Returning to New Orleans Entrepreneur Week: A Conversation on Legacy, Governance, and What’s Next
By Hal Callais | March 2026
Last week, I had the opportunity to participate in New Orleans Entrepreneur Week (NOEW) 2026 — the annual celebration of entrepreneurship that brought together over 3,000 attendees, 100+ speakers, and dozens of events across New Orleans from March 9–14. The experience was a meaningful reminder of the energy and ambition that exists across Louisiana’s business community.
The Panel: Governance, Legacy, and Next-Generation Leadership
The highlight for me, selfishly, was a panel discussion I had alongside two friends of mine: Mark Danos of Danos and Ben Bordelon of Bollinger Shipyards.What an honor to represent my family on stage with these leaders I deeply respect. Joe Bonavita (spelling) did a great job moderating the discussion.
And a thank you to Nicholls for inviting me to participate on this panel. I am honored.
What We Talked About
Our conversation focused on governance and next-generation planning — topics that don’t always get the spotlight at entrepreneurship events, but are absolutely critical to the long-term health of family-owned businesses and the communities that depend on them.
We discussed the real challenges of transitioning leadership across generations: how to formalize governance structures, how to prepare the next generation without shielding them from the realities of the business, and how to balance family dynamics with institutional accountability.
Although we have different experiences, the three of us were very much on the same page about a few things:
Family comes first — not the business, not the individual. That was the thread running through everything we discussed. Keeping the family business in the family matters, but never at the expense of the family itself. Mark put it best: a lot can go wrong when you mix family and business, but the key is that you never put business before family. That’s clearly been a guiding principle for how the Danos family has operated for nearly 80 years, and it resonated de
eply with me.
Earn your spot at the table. All three of us are raising our kids with the same mindset: know what you have, don’t take it for granted, and earn your place. And if you don’t want a seat at the table, that’s okay too — you’re loved and supported either way. There’s no entitlement to a role in the family business. There’s an invitation, but only if you’ve put in the work.
Generational success takes generations. It doesn’t happen overnight. It takes decades of planning, sacrifice, and trust — and a willingness to work through hard decisions together as a unit. And a lot of luck, over a long time.
A Few Things I Shared
I talked about what it means to live and operate in South Louisiana. For our family, being from here is very core to our DNA — and I believe it’s a strategic advantage. I love working with people from all over, but there’s no place like home, and I’d rather stay and be part of the positive change happening in our state.
On the topic of stewardship and entitlement, I shared something that I think about a lot: seventh generation thinking. The money isn’t mine. I’m purely a custodian for my great-great-great-grandkids. When my kids say, “Dad, we have money, can we buy this?” I tell them, “You don’t have any money. If you’re asking me to buy something with my money, that’s a different question — and the answer is no.” I know that sounds tough, but I think it’s important. Just because you’re related to me, doesn’t mean you deserve a spot at the table. You need to prove it, earn it. It is your opportunity.
I also talked about how my grandfather approached the family businesses with a portfolio mindset. My dad was one of four brothers, each running a different company. That diversification turned out to be critical — when the oil and gas bust hit in the ‘80s, my grandfather was diversified enough to help friends and acquire more shares of a bank. It wasn’t luck. It was long-term, strategic thinking across generations.
Reflections on NOEW
After 15 years, NOEW continues to serve as an important convening point for founders, investors, and business leaders in New Orleans. Events like NOEW matter because they bring together the entrepreneurial community, and provide space where ideas, relationships, and capital intersect.
Louisiana has no shortage of entrepreneurial talent. This has led to a history of long-term, multi-generational family businesses being developed here. My small part in this event gave me the privilege to share my own experiences and family history.
But most of all, I was proud to share the amazing opportunities that my family made available for me to reach out and earn for myself. I hope my kids read this one day and are reminded of the lessons.
Looking forward to being back next year.
Hal Callais is the Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer at Callais Capital Management, a venture capital firm based in southern Louisiana focused on early-stage companies across the Gulf Coast and Mississippi River Delta Region.