Fund 17, 2533 Columbus Street, New Orleans, LA (2026)

02/07/2026

Mardi Gras is just 10 days away. Taxes and due on March 15th and April 15th, and our next Financial Wellness Collaborative workshops is in just 3 days. So before you claim your spot on the route, be in the number that claims their spot in this class!⚜️💚💛💜

LINK IN BIO🔗

Join us next week for our 102 Workshop on February. 10th at 6PM for our Occupational License facilitated by Sinnidra Taylor, business strategist facilitator & coach and serial-preneur, where you will leave class with an application walkthrough.

*Level 102 required materials prior to attending for flow, ease of completion, and successful application/exam “delivery”; be sure to see REQUIRED MATERIAL per Eventbrite link!

🙏 We’re thankful for the steadfast “call in” of our community and the leadership that moves through and connects our goals.
🙏 We’re thankful for the slow, steady climb and the experiences that have shaped the quality of leadership we strive to offer.
🙏 We’re thankful for our entrepreneurs, who walk this journey with us, understanding our 12-year commitment to building and sustaining this work.
And most of all, we’re thankful for what lies ahead—the gains and growth we’ve set our sights on for 2025 and beyond.
Here’s to the journey and all who make it worth taking. 🌱✨

Requirements:
🪴Have a notebook, writing utensils, & questions (and items clearly stated in the REQUIRED MATERIAL LIST, if any).

Fund 17 has partnered for the third year with and on our successful initiative focused on supporting the small business ecosystem, specifically in credit building and technical assistance support.

Location:
Codey’s NOLA
4228 Eve Street, New Orleans, LA 70125

We support all 17!

02/04/2026

So,before we get too deep into the Mardi Gras spirit, did you sign up for the Tax Ready workshop? 👀 Get your taxes rolling, then let the good times roll 💜💛💚🎭 This season is short and quick. With Mardi Gras being 13 days away, it may be more fun, when your taxes are down.

Join Fund 17 for virtual and in-person workshops to get your 2025 personal and business taxes filed- for free.

Fund 17 has partnered with Lori Jackson, MBA to provide in person Tax Ready workshops on February 9th and February 11th. Both events take place from 5;30 a 7:30 PM. Visit our Eventbrite or the link in bio to register. Location TBD.

We have space for 30 entrepreneurs to complete the workshop and receive tax filing paid for by Fund 17 from our Entrepreneur Assistance Fund. *You must attend the workshop and complete a short survey to be eligible.

We support all 17!

01/15/2026

With New Year’s resolution already fading and Mardi Gras right around the corner, set some intentions and put a plan in place. Begin with BenchMarks.

Benchmarks Incubator 2026 is an 12-week intensive program that combines weekly workshops, with 1:1 weekly advising in the areas of: marketing, business formalization, business strategy, or financial management (up to 12 hours per cohort member), along with personal and business finances in preparation for raising capital. The program will launch on February 5, 2026.

Core Themes: Business Formalization, Marketing, Financial Management, & Capital Access

The program is fully in-person; workshops will be held in various businesses throughout our ecosystem. Applicants should be prepared to spend at least 4-6 hours per week on the program, including meetings and workshops. The program runs from February 5, 2026 to May 7, 2026. Graduation will coincide with our Spring Community Mixer and Job Fair on May 21, 2026

The ideal candidate for the program:
- Is operating a for-profit business, non profit, or collective in New Orleans or GNO
- Has under $150k in annual business revenue
- Is past idea stage, meaning has at least one sale of a good or service, even if a prototype.
- Is early-stage, i.e. has been in business for less than 5 years and/or doesn’t have some key business elements such as a business plan, registration, bank account, permits, license, digital workflow, sales/marketing system, or method of tracking finances
-Have an understanding of formalizing: have a registered LLC or other incorporation (or in the process). *
-Have an understanding of commingling: have a personal and business bank account (or in the process). *

01/13/2026

The New Year rolled in and Maria Gras is right around the corner. That means some have already planted seeds and some are working to stick to resolutions, without a proper plan in place. So in lieu of a strict rebrand- how about about a new beginning with BenchMarks?

Benchmarks Incubator 2026 is an 8-week intensive program that combines weekly workshops, with up to 12 hours of 1:1 weekly advising in the areas of: marketing, business formalization, business strategy, or financial management. The is program in-person and runs from February 5, 2026 to May 7, 2026.

