Imagine if you had a few thousand dollars to spend however you wanted? What would you do? A few of my friends might put a down payment on a house. Others would take a long-dreamed about vacation. Or buy an expensive piece of art. Most would give some money to their favorite charity. Yes, Americans certainly are generous with their money. In 2023, individuals gave $374 billion dollars, representing 67% of total giving, according to Giving USA. Americans gave to organizations and grantmaking foundations working in human services, health, education, environment, and the arts, financially supporting an array of causes and programs essential to the social fabric of our communities. But by far, Americans gave to religious institutions and organizations: the churches, synagogues, and mosques that offer spiritual guidance and solace – a community of the faithful. Chris Spencer knows something about the importance of supporting your parish church. As CEO and President of the United Methodist Foundation of Louisiana, Chris manages nearly $250 million on behalf of churches and philanthropists in the state, using his background in banking to help Methodist churches manage their investments and help donors with planned and legacy giving. The spiritual can be found in nature, too, and in different art movements, including Surrealism, Symbolism, and Spiritualism, a 19th-century movement that directly influenced modern art. Cana Brumfield began her exploration of art at a young age. Inspired by her mother, an art therapist and teacher, Cana grew up taking art classes and going to art camps. In 2024, Cana began selling her art to the public under the brand name Luna Leaf Studio. Incorporating upcycled materials, Cana’s art evokes a childlike love and wonder for nature and the environment by incorporating whimsical aspects of design. Her work can be found at local art markets, including Brickyard South and The Magical Spring market at the Unitarian Church of Baton Rouge. Art and religion have long shared an inseparable bond. From ancient cave paintings and illuminated medieval manuscripts to grand cathedrals and temple sculptures, art has historically functioned as a visual language of faith. And, all along, but perhaps today more than ever, art and religion both rely to some extent on a foundation of finance. Which is what brings Chris and Cana together over lunch on a show about business in Baton Rouge! Out to Lunch is recorded live over lunch at Mansurs on the Boulevard. You can find photos from this show by Ian Ledo and Miranda Albarez at itsbatonrouge.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You've probably heard that public radio currently exists in an environment of less than zero public funding. "Less than zero" because when the Corporation for Public Broadcasting was disbanded, monies that had already been promised to public radio stations like WRKF were clawed back. Today, the only reason you're able to hear this conversation on Out to Lunch is because of the the actions of good corporate citizens who have stepped up to ensure that community conversations continue. One of those good corporate citizens here in Baton Rouge is a company called LUBA Workers Comp. LUBA Workers' Comp is a regional casualty insurance company providing workers compensation coverage in 1/4 of the United states. That is significant market penetration for a company that was founded and continues to be headquartered right here in Baton Rouge. Seeing LUBA Workers' Comp is a sponsor of Out to Lunch we're taking advantage of that relationship to invite an Executive Vice President of the company, Kelli Bondy Troutman, to talk about safety in the workplace. Most of us have heard of OSHA, the federal agency responsible for workplace safety and health. The agency that sets and enforces standards and provides training and assistance to ensure safe working conditions. But how many of us have ever studied the poster issued by OSHA that typically hangs in nearly every workplace cafeteria? Or who among us really studies the section about safety in the employee handbook? Probably very few of us. The reason is the same one most of us don’t pay any attention to the pre-flight safety announcement when we’re waiting for a plane to take off: there are so few plane crashes – or work accidents – that we feel we don’t need to care about it. But, of course, the very reason there are so few plane crashes and serious workplace incidents is because there are people working every single day to make air travel and our work places safe. One of those people is Adam Beary of Bear Process Safety, whose mission is to simplify safety by creating lean, innovative solutions to help build an easily manageable program for companies. Bear Process Safety offers process hazard analysis, process safety auditing, process safety training, standard implementation, and operating procedures. Since 2018, Bear Process Safety has been working primarily with larger chemical manufacturers and renewable energy companies but has recently branched towards smaller customers. Bear Process Safety was recognized as a BRAC Diversity Star award winner in the small business category for 2022, and CEO and President Adam Beary was a 2022 Business Report 40 Under 40 honoree. Out to Lunch is recorded live over lunch at Mansurs on the Boulevard. You can find photos from this show by Ian Ledo and Miranda Albarez at itsbatonrouge.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In years past, formal dining rooms were used for Sunday dinner or holiday get-togethers, opportunities to cook a traditional meal, served on fine china, leisurely eaten among family or friends over a glass of wine. Today, estate sales are jam-packed with barely-used china no one wants because in most modern households meals are often fast-food or grabbed from the to-go counter and holiday meals are often catered and sometimes served on paper plates. So, what do you do if you are a homeowner with an underutilized formal dining room? Well, not so long ago Mauree Brooksher was in such a position when she and her husband bought a 50-year-old home with a traditional formal living room. Uncertain what to do with it, Mauree turned to social media for ideas. There, she found a blog showcasing a formal dining room converted into a mahjong room, with beautiful pictures of the tables and tiles. Mauree was hooked. Today, Mauree and her business partner Stephanie Politz, own and