It’s New Orleans: Out to Lunch

Hosted ByPeter Ricchiuti

OUT TO LUNCH finds the country's most entertaining finance professor Peter Ricchiuti conducting business New Orleans style: over lunch. Each week Peter invites guests from the New Orleans business world to join him, sometimes for fine dining others for pizza. From CEO's to startups, managers, musicians, biomed needle-movers, Silicon Bayou success stories and entrepreneurs of all stripes put aside the elevator pitch and the talking points and actually enjoy themselves. It's business, New Orleans style.
You can also hear the show on WWNO 89.9FM.

Who’s That Guy? – Out to Lunch – It’s New Orleans

For the past few years with all the Hollywood folks in town it’s not unusual for someone at Whole Foods in New Orleans to whisper, “Do you know who that is?” It’s usually a celebrity who looks quite different in the cereal aisle from how she looks like on screen.

Today on Out to Lunch Peter’s playing a business version of “Do you know who that is?”

Jay Hakes

Do you know who Jay Hakes is?

Rob Lalka

Or Rob Lalka?

Unless you’re familiar with the highest levels of federal government, private-public entrepreneurship, and international energy policy, there’s a good chance you don’t recognize their names. You could Google them. Or you could stick around for 30 minutes and get to meet two of the most impressive New Orleans business celebrities this side of Canal Street.

rob lalka, jay hakes, peter ricchiuti

Rob Lalka is one the driving forces at business incubator Propeller, and he worked in Hilary Clinton’s State Department. Jay Hakes was President Obama’s adviser on the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and has just gotten back from talking about drilling in Cuba.

Photos at Commander’s Palace by Dionne Grayson.