OUR TEAM

JON
ATKINSON

+ CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Jon is an expert in startups, customer development methodologies, and entrepreneurial finance. His past experience combines a diverse knowledge as a professional investor and ‘recovering’ banker with skills gained as a professor, CEO, CFO, business advisor, board member, and strategic consultant to deliver unique business insights in guiding and financing unique business insights in guiding and financing growth oriented companies. Jon was previously the founding director for the Loyola University Center for Entrepreneurship and Community Development and a Visiting Assistant Professor of Management and Entrepreneurship at Loyola University New Orleans. He is also a co-founder and the Fund Administrator for Lagniappe Angels, LLC. Jon also holds his MBA in Strategic Management and Entrepreneurship from Tulane University. When he isn’t busy supporting the entrepreneurs of New Orleans, you can find Jon rowing out in the waters of the Gulf. He also loves all things traveling, coffee and LaCroix, and watching Chef’s Table on Netflix. Jon’s favorite thing about working at The Idea Village is providing businesses with the resources they need to be successful, as well as the great potential he sees in the entrepreneurs of New Orleans.

LIZ
MAXWELL

+ DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS & STRATEGIC INITIATIVES

Liz Maxwell is a creative producer, facilitator, and director with 15 years’ experience in nonprofits, arts/media, and the impact economy. A New Orleans native, Liz’s winding professional path has led her to spend significant time in New York City, Philadelphia, Italy/Europe, and South Africa. For 3 years, Liz worked with Social Capital Markets (SOCAP) to produce industry-leading content on impact investing via the national SOCAP 365 event series, curating 40+ events in 9 cities across the U.S. and co-hosting the company’s first podcast, “Money + Meaning.” Liz is a 2019 New Orleans Women4Climate Fellow and an award-winning theatre director. When not at work, you can find her chilling with her lovable pups Hunter & Tilly, crafting Mardi Gras costumes and paraphernalia, practicing yoga or trying to find the next great dance party. In 2022, Liz graduated with a Master of Public Administration from the University of New Orleans, with a capstone project on cross-sector collaboration for emissions reduction.

MEGAN
BALCH

+ PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Megan is a results-driven executive entrepreneur and creative director with over 10 years of hands-on experience and industry knowledge in conceptualizing, building and growing B2B and DTC businesses, research and development, budgeting, digital marketing, e-commerce, design, product development and production, logistics, and employee development. As a recent transplant from New York City, Megan is excited to join the entrepreneurial ecosystem in New Orleans as the Program Director for The Idea Village.

Megan holds a Bachelor of Science degree from New York University and likes cats.

 

JESSICA
BELAND

+ OPERATIONS MANAGER

Though originally from Brooklyn, New York, Jessica's roots in Louisiana go back for two generations. As the only kid in her Brooklyn school who used phrases like “Neutral Ground” and who knew how to say and spell Tchoupitoulas, she spent most of her life visiting her family in New Orleans. Jessica eventually moved to New Orleans permanently in 2012 to put her daughter through NOCCA and be near her family. As a small business owner herself, Jessica brings a passion for entrepreneurship along with a deep love for the city that helped mold her.

When not at the Idea Village, Jessica can be found DJing throughout the city under the name DJ Miss Spinster, nerding out to DMC DJ battles, producing hip hop beats, and formulating the world's best soap and cosmetics recipes for her company, NOLA Soaparie.

ASHLEIGH
SPARKS

+ DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

Ashleigh is a multifaceted creative professional devoted to regional economic growth and designing a better world. With a decade of experience in branding and strategy within educational, B2B, and B2C sectors, her diverse roles underscore the importance of storytelling, enriching partnerships, and community-centric approaches.

Earning a degree at Loyola University New Orleans set the stage for her career, marked by a pivotal stint at luxury design studio, Scriptura, which is rooted in New Orleans’ community and dedicated to supporting clients through life's milestones. This work was followed by a period at Thrasio, a global Amazon aggregator, where Ashleigh honed key skills, and a leadership role, in which she guided a niche marketing agency’s evolution into a full-service creative studio. Her role as Development Manager at The Idea Village underscores her commitment to making impactful contributions that lead to sustainable organizational growth.

