It's Baton Rouge: Out To Lunch

Health and wellness is big business today between 2013 and 2015, the global wellness industry grew nearly 11 percent from 3 point 3 trillion to more than 3 point 7 TRILLION dollars. And it is continuing to grow. For local entrepreneurs, that is creating a lot of opportunities but that also means there s a lot of competition. Nicole Cummins is owner of Barre 3, a boutique fitness studio that s part of a Portland, Oregon based chain with more than 130 locations around the country. Barre 3 offers a full body, low impact cardio workout that incorporates deep long hold, micromovements and the traditional ballet bar. Nicole brought Barre 3 to baton Rouge in January 2017, when she opened the first and so far only studio in the Acadian Village Shopping Center. Today some 300 ot 500 members a week come through the studio to take one of the dozens of classes offered. Kirk Vidrine is a nutritionist and kinesiologist. Kirk recently left a position as a corporate wellness director for a major petrochecmical company to bra

Local Baton Rouge companies are carving out an amazing space in the tech sector. They re designing impressive software platforms and tools that are attracting worldwide attention. Steve McKinney is the Chief Operating Officer of Cell Control, a Baton Rouge company that, in 2009, came up with technology to help eliminate distracted driving. In the years since, Cell Control has become the global leader in this field by selling its services to companies big Fortune 500 companies that have huge fleets of potentially distracted drivers. One reason the technology is so popular is because it is simple. It pairs a Bluetooth device with your cell phone to disable texting and Web surfing from the driver s seat while still allowing a passenger s phone to have full function. With over 100,000 users, Cell Control is saving big companies with fleets of drivers a lot of money, time, and frankly, lives. Calvin Fabre, CEO of Envoc, a Baton Rouge based digital agency that does custom software development, mobile applications,

One of the chief goals of technology is to improve efficiency to make it quicker and easier to do our jobs and to make money. Baton Rouge is home to a growing number of tech companies that are coming up with software products and services that increase efficiency in a variety of sectors. Joel Costonis is CEO of Advanced Concepts and Engineering. The company s signature product is the ACE Auto Grade Laboratory. It s a mobile testing lab about the size of your average washing machine, and it streamlines and improves the accuracy of aggregates testing, which, if you know anything about commercial construction, you ll know is very important because aggregates are key components used to strengthen the composite materials like concrete and asphalt. Until Joel s mobile lab came along, such testing was done manually, which is time consuming, expensive and prone to human error. The ACE Auto Grade Laboratory is making this testing process quicker and easier, and a lot of major companies, including Martin Marietta, have

South Louisiana doesn t usually get much recognition for being home to IT and biotech talent, but there are impressive start up businesses you may never have heard of that are turning heads around the country. And beyond. Casey Roussel is Executive Vice President of Cloud Gavel, a company that is revolutionizing the way law enforcement officers do their jobs. More specifically, Cloud Gavel has created software that streamlines the way officers obtain warrants in the field by enabling them to complete the entire warrant process electronically, without ever having to leave the scene of a crime. The electronic warrant system allows officers to write a bulletin and send it to a judge at the push of a button. The judge then receives an email notification alerting them that there s a warrant to review, which they can sign or revise and send back all within a matter of minutes. Cloud Gavel is a law enfocement revolution, and it started here in Louisiana. Dale Pfost is another revolutionary. Dale is CEO of Microbiome

Ann Connelly is a legend in the art world. Ann is founder and owner of Ann Connelly Fine Art where she is a curator, interior designer, and consultant to homeowners and businesses. Over the past 25 years, Ann has grown her business into a gallery that today carries the works of more than 40 creatives, and as a consultancy to some of the most prominent companies and institutions in Baton Rouge, that have hired Ann to hang art on their walls. Jillian Hall is a documentary fiim maker. She also heads up the Baton Rouge operations of NOVAC, the oldest media arts nonprofit organization in the Gulf South. NOVAC was started in New Orleans in the early 1970s as a way to provide media training and production resources to underserved communities. Since 2013, the organization has had a presence in Baton Rouge, and in the years since has trained hundreds of people for creative industry jobs, developed original documentary content and created innovative youth media programs. Photos over lunch at Mansurs on the Boulevard.Se

