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Andy Weiner, president of RockStep Capital, has built or acquired about 10 million square feet of shopping centers across the country — including New Orleans’ 250,000-square-foot Outlet Collection at Riverwalk, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary. In this week's episode, Weiner shares what’s next for the landmark riverfront property, the unique strengths that continue to attract retailers and restaurants, and why he’s bullish on the future of brick-and-mortar retail.

On Sept. 2, The Pelican Institute released its summer 2026 Louisiana Economic Report and it showed some really good news, including that the state is currently outperforming other states in the region. The report found, among many other things, that Louisiana’s economy grew at a 2.9% annualized rate in early 2026 — faster than Texas (+0.9%), Tennessee (+1.2%), and Mississippi (+2.5%), and the 6th-fastest in the nation. And this is just the start of the good news. To share more, we welcome the Pelican Institute’s Senior Economic Fellow Vance Ginn.

Celebrating 100 years in business this year, Beuerman Miller Fitzgerald (BMF) has helped some of the region’s, and nation’s, biggest brands find success — including names like Brennan’s, Tabasco, K&B Stores, Wesson and Coca-Cola. This week, BMF Co-Founder and Co-CEO Virginia Miller joins the firm’s President of Marketing and Advertising Ron Thompson to share their top tips for success, along with which branding lessons continue to stand the test of time.

For our 300th episode, we brought back one of our most popular contributors — in print and on Biz Talks — Frank Rabalais, who has spent years pushing back against New Orleans’ notorious “attitude problem.” Now, as optimism and confidence are taking hold, Frank argues that it’s time to stop simply hoping for growth and start thinking strategically about how to make it happen. His idea: Take advantage of a powerful national trend, combine it with what makes New Orleans uniquely attractive, and turn that opportunity into the population growth the region needs.

Digital content creators wield influential power in the marketplace — power that local businesses, understandably, are looking to harness. But how do you find the right creator? What’s the difference between an influencer and a content creator? And what are some common mistakes and misconceptions to avoid? How much should you expect to pay? Bianca Cook, founder of The Nola Collective shares everything businesses need to know.

The future of THC-infused beverages is again in a precarious position, but this time the threat is coming from the national government. While a federal ban on hemp-derived products is set to take effect on November 12 unless Congress acts, Jacob Landry, co-founder of Urban South Brewery explains why his company is moving forward and has just launched its third THC-infused brand. Landry shares what he is hoping for in the fall and what how much his brewery would be affected if the ban goes through.

Since 2024, the Louisiana Fortify Homes Program has been holding a lottery where lucky winners receive a grant of up to $10,000 to install a Fortified roof on their home — thus qualifying for lower home insurance rates. For those that don’t win the lottery, however, or who received a grant, but it fell short of covering the costs, FHLB Bank of Dallas is offering grants of up to $17,000 per home through its area member banks. Greg Hettrick, senior vice president and director of community investment at FHLB Dallas, shares more about this little-known opportunity and why interested homeowners should move quickly.

The Alliance for Affordable Energy (AAE) has worked since 1985 to ensure that Louisianans have an equitable, affordable and environmentally responsible energy system. As one of the largest data centers ever to be built heads to Louisiana, the AAE has big concerns, and they are far from alone. Senior Government Affairs and Policy Advisor for AAE Jackson Voss shares his thoughts on last week’s New York Times article, what worries him the most, and why it’s not too late to take action.   For more information on the Alliance for Affordable Energy, visit https://www.all4energy.org/

Orleans Parish public schools — all 66 of them — have been raking in the wins, among the latest being ranking in the 99th percentile nationally for growth in reading and 98th percentile for math growth. This places the district among the fastest-improving large urban districts in the country. This week, we sit down with NOLA Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Fateama Fulmore to learn what has been causing this growth and the tough choices that will have to be made to keep it going.

While much attention has been given to a paper by Tulane University published in May that proclaimed New Orleans’ future as being “past the point of no return,” today’s Biz Talks guest sees much more hope. A veteran of the environmental field working in New Orleans for 18 years, Emily Snyder is the Program Manager at Urban Conservancy, a local nonprofit that runs multiple initiatives to strengthen our urban environment and economy. This week, she shares what work is exciting her right now, why she is not losing hope, and what else needs to be done.

One of New Orleans' most recognized luxury brands, Adler’s Jewelry may be closing its retail locations following Coleman Adler II's retirement, but this is not the end of the story. Tiffany Adler is continuing her family legacy with the launch of two new businesses. She shares all the details, along with what it was like growing up an Adler, in this week’s Biz Talks.

From July 20-22, more than 1,000 chamber of commerce leaders from around the U.S. and Canada will be in Downtown New Orleans for the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) annual conference. Our own New Orleans Chamber is playing host to this gathering of influential economic executives and President and CEO Sandra Lindquist is excited to roll out the welcome mat. She shares the big NOLA news she’s most excited to brag about and how one event in particular they’ll be hosting was inspired by the most recent Super Bowl festivities.

First impressions matter, but when it comes to exterior beautification efforts many times it’s just not in the budget. But for small businesses and commercial property owners in New Orleans East and Lower Ninth Ward, help is here. The New Orleans Redevelopment Authority ( NORA) is offering substantial grants through its 2026 Façade RENEW Plus Program. The deadline to apply is coming up fast though, July 1, so NORA Executive Director Brenda Breaux shares everything you need to know. For more information or to apply, visit NORA's Façade RENEW Plus Program, visit noraworks.org.  To register and apply, visit https://nora.webgrantscloud.com/index.do.

Celebrating 102 years of service, the Junior League of New Orleans (JLNO) is one of the largest and most influential volunteer organizations in the region — but it’s also evolved in exciting new ways. Today’s membership, activities and events may just surprise you, and brand-new President Shelby Faget Wynne explains why if you’re looking to boost your career, you need to take another look at the Junior League.

From June 16-18, more than 90 CEOs of Black-led Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) alongside funders, policy makers and industry partners from across the country, will gather for three days of programming at The Westin New Orleans. The ONWARD 2026 Annual Conference is hosted by the African American Alliance of CDFI CEOs. The organization’s president and CEO, Amber Banks, joins us this week to help us learn more about how CDFIs work, what they can do for people, and how they’re fighting back in today’s challenging climate.