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.

Forget About Work – Out to Lunch – It’s New Orleans

There are times in your life when things go right. Whether it’s good luck, good timing, or good management, you just need to celebrate. The simplest way to do that is to throw a party. A few drinks, some food, the right people – and to top it all off some helium balloons with racy adult sayings guaranteed to make everybody laugh.

Where would you get helium balloons with racy adult sayings from? The answer is the specialty adult balloon company, Badass Balloon Co And guess what? It’s right here in New Orleans.

Desiree Ontiveros

Desiree Ontiveros, the founder of Badass Balloon Co, joins Peter Ricchiuti on this edition of Out to Lunch.

Keely Crowder

When things go really right, you can take an exotic, luxury vacation. For that you can call on Peter’s other lunch guest today, Keely Crowder. Keely has a luxury travel agency called Travel Like A Diva.

Keely Crowder, Desiree Ontiveros

Both Keely and Desiree turned their backs on traditional occupations to start up their businesses. Are they having fun yet? The next time you think every great idea has been thought of and there’s nothing new under the sun, think of Badass Balloon Co and Travel Like a Diva.

Photos at Commander’s Palace by Alison Moon.

Realtor Tracey Moore