1012 Corridor

A BRIGHT, ENERGETIC and a self-admittedly, idealistic force is set to combat the ever frustrating brain drain and elusive brain gain in Louisiana. You know them as Generation X and Y—the millennial generation—or maybe the creative class. And they’re forging inroads to make a real economic impact.

“We’re going to uplift this whole area,” says Amy Boyle, executive director for New Orleans’ Young Leadership Council, the oldest young professional organization in the nation.

Boyle’s enthusiasm is representative of many twenty- and thirty-somethings in Louisiana. But a 2007 American Community Survey shows that 61 percent of Louisiana residents who moved away were between 20 and 54 years old. Of that group, 31,113 were in their 20s. State government’s focus on workforce development aside, there remains plenty of opportunity to put plans in motion.

Enter the millennial generation.

With the influx of 3,000 young professionals into New Orleans post-Katrina, creativity, idealism and the quest to make a difference is at its peak. Partnerships with city leaders, corporations, non-profits and each other abound, and the movement to retain these bright young people is percolating. But the focus on retaining talent goes back two decades.

“New Orleans’ very roots are in brain retain and in preventing brain drain,” says Boyle of the Young Leadership Council’s beginnings in the 1980s. The 1,000-member group sponsors a “Proud to Call it Home Campaign” to instill pride in the city, serves as an informal clearing house for job opportunities and is an umbrella organization for several local initiatives.

SINCE KATRINA, MANY GROUPS have gained momentum, eager to have the chance to make a difference in New Orleans. SENO, Social Entrepreneurs of New Orleans, captures young people’s passion for volunteerism and helps translate it into innovative solutions that can make a measurable impact.

SENO team member Andrea Chen, a Harvard graduate who was compelled to stay in New Orleans after serving as a Teach for America professional there, says natives and newcomers see the city as a challenge.

“And challenge feeds the entrepreneurial spirit,” she says. “People have taken matters into their own hands to fill in the gaps here.” Like others who have moved to New Orleans, Chen thrives on the possibility of turning the city into an epicenter of idealism.

The Idea Village, an entrepreneurial support network in New Orleans, is funding spin-off initiatives like its 504ward effort specifically to retain the 23- to 35-year-old demographic. The group has connected young professionals with local business leaders, and provided more than $1 million in financing for new business endeavors in the past year.

In Baton Rouge, Forum 35, a 16-year-old organization helping to cultivate young leaders, is growing rapidly, thanks to online outreach efforts and a focus on diversifying membership. Volunteerism—more than 12,000 hours were logged in 2008 alone—and supporting important civic and educational issues helps keep some 800 members involved.

Down I-10, the 705, a year-old civic and community engagement group, is enjoying the benefits of Lafayette’s rich culture, entrepreneurial spirit, and technological endeavors that make it one of Southern Business and Development’s “Top 10 Cities in the South for the Creative Class.” The group’s latest strategy is reaching out to college students.

“We want to get people engaged when they’re young, so they’ll want to stay in our community and help make a difference,” says 705 President Ben Berthelot, a Lafayette native.

The “brain gain” is a focus of Fusion Five, which formed just a year ago. The group has partnered with the five-parish Chamber in Southwest Louisiana to bring together young professionals from the area, which includes Lake Charles. Incoming Chair and native Andrea Bacarisse says Fusion Five has pledged a five-year commitment to help the chamber attract and train a skilled workforce.

HALF OF THE FORUM 35 membership has immigrated into Baton Rouge, but 42 percent don’t know if they’ll stay, according to a 2008 group survey. What will sway them? Surely boosting entrepreneurial spirit and community engagement is important. Ultimately, though, jobs will keep them here.

The ability to tap into the networks that connect our Southern cities are what newcomers need to get started say many young leaders. That’s why New Orleans’ SENO is beginning an “ecosystem of support” through a new partnership with the national non-profit Echoing Green, which connects early stage entrepreneurs with executive mentors.

“This program provides an intergenerational transfer of knowledge and access to local resources,” Chen says. SENO’s new Professional Volunteer Corps offers a pro bono bank of member specialties like accounting, web design, marketing and financial planning to help entrepreneurs get started.

Similarly, the Idea Village’s 504connect in New Orleans helps young people meet with like-minded peers and seasoned professionals, and network for career prospects. Its most recent effort, a $100,000 business competition funded by philanthropist Leslie Jacobs, invites business ideas that retain and engage the 23- to 35-year-old demographic. Winners get an additional $100,000 in services donated by local businesses.

Teach for America, which will bring in nearly 800 college-educated youth to Southern Louisiana by 2010, is seeing an increase in teachers who decide to stay here. However, Minnesota native Rebecca Noecker, a program officer for the Baton Rouge Area Foundation (BRAF) and a Teach for America alumnus, says many teachers aren’t exposed to local opportunities and head back home for graduate school. That problem is being addressed.

Teach for America’s South Louisiana Executive Director Michael Tipton says “Opportunity Affair,” a chance for teachers to meet representatives from non-profits, businesses, government and Louisiana graduate schools, is providing valuable connections.

“We have to work to retain top performers,” Tipton says. “We have to offer opportunities that are unparalleled.”

Lafayette’s Berthelot agrees, but points out that young people relate to technology, so our region has to be able to offer those kinds of jobs. And Carlee Alm-Labar, another Teach for America professional who stayed here, adds that Louisiana needs to do a better job highlighting its rich culture.

“Perception that there’s nothing to do here is just a perception,” echoes Baton Rouge’s Griffin. “There’s no shortage of things to do.”

“I think the larger, more serious issues⎯air quality, poor public education, lack of public transportation, and difficulty breaking into organizations where they can really make an impact⎯are the issues that are making people leave,” Noecker muses. “And these are the issues that young professional groups should address if they wish to stem the exodus.”