Applications close on January 27, 2026 at 11:59 PM, so apply soon! You know Mardi Gras is right around the corner; lock in on your future, then go have fun. Looking forward to confirming our latest cohort on January 27, 2026.

Apply in the link in bio or our website

We support all 17

01/13/2026

It’s about that time again! It’s time to gather everything from your P&L statements, to crumpled receipts you found in the bottom of your bag, because tax season is among us. Join Fund 17 for virtual and in-person workshops to get your 2025 personal and business taxes filed- for free.

Fund 17 has partnered with Tracey Carney to provide virtual Tax Ready workshops on January 20th and January 27th. Both events take place from 6:00-8:00 PM. Visit our Eventbrite or the link in bio to register.

We have space for 30 entrepreneurs to complete the workshop and receive tax filing paid for by Fund 17 from our Entrepreneur Assistance Fund. *You must attend the workshop and complete a short survey to be eligible.

We support all 17!

11/07/2025

Being kind to your future selves is showing up for them today, with consistency!

✨Some days, consistency looks like showing up with a plan.
✨Some days it’s showing up with no plan and just a notebook.
✨Some days it’s with a baby on your back like a backpack, dish soap suds to your elbows.
✨Other days, it looks like closing your laptop and breathing.

Building something real means learning the rhythm between hustle and healing — between action and pause. The work doesn’t always look loud, but it’s always alive.

To every founder, maker, and doer: stay the course, but honor your pace.

Showing Up, is a major part of that. Rest is also part of the process. Reflection is productivity.

Keep growing — gently, boldly, humbly.

Join us for our fall line up of classes, on November 11th, 13th, and 18th and December 9th. Our workshops are being facilitated by the incomparable and

These classes are intensive workshops, where you will leave class with an application filed/ and or exam completed. Exams fees are paid for by Fund 17’s Entrepreneur Assistance Fund**

Level 201 require materials prior to attending for flow, ease of completion, and successful application/exam “delivery”; be sure to see REQUIRED MATERIAL per Eventbrite link!

Requirements:
-Register for the event(s)
-Have a notebook, writing tool, and questions
-Laptops highly recommended

Fund 17 has partnered with and on our successful initiative focused on supporting the small business ecosystem, specifically in credit building and technical assistance support.

Eventbrite LINK IN BIO 🔗

We support all 17!

11/07/2025

One of the most fulfilling things you can do for your future is to start a business and scale it, espeeecially alongside your community. And the best way to grow a business and create generational wealth is by working smarter not harder.

So before the holidays and winter air starts rolling in, fall into alignment and sign up for these classes! Financial Wellness Collaborative are live on Eventbrite and Linktree.

Join us for our fall line up of classes, on November 11th, 13th, and 18th and December 9th. Our workshops are being facilitated by the incomparable and

These classes are intensive workshops, where you will leave class with an application filed/ and or exam completed. Exams fees are paid for by Fund 17’s Entrepreneur Assistance Fund**

Level 201 require materials prior to attending for flow, ease of completion, and successful application/exam “delivery”; be sure to see REQUIRED MATERIAL per Eventbrite link!

Requirements:
-Register for the event(s)
-Have a notebook, writing tool, and questions
-Laptops highly recommended

Fund 17 has partnered with and on our successful initiative focused on supporting the small business ecosystem, specifically in credit building and technical assistance support.

Eventbrite LINK IN BIO 🔗

We support all 17!

09/22/2025

🍂 Fall is our time for preparation. You comin’?

As we reflect on incoming Fall, I an intimate look back at 2022-now & the progress we’ve made.

📸 From my first ED headshot to the latest, time has shifted, challenges have changed, and clarity has deepened. And it is always visible in the eyes! The growth is real — and so is my and our team’s commitment to New Orleanians across all 17 wards.

Be reminded, Fall is our busiest season.

And this year’s season, is no different: we’re launching the expanded arm of our Pivot-preneur Initiative, focused on water resiliency and climate change for entrepreneurial adaptability …Living Like Water. Where we’re preparing entrepreneurs to face the future with innovation, equity, and sustainability. Strategically launching in the wake of the K20 anniversary, more now than ever before, it is important for us to be actionable as we look around and see how things have changed and how some things have been left untouched (left to decay) in our city.

