It’s New Orleans: Out to Lunch

Hosted ByPeter Ricchiuti

Tulane University A.B. Freeman School of Business finance professor Peter Ricchiuti holds court over lunch at Columns in Uptown New Orleans. Peter's lunch guests are New Orleans business people, from startups to CEO's, from artists to tech entrepreneurs, musicians to movers-and-shakers. New Orleans is on everybody's list as a great place to party but it's also on many lists of the best place to start a business. Peter's deeply knowledgable and equally levity-laden approach to business conversation neatly makese sense of the Crescent City's contradictions.

Giving – Out to Lunch – It’s New Orleans

In 2005, many of us in New Orleans found ourselves in a position we could never have imagined. Homeless. Our place of work closed down. Our insurance companies refusing to compensate us. And our government largely useless.

Until then it was just a cliché. But the kindness of strangers saved our lives. And our city. It is no exaggeration to say that in those dire days New Orleans was resurrected by good people and charitable organizations.

Those organizations didn’t just spring up. Nor did they fade away. They’re in business and hard at work all the time for those who need them.

On this edition of Out to Lunch Peter’s talking to three people intimately involved in the Giving Economy.

michael williamson, rick haase, peter ricchiuti, brian kish

Michael Williamson is President and CEO of United Way South East Louisiana. Rick Haase is President of Latter and Blum and current campaign chair of United Way.

peter ricchiuti, brian kish

Brian Kish is President of the Emeril Lagasse Foundation.

michael williamson, rick haase

Non profit organizations count for a whopping 5% of the US Gross Domestic Product. They’re continuing to make a big difference in New Orleans.

peter ricchiuti, brian kish, grant morris

Photos in the wine room at Commander’s Palace by Dionne Grayson. 

It's Bougie baby
Realtor Tracey Moore