Outside of work, Ashleigh enjoys empowering creative professionals as the co-leader of Ladies Wine and Design (LW&D) New Orleans, a local chapter of a global non-profit initiative aimed at increasing diversity in the industry, especially within leadership roles.

RHENITA
BRADE

+ PROGRAM MANAGER

Rhenita is an experienced innovation and product manager. She is passionate about helping founders and brands validate growth opportunities and de-risk product development and go-to-market strategies across industries. She's spent the last eight years helping to build innovation pipelines at start-ups, Keurig Dr. Pepper, MARS, and General Mills. At The Idea Village, she is most excited about connecting early-stage founders with the resources, people, and programming needed to help them scale their businesses in the Greater New Orleans area.

Rhenita holds an MBA from Carnegie Mellon University and BA from Trinity College. She resides in New Orleans and enjoys local trivia nights.

 

SEAN
MULLIGAN

+ SENIOR PROGRAM ASSOCIATE

Sean Mulligan is a recent graduate from Loyola University New Orleans' MBA Program. He has worked in a number of roles across the arts, entertainment and event industry. In his spare time, he manages and performs with his band, Sean Hobbes & The Hi Res, and has produced numerous music videos through that project. Sean is currently the program and events coordinator for The Idea Village and is excited to work in support of the New Orleans entrepreneurial community. He wants to one day get a PhD in a field involving consumer psychology and hopes to teach marketing and management at a university.

 

ARTEMIS
SCANTALIDES

+ NOEW CONTENT PRODUCER

Artemis is a multi-passionate entrepreneur and head of learning and development with over 16 years of experience. A Massachusetts native, with time spent in DC/MD/VA, New York City, and Las Vegas, her zone of genius lies in creating content, whether social media, or learning and development curriculums, and teaching, coaching, and mentoring entrepreneurs and corporate leaders.

In 2008, Artemis left her corporate consulting job to pursue entrepreneurial endeavors in the fitness, health and wellness space. As a classical ballet dancer from the age of 3 ½, turned kung fu black belt at age 32, her goal was to own her own brick and mortar gym, build a global brand, and become a role model for women struggling with body image. She wanted to help women focus on what they could do, rather than how they looked, and feel empowered by strength training.

Shortly after Artemis left her consulting job, she fell in love with kettlebells and the transformational impact they had on her body, strength, and confidence. She went on to become a kettlebell expert, open her own hardstyle kettlebell training gym in Boston, MA and started to share content online, (before posting to social media and fitness influencers were a “thing”), about her journey training for the StrongFirst Iron Maiden Challenge (a 24kg - 53lbs Pull-up, Pistol Squat, and Strict Military Press).

As a result of sharing content to her online blog, Facebook, and later Instagram, Artemis grew an international personal brand, inspiring women everywhere to lift weights and get strong, started an online fitness coaching business in 2013 (before anyone knew what “online training” was) as an extension of her brick and mortar gym, became a leading women’s strength coach, and landed her first speaking engagement, which led to many more.

In 2014, Artemis became the ninth woman in the world, and the lightest and smallest to date to complete the Iron Maiden Challenge, thereby inspiring petite women (a.k.a. “strong-tinies”) everywhere to train for and attempt the Iron Maiden Challenge, no matter their size.

After she completed the Iron Maiden Challenge in 2014, Artemis created her own women’s mind and body strength workshop, I Am Not Afraid To Lift®, and taught her Lift® workshop to hundreds of women, both nationally and internationally. She also ventured into powerlifting, and at age 39, deadlifted 300lbs at her very first powerlifting meet.

In 2016 Artemis closed her brick and mortar gym to move to Las Vegas so that her husband could accept a Head Therapist position with Cirque du Soleil. Artemis kept growing her online business and upon arriving in Vegas, also accepted a position with Cirque du Soleil to work as the Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Las Vegas resident show KÀ.