operate Mahjong Rouge, a club of sorts that offers mahjong classes and hosts tournaments to promote the game in the Capital Region. Founded in 2024, Mahjong Rouge has taught 1,300 students the tile-based game that dates back to the mid-1800s in China. Now, the game has become so popular that Mauree and Stephanie recently launched Mahjong New Orleans. What constitutes “fun” changes over time and is different in each culture, each community, and each family. Technology has greatly impacted the ways we entertain ourselves and interact with others. From radio to television to games played on our computers, technology is constantly evolving and therefore changing our lives in new and different ways. What hasn’t changed is the simple pleasure and joy of being in the company of others. People with a strong sense of community just feel better, leading to greater emotional resilience and higher life satisfaction. Mahjong is an old game with an enduring purpose of gathering family or friends around a table for an evening of fast-paced skill and cunning. By teaching mahjong classes in Baton Rouge and New Orleans, Mauree and Stephanie are broadening people’s appreciation of Chinese culture and offering new opportunities for fun and community. Out to Lunch is recorded live over lunch at Mansurs on the Boulevard. You can find photos from this show by Ian Ledo and Miranda Albarez at itsbatonrouge.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

By all accounts, it’s difficult to land a job or even an interview right now. There’s all kinds of reasons for that, including a stagnant labor market and sluggish hiring by cautious employers. Recent college graduates are bearing the brunt of what is one of the most challenging markets in years, with entry-level white-collar jobs being especially hard to secure. If you are unemployed and looking for inspiration, you’re in the right place. It took nearly 18 months for my lunch guest Nick Miner to be offered a job in design after graduating from LSU. After months of getting nowhere in his job search, Nick took a more aggressive approach to applying, made an e-portfolio, and started introducing himself to agencies. He ultimately landed a job at Mesh, a local ad agency where he was hired as the art director. Today, Nick Miner owns his own business Miner Design Company, specializing in logo design, branding, art direction, packaging design, illustration and graphic design. Tony Zanders was born and raised in New Orleans but made his career in tech in Boston and Silicon Valley. Eleven years ago, he returned to Louisiana to be closer to family and, during the pandemic, launched his second tech startup, Skill Type. Leaning into an international network of venture capitalists, Tony fundraised a 4 million dollar investment for his company from contacts in London, Silicon Valley, New York, Miami and in Louisiana, proving the old adage “it pays to have friends in high places.” While building his company in Baton Rouge, Tony became a coach and mentor at Nexus Louisiana. In 2024, Tony threw his hat in the ring for the role of president and CEO and was tapped for the position by the board. Today, he oversees 10 million dollars in annual revenue at Nexus Louisiana. After 2020, for a year or two, our default conversation was the pandemic. No matter what we were talking about, everything came back to what was happening before or after Covid. Today, the default conversation, especially in business, is AI. Is AI coming for my job? If so, when? What should I best do to prevent it taking my job, or what should I do if it does take my job? You might notice the use of "if." The fact is, right now, nobody really knows what the future of work will look like. But as it changes, Tony is in the forefront of that change, working with tech companies that are literally creating the future. On the other side of the coin, Nick is proving that no matter how creative technology can be, the source of all that creativity is, after all, a human being with the equivalent of a pen and piece of paper. Out to Lunch is recorded live over lunch at Mansurs on the Boulevard. You can find photos from this show by Ian Ledo and Miranda Albarez at itsbatonrouge.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since Starbucks opened its first store in Seattle in 1971, coffee shops have become a staple in nearly every city. In Berkeley, California there are approximately 59 coffee shops, resulting in one coffee shop for every 2,000+ residents, which is a higher ratio than Seattle. New York City has more coffee shops per capita than any other American city. When I read those numbers, I naturally thought to myself how do they all stay in business? How does each coffee shop or chain distinguish itself from its competitors? Katie Jenkins, Owner and Executive Director of Grace Therapy Center and Stir, has taken a thoughtful approach to business competition and growth. Grace Therapy Center is a clinic for children with autism and other developmental differences that Katie started in 2021. Now with three locations, Grace Therapy Clinic offers applied behavior analysis therapy (otherwise known as ABA) for indiividual children, children in social groups and at summer camps. Of all the positioning possibilities you could imagine for opening a coffee shop, tieing it to a series of specialty autism clinics isn't something even the folks at Starbucks or coffee shops in California or New York have thought of. But that's exactly what Katie Jenkins is doing with Stir Cofffee House on Airline Highway here in Baton Rouge. Stir employs Katie's child clients who mature and are old enough to join the workforce. The coffee industry is responsible for more than 2.2 million U.S. jobs and generates more than $100 billion in wages per year. Over the years, we’ve had several guests on Out to Lunch who have contributed to the coffee industry’s success locally. By providing job opportunities at Stir to those who might struggle to find traditional work because of their intellectual and developmental disabilities, Katie Jenkins is not only contributing to the coffee industry’s success in Baton Rouge but she's providing invaluable work and life experiences for her clients at Grace Therapy Center. Out to Lunch is recorded live over lunch at Mansurs on the Boulevard. You can find photos from this show by Ian Ledo and Miranda Albarez at itsbatonrouge.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.