In the mid 1700’s, a French author, Voltaire, wrote a biting satire that has remained a classic piece of literature ever since.

The novel, Candide, is about a student who is continually beset by all kinds of horrific disasters. It’s basically a buddy comedy in which the kid’s super-upbeat tutor keeps encouraging him, by saying, “All is for the best in the best of all possible worlds.” It’s kind of today’s equivalent of advising a kid in a disadvantaged public school to, “follow your dreams and anything is possible.”

The fact is, if you’re a high school kid from an economically disadvantaged background, and you’re in a not-so-great public school, it’s going to take a lot more than a positive attitude to succeed after you graduate.

That’s the harsh reality that drives a ground-breaking New Orleans organization called YouthForce NOLA.

YouthForce NOLA partners with every public school in New Orleans to form a bridge between the schools and local businesses. They provide kids with internships that give them real world experience. Kids and business owners, who wouldn’t normally know each other existed, get to meet and mutually benefit from their association.

YouthForce NOLA can quote all kinds of statistics that explain why its operating model is spreading across the country, but this one set of numbers tells the story: since 2015 around 2,000 young people have earned over $3 million in paid internships - and 99% have continued on to college or a career.

The Founder and CEO of YouthForce NOLA is Cate Swinburn.

Along with YouthForce NOLA, there are a lot of organizations whose sole purpose is helping people. These organizations are generally grouped under the banner, “non- profit.”

A non-profit business doesn’t have to pay federal taxes. They’re mostly exempt from property taxes. They have access to grant funding. They can receive donations that are tax deductions for the donor. And there are a whole bunch of other benefits too.

But, - and there’s always a “but” when it comes to what looks like easy money – these non-profit business have to jump through a bunch of bureaucratic hoops and comply with all kinds of regulatory requirements to retain their legal definition of a 501(c)3 business.

Other purpose-driven organizations that raise and spend money for reasons other than making a profit – like foundations and public entities – also have unique requirements.

Here in New Orleans there’s a company whose business is maximizing the efficiency of all these types of organizations. It’s called Trepwise. It’s Founder and CEO is Kevin Wilkins.

Kevin brought the original incarnation of Trepwise to Out to Lunch in 2016.

The Bottom Line

The term “the bottom line” is derived from accounting. It refers to the last line of a balance sheet in which you’re left staring at an incontrovertible fact – you’ve either made money or lost it.

Over the last few years we’ve come to know businesses that deal in what’s called a triple bottom line. The three P’s of the triple bottom line are, Profit, People, and Purpose. In other words, there can be more to business than making money.

Cate Swinburn and Kevin Wilkins are great examples of people who have proven skills in making profits, but who choose to add people and purpose to their professional lives.

Out to Lunch was recorded live over lunch at Columns in Uptown New Orleans. You can find photos from this show by Jill Lafleur at itsneworleans.com.

