The Idea Village, Tulane University and UNO Form Economic Development Partnership

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
January 13, 2004

The Idea Village, Tulane University and the University Of New Orleans Form Economic Development Partnership

(New Orleans) The Idea Village announced a partnership with Tulane University and the University of New Orleans that will result in more entrepreneurial companies in the New Orleans region and more business opportunities for university students.

The partnership will focus on three main areas: an executive internship program for university MBA students; a business development plan in which The Idea Village turns the universities’ intellectual property into functioning businesses; and entrepreneurial education and training.

“This partnership is beneficial because it allows us to leverage resources as we build more entrepreneurial companies for New Orleans and more local opportunities for university students,” explained The Idea Village President Tim Williamson. “The universities are a wealth of talent and entrepreneurial ideas that, if utilized, can build a better economy and create jobs for New Orleans. Our plan is to do just that,” he said.

Some aspects of this partnership are new while others have been in place for some time, such as the MBA intern program in which MBA students are employed and trained by The Idea Village to work directly with entrepreneurial companies. Through these internships, students gain hands-on experience as they network with potential employers and lay the groundwork for careers in New Orleans upon graduation.

The mutual goal of turning university intellectual property into more business and jobs for the New Orleans region will be realized through the partnership, since the agreement calls for a certain number of spots for university ideas in The Idea Village business accelerator boot camp.

"This partnership will enhance Tulane University's commitment to the New Orleans community by enabling us to continue to use the universities' intellectual capital to create quality jobs and businesses for our city,” Tulane University President Scott Cowen said. "Our goal is to keep more of our graduates in a thriving New Orleans."

University of New Orleans Chancellor Tim Ryan agrees with the potential of the partnership. “The University of New Orleans is partnering with The Idea Village because of its expertise in accelerating entrepreneurial companies and its extensive network of entrepreneurs, service providers, experts and investors. This partnership will allow us to leverage resources as we develop the intellectual property of The University of New Orleans and grow businesses for the region,” he said.

The Idea Village will also work with the universities’ small business centers, in particular the UNO Small Business Development Center and the Levy-Rosenblum Institute for Entrepreneurship at Tulane, to enhance the entrepreneur education options currently available in the community. Omar Aziz, Director of Education and Community Outreach for The Idea Village, looks forward to the coordinated efforts. “This partnership will better serve entrepreneurs because it will align existing educational resources and allow us to develop more specialized training programs,” he said. “In addition,” Aziz explained, “our capacity for helping entrepreneurs will increase dramatically.”

The Idea Village is a community for entrepreneurs and those who believe in them. To learn more about the partnership between The Idea Village, Tulane University and The University of New Orleans, contact Katherine Staiano at 504-565-3717 or Ellie Rand at 504-866-7255. To learn more about The Idea Village, visit www.ideavillage.org