The Idea Village Team
The Idea Village Team is a group of entrepreneurs, innovators and professionals with diverse backgrounds, career paths and levels of experience, many of whom have either personally started or participated directly in starting and growing businesses.
Tim Williamson: tim@ideavillage.org
President/Co-Founder of The Idea Village
Tim brings his energy and leadership experiences from founding four entrepreneurial ventures in the last 15 years. Since 2000, Tim focused on founding and leading The Idea Village, one of the most innovative economic development organizations in New Orleans. Tim’s career began as Vice President with Bear Stearns in Boston and he received a BSM in Finance from Tulane University. Tim serves on the State of Louisiana Small Business and Entrepreneurship Commission, Kingsley House, a graduate of the 2004 NORLI class, graduate of Loyola’s Institute of Politics, 1999 City Business Power Generation, 2004 Gambit 40 under 40, and 2004 Junior Achievement Rising Star Award.
Allen Bell: allen@ideavillage.org
Chief Operating Officer/Co-Founder of The Idea Village
Allen returned home to New Orleans in 1994, relocating an Atlanta marketing agency which he founded in 1987. In 1998 Allen became General Manager of New OrleansNet, publisher of NOLA.com and MardiGras.com. Allen served as a board member for New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity from 1997 - 2003 and was Board President in 2001. A New Orleans native, Allen received his BA from Southern Methodist University.
Keith Crawford: keith@ideavillage.org
Chief Financial Officer
Keith Crawford, a New Orleans native, received his BA from Louisiana State University and an MBA from Tulane University's A.B. Freeman School of Business where he currently serves as a board member of the Tulane Association of Business Alumni. Keith was the CFO of a clinical research company, where he worked extensively with The Idea Village as an entrepreneur in their program. Keith held financial management roles with Eli Lilly and Co. in Indianapolis and returned to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina to found a managerial consulting practice focused on disaster recovery and implementation.
Lauren Baum: lauren@ideavillage.org
Director of Marketing
Lauren Baum, a New Orleans native, returned from New York after Katrina, with the intention of becoming “temporarily” involved in rebuilding her hometown before returning to her job as a publicist for eBay. After realizing the tremendous challenges and inspiration in her hometown, Lauren decided to declare the move permanent. Lauren completed her undergraduate degree in Communications and Chinese from Stanford University where she continued her studies to earn a Masters degree in Business and Organizational Sociology.
Miji Park: miji@ideavillage.org
Director of Innovative Spaces
Miji Park came to New Orleans initially expecting to volunteer gutting houses for a couple weeks before beginning her career at a real estate and economic research firm in Berkeley, CA. Her plans were intentionally derailed after volunteering at The Idea Village. Upon investing a small amount of herself in New Orleans, she realized that it would be impossible to walk away from the post-Katrina challenge and potential legacy that one could have on the City. Miji is a graduate from the University of Pennsylvania where she dual-majored in Urban studies and Economics.
Emily Mitchell: emily@ideavillage.org
Director of University Partnerships
Emily moved to New Orleans as an undergraduate Tulane student prepared for an adventure. She graduated with a BA in Spanish and Psychology, MA in Spanish and Latin American Studies, and a love for New Orleans. After co-founding several start-up ventures, Emily returned to Tulane’s Freeman School of Business. Katrina reinforced Emily’s connection and commitment to the people and the culture of New Orleans. She became President of the Tulane’s Entrepreneurs Association and was a leader in the development of IDEAcorps™, a partnership between The Idea Village and Tulane University. Emily is now a full-time Idea Village employee and leads the charge of engaging Universities in the IDEAcorps™ program.
Daryn Dodson: daryn@ideavillage.org
Director of Village Ventures
Daryn Dodson is a Washington DC native and fourth generation entrepreneur. Daryn recently graduated from the Stanford Graduate School of Business where he focused on social innovation. Before getting his MBA, Daryn earned his Public Policy degree from Duke University. With no prior connection to New Orleans, Daryn felt compelled to contribute to the recovery of the city after Hurricane Katrina. In March 2007, he organized fifteen Stanford MBA students to work with The Idea Village in providing focused strategy plans to local entrepreneurs. After his experience, Daryn finalized his commitment to New Orleans.
Nicky Cohen-Henriquez: nicky@ideavillage.org
Networks Manager
Nicky, a native of Curaçao, earned a Bachelors of Science in Management with a focus in Information Systems from Tulane University. Joining The Idea Village team first as an IT intern, she decided to stay with the organization upon graduation due to the unique opportunities the city provides.