It's Baton Rouge: Out To Lunch

It's the second week of Out to Lunch Baton Rouge's host Stephanie Riegel's link-up with Out to Lunch Acadiana host Christiaan Mader and New Orleans Out to Lunch host Peter Ricchiuti for a statewide look at our business and financial life in Louisiana in what has become this unprecedented Covid Economy. If you live outside of Baton Rouge, and everything you know about the city comes from what you hear or see on the news, you’d be forgiven for thinking that nothing goes on here but politics. That’s far from the truth. And it’s the reason the slogan of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber is, “There’s more to Baton Rouge than you might think.” For starters, there are over 1,500 businesses and organizations that are members of the Chamber. The function of the Chamber is to support those member-businesses, help them grow, and to make Baton Rouge such a great place to do business that other people will be attracted to start or move companies here. But, what does a Chamber of Commerce do

Out to Lunch Baton Rouge is linking up with Out to Lunch New Orleans and Out to Lunch Acadiana for a statewide examination of our businesses, and personal finances as we deal with the national public health crisis that is Coronavirus in Louisiana and life in the Covid Economy. Isolated in their respective homes, Stephanie Riegel co-hosts the show along with New Orleans host Peter Ricchiuti and Acadiana host Christiaan Mader.   On this inaugural edition of Out to Lunch Louisiana, Stephanie introduces Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana's healthcare economist, Mike Bertaut, who reveals the scope of the current crisis for the healthcare company, for healthcare nationwide, and for the 1.6million Louisiana residents who are signed up with Blue Cross Blue Shield. Christiaan Mader discusses the extent to which Acadiana has begun to feel the effects of the onset of the virus, from the oil field to Jefferson Street, with veteran local political insider and current CEO and President of United Way of Acadiana,

Imagine that you're the most beautiful person in the world. And you happen to have a sister, who is even more beautiful than you! If you didn't happen to be compared to your sister all the time, you'd be a really big deal. That's kind of how it is with the Baton Rouge performing arts. Baton Rouge is unfortunate in its proximity to its older sister, New Orleans. But there are actually a number of extraordinarily talented people in the Baton Rouge performing arts world. For example, Jamie Ray. Jamie Ray is owner of Air Seekers Acrobatic Movement, a professional acrobatic company that focuses on cirque-style and physical theater performances. Jamie is a professional movement artist and instructor whose work is informed by her background in aerial dance, theater, and partner acrobatics.  Vastine Stabler is Managing Artistic Director of Swine Palace, a non-profit, professional theater company supporting the educational mission of the LSU Department of Theater. Since its founding in 1992, Swine Palace has

Seven out of 10 American households own pets, generally cats and dogs. This has created a huge pet care industry and unlimited opportunity for creative, animal-loving entrepreneurs. It has also led to an unfortunate side-effect: little-loved animals, particularly cats, wandering our streets.  Angela Schifani is Development Director of Cat Haven, a non-profit cat rescue organization that was founded in 1999 in response to a community need for comprehensive rescue, foster, and adoption services for cats and kittens in Baton Rouge. When Cat Haven began, it was the first rescue organization to spay and neuter pets before adopting them to new homes. Today, it continues this practice and partners with local spay/neuter programs to ensure population control and quality of life for both animals and people in this city. Since its inception, Cat Haven has saved more than 12,000 cats and kittens. Amanda Floyd focuses on pets who have a secure home. Amanda is owner and manager of The Royal Treatment, a hig

We all have a pack rat in the family. Maybe, in fact, you’re the one with the house that’s always a little messy and disorganized. You might not diagnose yourself as having a hoarding disorder - or other mental disorders you wouldn't expect in a business podcast - but that's where we're going on this edition of Out to Lunch Over lunch at Mansurs on the Boulevard in Baton Rouge, Stephanie Riegel is joined by Alyssa Trosclair, owner of Emend, a professional organizing company that specializes in helping its clients organize their life. This is a new and emerging field; in fact, Alyssa is the only Certified Professional Organizer in Louisiana. As such, she does a lot more than just help you straighten your closet and de-clutter your bedroom, though she does that, too. Rather, as a professional organizer, Alyssa helps you understand why you’re disorganized and messy – what the root causes are – and how you can learn to address those issues and learn new systems of organizing your stu