We also acknowledge that our city have collected been in a mourning, remembrance, or have been frozen with PTSD…we have felt it along side of you. Mental health isn’t just important to our community, it’s important to our team because sustainable impact starts with well-being.

With that said:
✨Be the Boss Bootcamp is loading, cohort confirmations and next steps out soon! Keep an eye on your inboxes.
✨Financial Wellness Collab is full steam ahead, a latest timeline will be out by end of week.
✨Pivot-preneur is 🔥; we stay SHIVE!
✨ We will be reaching out to potential partners on Living Like Water from now till the first session this coming Spring! Our shortlist was tagged in this post! Emails loading.

Stay tuned for our newsletter and social media posts to be up-to-date on our program portfolio and the latest events.

✨ Fierce in our dedication. Focused on our future. Ready to prepare with you.

With humbled grace,
Veranisha

NOTE: Our inboxes are full — with current events, the mayoral race, and overdue replies (& spam)— and we thank you for your patience as we catch up.

09/08/2025

It’s been a couple of weeks since Be the Bootcamp applications have opened and we are grateful for all the submissions this far. By the way, if you haven’t 👀…you still have 9 days and it only take about 15 minutes! Applications close September 17th!!! Apply today!

BtB Bootcamps focuses. on foundations and pillars—the essential grounding for building lasting businesses and sustaining our communities.

Fund 17 partners with industry professionals to provide one-on-one business coaching and bi-weekly educational workshops for entrepreneurs who are :
✨ready to operate their business full-time and/or hire their first employee or contractor and/or
✨ready to purchase/lease their first brick and mortar commercial property.

This 5 week program is designed to equip entrepreneurs, culture bearers, and community builders with the tools, knowledge, and networks needed to strengthen their ventures and safeguard their impact.

Each week focuses on a critical pillar of sustainably, blending technical skills with community-centered values.

W1: Foundations & Pillars
W2: Community Engagement & the Culture Bearer
W3: Insurance & Permits
W4: Finance & Taxes
W5: Safeguard & Business Advocacy
Graduation Week: Celebrate the journey

Apply today: Link in Story!!!

08/26/2025

20 years after Katrina, our foundations aren’t just rebuilt—they’re fortified.

This week we’ve launched our Be the Boss Bootcamp application; focusing on foundations and pillars—the essential grounding for building lasting businesses and sustaining our communities.

Applications close September 17th!!! Apply today!

As we honor the K20 anniversary, we’re reminded that culture bearers and entrepreneurs carry the blueprint for New Orleans’s survival and its future. Week by week during Be the Boss, we’ll grow stronger together: from community engagement to finance, from safeguarding our work to celebrating our journey.

Fund 17 partners with industry professionals to provide one-on-one business coaching and bi-weekly educational workshops for entrepreneurs who are :
✨ready to operate their business full-time and/or hire their first employee or contractor and/or
✨ready to purchase/lease their first brick and mortar commercial property.

This 5 week program is designed to equip entrepreneurs, culture bearers, and community builders with the tools, knowledge, and networks needed to strengthen their ventures and safeguard their impact.

Each week focuses on a critical pillar of sustainably, blending technical skills with community-centered values.

W1: Foundations & Pillars
W2: Community Engagement & the Culture Bearer
W3: Insurance & Permits
W4: Finance & Taxes
W5: Safeguard & Business Advocacy
Graduation Week: Celebrate the journey

Apply today: Link in Story!!!

08/25/2025

We slept in this weekend, y’all!

We slept in and our bodies forgave us.
We slept in and our shoulders dropped.
We slept in, and our minds cleared; our hands steadied; our breath regulated; and our stories flowed smoother…

This week, on our Impact Ride, we will be honoring the lives that bore “the hands that saved me” during Katrina— too many to count.

They spoke life into me, gave shelter, patched up a broken heart as I stared at the city as a question mark, and even gave me laughter in the most awkward moments.

Our Culture Bearer Promise—developed in 2022, is rooted in the essentials of pre-Katrina New Orleans—things gone and things carried on. It’s about showing up for community, celebrating genius, and staying rooted in the why:

✨Why our city matters.
✨How to support the legacy of culture bearers.
✨Why we must deliver what the community requires of us.

And what do they require? Patience. Innovation. Communal support. And sometimes—just a listening ear.

📍Journey with us this week during our Neighborhood Field Trips as we highlight our communities’ impacts and events around town.

Fund 17

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