Area Development
Gramercy Labs plans to locate its innovative tech and media incubator in New Orleans, Louisiana.

According to Greater New Orleans, Inc., Gramercy selected New Orleans among more than a dozen competing locations, based on stringent criteria that included quality of talent, cost of living and economic support from local governments.

“New Orleans is like a second home to me,” says Gramercy Labs Founder and CEO, Kevin Fortuna. “As an alumnus of Jesuit High School and UNO, and a property owner in NOLA, I’ve got a lifelong connection to this place. I’m really excited to see the way NOLA is rising based on the intersection of its talent pools in both art and science. I locked arms with local talent to make my first indie film, The Dunning Man,” and, in addition to our tech start-ups, I’m excited to be able to make an announcement soon about our ambitious new film projects, the first of which we will produce here in NOLA. We hope this will be the first of many.”

Louisiana Economic Development has established strong partnerships with the state’s education providers,” LED Secretary Don Pierson explained. “We’ve added focused incentives to support the job creation in tech, digital media and film in our state. New Orleans continues to rise and it is a magnet for such talent, Gramercy Labs becoming an exciting new addition to what powers our local economy. Without question, Gramercy Labs is an important addition to the diversity of our dynamic digital sector.”

With locations in NYC, St. Louis, London and Dublin, Gramercy Labs is a tech and media incubator spanning digital media, wine distribution, film, music, and pop culture. Gramercy’s portfolio companies are leaders in categories spanning from MarTech (Marketing Technology) to digital media, wellness, music, film and cannabis/CBD.

President and CEO Michael Hecht of Greater New Orleans, Inc. added, “As we continue to position New Orleans as the go-to tech hub, we are pleased to welcome Gramercy Labs to New Orleans. With our low-cost, high-culture market, we have already attracted and grown a pipeline of local tech talent that competes with Silicon Valley, NYC, and Austin. Gramercy Labs will support both our burgeoning workforce and local tech startups.”

“New Orleans is a proven destination for digital media innovation. Because of its unique cultural content, the city inspires and transformative content is created,” says Quentin Messer, Jr., President & CEO at the New Orleans Business Alliance. “We’re excited that Gramercy Labs is choosing to tap into this inspiration and the strong local talent base that is uniquely positioned to fuel their growth. We look forward to working with them for many years.”