The Future of Work

As the world becomes better connected by means of technological innovation and the globalization of industries, we are experiencing profound changes in the way that we work. Companies are challenged to find creative pipelines for talent development and acquisition. Some have adopted a remote workforce while others have become invested in local workforce development. Ease of access to education and professional resources has inspired many to pursue entrepreneurial ventures. Join Tech Talent South for our panel of industry experts as we discuss the future of work.

Register on Zoom here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_dBaiXGhcQTqK95ZxSVK0KQ

Featuring:

Gant Laborde, Chief Innovation Officer at Infinite Red
Gant Laborde is a New Orleans native, born and raised. He grew up with hurricanes (not the drink), rich New Orleans culture, and as a free tour guide for all his out-of-state friends. Over the years he’s seen his city experience corruption, flooding, heartbreak, and most importantly, revived-determination. “New Orleans doesn’t know how to quit” Gant says, “that’s why I love it.” Gant firmly believes conflict abets passion, a fire always moves fastest uphill. As Chief Innovation Officer for the San Francisco company Infinite Red, Gant works remotely from his home and uses his self-managed autonomy to explore a variety of leadership arts. Besides managing the all-remote team from around the world, Gant has become a published author, adjunct professor, volunteer mentor, and a speaker at conferences worldwide. Each day, Gant refines what motivation and leadership mean as he strives to bridge the gap the theory and the concrete. He voraciously consumes self-help books and online lectures, which he incorporates into his everyday processes. Focus on personal enthusiasm and motivation to lead projects, workshops, and teams is the bedrock of success. He refines these skills as often as possible at his local Toastmasters clubs, where he serves as a club mentor.

Quentin L. Messer Jr., CEcD, President and CEO, New Orleans Business Alliance (NOLABA)
As the leader of the accredited economic development organization (AEDO) focused on growing the Orleans Parish economy, Quentin leads initiatives and programs related to making New Orleans the most attractive city of its size for financial and human capital investment. These initiatives and programs are conducted across four workstreams: business attraction/retention, small business growth, talent and workforce development and strategic neighborhood development. He was named by Biz New Orleans as a Businessperson of the Year (2019), by Consultants Connect as one of North America’s Top 50 Economic Developers (2019) and selected by Ebony Magazine for its Ebony Power 100 as a Power Player (2018). Immediately prior to joining NOLABA, Quentin was the Assistant Secretary for Louisiana Economic Development, (LED) the state department of economic development. To learn more about the Business Alliance, please visit, www.nolaba.org.

Ariel Lopez, Founder and CEO of Knac, Speaker, and Career Coach
Ariel is a career coach, entrepreneur, and public speaker with an expertise in digital media and technology. She’s the Founder and CEO of Knac, a hiring platform that's reinventing how people apply and prepare for jobs. With over a decade of recruiting experience, she’s worked with leading brands like Nike, Google, Spotify, Ebay and others to help them build great teams. She’s coached thousands of marketing, advertising, and tech professionals to help them grow in their careers and find lucrative opportunities. She’s also been featured in publications like Forbes, FastCompany, Refinery29, BusinessInsider and others to share her advice. She’s passionate about the future of work and making the job search more human.

Lyle LeBlanc, President at SCALE Workspace & COO at Entrescan