In 2019 Artemis resigned from her strength and conditioning coach position at Cirque du Soleil to focus full-time on her online fitness and nutrition coaching business. As a result, within 10-months, she grew her online business to a 6-figure business. In early 2020, pre-pandemic, Artemis pivoted her online business to business coaching and consulting to teach fitness and healthcare professionals how to start, grow, and scale their online businesses. Her pivot was timely as the pandemic settled in, and she helped dozens of fitness and healthcare professionals set up their businesses online. As a result, within the year, Artemis ended up growing her business to a multiple 6-figure business.

In 2022, Artemis returned to the corporate world to work for Caesars Digital at Caesars Entertainment as the Training and Development Manager for their Digital VIP department.

In late 2023, she left Caesars and (sadly) Las Vegas, to move to New Orleans so that her husband could accept a position as the Director of Sports Medicine for Tulane University.

Artemis resides in New Orleans with her husband and is currently supporting the Idea Village through New Orleans Entrepreneur Week (NOEW) as the NOEW Content Producer and Speaker Coordinator. She has a BA in Psychology and French Language and Literature from The George Washington University and a Certificate in Organizational Leadership from Villanova University. A linguaphile, she is fluent in French and has basic proficiency in Arabic, Italian, and Greek. After NOEW, she hopes to find a leadership position in learning and development and return to Las Vegas (her home in heart) someday soon.

When Artemis is not supporting all things NOEW, in her personal time, you can find her doing pull-ups, lifting heavy weights, swinging kettlebells, reading a book, listening to a podcast, taking her French Bulldog Miki for walkies, and vacationing, snorkeling, hiking, and having sunset happy hours with her husband on the Big Island of Hawaii.

 

KRISTINE
LIANG

+ MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS INTERN

Pursuing a bachelor's degree in public relations and digital media practices, Kristine liang recently joined The Idea Village as a marketing & communications intern. Leading Tulane University’s broadcast entertainment club, kristine offers insight into digital media and strives to weave innovative practices with creative content production. Originally from New Jersey, Kristine’s early fervor for entrepreneurship inspired her to spearhead her own fashion line in high school and later the creation of an environmentally sustainable makeup & skincare brand as well.

With experience in business management and a passion for artistic creativity, Kristine also prioritizes inclusivity and transparent communication in varied industries. Determined to enhance industry practices in promoting diversity and introspective communication, some of Kristine’s future endeavors include environmental documentary production in Greece and hosting student-led workshops for university pupils interested in professional video & audio editing. Outside the academic and professional sphere, Kristine enjoys reading, singing, and playing with her orange kitty Cheerio!

VALERIA
ALI

+ STRATEGIC MARKETING ASSOCIATE

Valeria Ali is a marketer, communicator, and small business owner. Over the last four years, New Orleans native, Ali has held several roles across the non-profit and for-profit sectors, helping to create and shape marketing and branding strategies. In 2020, Ali founded Imagen Marketing Agency. An agency aimed to serve local and minority-owned businesses with affordable marketing services. In 2020, she secured over $70K in funding from Google’s New Innovation challenge for Al Dia, a service she co-founded and led from concept to completion for one of her clients. That achievement led to her recognition from Nola.com, BIZ New Orleans, Loyola University New Orleans, and the Mayor of New Orleans, LaToya Cantrell. Ali is a proud Loyola University New Orleans alumni and is excited to further her career in the city with The Idea Village.

 

KAELIN
BROWN

+ MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS INTERN

Brown is an inspiring visionary who enjoys learning about all things brand strategy.

Though, this was not always the case. After years of study at Louisiana State University and gaining hands on experience within the healthcare field in facilities like Ochsner Main Campus, Tulane Medical Center, and attending Charity School of Nursing, Brown decided to let go of her dreams in becoming a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner.

A year later, Brown was introduced to a Family Nurse Practitioner who encouraged her to step into the world of marketing and social media management after she successfully designed the small business owner’s website. Brown began to find herself more and more enamored and empowered by the freedom she was able to experience creatively as she continued to work for the Family Nurse Practitioner’s practice. Now, she aspires to continue growing her skillset as a freelancer in strategically marketing, visually branding, and website creation. Her goal is to one day own her own production and media business and non profit organization dedicated to the mental health community for creative expression and freedom from systemic oppression.

