Economic development is usually told through the lens of numbers – jobs created, contracts rewarded, and dollars invested. However, at this year’s ESSENCE Festival of Culture, we put the women responsible for the economic inclusion and development work that happens in Louisiana on the ESSENCE Main Stage to discuss what it takes to close a deal that impacts communities statewide and build an ecosystem that includes people like them who are usually left out.

Moderated by ESSENCE Chief Community Officer Barkue Tubman-Zawolo, this candid conversation immediately dove into newly elected New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno’s priorities for the city. As the city’s first Hispanic mayor, at the top of that list is being more innovative in creating an economy for all New Orleanians.

“When I first took office [in January], I knew that when it came to economic development and jobs, it’s about providing opportunity for everyone across the city,” Moreno expressed. “To really accomplish big things in the city of New Orleans, we need to stop thinking about a box. There is no box. It’s limitless.”

For Mayor Moreno, thinking outside the box includes supporting Black and women-owned businesses born right here in the city and making sure New Orleans has the right educational opportunities that directly correlate with the industries the city is famously known for, including hospitality. “I’m happy to say all those things are happening in the Crescent City,” she says. “Black business is on the rise. I feel the excitement everywhere I go throughout the city. The level of investment that’s happening is exciting. I get that it’s always good to bring people in, but also, we have to make sure we take care of our own.”

Lafayette Economic Development Authority President and CEO Mandi Mitchell echoed Mayor Moreno’s sentiment that business is booming in Louisiana. “In just the last two years, we have brought over $100 million of capital investment to this state, all across the entire state, including my region where I’m from.” 

Mitchell credits these recent accomplishments to three key things: partnerships, preparation, and creativity. “Economic development is a team sport. It does not happen with one person or organization operating in silos. It requires partnership with elected officials, the private sector…with your local, homegrown businesses. Minority businesses especially need to be at the table,” Mitchell says. “But also, no one economic development project is the same. You have to be creative in moving obstacles so that economic opportunity and economic mobility is flowing to the people…in every community.”

To ensure no community is left behind, that’s where two of Louisiana’s most critical business development entities – Louisiana Economic Development (LED) and Greater New Orleans (GNO) Inc. – steps in. 

“Partnership really propels power,” says Jasmine Brown-DeRousselle, chief external affairs officer for GNO Inc. “In this space that we get the opportunity to work in, we like to call ourselves the synapse, and if you know anything about the synapse, it stands in the middle of everything.”

“It’s all about creating an ecosystem,” adds Shamela Pete, business development director for LED. “An ecosystem with our small business learning centers, our colleges and universities, and other dignitaries who are able to prepare business owners to participate in these deals.”

Pete touts a key LED program called Source Louisiana, which allows businesses to showcase their services, certifications and capacity, ensuring that more Louisiana companies are in the pipeline for opportunity. “Source LA allows businesses to be more visible to participate in projects,” Pete says. “With the ecosystem we’ve created, all this allows those deals to come full circle.”

At the center of economic development are people and policy, which leads to impact.

“When you think about the work we get to do, people are at the center of it every single day,” DeRousselle says. “We like to think about what are those elements that can ensure our mission stays alive…and policy is a very important pillar of what we do as economic developers. Truly, it’s the infrastructure that sets the foundation for everything. Where there is the correct policy infrastructure, that’s where capital flows, and where capital flows, that’s where impact is. Partnerships, coupled with policy, is really the way to continue to propel prosperity…not only in the space of economic development but across our communities.”

While these powerhouse women are working day-in and day-out to deliver for their communities, oftentimes they are overlooked as one of the only women in the room.

“That’s literally 99.9 percent of our lives for us here in the Deep South,” Mitchell emphasizes. According to her, the Lafayette Economic Development Authority has been operating in its current form for about 40 years, with roots that date back to 1899. Fast forward to 2026, and she is not only the first CEO of color to lead the organization but is also the first woman.

