46th Annual Tulane Business Forum Highlighting Louisiana Industries and Future Growth

New Orleans – The Tulane Association of Business Alumni will host its 46^th annual forum, “Rooted in Louisiana, Growing Beyond,” featuring a group of renowned industry leaders who will address businesses with deep roots in Louisiana that contribute to overall economic growth specifically in the areas of energy, finance, international trade, artificial intelligence (AI), and entertainment.

​The forum is generously hosted by the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, underwritten by Entergy Louisiana, and sponsored by the Tulane Association of Business Alumni.
It will be held on Friday, October 10, 8 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. at La Nouvelle Orléans Ballroom at the convention center.

This year’s forum features:

Keynote Speakers: 

• Paul J. Friedman, executive vice president, music affairs group of Sony Pictures Entertainment (Los Angeles, CA)
• Susan B. Bourgeois, secretary of Louisiana Economic Development (Baton Rouge, LA)
• Phillip R. May, president and CEO of Entergy Louisiana, LLC (Jefferson, LA). 

Friedman will discuss the specifics of music business affairs at a major motion picture studio, as well as discuss how business principles and legal needs support the music creative direction in motion picture and television production. 

Bourgeois and May will explore how strategic public-private collaboration, targeted investment, and forward-looking policy are transforming the economic landscape of Louisiana.  They will also provide an inside look at how the state is accelerating growth in critical sectors, such as energy, manufacturing, technology, and infrastructure, as well as detail the legal and regulatory frameworks that make this progress possible.

Presenters will include:

• Paula Tkac, executive vice president and director of research for the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta (GA) and Shelby E. Russ, Jr., board member the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta – New Orleans Branch and president and CEO of AOS Interior Environments (New Orleans) who will outline the current economic conditions using the Fed’s multi-pronged approach to formulating monetary policy using both data and real time business experiences.​
• Christopher K. Ralston, partner at Phelps Dunbar LLP (New Orleans) and Brian Stempel, head of customer advocacy at Lineal Services (New York, NY) will talk about the ways in which AI is driving innovation, which in turn is leading to great advancements in healthcare, business, the legal landscape, and numerous other industries.  They will also examine the risks, pitfalls, and liabilities that come with this cutting-edge technology.
• Michael A. Fitts, president of Tulane University, (New Orleans) will give an update on the state of the university as well as future endeavors.
• Amanda K. Coates, vice president cargo development of The Port of New Orleans (LA) will facilitate a panel discussion on Louisiana’s coffee industry, importing and global supply chain dynamics, local roasting and distribution, and the latest trends. 

• Scott Ballard, co-founder of Ballard Brands, LLC (Mandeville, LA)
• Janet Colley Morse, director of customer relations of the Dupuy Group (New Orleans)
• Ryan McKinnon, COO of Westfeldt Brothers, Inc. (New Orleans).

The Tulane Association of Business Alumni of the Freeman School of Business at Tulane University represents over 25,000 alumni worldwide, and the forum is its marquee event.  Each year, the forum features speakers of national and international acclaim who address a variety of general business topics.

Forum registration, which includes continental breakfast and lunch, is $300 for the public and $225 for Tulane alumni.  Accountants can earn 5.0 Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits; engineers can earn 5.0 Professional Development Hour (PDH) credits; and attorneys can earn 4.25 general Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credits, (one hour of which is an ethics credit), by joining the forum.