Every place has a history and a past, but preserving the best of it and keeping it relevant doesn t just happen, you have to work at it, through education, and preservation. Which is exactly what Stephanie s guests on Out to Lunch do every single day. Michael Desmond is an architect and scholar in the LSU School of Art and Design, with a particular expertise in the history of architecture. For the past decade, Michael has been studying the architecture of the historic LSU campus. Since receiving a grant from the Getty Foundation in 2008, Michael has produced an architectural history on the buildings, a technical report documenting the external condition of the buildings, a large public exhibition that traveled the state throughout the university s 150th anniversary in 2010 and a book. Fairleigh Cook Jackson is Executive Director of Preserve Louisiana, a statewide preservation organization was founded back 1963 with the purpose of promoting local interest in the heritage of Baton Rouge and the state of Louisia

Andi Holliday is a professional home stager with a local firm called Stage Presence. Andi s been dubbed the "House Doctor," writing out design prescriptions that can sell the unsellable. Her firm offers a range of services, from full staging to less expensive walk through and written consultations, as well as "redesign" services that s where Andi uses the client s existing furniture and d cor to showcase a room s focal points. Andi s services can help sell a house that s been on the market for a long time in some cases, years in a matter of days. Matthew Laborde also knows a thing or two about selling real estate, though he deals with commercial properties, particularly in the Mid City area, which is rapidly becoming one of the hottest and hippiest neighborhoods in Baton Rouge. Matthew founded Elifin Realty in 2017. You could say Matthew is an overachiever and also something of a wunderkind. He was a full time licensed commercial broker by the time he was 19. He had earned certified commercial investment memb

As the tech industry evolves and matures, all sorts of new opportunities are created for entrepreneurs, who see where existing technologies don t meet a need or don t go far enough to deliver what customers demand. But taking a good idea and developing it into the latest app one that works and then getting customers to buy it is a challenge that kills a lot of enterprising start ups before they get off the ground. Chris Jordan is the founder of Omnidek, an all in one business platform geared toward the construction industry that consolidates all the apps a company needs to run its expense reports, payroll, project management and so on and merges them onto a single system. Chris got the idea for this platform when, after several years selling software to construction companies and realizing all the inefficiencies of having multiple software systems, he was watching a movie about the early years of Facebook s founding and thought ,"If this dude can make 80 billion I can make 1 billion." D Marcus Glasper is Vice

We talk a lot about business on this show, and what it takes to be successful in business. On this edition of Out to Lunch Stephanie focuses on an aspect of business that doesn t typically get so much attention ethics. Aaron Beam is a former executive who travels around the country lecturing on ethics in business. It s a topic he knows well. In the late 1990s, Aaron participated in a 2 billion securities fraud scandal at Health South, the extremely successful Fortune 500 company he d co founded in the 1980s and helped lead as CFO. When the fraud was discovered, Aaron had opportunity in prison to reflect on what he had done. In the years since, he has taken those lessons learned and now tries to help others avoid making the same mistake. Tom Ryan is Professor of Theology and Ministry at Loyola University in New Orleans, and Director of the school s Institute for Ministry, which has an extension program here in Baton Rouge. Tom is an expert on the Catholic Church and its teaching and has been nationally recogni

Technology plays an increasingly important role in all aspects of our lives today. The more entrenched it is in government systems, in our offices and in our home appliances the more vulnerable we are to cyber attacks. On this edition of Out to Lunch, Stephanie Riegel introduces two local experts on the subject of cyber security. One developing technology; the other trying to protect us from malware and hackers. Mo Vij is the founder and CEO of General Infomatics. It s a nearly 16 year old IT services company based in Baton Rouge that develops software to help clients in the defense sector, health care industry, business, law enforcement and more. General Infomatics recently unveiled a new product called Gismo that serves as a handheld communication device police officers can use in the field. In the non cyber world, Mo recently announced plans to develop a high tech office park at the corner of Bluebonnet and Highland Road that will have a Silicon Valley style, campus like atmosphere and hopefully attract mo