“I had to compete against about 35 other people for the job, so when I step into those rooms, I feel empowered. As I travel around the country, going into corporate settings and conferences…I love seeing more and more Black and brown professionals, not only serving as entrepreneurs and serving their communities, but being on this side of the table, providing the services, curating programs that will impact and strengthen the ecosystem. It is energizing for me because we have a lot to offer to this country, to our communities, to our states, and we need to create more room in the end for more of us.”

“For me, sometimes it can be a bit overwhelming,” Pete adds. “However, you have to realize that you were created for such a time as this. I am in these rooms so I can make change, and I’m honored to create programs that can affect communities everywhere, especially those that aren’t always afforded those opportunities. 

“When I step into those rooms, I count it as an honor and a responsibility,” DeRousselle says. “I recognize that every time I stand in the room – whether there’s one of me there or a hundred of us there – I stand on the shoulders of many. I [also] recognize the responsibility that comes with representing every Black woman that is in this room today, so when I step into those rooms, I’m always thinking about how I can make more opportunities for people that look like me. I don’t want to be the only one in the room…that’s not my goal. The goal is that as I’m walking in, I’m pulling at least 10 others with me. The goal is, if you start as the only one in the room, please don’t end as the only one in the room. And that’s our responsibility.” 

Although women are often left out of these male-dominated spaces, that’s why it’s become crucial for them to create an ecosystem for themselves and other like-minded women leaders.

“I wouldn’t be able to feel the way I feel about myself if I didn’t have an ecosystem of amazing women I’ve looked up to for many years, and that’s why I think it’s so important for women to support women,” Mayor Moreno shares. “Oftentimes, we don’t see that. We see women competing against each other, or women not wanting to support women. When I served the Louisiana legislature for eight years, it was women who voted against equal pay for women. So it’s not enough just to say, ‘Let’s support women.’ It’s really actually doing it…not only in the legislature but in the community.

While women like Mayor Moreno, Mitchell, Pete, and DeRousselle have successfully navigated these spaces that weren’t originally created with them in mind, it has come with both a heavy cost and an even greater reward. 

“You’re not always going to be liked, and that’s okay, but you do need to be effective,” Pete says. “You need to remember what the mission is, and for me, it’s the greater good of Louisiana. Creating opportunities requires making difficult decisions, staying true to your values, and leading with accountability. You may not always be liked, but you should always strive to make a meaningful impact.”

“As an economic developer, I wake up every day thinking about what am I going to do today that is going to ensure that the economic opportunity experienced by this current generation is surpassed by the next generation coming,” Mitchell adds. “The weight is heavy. There are times where you are going to make uncomfortable decisions as an elected official. You’re going to make unpopular decisions when you have limited resources as an economic developer. So there is a cost…you’re not going to make everybody happy. But so long as you know, at the end of the day, that you’re paying it forward for the next generation and that you’re helping to establish generational wealth, whatever the cost is…it’s worth it.”

“I’ve never lived with any regrets…doors will open and close, and those that close were never mine to open, and you just keep getting up and keep moving forward. That’s all we can do and that’s all that we must do,” Mayor Moreno shares. “I think for women, it’s so important that we realize and remind ourselves that we can do it. Often, when it comes to big dreams that women have, men will just go out and do it and not think about it a lot. But for women, we put so much more thought into things and the possibilities and the consequences. The one thing I always talk about with young girls is pushing past fear because so often, fear is what stops you from following your dreams. For me, it’s what started it.

“The first thing that came to my mind is that purpose is, in fact, expensive,” DeRousselle explains. “And while it is expensive, inaction is even more costly, and the reward gained is priceless. I would encourage every woman to never let the cost discourage you. As women, we have to stop pausing and start pushing. We have to stop waiting and start walking in it. And lastly, but certainly not least, we have to stop knocking and start kicking down doors. Because the cost of inaction far outweighs the cost of courage.”