episode 01: A Nieux Society for New Orleans’ Golden Age of Creativity
On our opening episode, serial entrepreneur Tim Williamson discusses the startup space, tech entrepreneurship and the future of the New Orleans’ regional innovation ecosystems. Harkening back to before 2000, he describes being part of an intrepid cohort of New Orleans prodigal sons who returned to their home town and launched the region’s first startup competition. This initial visionary experiment evolved into his founding of Idea Village, the region’s premier startup competition and accelerator, along with its associated, highly successful, annual startup showcase, New Orleans Entrepreneur Week (NOEW). Fast forward, Tim’s Nieux Society Web 3 non-fungible token (NFT) venture and community building project is launching a new era of blockchain-based technology innovation and leadership opportunities for the area’s artists and tech entrepreneurs. He and his team of talented young visionaries are actively working towards the realization of their vision for a coming Golden Age of Creativity for New Orleans, to be in full bloom by 2025.
Tim williamson
Founder and CEO or NieuxCo, LLC
Tim Williamson is a serial entrepreneur and transformational executive with over 30 years of experience in business formation, operation, finance, and management. He is the founder and CEO of Nieux, a platform designed to connect communities through digital and physical properties. Nieux’s portfolio includes The Nieux Society Collective and The Nieux Campus.
Williamson is a visionary leader committed to creating a more vibrant and sustainable New Orleans. Current civic work includes Chairman Board of Directors, French Quarter Festival; Chairman, Board of Directors, LEDE; and Board of Directors, The Idea Village. He catalyzed the development of an entrepreneurial ecosystem in New Orleans by founding and leading The Idea Village, a non-profit organization that identifies, supports, and retains entrepreneurial talent in the city and New Orleans Entrepreneur Week, a major annual event for entrepreneurs.
In addition to his work in the entrepreneurial community, Williamson held senior leadership positions in the media industry. He served as president of NOLA Media Group, Louisiana's largest media company, from 2016 to 2018 and with Cox Interactive Media as Regional General Manager 1996-2000, leading the launch of digital media studios in New Orleans, Austin, San Antonio, Omaha, and Tulsa.
Williamson, a New Orleans native, received a B.S.M. in Finance from Tulane University in 1987. He is a graduate of the Stanford University Executive Program, New Orleans Regional Leadership Institute, and CABL’s Louisiana Leadership program. Tim was named one of Gambit’s “40 under 40,” recognized as a 2009 YLC Role Model, 2004 Junior Achievement’s Rising Star Award and received the “Heroes of the Storm” award in 2008. New Orleans City Business named Tim one of the 35 “Driving Forces” in New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina and he was elected to the Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame in 2015.
The Nieux Society
The Nieux Society is a global collective exploring Web3 technology in New Orleans. Founded by 504 of the city's creative, business, and professional leaders, the collective seeks to catalyze a golden age of creativity in New Orleans. Collectively, we believe in New Orleans' future. Read the manifesto for more.
Launched 5.04.22, the current roadmap includes providing education to explore the financial and creative promise of Web3; building a campus for the community on St. Charles Avenue and developing Web3 projects in food, art, music and cultural experiences.
The Nieux Society is a project of NieuxCo, a venture studio led by New Orleans entrepreneurs Tim Williamson, Patrick Comer, Zach Kupperman, and Lindsey Roussel.
episode references and links:
NFT (non-fungible token) is a unique digital identifier that cannot be copied, substituted, or subdivided, that is recorded in a blockchain, and that is used to certify authenticity and ownership. The ownership of an NFT is recorded in the blockchain and can be transferred by the owner, allowing NFTs to be sold and traded. NFTs can be created by anybody, and require few or no coding skills to create. NFTs typically contain references to digital files such as photos, videos, and audio. Because NFTs are uniquely identifiable assets, they differ from cryptocurrencies, which are fungible. (Wikipedia)
‘The Beach’ at UNO (“an Innovation Sandbox”) is a research and technology park created by the University of New Orleans Research and Technology Foundation
Propeller is a nonprofit organization that helps entrepreneurs grow their nonprofits and small businesses to tackle social and environmental disparities in New Orleans
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