 

INGEBORG
HYDE

+ PROGRAM INTERN

Ingeborg is passionate about the convergence of social innovation, public health, and human-centered solutions; she aims to actively address health challenges wihtin her home state of Louisiana. She works as a financial analyst within the Ochsner Health System and serves on the Junior Board of Ozanam Inn, a shelter that provides essential aid to unhoused populations in New Orleans. Ingeborg holds a Masters of Public Health, with a focus on healthcare management, from Yale University and a Bachelor of Science in Public Health from Tulane University, where she pursued double minors in Marketing and Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship (SISE).

TOREN
HARDEE

+ CONTENT SPECIALIST

Toren is a musician, DJ, producer, audio engineer & video editor raised in rural New Hampshire and living in Bulbancha/New Orleans. He is an enthusiast of cooperative and collaborative forms of organization as a means for social, economic & ecological transformation.

 

MATHILDE
CAMUS

+ MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS INTERN

After graduating Loyola University New Orleans in 2023 with a major in Finance and a minor in Political Science, Mathilde was eager to deepen her knowledge in business administration and decided to contintue her education. Today, Mathilde is an MBA student-athlete at Loyola University New Orleans.

Mathilde previously gained experience in digital media and marketing while interning at Where Y’at Magazine in 2022. As part of her passion for marketing, Mathilde created an Instagram account in 2019 for Loyola's tennis team to shed light on each player’s story, documenting the challenges and realities of being a student-athlete on social media.

In addition, as a member of the Loyola U women’s tennis team, Mathilde was selected for the Tennis All-Conference Team, earned SSAC All-Academic Team Honors, and received the Scholar-Athlete Award.

Mathilde is from France and outside of work, school, and practice, Mathilde is a cinephile and loves reading.

 
 

OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS

 

President: JON ATKINSON | Chief Executive Officer, The Idea Village

Board Chair: MARIANNE VAN METER | Founder and Managing Partner, Legacy Capital

Board Vice Chair: ROBBERT A. “BOBBY” SAVOIE, PhD | Chief Executive Officer, Geocent

Board Treasurer: ROBERT VORHOFF | Managing Director, Global Head of Healthcare, General Atlantic

Board Secretary: CHRIS LAIBE | Chief Executive Officer, inFRONT

 

 

DAVID BARKSDALE | Chairman & Principal, Alluvian Capital

CHRISTY BROWN | Managing Director, NOLA Holdings

PATRICK COMER | Founder & President, Gripnr

DAVID DART | CFO, Gifted Healthcare

SALLY FORMAN | CEO, Sally Forman Communications

SIG GREENEBAUM | Founder & CEO, Sigfest Events

WILL HALES | Managing Director, Market Cross

MICHAEL HECHT | CEO, GNO Inc.

JULIAN HERBERT | Principal Product Manager, Varsity Tutors, a Nerdy Company

TARA HERNANDEZ | President, JCH Properties

BILL HINES | Managing Partner, Jones Walker

CATHY ISAACSON | Vice Chair, Middle East Investment Initiative

MERRITT LANE | President & CEO, Canal Barge

KATIE LEGARDEUR | Managing Director & Market Manager, J.P. Morgan Private Bank

COOPER MANNING | Principal, AJ Capital Partners

TI MARTIN | Co-proprietor, Commander’s Palace

MARY MATALIN | Celebrated Author, Commentator & Presidential Advisor

JENNIFER MCMILLAN | Chief People Officer, Laitram

AIMEE QUIRK | SVP & Chief Corporate Development Officer & CEO, Ochsner Innovation

JEN SCHNIDMAN | Founder, Kickboard

MATT SCHWARTZ | Principal, The Domain Companies

SOUMITRA SENGUPTA | Engineering Leader, UiPath

ALLEN SQUARE | CEO, Square Button

SCOTT WOLFE | President, Precore Labs