One of the knocks against New Orleans as a place to start up a business is that we can’t be all that great or we would have produced a Google or Facebook or some sort of spectacular big-bucks success by now.

But, despite what you might think, not everybody wants to be a billionaire. Some people have a great idea for a small creative business. They don’t need millions of dollars of venture capital – they just need a bit of help to make it happen.

That’s where Kristy Oustalet and her creative business incubator, Venture Pop, come in. 

Aaron Walker is the founder of Camelback Ventures where they focus on investing in businesses founded by women and people of color.

Camelback Ventures and Venture Pop are pioneering alternative approaches to business that are turning out to be as successful as they are unconventional.

Photos at Commander’s Palace by Alison Moon.