About
New Orleans Entrepreneur Week (NOEW) is an annual week-long celebration of innovation and entrepreneurship, produced by the Center for Entrepreneurship and Community Development at Loyola University New Orleans.
Spanning venues across New Orleans, NOEW culminates each year at The Summit at Loyola University, featuring dynamic programming designed to empower and connect entrepreneurs across the Gulf South.
NOEW 2027 returns March 8–13, with The Summit at Loyola on March 11–12.
History
The spirit of New Orleans Entrepreneur Week (NOEW) first began in 2009 as the “IDEAcorps Challenge,” a program by The Idea Village to engage MBAs and volunteer consultants from across the country. In 2011, the IDEAcorps Challenge evolved into a full week-long event dedicated to entrepreneurship that has come to be known as “NOEW” (pronounced noh-wee!) – sending a regional and national message that New Orleans’ entrepreneurial ecosystem is thriving and growing.
For its first 13 years, The Idea Village produced NOEW, helping establish it as a cornerstone of the city’s innovation community. In 2025, Loyola University's Center for Entrepreneurship and Community Development joined as co-producer, and in 2026, assumed the role of sole producer — beginning the next chapter of NOEW.
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In 2025, NOEW introduced the Lead Partner model — a framework that formalized the role of the ecosystem organizations that have always been central to NOEW's success. Lead Partners are not sponsors in the traditional sense, and they are distinct from the community programming that NOEW in Your Neighborhood once offered. Lead Partners are ecosystem builders: established universities, nonprofits, and innovation organizations that contribute their own programming, audiences, and expertise to the week, making NOEW a true community effort rather than a single-institution event.
The inaugural Lead Partners in 2025 included GNO, Inc., The Beach at UNO, The Idea Village, Tulane Innovation Institute, the Lepage Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, and Xavier University's Entrepreneurship Institute. In 2026, the model grew with the addition of Junior Achievement of Greater New Orleans and StartUP Northshore — reflecting the expanding reach of NOEW across the region.
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For several years, NOEW in Your Neighborhood brought entrepreneurship programming directly into communities across New Orleans, extending the spirit of the week beyond a single venue or audience. Unlike the Lead Partner model, which is built around established ecosystem organizations, NOEW in Your Neighborhood was open to anyone who wanted to be part of NOEW — neighborhood groups, small businesses, community organizations, and individuals who wanted to host their own event under the NOEW umbrella. At its peak, NOEW week included more than 40 neighborhood events alongside the featured Summit programming.
In 2026, NOEW in Your Neighborhood was sunset as a formal part of NOEW week. The decision was made thoughtfully — feedback from neighborhood partners indicated they needed more dedicated support, and attendees were looking for a more connected, consolidated experience. Rather than disappear, the community-level programming it championed found a new home: GNO, Inc. now carries that work forward as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week, ensuring neighborhood-rooted entrepreneurship support continues year-round across New Orleans.