In the mid 1700&rsquo;s, a French author, Voltaire, wrote a biting satire that has remained a classic piece of literature ever since.
The novel, <a href="https://a.co/d/0cWlfAP3">Candide</a>, is about a student who is continually beset by all kinds of horrific disasters. It&rsquo;s basically a buddy comedy in which the kid&rsquo;s super-upbeat tutor keeps encouraging him, by saying, &ldquo;All is for the best in the best of all possible worlds.&rdquo; It&rsquo;s kind of today&rsquo;s equivalent of advising a kid in a disadvantaged public school to, &ldquo;follow your dreams and anything is possible.&rdquo;
The fact is, if you&rsquo;re a high school kid from an economically disadvantaged background, and you&rsquo;re in a not-so-great public school, it&rsquo;s going to take a lot more than a positive attitude to succeed after you graduate.
That&rsquo;s the harsh reality that drives <a href="https://www.youthforcenola.org">a ground-breaking New Orleans organization called YouthForce NOLA.</a>
YouthForce NOLA partners with every public school in New Orleans to form a bridge between the schools and local businesses. They provide kids with internships that give them real world experience. Kids and business owners, who wouldn&rsquo;t normally know each other existed, get to meet and mutually benefit from their association.
YouthForce NOLA can quote all kinds of statistics that explain why its operating model is spreading across the country, but this one set of numbers tells the story: since 2015 around 2,000 young people have earned over $3 million in paid internships - and 99% have continued on to college or a career.
The Founder and CEO of YouthForce NOLA is Cate Swinburn.
Along with YouthForce NOLA, there are a lot of organizations whose sole purpose is helping people. These organizations are generally grouped under the banner, &ldquo;non- profit.&rdquo;
A non-profit business doesn&rsquo;t have to pay federal taxes. They&rsquo;re mostly exempt from property taxes. They have access to grant funding. They can receive donations that are tax deductions for the donor. And there are a whole bunch of other benefits too.
But, - and there&rsquo;s always a &ldquo;but&rdquo; when it comes to what looks like easy money &ndash; these non-profit business have to jump through a bunch of bureaucratic hoops and comply with all kinds of regulatory requirements to retain their legal definition of a 501(c)3 business.
Other purpose-driven organizations that raise and spend money for reasons other than making a profit &ndash; like foundations and public entities &ndash; also have unique requirements.
<a href="https://trepwise.com/">Here in New Orleans there&rsquo;s a company whose business is maximizing the efficiency of all these types of organizations. It&rsquo;s called Trepwise.</a> It&rsquo;s Founder and CEO is Kevin Wilkins.
Kevin brought the original incarnation of Trepwise to<a href="https://itsneworleans.com/2016/04/14/entrepreneurial-u-out-to-lunch-its-new-orleans/"> Out to Lunch in 2016</a>.
The Bottom Line
The term &ldquo;the bottom line&rdquo; is derived from accounting. It refers to the last line of a balance sheet in which you&rsquo;re left staring at an incontrovertible fact &ndash; you&rsquo;ve either made money or lost it.
Over the last few years we&rsquo;ve come to know businesses that deal in what&rsquo;s called a triple bottom line. The three P&rsquo;s of the triple bottom line are, Profit, People, and Purpose. In other words, there can be more to business than making money.
Cate Swinburn and Kevin Wilkins are great examples of people who have proven skills in making profits, but who choose to add people and purpose to their professional lives.
Out to Lunch was recorded live over lunch at&nbsp;<a href="https://thecolumns.com/">Columns in Uptown New Orleans</a>. You can find photos from this show by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lafleurphoto.com/">Jill Lafleur</a> at <a href="https://pod.fo/e/406eb7">itsneworleans.com</a>.

OUT TO LUNCH finds economist and Tulane finance professor Peter Ricchiuti conducting business New Orleans style: over lunch at Columns in Uptown New Olreans. In his 15th year in the host seat, Ricchiuti’s learned but uniquely NOLA informal perspective has established Out to Lunch as the voice of Crescent City business. You can also hear the show on WWNO 89.9FM.

OUT TO LUNCH finds economist and Tulane finance professor Peter Ricchiuti conducting business New Orleans style: over lunch at Columns in Uptown New Olreans. In his 15th year in the host seat, Ricchiuti&rsquo;s learned but uniquely NOLA informal perspective has established Out to Lunch as the voice of Crescent City business. You can also hear the show on WWNO 89.9FM.

Tulane finance professor Peter Ricchiuti conducting business New Orleans style: over lunch at Commander's Palace restaurant.

It's New Orleans: Out to Lunch

OUT TO LUNCH finds the country's most entertaining finance professor Peter Ricchiuti conducting business New Orleans style: over lunch. Each week Peter invites guests from the New Orleans business world to join him for a midday bite. CEO's, startups, managers, musicians, biomed needle-movers, tech success stories and entrepreneurs of all stripes put aside the elevator pitch and talking points and actually enjoy themselves. It's business, New Orleans style. 
You can also hear the show on WWNO 89.9FM.

OUT TO LUNCH finds the country's most entertaining finance professor <a href="https://freeman.tulane.edu/faculty-research/finance/peter-ricchiuti">Peter Ricchiuti </a>conducting business New Orleans style: over lunch. Each week Peter invites guests from the New Orleans business world to join him for a midday bite. CEO's, startups, managers, musicians, biomed needle-movers, tech success stories and entrepreneurs of all stripes put aside the elevator pitch and talking points and actually enjoy themselves. It's business, New Orleans style. You can also hear the show on <a href="https://www.wwno.org/show/out-to-lunch">WWNO 89.9FM</a>.