There s a lot of cool stuff going on in Baton Rouge. From the redevelopment of neighborhoods downtown and in Mid City to the young entrepreneurial culture that is fostering startup companies willing to take risk and take advantage of new technologies. Gerald Drefahl s company, Kinesics, is a homegrown, biotech start up that licenses a software program that analyzes the physical mobility of athletes, workers and other users and then gives predictive analytics into their health. In other words, the program is designed to determine whether someone could get injured before it happens, essentially serving as a risk management product. Dyke Nelson is the developer and architect of the building where Kinesics recently opened its corporate offices 440 on Third and, is currently in the process of developing 1509 Government the long abandoned former Entergy site on Government Street that, when Dyke is finished with it, will house apartments, restaurants, retail tenants and it is hoped be a catalyst for redevelopment in

Though Baton Rouge, in many ways, is slow to change, in recent years there has been a gradual shift in the balance of power. New, young firms and new, young business leaders are taking over from the Baby Boomer generation that preceded them. One such leader is Julie Laperouse. Julie is Director of Training at Emergent Method, a management consulting firm owned and run by an ambitious group of Millennials that in just six years has grown to become one of the most sought after consulting firms in the market. Julie joined the firm in 2015 after several years at the Baton Rouge Area Chamber and leads a team that helps businesses with leadership development, networking, presentations and other professional skills. Julie is also a motivational speaker and the author of Are You a Screaming Peacock Bryan Jones is Associate Vice President and Director of Gulf Coast Operations for HNTB, one of the country s best known engineering consulting and construction management firms with a particular expertise in transportation

Few industries in our economy today are changing as rapidly and dramatically as health care. In Baton Rouge we are far from immune to these national changes. Teri Fontenot is President and CEO of Woman s Hospital, the only independent, community owned women s and children s hospital in the country and the largest birthing and neonatal intensive care facility in Louisiana. Teri has been at the helm of Womans for more than 22 years, making her one of the longest serving hospital CEOs in the nation. Somesh Nigam is Senior Vice President and Chief Analytics Officer for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana, the largest healthcare insurer in Louisiana with eight offices and more than 1.6 million member. Through his expertise in analytics and more than 25 years of experience, Somesh is helping change the healthcare delivery model we ve all grown up with, known as fee for service, to a what is known as a value based payment system, which means doctors are incentivized to keep patients healthy rather than just trea

Ted Kergan is the largest franchisee of Sonic drive in restaurants in the state of Louisiana. Ted owns 58 Sonic locations in the central and southern part of the state. That sounds like a lot but it s just a fraction of the more than 150 Sonic restaurants Ted has developed during his nearly 40 year career. Ted Kergan is originally from Detroit. Ted began his career in 1977 as a managing partner in an Alexandria Sonic restaurant. He eventually became a partner in the operation with his brother, the late Gary Kergan, who was murdered in 1984. Anyone who has been around Baton Rouge for a number of years know that Ted played a key role in solving the high profile crime and bringing Gary s killers to justice, though not until nearly 30 years had passed. In the meantime,Ted was growing his company and has been recognized as one of the top franchise outlets in the country. Join Stephanie Riegel on this edition of Out to Lunch at Mansurs on the Boulevard for a fascinating, frank look into the life and business of one

Nationwide, there s a lot of talk these days about two major subjects Infrastructure and health care. Specifically, how to improve and rebuild roads, bridges and other vital connections that we all depend on, and how to pay for the level of increasingly complex care that our aging population requires. Stephanie s guests on Out to Lunch are problem solvers whose locally owned companies are in the thick of these two fields and helping to forge solutions. Tim Barfield is president of CSRS, an architecture and engineering firm that specializes in design and program management for government and private sector facility and infrastructure projects. CSRS is developing a particular expertise managing projects in what is known as "the P3 sector" public private partnerships, like the LSU Foundation Gateway project on Nicholson Drive. Tim brings a unique background to his role in the company. He is an attorney who spent years as an executive at The Shaw Group and more recently served as Gov. Bobby Jindal s Secretary of

