You know the gap. You've felt it. A NOLA startup building something real can't find locally trained talent with AI skills. A student with the right instincts has no clear path to a real startup. A grant opportunity worth $3M gets missed because nobody knew it existed. These aren't separate problems — they're cracks in the same pipeline.

This Founders' Table is about that pipeline: what it takes to connect education to startups to funding in a way that makes New Orleans a place where the next generation of AI builders stays and builds.

Three conversations, one lunch:

1. The Syllabus — What should every AI & Business graduate know?

We want to hear from the people who actually build. What skills matter six months in? What frameworks do you reach for every week? What did you learn the hard way that a course could have taught you? Your input shapes what the next generation learns before they enter NOLA's ecosystem.

2. The Grants — The money is on the table. Who's going after it?

We mapped 24 grant opportunities across federal, state, private foundation, and international sources. This isn't a grant-writing workshop. It's a strategy session: which opportunities have the best fit, who in the room should partner on what, and what's the first step to start something real.

3. The Ecosystem — How do we build something bigger than any one course?

The Louisiana Institute for AI is being designed right now. The state's Growth Fund has $50M for tech startups. NOLA's local universities carry HSI and mission-driven designations that unlock federal and foundation grants. NOLA founders are building AI products that compete nationally. These pieces exist. The question is how they connect. Let's talk about a sustained initiative — one that turns classroom learning into a workforce pipeline, a grant engine, and a signal that New Orleans builds the future.

Who should be in the room:

• Founders who've hired (or couldn't find) AI-talent in NOLA
• Anyone teaching, building, or funding the next generation
• Faculty and administrators thinking about curriculum design
• Grant writers and development professionals
• Students who want a say in what their education looks like
• Anyone who wants NOLA to win the AI talent game

Lunch: Soul Noodle on site. Chef Madeline Fitzpatrick (Wall Street → Southern-style udon) serves Japanese-Louisiana fusion noodles. Bowls available for purchase.

What you walk out with:

A curriculum wishlist from the people who actually hire and build

2–3 grant leads you or someone in the room can pursue

A working group of people who want to stay connected

A clearer picture of the Louisiana Institute for AI and how to get involved

A bowl of Soul Noodle in your stomach — and a sense that something's starting