Overview @ Downtown New Orleans

It’s Thursday, May 17 and 10:54am in Downtown New Orleans.

BIG BUSINESS. SMALL NEIGHBORHOODS.

MEET YOUR

NEIGHBORS

Only in New Orleans does a rich, colorful past, raw authenticity and highly charged, progressive energy logically come together to create an environment unlike any in the world. Yet, it’s not for everyone. For those, however, who find beauty and perfection in this place, New Orleans offers unparalleled opportunities. For artists, filmmakers, engineers, scientists, entrepreneurs and visionaries of any kind, it’s like nowhere else to live and pursue a dream.

NAKED PIZZA

FOUNDERS RANDY CROCHET, BROCK FILLINGER, ROBBIE VITRANO

Specializing in a healthy, organic version of the traditional high-fat fast food, Naked Pizza is a leader in what Forbes calls the “Renaissance on the Mississippi.” The company, which employs 40 employees at its New Orleans headquarters, expects to have over 70 franchises by the end of the year.
DUMONDE VISUAL EFFECTS

DOTAN BONEN, HELENA PACKER, RICHARD EDLUND

Hollywood, meet New Orleans. Celebrity bodyguard turned local real estate developer Dotan Bonen stands with Helena Packer-Burnson and Academy Award winner Richard Edlund of duMonde Visual Effects at 826 Baronne Street. Packer and Edlund moved the full service visual effects company to Downtown NOLA.
CREATIVITY LIVES HERE

GARY SOLOMON, JR., MARTINE CHAISSON, BLAKE HANEY

Gary Solomon Jr., Martine Chaisson and Blake Haney are three of the young stars of the Creative Class Downtown. They are pushing the bounds of creative culture in New Orleans, and leading the way for other young entrepreneurs who want to make a mark in the visual arts and digital media communities.
PJ'S & RUBENSTEINS

SHAWN BREAUD, ANDRE RUBENSTEIN, SHANE SONGY

Andre Rubenstein, owner of Rubensteins classic department store, became familiar with Shane Songy & Shaun Braud several years ago when the friends from Chalmette approached him about opening a PJ’s Coffee in his neighboring property. Today, the three represent Canal Street’s grand history and bright future.
TOUCH STUDIOS

ANDREW PLUMLEE, JAMESON QUAVE, NEEL SUS

Touch Studios, headquartered in Downtown New Orleans, was recently named “Innovator of the Year” at the Governor’s 2011 LTC Technology Awards for their App Maker iPhone creation platform. They have also developed Facebook and mobile apps for Apple and LSU Football.
HOME BASE: DOWNTOWN

LOUIS FAUST AND AJSA NIKOLIC

Insurance broker Louis Faust and Dr. Ajsa Nikolic, owner of the New Orleans Urgent Care clinic in the Warehouse District, recently bought the Homebase building (former headquarters of Emeril Lagasse’s culinary empire) and renovated it into an ultra modern, one-of-a-kind home with retail space on the ground level.
NOVATE MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES

WILL KETHMAN

Remember Will Kethman’s name, because one day you might very well be reading about him as a leader in global health. His patented device, SafeSnip, will be the flagship product of NOVate Medical Technologies, Kethman’s company that will be a tenant at the New Orleans BioInnovation Center on Canal Street.