On behalf of The Idea Village Board of Directors, please join us in congratulating Tim Williamson as he joins NOLA Media Group as President. Beginning August 15th, Tim will oversee day-to-day operations of NOLA.com and The Times-Picayune, leading and managing large teams in content, advertising sales, and marketing. We are excited for Tim as he takes this incredible opportunity to continue his efforts to have a positive impact on the city of New Orleans. He will remain an active member of The Idea Village Board of Directors, helping guide the organization’s strategic direction.
We’re pleased to announce that starting August 1st, Emily Madero, the current COO of The Idea Village, will be named Acting CEO.
We have all personally witnessed Tim’s leadership as CEO of The Idea Village over the last 16 years and admire his deep passion for New Orleans and his drive to engage our community to embrace innovation, entrepreneurship, and new thinking. Under Tim’s leadership, The Idea Village has established itself as a globally recognized leader in developing place-based entrepreneurial ecosystems. New Orleans is now in the top 10% of best cities to start a business in the country (WalletHub), with startup activity 64% above the national average (The Data Center). We’ve been called America’s #1 Biggest Brain Magnet (Forbes) and 1 of the 20 Hottest Startup Hubs in America (The Kauffman Foundation). Together, we have built a vibrant entrepreneurial community.
As we look to the next chapter of The Idea Village, we will focus our efforts on sustaining this movement for future generations. The Board will shortly finalize the process and timeline for the selection of a permanent CEO of The Idea Village. In the meantime, Emily, who has devoted her entire career to supporting entrepreneurs and has been an integral part of The Idea Village for the past 10 years, will lead the organization on a day-to-day basis. We have the utmost confidence in Emily and the team as they set out to sustain this very important movement to build a sustainable New Orleans.
July 1st marks the beginning of the 2017 Entrepreneur Season, culminating with the 9th annual New Orleans Entrepreneur Week, presented by IBERIABANK, March 19-24, 2017. Stay tuned for some exciting announcements in the coming weeks.
To entrepreneurship and making New Orleans a better place to live and work,
