In February 2007, Mitch Landrieu, Louisiana lieutenant governor, launched an unprecedented effort to find and promote effective solutions to the challenges facing Louisiana after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Landrieu founded the nation’s first government-run Office of Social Entrepreneurship, making Louisiana the most hospitable place in the country for proving the most effective models for social change.
In this conversation with Andrew Wolk, Landrieu shares how Louisiana is demonstrating the potential for big change as civic leaders team up with social innovators. He details some of his work as head of the Department of Culture, Recreation, and Tourism; in particular, to rebuild New Orleans and strengthen the entire state by restoring and enhancing its cultural assets. Landrieu spoke at the 10th anniversary of the Social Enterprise Summit, held in New Orleans and sponsored by the Stanford Center for Social Innovation.
Andrew Wolk founded Root Cause in 2004 and has consulted to a range of organizations across the nonprofit, for-profit, and government sectors that seek to advance enduring solutions to pressing social problems. This work includes launching the Social Innovation Forum to identify and grow effective models, devloping Social Impact Research Reports to help philanthropic investors improve their effectiveness, and writing the business plan for the nation’s first statewide Office of Social Entrepreneurship. Wolk has authored numerous publications on business planning, performance measurement, and the intersection of government and social entrepreneurship, and holds appointments at both Harvard and MIT.
Mitch Landrieu was inaugurated for a second term as lieutenant governor of Louisiana in January 2008. Landrieu acts as the CEO of the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, managing more than 800 employees and a $165 million budget. Landrieu served in the Louisiana House of Representatives for 16 years, representing the 89th district in the Broadmoor neighborhood of New Orleans from 1987 to 2003. Prior to that, he practiced law for 15 years and served as president of International Mediation & Arbitration, Ltd. He has also taught alternative dispute resolution as an adjunct professor at Loyola University Law School. At Catholic University in Washington, D.C., he majored in political science and theatre. Landrieu earned his law degree from Loyola University Law School in New Orleans.
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This free podcast is from our Stanford Discussions series.
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