March 1, 2023 — While the New Orleans region has recently moved toward the forefront of entrepreneurism in the United States, its place there is not solidified. The city has a long history of being in a leadership position and then resting on its laurels while other cities leap ahead. To cite just two examples, New Orleans used to be the banking center of the South; and the airport used to be the primary gateway to South America.
Neither of these is remotely true today.
Among the vulnerabilities in our current entrepreneurial marketplace are access to capital, entrepreneurial support systems – especially pertaining to scaling up – and overall equitability. In general, the entrepreneurial ecosystem here needs a stronger institutional foundation.
Stepping up to meet this challenge is the new Tulane University Innovation Institute, which is charging right out of the gate with the launch of a $10 million startup fund which expects to begin accepting applications for funding from startups this spring.