When you hear the words “New Orleans,” images of Mardi Gras, Bourbon Street, and the French Quarter pop into mind. Tourist magnets aside, the city, founded in 1718 where the Mississippi River flows into the Gulf of Mexico, has major oil money managed by multiple financial institutions.
Bought from Napoleon in 1803 as part of the Louisiana Purchase, New Orleans became an important port for early America. A French foothold in North America even today, New Orleans’ mix of French, American, and various Caribbean influences make for a dynamic city bursting with energy.
Tourism and other forms of entertainment may drive the New Orleans story in popular culture, but Tulane and Loyola Universities lead a group of a dozen major schools. The largest employer is the Ochsner Health System. History, money, education, and energy combine in New Orleans into a surprising startup gumbo.
(See the original posting on Geektime here.)