New Orleans declares its innovation

There’s a revolution going on in New Orleans. Those behind it are working to overthrow the status quo and rebuild New Orleans — and, quite possible, the rest of the country, too — through plain-old entrepreneurship. And they’ve issued their first declaration — a Declaration of Innovation. No guns or bloodshed were necessary, but they do employ a high-tech arsenal — Vimeo, Facebook, Twitter and Scribd. The media campaign began last week with a full-page advertisement in The Times-Picayune in honor of President Barack Obama’s visit. The declaration calls for business leaders and citizens alike to make New Orleans stronger than ever before, through brilliant ideas and common goals. “This growing group of entrepreneurs is following in the footsteps of the resilient pioneers who have rebuilt and reinvented this city, many, many times,” DOI’s website insists. “The passion we generate is rooted in the vibrant culture of our city. It’s driven by a need to make change happen, because this city deserves the best in all of us.” The New Orleans branding and venture firm Trumpet Group is the brains behind the campaign, which co-founder and CEO Robbie Vitrano hopes will tell the story of how innovation is taking the Crescent City to new levels of success, growth and joy. He also believes the New Orleans model can become a blueprint for new economies in the 21st century. “I think capitalism needs to be reinvented,” he says. “The new generation gets it implicitly. If we want their talent and commitment, we need to change the game. Too much subtraction and disregard for the social and environmental fabric. Hell, change everything. Funny thing is, with four years of making this … up since Katrina, we just might have gotten a head start on the solution and something of the way forward after this economic meltdown.” To read the Declaration of Innovation, click here. To join the movement, click here. — Penny Font