We re serious about our food in south Louisiana, and food related businesses are as interesting and varied as are our own family recipes for gumbo or oyster dressing. As the food industry becomes more complex and sophisticated there are ever more opportunities for entrepreneurs to craft new business models and come up with new ways of serving an ever expanding clientele. Emliy Carlson is the Account Leader of an advertising and marketing firm devoted exclusively to servicing clients in the food business. The firm is aptly named Fridge, and has developed an expertise in everything related to the business of food from production, packaging, labeling and licensing to regulations, retail, and everything in between. Among its clients you may know are Mellow Mushroom, Abita Beer and PJ s Coffee. Stephanie Phares is the owner of Zeeland Street Market, a beloved neighborhood restaurant that serves up soul food, plate lunches, gourmet sandwiches, and comfort food breakfasts. Stephanie started the business more than 25

Local retailers give a city a sense of place, setting it apart from the next big exit off the interstate. In Baton Rouge, we re fortunate to have several much loved local retailers who, in some cases, have spent generations serving Baton Rouge shoppers with quality products. Manuel Martinez is a well known fixture in Baton Rouge for his sartorial style and for his Corporate Boulevard storefront, Martinez Custom Clothier, which sells Manuel s custom made suits, shirts and sports coats., as well as ties, shoes and other men s fashion accessories. Manuel doesn t just dress the gentlemen of Baton Rouge, his clients come from all over the world. Tom Olinde is the owner of Olinde s Furniture, a family owned business that has been serving Baton Rouge since the company was founded by Tom s grandfather more than 120 years ago. Tom came up in the business working under his father, the late J.B. Olinde, and has helped it grow and prosper amidst much competition, from other brick and mortar stores and today the internet

In recent months, female empowerment has become an important topic dominating the media, and the issues raised by the metoo movement have forced this country to have important discussions about how women are treated in the workplace and beyond. Here in Baton Rouge we have some incredibly strong, powerful women who have their own stories of struggles and successes to share. Dima Ghawi specializes in empowering women and helping them reach their leadership potential through the organization she founded, Breaking Vases. Under the Breaking Vases umbrella, Dima is reaching a growing number of women around the world through her speeches, leadership trainings, networking events, website, podcasts and a newly published book by the same name. Shari LeBas is President of GEC, a Baton Rouge based engineering firm, established in 1986 that today has clients around the country. Prior to joining GEC , Sheri served for seven years under Gov. Bobby Jindal as secretary of the Louisiana Department of Transportation, where she

One of the biggest challenges in Louisiana is a lack of skilled workers in the technical trades. Companies complain about it all the time. And yet, many young people will tell you they can t find a good paying job, which is a reason so many of them leave after high school. For the past several years, the business community in south Louisiana has been focused on this dynamic. On this edition of Out to LUnch, Stephanie Riegel uncovers some promising developments in correcting this trend. Stephen Toups is Executive Vice President of Turner Industries, one of the largest and most successful industrial construction firms in Baton Rouge. Turner Industries was founded in 1961, and builds and maintains services in the heavy industrial sector. It has locations across the Gulf Coast, more than 11 thousand employees in the Baton Rouge area alone over 20,000 in total and more than 3 billion in gross revenues. Stephen has been at the company for more than 20 years. His dad, Roland Toups, leads the company as CEO and chair

While New Orleans gets the lion s share of attention for being Louisiana s premier tourist destination, Baton Rouge has some offerings of its own. Michael Day is General Manager of the Raising Cane s River Center, Baton Rouge s premier event facility. Built in 1977, the River Center has more than 14 thousand square meters of exhibition space, a 12 thousand seat facility for concerts, performances and sporting events, a ballroom and meeting rooms and a separate fine arts theater where the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra and Baton Rouge Ballet perform, among others. In the fall of 2016, the River Center became the Raising Cane s River Center, when Raising Cane s bought the naming rights for the River Center for 3.87 million, a deal that was designed to help generate a little cash that could be used to help refurbish the center. Michael has been at the helm since 2015. David Beard works right across the street from Michael at the USS Kidd Veterans Museum, where he is Executive Director. The Kidd is a World War II