As surprising as it may seem, in 2019 Newsweek magazine called Baton Rouge music Mecca. And named the local Listening Room as the best place in the US to hear live music! The music industry in Louisiana is one of the state’s most powerful economic and cultural engines, though most of the credit and attention typically goes to New Orleans. Why is Baton Rouge music business overlooked? And what does the Capital Region have to offer in the music space? Somebody who is well qualified to address these questions is Chris Maxwell. He's owner of the Red Dragon Listening Room a local venue for live music that, as its name implies, really focuses on the music and the quality of the sound its artists produce, instead of the glitz and glam you might find in a larger concert arena. Founded in the early 2000s, the Red Dragon Listening Room showcases Louisiana talent. And giving back to the community – it is a nonprofit – not a business. The Listening Room puts money back into the arts and other nonprofit

In May 2013, New Orleans businessman John Georges bought Baton Rouge’s beloved family-owned newspaper The Advocate. At a time when media companies around the country have been down-sizing, shutting up shop, or going exclusively digital, the Baton Rouge Advocate has expanded into Acadiana and into New Orleans, ultimately vanquishing its rival there with the acquisition of the New Orleans Times Picayune. And the newspaper expansion has continued - now encompassing statewide more community papers than you can count on two hands, including New Orleans’ alternative weekly, Gambit. We've known for some time that John Georges is one of the smartest business people in Louisiana. What we didn’t know, until his foray into newspapers, is that he is apparently one of the smartest business people in the USA. With over 8,000 journalists laid off nationwide over 2018-19, no-less than the President of the US repeatedly assailing the press and journalists as "the enemy of the people," and media pundits refer

As technology continues to evolve and change the world around us, our local economy is changing too and adapting — taking advantage of the opportunities the tech sector creates and preparing the next generation of tech workers for the jobs that need filling today and in the years to come. Jacquelyn Craddock is Director of Workforce Initiatives at Nexus Louisiana, an arm of the Research Park Corporation that connects growth-focused companies to capital, resources and talent. In that role, Jacquelyn oversees a relatively new program called Apprenti Louisiana—an apprenticeship program that provides education and paid on-the-job training for those interested in joining the tech sector. Apprentices work in computer programming, web developers, software developers, IT support personnel and network security administrators, to name a few. Jacquelyn is a native of south Louisiana and graduate of LSU, who came back to the state to work at LSU more than a decade ago after first getting a master’s degre

Aging is a hot topic in America these days. So is anti-aging. On the one hand, the Baby Boomer generation are now in their late 50s which means big changes to our workforce, retirement system, and healthcare delivery system, all of which are creating business opportunities for companies that meet the needs of the aging population. On the other hand, the relentless desire to remain youthful has created a desire to stay and look young, which to some degree is setting up a question we're going to have answer: Aging Versus Anti-Aging.   On the side of aging, Maria Yiannopolous is Director of Community Relations at Southside Gardens,  a retirement community of independent living and assisted living units in the heart of Baton Rouge’s Southdowns neighborhood. Unlike most retirement communities are owned by large chains, Southside Gardens is a family-owned business.  Maria’s background is in marketing, which she did in her native New Orleans for more than two decades. Since 2017, she

Aging is a hot topic in America these days. So is anti-aging. On the one hand, the Baby Boomer generation are now in their late 50s which means big changes to our workforce, retirement system, and healthcare delivery system, all of which are creating business opportunities for companies that meet the needs of the aging population. On the other hand, the relentless desire to remain youthful has created a desire to stay and look young, which to some degree is setting up a question we're going to have answer: Aging Versus Anti-Aging.   On the side of aging, Maria Yiannopolous is Director of Community Relations at Southside Gardens,  a retirement community of independent living and assisted living units in the heart of Baton Rouge’s Southdowns neighborhood. Unlike most retirement communities are owned by large chains, Southside Gardens is a family-owned business.  Maria’s background is in marketing, which she did in her native New Orleans for more than two decades. Since 2017,

