Urban Entrepreneurship Forum set for July 20 in Crescent City

Mayor Mitch Landrieu, in partnership with the White House Busi­ness Council, the White House Office of Public Engagement and the Domestic Policy Council, will host an Urban Entrepreneurship Forum on Wednesday, July 20, 2011, at Xavier University in New Orleans to focus on providing tools to support job growth and foster economic success for local entrepreneurs.

“We are focused on creating jobs, putting people back to work, and ensuring access to economic prosperity for all New Orleanians,” said Mayor Landrieu.

The forum follows the first Urban Entrepreneurship Summit that was held at Rutgers Business School in Newark, NJ, in June. A similar event will be held in Atlanta, GA, with Mayor Kasim Reed on July 29.

President Barack Obama has laid out a vision to win the future by out-innovating, out-educating and out-building the rest of the world — a plan critical for Am­eri­ca’s cities and long-term economic competitiveness. Ear­lier this year, President Obama re-launched the White House Busi­ness Council, which focuses on gathering ideas from the private sector and working in close coordination to support the grow­th and success of American businesses and entrepreneurs.
To focus on these initiatives to boost job growth in America’s cities, the White House Business Council, the White House Office of Public Engagement and the Do­mes­tic Policy Council are partnering with Mayor Landrieu and other mayors to concentrate on ways to strengthen urban entrepreneurship.

Space is limited. Residents and businesses interested in more information should contact Blake Stanfill at (504) 658-8425 or bjstanfill@nola.gov.

This forum is part of a series of Landrieu administration events and programs targeted at supporting local businesses. Last fall, Mayor Landrieu held the city’s first summit on economic opportunities for local businesses, “Peo­ple of New Orleans Re­building New Orleans” at the Marriott Hotel.

The city has also partnered with Goldman Sachs, HOPE Credit Union and Delgado Community College on the $20 million 10,000 Small Businesses initiative, which links local businesses with practical business training and access to capital.

This article was originally published in the July 18, 2011 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper

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