Entrepreneurship at Tulane University

Tulane's entrepreneurship ecosystem is shaped by two forces: the university's institutional commitment to service and social impact (all undergraduates must complete a community-engaged learning requirement), and New Orleans' unique culture. The Albert Lepage Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Freeman School of Business coordinates the flagship programs, and the Tulane New Orleans Center has created connections between university entrepreneurs and the city's business community.

What makes Tulane distinctive is the emphasis on entrepreneurship as a force for social good. After Hurricane Katrina, Tulane rebuilt with a deliberate focus on civic engagement, and this ethos extends to its entrepreneurship programs. The Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship (SISE) program is one of the strongest university social enterprise programs in the country, and many Tulane startups are built around solving problems in education, healthcare access, food systems, and community development.

New Orleans itself is an underappreciated startup city with genuine strengths. The city's culture of creativity, hospitality, and resilience attracts founders who value quality of life and cultural richness. The growing tech sector (The Idea Village has been supporting NOLA entrepreneurs since 2000, and the annual New Orleans Entrepreneur Week is one of the largest startup events in the South) combined with the lowest cost of living among major Southern cities makes it increasingly attractive for founders who want to build outside the traditional tech hubs.

Tulane student founders in 2026 benefit from the Lepage Center's expanded programming and New Orleans' growing tech community. The annual Tulane Business Model Competition provides funding and mentorship, and the university's social enterprise emphasis attracts founders who want to build mission-driven businesses.

The practical advantage is New Orleans' cost of living (among the lowest of any major US city) and creative energy. The city's cultural industries (food, music, hospitality, events) create startup opportunities in creative tech, hospitality tech, and cultural preservation. The challenge is that New Orleans' VC ecosystem is small, but organizations like The Idea Village and New Orleans Bio Fund provide local support.

• Albert Lepage Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation
• Freeman School of Business - entrepreneurship concentration
• Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship (SISE)
• Tulane Business Model Competition

• Lepage Center - venture support and mentorship
• The Idea Village (independent, strong Tulane ties)
• New Orleans BioInnovation Center

• Tulane Entrepreneurs Association
• Tulane Social Enterprise Club
• Freeman Venture Capital Club
• Wave Makers (student startup community)

• Tiffany & Co. (leadership)
• NewDay Financial
• Various Idea Village portfolio companies
• Lucid (acquired by Cision)

New Orleans' startup ecosystem is built on the city's unique cultural identity and post-Katrina spirit of reinvention. The Idea Village has been the ecosystem catalyst for over two decades, running New Orleans Entrepreneur Week and supporting hundreds of startups. The city's cultural industries create startup opportunities in food tech, music tech, hospitality tech, and event technology. The New Orleans BioInnovation Center supports life sciences ventures. For Tulane founders, the advantage is building in a city with authentic culture, extremely low costs, and a growing tech community that values creativity and social impact alongside commercial success. The honest challenge is capital access - New Orleans is not yet a VC destination, so founders building venture-scale companies typically need to cultivate relationships with investors in other cities.

New Orleans has a growing startup scene with particular strengths in social enterprise, creative tech, and food tech. The Idea Village anchors the local ecosystem. The cost of living is among the lowest of any major US city.