Tim Williamson, President of The Idea Village

Tim Williamson is the President and Co-Founder of The Idea Village, a private, independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with a mission to identify, support and retain entrepreneurial talent in New Orleans. The Idea Village vision is that one day New Orleans will be a world-class entrepreneurial community.
Since 2002, The Idea Village has been the primary driver of business innovation in New Orleans.  With support from over 500 individuals, corporations, local foundations, Tulane University, University of New Orleans, Greater New Orleans, Inc., the City of New Orleans, and the State of Louisiana, The Idea Village has provided direct support to over 250 entrepreneurs who have retained over 1219 jobs and generated $107 million in revenue.

Background
Tim Williamson began his career at Drexel Burnham Lambert in New York City and in 1990 joined Bear Stearns as Vice President of Investments in Boston. In 1993, Tim pursued his entrepreneurial aspirations by successfully starting and managing multi-media companies in Boston, Atlanta, and Pittsburgh.

Williamson returned to New Orleans in 1998 to assume the position of General Manager of Cox Interactive Media in New Orleans.  At Cox, Williamson developed a national Internet strategy and launched Insideneworleans.com before his promotion to Regional General Manager of Cox Interactive Media.  In this role, Williamson oversaw the development and growth of five national internet markets.

An entrepreneur by trade and by training, Williamson has successfully started and operated five entrepreneurial ventures in four different cities and has been a steadfast advocate for making New Orleans a vibrant entrepreneurial community. Williamson is a requested speaker on innovation and entrepreneurship at meetings and conferences and The Idea Village has been featured in USA Today, The New York Times, CNBC, CNN, Inc Magazine, Forbes, Success Magazine, Times Picayune, WWL-TV, WWL-AM, WDSU and City Business.

Civic/Leadership
Williamson serves on the State of Louisiana Small Business and Entrepreneurship Commission, Kingsley House Board of Directors, City Year, the National Conference for Community and Justice Advisory Committee, Treasurer of Audubon Riverside Neighborhood Association, and a City of New Orleans Fleur-de-Lis Ambassador.

A graduate of the Stanford University Executive Program for Non-Profit Leaders, New Orleans Regional Leadership Institute (NORLI), Loyola’s Institute of Politics (IOP) and CABL’s Louisiana Leadership program, Williamson was honored among CityBusiness“ Power Generation” and Gambit “40 under 40”. Williamson also earned the Junior Achievement Rising Star Award and received “Heroes of the Storm” award from Friend of New Orleans in 2008.

Williamson, a New Orleans native, received a B.S.M. in Finance from Tulane University in 1987.

VIDEO: FDL Ambassador Tim Williamson on Entrepreneurship in New Orleans