• Opportunities Outlook 2023 for DBE Contractors

    Regional Transportation Management Center 10 Veterans Boulevard, New Orleans, LA

    Working on your 2023 business development plan? Join us for Opportunities Outlook 2023 to learn about upcoming procurement opportunities! The Urban League of Louisiana's Contractor's Resource Center will host "Opportunities Outlook 2023" for DBE Contractors on Thursday, January 26, 2023, 1:00pm-4:00pm, at the Regional Transportation Management Center, 10 Veterans Blvd., New Orleans, LA 70124. This annual event is held to support contractors in preparing for the upcoming year by focusing attention on new opportunities for strategic growth and competitiveness. The event will feature updates on current opportunities and upcoming bids from procurement officers and prime contractors. Other programs and resources that support capacity-building and profitability for the contracting community will also be featured. Seating is limited. There is no cost to attend, however, registration is required. Register today to reserve your spot! Also, please bring a stack of your capabilities statement to share!

  • Louisiana Black Leadership Forum

    AT&T Forum 601 New Jersey Ave NW, Washington, DC, United States

    Each year political, business and civic leaders from across Louisiana descend on Washington, D.C. to celebrate with the Mystick Krewe of Louisiana during D.C. Mardi Gras. This weekend of networking and culture presents a unique opportunity for black leaders across our state to engage and strengthen coalitions that uplift our community and strengthen our state. The inaugural Louisiana Black Leadership Forum will bring together black and minority leaders from Louisiana to network, share impactful initiatives, opportunities and threats to advancing economic, civic and political power in our state. We will profile examples of effective engagement and identify opportunities to deepen our collaboration and partnerships. Presenting sponsors include AT&T Louisiana and Amazon. The program includes: 3:00pm Doors Open, Registration & Reception Begins 3:30pm Welcome Remarks & Special Recognitions State Rep. Vincent Pierre, Chairman of the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus Tyronne Walker, Vice President, Urban League of Louisiana Terri Broussard Williams, Senior Manager, Public Policy David Aubrey, Vice President, AT&T Louisiana Panel Discussion 1 Building Black Wealth to Grow Louisiana Economy Moderator: Kelisha Garrett, Louisiana Chamber of Commerce Foundation Panelists: Hon. Krystal Brumfield, Associate Administrator, U.S. General Services Administration Hon. Ted James, Region IV Administrator, Small Business Administration Todd McDonald, CEO, Liberty […]

  • Black Restaurant Accelerator Program – S1: Growth Tactics in Food Service

    Please register for "Black Restaurant Accelerator Program Series - S1: Growth Tactics for Food Service Operators" by visiting https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7011202348509721175 . After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar Join the Urban League of Louisiana for a special 3-part entrepreneurial education series for food service operators looking to grow and scale! The series is designed to provide restauranteurs, caterers, and food truck operators with best practices and actionable steps related to growth tactics, food costing, and consumer packaged goods. This special spring series is hosted in collaboration with the National Urban League and sponsored by the PepsiCo Foundation as a part of the Black Restaurant Accelerator Program (BRAP). BRAP is a part of a $10M investment by the PepsiCo Foundation to provide current and aspiring Black restaurateurs with access to capital, training, mentorship and other support services through the National Urban League’s 12 entrepreneurship centers. Each session will be facilitated by PROOF, an accelerator, incubator, and bar based in Chattanooga, TN. Founded and led by food and beverage industry veterans, the mission of Proof is to support owners and operators in the industry through programs, resources, and community. Register today to reserve your seat for […]

  • Black Restaurant Accelerator Program – S2: Best Practices in Food Costing

    Please register for "Black Restaurant Accelerator Program Series - S2: Best Practices in Food Costing" by visiting https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/499102840448311134. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. Join the Urban League of Louisiana for a special 3-part entrepreneurial education series for food service operators looking to grow and scale! The series is designed to provide restauranteurs, caterers, and food truck operators with best practices and actionable steps related to growth tactics, food costing, and consumer packaged goods. This special spring series is hosted in collaboration with the National Urban League and sponsored by the PepsiCo Foundation as a part of the Black Restaurant Accelerator Program (BRAP). BRAP is a part of a $10M investment by the PepsiCo Foundation to provide current and aspiring Black restaurateurs with access to capital, training, mentorship and other support services through the National Urban League’s 12 entrepreneurship centers. Each session will be facilitated by PROOF, an accelerator, incubator, and bar based in Chattanooga, TN. Founded and led by food and beverage industry veterans, the mission of Proof is to support owners and operators in the industry through programs, resources, and community. Register today to reserve your seat for each session! […]

