Out to Lunch with Peter Ricchiuti Podcast
In a compelling podcast interview, Kristen shared her journey of returning to New Orleans after two decades away and launching initiatives that are reshaping the city's business landscape. The interview highlighted how her extensive experience, including Associate Director of Communications at New York University and Global Marketing Lead at Nielsen, equipped her with valuable expertise in DEI and multicultural consumer trends.
Upon returning to New Orleans in 2022, Kristen recognized an opportunity to leverage her professional experience to benefit her hometown. This insight led to the creation of aKrewe NOLA, a corporate marketing, event planning, and training firm, and a networking platform (now known as Culture, Commerce & Connections) designed to connect diverse professionals. The event series’ remarkable success—attracting 1,500 members, including entrepreneurs, creatives, and innovators who identify as Black, Brown, LGBTQ+, or women—reflects the significant evolution of New Orleans' business community during her time away.
The interview, conducted at the Columns in Uptown New Orleans, placed Kristen’s work in the broader context of the city's thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem. Her ventures, alongside successful companies like her co-interviewee from RentCheck, represent a new generation of New Orleans businesses expanding opportunities and fostering inclusion. Through Culture, Commerce & Connections and aKrewe NOLA, Kristen is pivotal in building upon the city's entrepreneurial foundation, creating spaces for diverse professionals to connect, share ideas, and support each other's growth.
Out To Lunch is a New Orleans business podcast and radio show that finds economist and Tulane finance professor Peter Ricchiuti conducting business New Orleans style: over lunch. Usually at Commander’s Palace and sometimes at the more casual NOLA Pizza in the NOLA Brewing Taproom. In his 10th year in the host seat, Ricchiuti’s learned but uniquely NOLA informal perspective has established Out to Lunch as the voice of Crescent City business.
