Jon Atkinson is a prominent figure in the entrepreneurial community of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region. He is a respected CEO of Idea Village, a non-profit organization that supports and incubates start-ups, and leads the way in the realm of entrepreneurship and innovation. A seasoned professional in the local investment community, Jon also administers Lagniappe Angels, LLC, where he is responsible for pipeline development, coordination of due diligence, and general administration of the group. Jon is a former director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Community Development at Loyola University New Orleans, where he leads Loyola's efforts to provide nationally recognized entrepreneurship education that helps build an innovation-ready workforce that serves New Orleans and the Gulf region. Jon has taught MBA courses in technology commercialization, business model development, and customer development. Jon is an MBA holder in Entrepreneurship, Strategic Management, Leadership, and International Business from Tulane University. At The Changemaker Institute, Jon founded a social entrepreneurship incubator that received 'Best in Class' recognition by Ashoka. Jon has unique qualitative and quantitative finance skills that yield a unique perspective on business and finance.