  • Voice of the Community Roundtable: St. Charles Parish

    Join the Urban League of Louisiana as we host a “Voice of the Community” (VOC) Roundtables in St. Charles Parish! This community-based event will be used to gain valuable insights on the challenges impacting small businesses across the state of Louisiana. The goal of this convening is to hear directly from entrepreneurs about challenges, gaps, opportunities, and resource needs and to leverage this information to create, mobilize, and enhance ULLA’s small business support services across the state. These meetings are hosted as a part of the Urban League of Louisiana’s SBA Community Navigator Pilot Program in collaboration with the National Urban League. There is no cost to attend, however, registration is required. Masks are highly encouraged. Refreshments will be provided at each session. Host: Dr. Carla Antoine, Director, Small Business Support Services, Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, Urban League of Louisiana

  • Black Restaurant Accelerator Program – S3: Consumer Packaged Goods

    Please register for "Black Restaurant Accelerator Program Series - S3: Grow Your Consumer Packaged Goods Business" by visiting https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/813559867457403232 . After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. Join the Urban League of Louisiana for a special 3-part entrepreneurial education series for food service operators looking to grow and scale! The series is designed to provide restauranteurs, caterers, and food truck operators with best practices and actionable steps related to growth tactics, food costing, and consumer packaged goods. This special spring series is hosted in collaboration with the National Urban League and sponsored by the PepsiCo Foundation as a part of the Black Restaurant Accelerator Program (BRAP). BRAP is a part of a $10M investment by the PepsiCo Foundation to provide current and aspiring Black restaurateurs with access to capital, training, mentorship and other support services through the National Urban League’s 12 entrepreneurship centers. Each session will be facilitated by PROOF, an accelerator, incubator, and bar based in Chattanooga, TN. Founded and led by food and beverage industry veterans, the mission of Proof is to support owners and operators in the industry through programs, resources, and community. Register today to reserve your seat for […]

  • Voice of the Community Roundtable: St. John + St. James Parishes

    Join the Urban League of Louisiana as we host a “Voice of the Community” (VOC) Roundtables in St. John the Baptist Parish and St. James Parish! This community-based event will be used to gain valuable insights on the challenges impacting small businesses across the state of Louisiana. The goal of this convening is to hear directly from entrepreneurs about challenges, gaps, opportunities, and resource needs and to leverage this information to create, mobilize, and enhance ULLA’s small business support services across the state. These meetings are hosted as a part of the Urban League of Louisiana’s SBA Community Navigator Pilot Program in collaboration with the National Urban League. There is no cost to attend, however, registration is required. Masks are highly encouraged. Refreshments will be provided at each session. Host: Dr. Carla Antoine, Director, Small Business Support Services, Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, Urban League of Louisiana

  • CRC Training Day: Back Office Administration for Construction Contractors

    Urban League of Louisiana HQ 4640 S. Carrollton Ave., New Orleans, LA, United States

    One of the most significant challenges for small construction contractors who grow is the ability to effectively manage the back-office administration of their firm. Now, more than ever, construction companies must focus on modernizing their back-office processes to operate as efficiently as possible. If you are using administrative processes that are outdated and rely on a ruler, Excel spreadsheets, and paper-based procedures, you probably adding time, cost, and frustration to all of your projects. If this is the case, it’s time for an administrative overhaul! Join the Urban League of Louisiana’s Contractor’s Resource Center on Thursday, March 2, 9:00am-1:00pm, for “CRC Training Day: Back-Office Administration for Construction Contractors”. This workshop will take place at the Urban League of Louisiana, 4640 S. Carrollton Avenue, Suite 110, New Orleans, LA 70119. During this session, construction contractors will be introduced to best practices in back-office administration with a focus on: Utilizing Planswift Estimating software to calculate quantities and values needed to create detailed line-item estimates Developing a winning bid and creating a scope sheet that itemizes inclusions/exclusions Utilizing UDA ConstructionSuite Software to develop a schedule and schedule of values (sov), estimate project costs, and manage your statement of cash flows Understanding business financials […]

