The Young Intelligentsia – New Orleans Creative Community Spurred to Action: Loyola grad launches new media vehicle for young, creative voices

The Young Intelligentsia – New Orleans Creative Community Spurred to Action
Loyola grad launches new media vehicle for young, creative voices 
What better way to lead than from within. Loyola-grad and self-proclaimed creative imaganeer, Justin Shiels is spurring a new movement within the New Orleans creative industry.  His most recent effort is InvadeNOLA, a biweekly online magazine and blog written by and for 18-30 year olds. 

In an arena littered with literary magazines and artistic publications, InvadeNOLA looks to fill a void in local media by shining a light on our amazing youth culture. “Lets be honest, most media for millennials is carbon copy reality TV, full of whiny obnoxious teens.We have to believe that the millennial generation has the power to change the world in a positive way, here in New Orleans there is a strong community of intelligent thinkers who challenge the status quo.” Shiels notes.

InvadeNOLA takes a different focus with each release, bringing readers articles about arts, sex, diversity, activism and growing up. The project launched in December of 2009, and in three short months, the site and blog have made a significant impact on the cultural community, gaining over 8,720 page views, including nearly 2,000 unique visitors and over 100 comments.  Penetrating beyond our local consciousness, InvadeNOLA reaches 40 of the 50 states and 27 countries. 

As Shiels continues with his greater vision for the project he is seeking both new talent and outside funding.  The future of InvadeNOLA includes the release of weekly issues of the online magazine, as well as a series of one-of-a-kind cultural events in New Orleans, like the "Son of Rambo Indie Dance Party."

Shiels explains, “the events are about bringing together the best and the brightest of our community, and letting them build their networks and inspire each other.”  Like similar local organizations, Shiels.  A strong arbiter of paying people for their talents, Shiels has started a Kickstarter fund to solicit support for InvadeNOLA.  He hopes to raise enough money to pay writers for a full 5 months, providing new content weekly.

How to help: 
Make a pledge to independent media at http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1740568017/invadenola-volume-2 


For more information:
http://blog.invadenola.com
http://www.invadenola.com

Videos:
What the heck is InvadeNOLA - http://vimeo.com/10408788
Donate to InvadeNOLA - http://vimeo.com/10422224

504ward 'dine around' gatherings build ties among young professionals

Dine Around was an amazing and positive experience! I enjoyed my Dine Around Experience.

Social networking with a purpose came to the Asher home at the lakefront Thursday night. And to nearly 50 other homes around New Orleans.

In an extraordinary display of organizational moxie, the group504ward, billing itself as a "movement" designed to keep talented young professionals in the city, held dozens of evening-meal social gatherings.

By Coleman Warner

In New Orleans, a bohemian renaissance

HANNAH ADAMS, a Bostonian, was in the drama department at Vassar when Katrina struck. Today, four years later, she plies her theater skills as a community organizer in New Orleans. She works as a sometime “tester’’ for the Fair Housing Action Coalition, which sends a white and a black would-be “tenant’’ in search of apartments, to see if landlords discriminate against the black applicant.

Full Story

Use clout in New Orleans, young voters told

As the countdown to the New Orleans' 2010 mayoral race continues, Beltway-turned-Crescent City political power couple James Carville and Mary Matalin this week encouraged a room full of young professionals to harness their influence to elect a candidate who can best lead a city poised for greatness.

Full Story

The changing face --and faces --of New Orleans

Growing up in Broadmoor, Timolynn Sams traversed the neighborhoods of her hometown by instinct. On bike rides to visit her cousins miles away on Tchoupitoulas Street, or on solitary walks to Hollygrove, she knew exactly which streets were safe and which houses she could stop at to use the bathroom or chat with friends.

Full Story

Moishe House has become a nexus for young Jews working in New Orleans recovery

It was still early in the evening; the potluck dinner of quiche, pasta and wine was spread out in the living room of the comfortable Broadmoor house when one of the guests, Sami Slovy, ritually lit two candles to welcome the Jewish Sabbath.

Full Story

YOUNG PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS TEAM UP TO CREATE CIVIC ENGAGEMENT COALITION

YOUNG PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS TEAM UP TO CREATE CIVIC ENGAGEMENT COALITION

New generation plans on making an impact on 2010 elections and important issues facing the city.

NEW ORLEANS, La. – With demographic data showing voters under 45 could be the majority in the next election, a coalition of existing young professional groups in New Orleans has formed EngageNOLA, a new civic coalition that will focus on advocating for issues that are most important to young professionals and holding public officials accountable.


“Engage NOLA represents the first time New Orleans’ young professional organizations have worked together, bringing together all our diversity and perspectives, to advocate for the issues that will make New Orleans a great city not just for young professionals, but for native, new, and future New Orleanians,” says Nolan Marshall III, President of the Young Leadership Council. “With over 78,000 registered voters under the age of 34, we have real potential to be responsible for shaping the future of New Orleans”

Engage NOLA’s partners include Common Good, Humid Beings, LatiNola, NOLA Yurp, Puentes New Orleans Inc., Urban League of Greater New Orleans Young Professionals, the Young Leadership Council, and 504ward. Collectively they represent a wealth of experience in organizing and community projects, and the potential to contact and mobilize thousands of New Orleans young professionals through emails and social media sites like Facebook and the increasingly popular Twitter.

EngageNOLA is focused on providing opportunities for local young professionals to help shape civic dialogue in advance of the upcoming 2010 Mayoral and City Council elections.

“We will sponsor educational forums to allow young professionals to give voice to important local policy issues and provide opportunities to convey those priorities to local leaders,” says Morgan Williams, Chair of the EngageNOLA steering committee.

“Young professionals will be able to complete a brief policy survey, get involved in activities, and stay informed about local issues through our website, www.EngageNOLA.org.”

EngageNOLA is a coalition of young professional organizations supported by Common Good and including LatiNola, NOLA Yurp, Puentes New Orleans, Inc., Urban League of Greater New Orleans Young Professionals, Young Leadership Council, and 504ward; working together through a diverse steering committee of over thirty individuals representing private, public and non-profit sectors. EngageNOLA initiatives are designed to create opportunities for local young professionals to collaborate directly with other civil society leaders to implement forward thinking visions for the region. Through education and action initiatives, EngageNOLA works to connect young professionals to the local policy landscape, and establish a politically educated, networked, and involved generation.