How Entrepreneurs Adapt During Covid-19: A Panel Discussion

During these unprecedented times, we all need to be resilient and innovative and even more so if you are a business owner. In this Webinar, you will hear from three local business owners on how they are adapting to the new “normal” by acting on their deep understanding of their customers and reprioritizing their strategies.

Panelists include:

• Jordi Figueras, Founder and Owner at Insanitea Kombucha 
• Denali Lander, Executive Director at Youth Run NOLA 
• Ajax Jackson, Owner of Magnolia Yoga Studio
• Moderated by Patrick Hernandez, Co-Founder and Owner of Roulaison Distilling Co. 

This webinar is free for YLC members and $10 for Friends of YLC.

About Our Panelists:

Jordi Figueras, the owner of Insanitea Kombucha, hails all the way from Barcelona, Spain. At heart, he is a global explorer with a curious spirit. Ten years ago, Jordi moved to New Orleans for the Tulane MBA program.  He was able to make it all the way to Tulane after obtaining a grant from the Riera & Gubau Foundation. Prior to Tulane, Jordi got his electrical engineering degree from the Politecnica University of Catalunya in 2015 and spent most of his professional career as a software engineer. In 2017, Jordi opted to make a big career change, inspired by the entrepreneurial spirit of New Orleans. As a lifelong fermentation experimenter, Insanitea Kombucha was born. Insanitea Kombucha is currently sold all over New Orleans and doing home delivery. Insanitea Kombucha provides delicious proximity tonic drinks loaded with healthy enzymes that are beneficial to our guts, ensuring people have smoother days. Insanitea Kombucha promotes and encourages healthy lives through a healthy diet and lifestyle.

Patrick Hernandez is the co-founder of Roulaison Distilling Co, an award-winning craft rum distillery based in New Orleans. A native of Berwick, LA, Patrick left the state to attend the University of Pennsylvania where he graduated with a BS in Economics (Finance concentration). After working at Allianz Capital Partners in New York City post-graduation, Patrick knew the northeast was simply not where he wanted to be long-term and returned home to Louisiana to launch Roulaison Distilling Co with a college classmate. Now in its third year of production, Roulaison distributes four different rum expressions to six states. Most recently, the business has temporarily shifted its efforts to producing hand sanitizer to meet the demand of its local community.

Denali Lander is the Executive Director of Youth Run NOLA, an out-of-school youth-development organization that develops leaders and healthy communities through running. After graduating from Tulane University with a BA in English and History, Denali joined Teach For America as a 2009 Corps Member and taught middle and high school English at C.F. Rowley Alternative School in St. Bernard Parish. She then joined the staff of KIPP Central City Academy to teach 8th grade English. Throughout her years in the classroom, Denali supported the founding and growth of Youth Run NOLA from a grassroots after-school program into a stable non-profit. Denali served as a coach, Program Director, and Board Member for the organization before transitioning into the full-time Executive Director role with the organization in the summer of 2014. She is the former chair of the New Orleans Sport for Good Coalition and is a 2020 graduate of George Washington University’s Certificate in Sports Philanthropy. Denali grew up in Boulder, Colorado, and loves being outside.

Adrianne “Ajax” Jackson considers herself a champion of people and their passions! Over 25 years of experience working fluidly within the fields of Education, Cultural Anthropology, Non-Profit & Yoga Entrepreneurship on an international level. Ajax has acquired extensive experience, as well as progressive leadership skills from working globally with many progressive schools, notable non-profits, event spaces, yoga studios &, has recently founded Magnolia Yoga Studio. Ajax prides herself at being almost equal measures of creative visionary, facilitator & producer. Having great range over the small to large visions and details of artistic, educational & cultural work on an international level with an emphasis on Africa, Latin America, and their diasporas. Magnolia Yoga Studio is open 7-days a week and is located on Basin Street in the historic area formally known as Storyville. Magnolia Yoga has made history as the first black-owned yoga studio in New Orleans and is considered a premier yoga studio in the French Quarter-Treme-Downtown area. The mission of Magnolia Yoga Studio is to offer affordable, beginner, hot yoga classes to a diverse population in downtown New Orleans. Magnolia’s business model is focused on diversity, inclusivity, and affordability, creating a brand new clientele base of mostly African-American women practicing yoga & meditation for the first time. For more information please visit their website www.magnoliayogastudio.com.