS. BY SERVING AS A CATALYST AND DEVELOPING PROGRAMS THAT PROVIDE DIRECT SUPPORT AND EDUCATION TO FOUNDERS AND EARLY-STAGE COMPANIES, THE IDEA VILLAGE HELPS ENTREPRENEURS BUILD INNOVATIVE AND INDUSTRY-LEADING COMPANIES THAT GENERATE REVENUE AND JOBS TO HELP CREATE A MORE VIBRANT, INCLUSIVE, AND RESILIENT LOCAL ECONOMY.WE ALSO CULTIVATE INDUSTRIES OF THE FUTURE THAT WILL WITHSTAND THE TESTS OF NATURAL AND ECONOMIC CRISES. AS THE RESULT OF 20 YEARS OF SUSTAINED INVESTMENT, NEW ORLEANS WAS NAMED IN 2018 AS "ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING TECH CLUSTERS IN AMERICA," A "TOP 10 CITY FOR AFRICAN AMERICANS AND WOMEN IN TECH, AND A PLACE THAT "LEADS THE USA BY 56% IN STARTUP GROWTH." IN 2021 WE EXPERIENCED 10+ MAJOR EXITS IN THE NEW ORLEANS STARTUP COMMUNITY RESULTING IN OVER $2.5B OF REALIZED VALUE AND OVER $500M IN DIRECT REINVESTMENT. TO FULLY REALIZE NEW ORLEANS' ECONOMIC POTENTIAL WE NEED A SUSTAINED INVESTMENT IN THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF INNOVATION. WE NEED TO ASSEMBLE WORLD CLASS RESOURCES TO CATALYZE AND SUPPORT OUR STARTUP COMPANIES THROUGH THE MOST CRITICAL EARLY STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT. NEW ORLEANS HAS A BROAD TALENT BASE, UNIQUE ACCESS TO CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE, AND A FRONT ROW SEAT TO INTERESTING PROBLEMS TO SOLVE. IT IS ALSO A PLACE THAT PEOPLE WANT TO LIVE IN AND WANT TO CALL HOME.PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTSIDEAINSTITUTE IS A 10-WEEK, SELECTIVE, HIGHLY STRUCTURED,IDEA-STAGE ACCELERATOR PROGRAM DESIGNED TO HELP FOUNDERS FROM DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS DEVELOP A CONCEPT INTO A VIABLE BUSINESS. IT FOCUSES ON BUILDING THE PIPELINE OF REPEATABLE, SCALABLE, HIGH-GROWTH POTENTIAL COMPANIES REPRESENTING THE SEEDS OF A HOMEGROWN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY THAT CAN MAKE OUR COMMUNITY STRONGER FOR GENERATIONS TO COME. BUILT AROUND THE LEAN STARTUP METHODOLOGY, IT HONES CRITICAL SKILLS IN OPPORTUNITY RECOGNITION, PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION, PROTOTYPING, CUSTOMER DISCOVERY, AND BUSINESS MODEL DEVELOPMENT. THE CURRICULUM IS BASED ON METHODS PILOTED IN THE MBA PROGRAM AT LOYOLA, AND IS TAUGHT BY FACULTY OF THE LOYOLA CENTER FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.IDEAINSTITUTE RUNS TWICE PER YEAR. OVER 220 PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY COMPLETED THE 10-WEEK PROGRAM ACROSS SIX COHORTS. THE PROGRAM MAINTAINS A STRONG NET PROMOTER SCORE AND HAS MATRICULATED MULTIPLE COMPANIES TO OUR LATE-STAGE ACCELERATOR, VILLAGEX.VILLAGEX IS OUR PREMIER PROGRAM, A LATE-STAGE ACCELERATOR THAT FOCUSES ON VENTURE PROFILE COMPANIES BRINGING AN INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY TO MARKET OR PROVING AN UNKNOWN BUSINESS MODEL. THESE ARE THE TYPES OF COMPANIES THAT CAN GROW TO SUBSTANTIAL SIZE AND SCOPE AND BECOME DOMINANT WITHIN AN INDUSTRY. THEY ARE DRIVERS OF MEANINGFUL ECONOMIC IMPACT AND JOB CREATION. THE TYPES OF BUSINESSES THAT, IF THEY ACHIEVE REAL MARKET TRACTION, CAN HIRE HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE PER YEAR. THE VILLAGEX ACCELERATOR IS FOCUSED ON HELPING COMPANIES CLOSE THE GAP BETWEEN SEED AND SERIES A FINANCING THROUGH A CUSTOMIZED FOCUS ON BUILDING STRENGTH ACROSS THE DIMENSIONS OF TEAM, PRODUCT, TRACTION, AND MARKET OPPORTUNITY. AS AN EXAMPLE, THE THIRTEEN ALUMNI COMPANIES FROM THE 2020 VILLAGEX CYCLE RAISED $9 MILLION IN CAPITAL IN ONLY AN 18-MONTH PERIOD. ACCELERATORS SUCH AS VILLAGEX PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR EDUCATION, EXPOSURE, CONNECTIONS, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY ACCESS TO NETWORKS AND MENTORSHIP THAT HELPS TO DEMOCRATIZE OPPORTUNITIES TO START AND SCALE HIGH-GROWTH VENTURES. VILLAGEX IS AN ANNUAL PROGRAM.NEW ORLEANS ENTREPRENEUR WEEK (NOEW), TAKES PLACE DURING THE SPRING OF EACH YEAR. AT NOEW, ATTENDEES GATHER TO LEARN FROM A GLOBALLY RECOGNIZED LINEUP OF PANELISTS AND KEYNOTE SPEAKERS AS WELL AS TAKE PART IN PITCH COMPETITIONS, NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES, AND OTHER EXCITING EVENTS. NOEW IS FREE FOR ATTENDEES AND IS THE LEADING PLATFORM FOR CELEBRATING BUSINESS, INNOVATION, AND ENTREPRENEURIAL THINKING IN NEW ORLEANS AND THE GULF SOUTH. THE EVENT FACILITATES CONNECTIONS AND ELEVATES ENTREPRENEURSHIP THROUGH DISCUSSION, DEBATE, EDUCATION, COMPETITION, AND CELEBRATION. THOUSANDS OF INDIVIDUALS ATTEND NOEW EACH YEAR INCLUDING BUSINESS LEADERS, ENTREPRENEURS, AND EMERGING PROFESSIONALS. NOEW CULMINATES IN IDEAPITCH - A "SHARK TANK" STYLE PITCH COMPETITION AWARDING THE WINNER WITH CASH INVESTMENT.IN ADDITION TO THESE CORE PROGRAMS, THE IDEA VILLAGE'S STRATEGY TO INSPIRE, START, AND SCALE HIGH GROWTH VENTURES IS CONTINUALLY EVOLVING TO MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR FOUNDERS, STARTUP PIPELINE AND OUR COMMUNITY AT LARGE.