  • Becoming Bankable – Session 1: Understanding Your Financial Position

    Join the Urban League of Louisiana for its signature “Becoming Bankable Series: Preparing to Access Capital”, March 7-9, 12:30pm-2:30pm! This series is sponsored by Louisiana Economic Development and the U.S. Economic Development Administration. For small businesses, there are certain indicators that are very telling as to whether or not obtaining a traditional business loan will be possible. These include the personal credit score of the owner, time in business, profitability, debt service coverage, and collateral. In considering these factors and others, it is imperative that entrepreneurs understand how to best position themselves to access capital and what they can be doing today to advance their business closer to becoming bankable. Session 1: Understanding and Improving Your Personal Financial Position | Tuesday, March 7 | 12:30p-2:30p During this session, participants will learn what it means to become bankable and how the personal finances of the entrepreneur are connected to the business. This session also includes a deep dive into the components of a personal financial statement and why it is such a critical part of the funding package for small businesses. Attendees will examine the debt to income ratio versus the debt service coverage, as well as, one’s personal credit score […]

  • Becoming Bankable – Session 2: Financial State and Needs for Growth

    oin the Urban League of Louisiana for its signature “Becoming Bankable Series: Preparing to Access Capital”, March 7-9, 12:30pm-2:30pm! This series is sponsored by Louisiana Economic Development and the U.S. Economic Development Administration. For small businesses, there are certain indicators that are very telling as to whether or not obtaining a traditional business loan will be possible. These include the personal credit score of the owner, time in business, profitability, debt service coverage, and collateral. In considering these factors and others, it is imperative that entrepreneurs understand how to best position themselves to access capital and what they can be doing today to advance their business closer to becoming bankable. Session 2: Examining Your Business’ Financial State and Needs for Growth |Wednesday, March 8 | 12:30p-2:30p During this session, participants gain insights into how to get their business finances in order including ensuring that your balance sheet, income statement, and statement of cash flows are accurate. Attendees will receive tips on accounting systems, banking, equity needs and other important aspects of becoming bankable. Participants will also learn how to examine the financial needs of their business, how to convey funding needs through a business plan, and how to make the […]

  • Becoming Bankable – Session 3: Action Planning for the Funding Package

    Join the Urban League of Louisiana for its signature “Becoming Bankable Series: Preparing to Access Capital”, March 7-9, 12:30pm-2:30pm! This series is sponsored by Louisiana Economic Development and the U.S. Economic Development Administration. For small businesses, there are certain indicators that are very telling as to whether or not obtaining a traditional business loan will be possible. These include the personal credit score of the owner, time in business, profitability, debt service coverage, and collateral. In considering these factors and others, it is imperative that entrepreneurs understand how to best position themselves to access capital and what they can be doing today to advance their business closer to becoming bankable. Session 3: Action Planning for Becoming Bankable and the Funding Package | Thursday, March 9 | 12:30p-2:30p The final session of the series will focus on assisting participants in developing a plan of action for improving their financial position over the next 6-12 months. This session also provides participants with final guidance on developing a funding package. This session will cover best practices in finalizing a loan package, obtaining support, and how to prepare for follow up questions. Common mistakes and items overlooked will be revealed so that participants know […]

  • NOEW: A Recipe for Success – Grow Your Food Service Business!

    A Recipe for Success: Leveraging Best-in-Class Accelerator Programs to Grow Your Food Service Business Monday, March 27, 1:00pm-3:00pm Location: Southern Food & Beverage Museum, 1405 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd., New Orleans, LA 70113 Accelerator programs can be a game-changer for start-ups and growth stage businesses in the food service industry. During the New Orleans Entrepreneur Week’s NOEW In Your Neighborhood series, the Urban League of Louisiana’s Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation and its partners will share how food service accelerators are helping diverse entrepreneurs to grow and scale their operations through guidance on food costing, operational efficiency, branding and marketing, site selection, expanding to consumer packaged goods, and more! The event will take place on Monday, March 27th, 1:00pm-3:00pm, at the Southern Food and Beverage Museum, 1405 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd., New Orleans, LA 70113; and will highlight the PepsiCo Foundation's Black Restaurant Accelerator Program, and feature Louisiana-based, Black-owned food service entrepreneurs who have leveraged the programs benefits to recover, grow, and sustain their operations. This session will also feature insights from PROOF, an accelerator, incubator, and food service consulting firm based in Chattanooga, TN. Founded and led by food and beverage industry veterans, the mission of Proof is to […]