Red Bull’s entrepreneurial program, Red Bull Basement, came to New Orleans Entrepreneurship Week at Loyola University to get Loyola student ideas with the chance to win $100,000 and a trip to San Francisco.
Mass communications sophomore Macee Fielding, who was paid to help set up and take down the Red Bull Basement pop-up, stated that they were supposed to give out Red Bull to participants but it fell through. Fielding suspected it was because Loyola’s campus is sponsored by Pepsi.
Fielding also gave her thoughts on the event, saying she felt “neutral” about it.
“I think it’s a great event and a great way for students and beyond to network with and hear from successful business owners/founders in the greater New Orleans area,” Fielding said.
Despite showing her appreciation for the event, Fielding also acknowledged the stress it brought to students trying to travel through the Danna Center.
“I avoided the Danna Center during those few days because campus felt really overwhelming with NOEW and campus tours going on,” she said.
Remi Grady-Mullen, a music industry studies sophomore who worked with the Center for Entrepreneurship and Community Development as a production manager, expressed excitement about NOEW, showing appreciation for the team who helped organize the event.
“I got to work with an unbelievably exceptional team to pull off the event,” Grady-Mullen said. “Having the mayor and Tim Miller was a highlight, and there were so many amazing speakers who shared their work.”
Entrepreneurs who attended the New Orleans Entrepreneurs Week reflected on the lessons learned in the business world, and Loyola students gave their thoughts on the week-long event. Their businesses had opportunities to grow traction while at NOEW.
One of these businesses was Grayteful Hands Luxury Home Essentials, which sells plant-based cleaning products for the home. The brand prioritizes selling natural scents, which she claims do not cause as many scent-induced migraines as synthetic smells.
Rayshawn Estelle, owner of Grayteful Hands Luxury Home Essentials, expressed excitement about the event and gave a message to aspiring entrepreneurs.
“I am hoping to get, I guess, a networking relationship to get a couple of tips on, you know, how to move forward as a small business owner as well,” Estelle said. “If you’re thinking that the market is oversaturated in what you want to do, it’s not. There’s a placement out there just for you, but just be passionate and be persistent about what you’re pursuing, and then eventually it’s going to come to something.”
Lo Williams-Thomas, the founder of Zenistry Global, also tabled at NOEW. Before starting her business, Williams-Thomas worked for companies such as L’Oreal and Mary Tate as a cosmetic chemist, and while in the job, she noticed different products needed in the industry.
“I said, okay, I’m going to jump off my corporate job and create something that I think the industry needs. So I stopped everything I was doing. I was working at BASF at the time, and I decided to be in the industry labs in 2022, and it’s been great,” Williams-Thomas said.
Williams-Thomas also expressed optimism about her business aspirations in the future, as well as why her company attended NOEW. She wished to increase their visibility and reach out to potential collaborators at the event.
“We’re taking this to another level, and we’re not just staying local,” said Williams-Thomas. “We’re going to have economic growth, yes, but it’s going to come in a global way.”
Kinkz Hair Products is another brand that is familiar with NOEW, tabled as well. The founder and CEO Alana Scott sells custom hair ties meant to help women embrace their natural hair. This year, Scott was able to give a talk at the summit.
Sydney—who works with Scott—talked about the event as someone working alongside the business owner .
“We love being a part of the community because we’re local. And just showing more people our product and just getting more exposure for the people that we can market to,” she said.
