March 27, 2023 — New Orleans Entrepreneur Week opens Monday at Gallier Hall, with six days of programming that include some 70 speeches, panel discussions, workshops and educational sessions designed to connect and cultivate the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Unlike previous years, when all events were free and open to the public, the final three days this year will include paid programming: mostly concerts and entertainment offerings that will be branded as NOEW Fest and held at Generations Hall. The week’s signature event, the Ideapitch competition, will be part of NOEW Fest and requires a ticket for access.
Organizers said the purpose of selling tickets is not to limit participation but to create a destination event — think South by Southwest — that will attract a broader cross section of participants and ultimately make the event more sustainable.
“NOEW has become a really important event for this community,” said producer Liz Maxwell of the Ideal Village, the small business accelerator program that created New Orleans Entrepreneur Week. “It shows what is possible here in New Orleans and Louisiana and that we can create and innovate together.”
Innovation and culture
The theme for this year’s week is innovation and culture, with speeches and sessions built around eight subthemes:
- Culture tech
- Climate tech
- Health innovation
- Startups for impact
- Future of local business
- Investing in innovation
- SaaS (software as a service) entrepreneurs
- EATrepreneurs.