Grow St. Bernard, powered by the St. Bernard Chamber of Commerce and St. Bernard Economic Development Foundation, is a six-part professional development series that provides fresh ideas and practical strategies to business owners and staff of small and mid-sized businesses. The series includes a diverse lineup of notable speakers and business leaders discussing current trends, local and regional insights, and best practices for operating a business. This year’s Grow St. Bernard series is set to take place from August 3rd, 2021, through October 12, 2021. All sessions will begin with coffee, networking, and a light breakfast at 8:00 AM.
This year, we are offering 10 scholarships to BIPOC business leaders from the Greater New Orleans Area. Applicants must be able to attend the full Grow St. Bernard series to qualify.
Click here to learn more!
Below is the list of the full 2021 series
Session One: August 10th, 2021 – Positioning You and Your Business for Growth
Speaker: Bill Ganon: CEO, The Ganon Group
At the core of all business is your narrative. Why do you exist? Who do you serve? What values, relationships, and passions make your company unique? Bill Ganon, CEO of the Ganon Group, specializes in turning these thoughts into growth. Whether through sales pitching or marketing and branding, Bill aims to help all in his network maximize growth and success through perfecting both internal and external communications. Read more about Bill here.
Session Two: August 17, 2021 – Expanding Your Online Footprint
Speaker: Franziska Trautmann: Founder & Co-Director, Glass Half Full NOLA
You have a great product. Your team works hard. You’re ready for the next step. Yet, you struggle to find and engage customers, especially online. In an ever-growing digital world, now’s the time to flip your weakness on its head. Hear from Franziska Trautmann, Co-Founder of Glass Half Full NOLA and its non-profit arm, Glassroots, who will share how she has utilized the right resources, consistency, and outreach to grow her small business’s social media following to almost 300,000 in just one year and land placements in outlets like The Guardian, Good Morning America, and NowThis.
Session Three: August 31, 2021 – Driving Diversity, Equity, and Growth in your Community
Speakers: Mindy Airhart: President & CEO, Southern Services & Equipment Inc.; Dustin Woehrmann: CEO of Communify | Board Member, Gulf South LGBT Chamber
In a year of struggle and hope for better times on many fronts, we’ve all been able to step back and learn something. How living out values like racial equity, fostering opportunities for women in business, and creating an inclusive environment aid your business? Mindy Airhart, President & CEO of St. Bernard’s own Southern Services & Equipment Inc, and Dustin Woehrmann, CEO of Communify, are here to show you how these lessons can separate you from the pack, creating an avenue for business growth and prosperity. You won’t want to miss this unique session.
Session Four: September 14, 2021 – Keeping the Family Happy: Wellness & Motivation in the Office
Speakers: Sara Bandurian: Operations Coordinator, Online Optimism; Dr. John Sawyer: Medical Director of Professional Staff Experience, Oschner Health
With many companies coming off a year of remote work, we’ve all felt stuck at some point during the COVID pandemic, whether literally or metaphorically. Employees and business owners have had to learn a new daily routine, full of Zoom calls instead of handshakes and laughs. How can you keep employee motivation and mental health up during the most trying of times? Sara Bandurian, Operations Coordinator of Online Optimism, has implemented a variety of strategies in the past 14 months and beyond aimed at keeping employee happiness, engagement, and productivity up, earning her spots in both Fortune and Business Insider on the topic. And, you’ll learn from Dr. John Sawyer, Medical Director of Professional Staff Experience for Oschner, a true expert in the field of mental health and employee wellness. Hear more about their initiatives and tips by registering for Session Four of Grow St. Bernard!
Session Five: September 28, 2021 – Streamlining your Small Business Operations
Speakers: Kevin Wilkins: Founder and Managing Director, trepwise
Squarespace, HubSpot, Quickbooks, Slack, Google Drive... there are so many tools out there meant for optimizing your business’s operations that it can be hard to know which are the right fit for your team. Kevin Wilkins, Founder and Managing Director of trepwise, has decades of experience in business management and lending a hand to smaller operations through the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses initiative. Hear his insights, recommendations, and more on how you can streamline your day-to-day efficiency and efficacy at Session 5 of Grow St. Bernard!
Session Six: October 12, 2021 – Scaling to Succeed
Speakers: Daniela Capistrano: Governance Committee, Fund 17; Ella Swimmer: Program Associate, Idea Village
Ready to step out and learn from the experts? New Orleans is full of programs and organizations tailored to growing the knowledge of local entrepreneurs and business owners. Two of said programs are run by Fund 17 & the Idea Village, which have mastered turning ideas into formalized businesses equipped with capital and the tools for success. Learn more in Session Six of Grow St. Bernard 2021 from Daniela Capistrano, Governance Committee Secretary of Fund 17, and Ella Swimmer, Program Associate at Idea Village!