According to the Global Wellness Institute, the global health and wellness industry is now worth $4.2 trillion. The industry has been growing with 12.8% between 2015 and 2017 and represents a whopping 5.3% of global economic output. For local entrepreneurs, that is creating a lot of opportunities – but that also means there’s a lot of competition. Nicole Cummins is owner of Barre 3, a boutique fitness studio that’s part of a Portland, Oregon-based chain with more than 130 locations around the country. Barre 3 offers a full body, low-impact cardio workout that incorporates deep long hold, micromovements and the traditional ballet bar.  Nicole brought Barre 3 to baton Rouge in January 2017, when she opened the first and so far only studio in the Acadian Village Shopping Center. Today some 300-500 members a week come through the studio to take one of the dozens of classes offered.  Kirk Vidrine is a nutritionist and kinesiologist with his own company, V Well Solutions, that is ma

Down on Silicon Bayou, local Baton Rouge companies are carving out an amazing space in the tech sector. They’re designing impressive software platforms and tools that are attracting worldwide attention. Steve McKinney  is the Chief Operating Officer of Cell Control, a Baton Rouge company that, in 2009, came up with technology to help eliminate distracted driving. In the years since, Cell Control has become the global leader in this field by selling its services to companies—big Fortune 500 companies—that have huge fleets of potentially distracted drivers. One reason the technology is so popular is because it is simple. It pairs a Bluetooth device with your cell phone to disable texting and Web surfing from the driver’s seat while still allowing a passenger’s phone to have full function. With over 100,000 users, Cell Control is saving big companies with fleets of drivers a lot of money, time, and frankly, lives.    Calvin Fabre, CEO of Envoc, a Baton Rouge

It doesn’t matter how many times you’ve flown across the country or around the world, for that matter. There’s something that continues to dazzle and fascinate us wingless, human creatures every time we get in an airplane, whether a single prop or a jumbo jet, and get ready for take off.  When cars were invented, they were originally known as "horseless carriages." In the same way, a few years ago we started talking about "unmanned aircraft" - the contraptions we now call "drones."  On this edition of Out to Lunch Baton Rouge, Stephanie Riegel is talking traditional and unmanned aviation. Mike Edwards is Director of Aviation at the Baton Rouge Metro Airport. BTR, as it’s known, is a regional airport with three carriers that serve around a million  passengers a year from its 1,800 acres in north Baton Rouge. Mike took over at the helm of the airport in November 2018, after previously serving as Interim Director and, before that as Operations Manager. Mike previously worke

If you think "Silicon Valley" sounds cool but "Silicon Swamp" doesn't, you're probably not from South Louisiana. Here in South Louisiana we love the swamp, it's a part of who we are. The reason "Silicon Swamp" might sound weird is that we are less inclined to identify ourselves as the home of tech innovation. Well, maybe it's time for an altitude adjustment! There are  impressive start-up businesses here that maybe you've never heard of but that are turning heads around the country. And beyond. Casey Roussel is Executive Vice President of Cloud Gavel, a company that is revolutionizing the way law enforcement officers do their jobs. More specifically, Cloud Gavel has created software that streamlines the way officers obtain warrants in the field by enabling them to complete the entire warrant process electronically,  without ever having to leave the scene of a crime. The electronic warrant system allows officers to write a bulletin and send it to a judge at the push of a button. The judge then r

There aren't many occasions to talk about fine art and movies in the same sentence. And you'd be forgiven for thinking there's even less occasion to consider the financing of movies and fine art as having anything to do with each other. And that's why we have lunch! So folks from what might seem to be disparate endeavors can talk and find out they actually have something in common. Ann Connelly is a legend in the art world.   Ann is founder and owner of Ann Connelly Fine Art where she is a curator, interior designer, and consultant to homeowners and businesses. Over the past 25 years, Ann has grown her business into a gallery that today carries the works of more than 40 creatives, and as a consultancy to some of the most prominent companies and institutions in Baton Rouge, that have hired Ann to hang art on their walls.    Jillian Hall is a documentary fiim maker. She also heads up the Baton Rouge operations of NOVAC, the oldest media arts nonprofit organization in the Gulf

