From an office in Canal Street’s BioInnovation Center, Dr Aline Betancourt’s company Wibi Works is pioneering a stem cell arthritis cure. From another office in the same building Billy Bosch is launching body and brain food, Iconic.

New Orlean’s most original thinkers: Arman Sadeghpour, co-founder & CEO of Theodent the chocolate toothpaste & Sean Simone co-founder of Yellow Jacket, the cell phone case that’s also a 650k volt stun gun.

Abandoning all hope of a serious Mardi Gras conversation, Peter goes for dancers and beads with Bustout Burlesque creator Rick Delaup and Zombeads founder Anne Rolfes.

New Orleans app builder Neel Sus from Touch Studios hears a lot of ideas for phone and tablet apps – is there one more great one out there? Simon Marthinsen’s start-up Plebu is taking on the other great 21st century every-man tech challenge – build a better website.

Sal Palmisano was New Orleans’ Enemy Number One when he came up with the brilliant business plan to boot drivers’ questionably parked cars. Today he is the pioneer of a whole new set of wheels: NOLA Pedicabs.