Peter Ricchiuti hosts Out to Lunch at Columns in Uptown New Orleans
In the mid 1700’s, a French author, Voltaire, wrote a biting satire that has remained a classic piece of literature ever since. The novel, Candide, is about a student who is continually beset by all kinds of horrific disasters. It’s basically a buddy comedy in which the kid’s super-upbeat tutor keeps encouraging him, by saying, “All is for the best in the best of all possible worlds.” It’s kind of today’s equivalent of advising a kid in a disadvantaged public school to, “follow your dreams and anything is possible.”
The fact is, if you’re a high school kid from an economically disadvantaged background, and you’re in a not-so-great public school, it’s going to take a lot more than a positive attitude to succeed after you graduate. That’s the harsh reality that drives a ground-breaking New Orleans organization called YouthForce NOLA.
YouthForce NOLA partners with every public school in New Orleans to form a bridge between the schools and local businesses. They provide kids with internships that give them real world experience. Kids and business owners, who wouldn’t normally know each other existed, get to meet and mutually benefit from their association.
YouthForce NOLA can quote all kinds of statistics that explain why its operating model is spreading across the country, but this one set of numbers tells the story: since 2015 around 2,000 young people have earned over $3 million in paid internships – and 99% have continued on to college or a career.
The Founder and CEO of YouthForce NOLA is Cate Swinburn.
Cate Swinburn, Founder and CEO of YouthForce NOLA. “Our call to action is how can we transform the city of New Orleans through future-ready graduates.”
Along with YouthForce NOLA, there are a lot of organizations whose sole purpose is helping people. These organizations are generally grouped under the banner, “non- profit.” A non-profit business doesn’t have to pay federal taxes. They’re mostly exempt from property taxes. They have access to grant funding. They can receive donations that are tax deductions for the donor. And there are a whole bunch of other benefits too. But, – and there’s always a “but” when it comes to what looks like easy money – these non-profit business have to jump through a bunch of bureaucratic hoops and comply with all kinds of regulatory requirements to retain their legal definition of a 501(c)3 business.
Other purpose-driven organizations that raise and spend money for reasons other than making a profit – like foundations and public entities – also have unique requirements. Here in New Orleans there’s a company whose business is maximizing the efficiency of all these types of organizations. It’s called Trepwise. It’s Founder and CEO is Kevin Wilkins.
Kevin Wilkins, Founder and CEO of Trepwise. “Our vision is thriving communities nurtured by good ideas and we believe good ideas can come from anywhere or anyone.”
Kevin brought the original incarnation of Trepwise to Out to Lunch in 2016.
The Bottom Line
The term “the bottom line” is derived from accounting. It refers to the last line of a balance sheet in which you’re left staring at an incontrovertible fact – you’ve either made money or lost it. Over the last few years we’ve come to know businesses that deal in what’s called a triple bottom line. The three P’s of the triple bottom line are, Profit, People, and Purpose. In other words, there can be more to business than making money. Cate Swinburn and Kevin Wilkins are great examples of people who have proven skills in making profits, but who choose to add people and purpose to their professional lives.
Peter Ricchiuti, Kevin Wilkins, Cate Swinburn, Out to Lunch at Columns on St Charles Avenue in Uptown New Orleans
Out to Lunch was recorded live over lunch at Columns in Uptown New Orleans. Photos by Jill Lafleur.