Every place has a history and a past, but preserving the best of it and keeping it relevant doesn’t just happen, you have to work at it. On this show we're very bullish on keeping Baton Rouge vital economically and socially, but today we're talking about looks - keeping Baton Rouge beautiful. We're not being shallow and fixated on appearance, cities can be more attractive economically and socially as they age - with the right approach to beauty and preservation. Michael Desmond is an architect and scholar in the LSU School of Art and Design, with a particular expertise in the history of architecture. For the past decade, Michael has been studying the architecture of the historic LSU campus. Since receiving a grant from the Getty Foundation in 2008,  Michael has produced an architectural history on the buildings, a technical report documenting the external condition of the buildings, a large public exhibition that traveled the state throughout the university’s 150th anniversary in 2010 an

Time was, every town had cobblers and tailors. Fairy tales and history books alike are replete with references to these noble tradesmen, who kept people "shodded" and clothed. Today, you can still look good in a sharp suit and shiny shoes. Commerce has evolved from local service providers to department stores, big box retailers and online sites, but, here in Baton Rouge, although old fashioned businesses have become fewer and far between, they haven't completely disappeared. Clyde Lawrence is owner of MIlitello’s Shoe Repair, a venerable Baton Rouge business that has been around since 1972. Everybody knows Militello’s and gets their shoes repaired there, or, at least, polished and shined. Clyde came to Baton Rouge from his native Bossier City to seek his fortune in the chemical plants in the mid-1970s. He stumbled instead into Militello’s and landed a job. He’s been there ever since. In early 2018, he and his wife bought the business from longtime owner Fred Militello, who was retiring

"Retail apocalypse" is a term we’re starting to hear frequently. It suggests a coming meltdown of retail reality due to the impact of Amazon and other online retailers on brick and mortar stores. Stephine Riegel's guests on this edition of Out to Lunch Baton Rouge are, in two very different ways, fighting it out on the front line of retail apocalypse. Chris Russo Blackwood is co-owner of Russo Ross, a popular women’s boutique on Jefferson Highway here in Baton Rouge. Chris didn’t start out in the retail sector. She was a journalist with The Advocate and then later with In Register Magazine, which she headed as publisher. In 2011, Chris sold the magazine and wrote a true crime book about the murder of local businessman Ted Kergan, then, in 2012, before the retail apocalypse got started, she and longtime friend Susan Ross decided to take their careers in a different direction and opened Russo Ross to offer classic, well-made clothes at a reasonable price.  Kevin Langley is on the other si

Technology is all around us today, making possible things we never even imagined. Here's two: an app that is the Uber of medical care, and Virtual Reality that  makes it possible to train employees to work in a chemical plants or recreate the battle of Okinawa. Perhaps an equally surprising fact about these innovations is that they are being created here in south Louisiana. Vashon Craft is Director of Community Relations at a company called Ready Responders, a New Orleans-based startup that expanded into the Baton Rouge market in 2019, bringing with it its unique service of on-demand health care to your door – or wherever you are.  Ready Responders dispatches medics on-demand to provide non-emergency medical care—then offers follow up care with nurses and physicians assistants. It’s all done via a smart phone app using software the company developed.   Cody Louviere is the founder of King Crow Studios, a local software development firm that specializes in virtual reality

As the tech industry evolves and matures, all sorts of new opportunities are created for entrepreneurs, who see where existing technologies don't meet a need or don't go far enough to deliver what customers demand. If you listen to national shows like "How I Built This" or Freakonomics, you're familiar with the type of wildly creative person who doesn't take no for an answer and comes up with a great idea that at the outset might seem odd or impossible. Those kinds of ideas are not all born in Silicon Valley. We have them here too. Meet Omnidek and Sellswipe, and their creators, Chris Jordan and D. Marcus Glasper. Chris Jordan's Omnidek is an all-in-one business platform geared toward the construction industry that consolidates all the apps a company needs to run its expense reports, payroll, project management and so on, and merges them onto a single system. Chris got the idea for this platform when, after several years selling software to construction companies and realizing all the inefficiencies of having