Loyola interns go global with 1st Stop for International Business Services
| The
World Trade Center (WTC) of New Orleans recently initiated "1st
Stop for International Business Services" to assist international
visitors and companies considering trade and investment opportunities
in Louisiana in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. 1st
Stop provides a single point of access to publicly-available business
and economic development information about the visitor's sectors of
primary interest. WTC Members from the business community and local
university student interns assist WTC staff in the operation of 1st
Stop, which is located on the 29th floor of the WTC building. |
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| Loyola Intern Derek Breaux with Mayor
C. Ray Nagin at the National District Export Conference reception |
Loyola alumnus Nicholas Bousquet is the manager of the program, and he has
been active in getting Loyola involved. In fact, the majority of interns
have come from Loyola, with two students from Dillard University, one student
from the University of New Orleans, and one graduate from Southern University
of Mississippi. Explaining the overall goal of the program, Bousquet is
quick to point out the unique opportunities the program provides for its
interns. "The idea of the program is to have the business development
interns work directly with the international companies to try to figure
out what their needs are and what these companies are looking to do in Louisiana,"
Bousquet explains. "Students have the opportunity to immerse themselves
in projects that relate to their own interests and backgrounds in international
business, and they are able to connect international business operations
to local distributors, real estate agents, and any other source of information
that might help the company be better informed and committed to investing
in the state." Basquet also points out that, "Student interns
also research and add Louisiana companies and trade associations from their
assigned sectors to the 1st Stop database." Loyola senior Rajan Montani,
an international business and finance major, is currently wrapping up his
time as an intern with the 1st Stop experience. Montani said, "The
program really helps students learn how to interact in the corporate world,
and the interns are able to choose what projects they want to work on. I
like how the internship program is not as bureaucratic as some other places,
and how I have had the opportunity to meet with key officials and attend
board meetings so that I could provide market research and analyses directly
to the companies." Interns also help research issues and problems that
New Orleans faces post-Katrina to help connect members and international
companies for solutions. Loyola senior and 1st Stop intern Natalie Lagrou
notes that not only was she able to gain experience in networking with companies,
but her time at 1st Stop has also allowed her to learn more about the infrastructure
of New Orleans. "I had no idea of the amount of activity in the ports.1st
Stop has been a very good experience, and I feel like this internship has
allowed for me to have an impact and play a part in the recovery of the
city," Lagrou said. Recent 1st Stop assistance to international companies
includes:
- 13 Dutch water sector companies in a delegation that visited New
Orleans
- 7 Australian companies, in cooperation with the Australian Trade
Commission and State of Western Australia Government, focused on housing,
disaster recovery, disaster management, and infrastructure projects
- 8 Swedish inventors, in conjunction with the Swedish Inventors' Association
(SUF) and the Swedish American Chamber of Commerce-South Central U.S.
Region, to introduce their products and technologies to the Louisiana
and U.S. market, create joint ventures or other forms of partnerships
- 6 Venezuelan hydrocarbon sector companies, in cooperation with the
U.S. Department of Commerce, from a delegation that visited New Orleans
seeking to acquire Louisiana oil and gas services, equipment, and technology
- 20 Quebec companies focused on housing, engineering, and infrastructure
projects
Loyola students participating in the program include Jennifer Luker,
Rajan Mamtani, Natalie LaGroue, Derek Breaux, Ashley Evans, Meghan Fassl,
Diana Ortiz-Molina, and Blanca Lopez. Three Loyola students have recently
completed 1st Stop internships, including Elizabeth Benedict, Julia
Cote-Colisson, and Amy Motichek,.
The 1st stop program is being undertaken in cooperation with Louisiana Economic
Development and the Louisiana International Trade Center/SBDC. Information
about WTC memberships, programs, facilities, and services is available at
www.wtcno.org. To learn more about the program, please email 1stStop@wtcno.org.
