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in the company). “[Globalstar] still feels like a scrappy startup, and I’m viewed more as an entrepreneur who knows about the law rather than as just another lawyer,” he says. Returning home has provided him with more opportunities for community involvement, something he started as a student at Tulane. As a law student, he participated in a public forum in Algiers sponsored by Deloitte & Touche, where he observed anger and outrage over the lack of local opportunities for the younger members of the community. Johnston, who spent part of his childhood in Algiers, made it his mission to work with several students at Algiers Technology Academy (ATA). He raised enough money to send 12 students to Silicon Valley to meet with companies such as Facebook, Google and DreamWorks. Johnston also was instrumental in helping ATA receive a state-ofthe-art computer lab. Most people do not think of New Orleans as “Little Silicon Valley,” but to Johnston the comparison is apt. “It’s becoming a little technology hub here. There’s a cultural shift. People are starting to build their startups here instead of fleeing the state.” — Pitts
DR. TARUN JOLLY, 35
JEROME JUPITER, 39 Director of Education Services, Youth Empowerment Project PHOTO BY CHERYL GERBER
After a chaotic morning spent preparing his five sons and daughters for their school day, Jerome Jupiter arrives at the Tulane Tower Learning Center to help prepare more young adults for a successful future in the workforce. As director of education services for the Youth Empowerment Project (YEP), he heads New Orleans Providing Literacy to All Youth (NOPLAY), a nonprofit program that helps local youth 16 to 24 years old gain literary proficiency, develop career skills and earn their GEDs. The program serves young people who were unsuccessful in the classroom because of challenges such as unstable homes or incarceration.
JULIUS EARL KIMBROUGH JR., 39 Vice President, Liberty Bank and Trust PHOTO BY CHERYL GERBER
When Julius Earl Kimbrough Jr. joined Liberty Bank and Trust as its vice president, he turned the bank — and himself — into vital community linchpins. “We began thinking of ourselves as a community development organization,” he says. For seven years, Kimbrough has helped find funding sources for “otherwise not credit-worthy recipients” and spearheaded a home improvement loan program to help Gentilly residents rebuild following the 2005 levee failures. He also was instrumental in Goodwill reopening its New Orleans location at Tulane Avenue and Jefferson Davis Parkway, as well as a daycare center near the former Desire housing projects. “It’s a challenge, but it’s a great opportunity to touch a lot of lives,” Kimbrough says. He also serves on the boards of the New Orleans Institute of Mental Hygiene, where he helps find grants to build childcare centers and fund mental health and wellness programs; and the New Orleans Neighborhood Development Collaborative, where he helped develop affordable housing and community resources near the former C.J. Peete housing projects. Kimbrough graduated from Hampton University, where he studied history, economics and political science. He dabbled in investment banking before returning home to New Orleans. “There’s not always a straightforward (plan) for everyone to do what they want to do where they live, especially in New Orleans,” he says, but Kimbrough counts himself lucky to do so. — Woodward
CORETTA GRANT LAGARDE, 29 Community Services Coordinator, New Orleans Council on Aging PHOTO BY CHERYL GERBER
People always tell Coretta Grant LaGarde she is an old soul. As community services coordinator for the New Orleans Council on Aging, she has a knack for communicating with older adults. “I lived with my grandmother growing up, and it allowed me to see I can get a lot of wisdom from older adults,” she says. LaGarde writes grants, raises funds, plans events and represents the council, but her favorite activities bring her directly to the people she is working to help. During Older Americans Month in May, LaGarde hosts Senior Fest to showcase talents and honor older adults. “I love seeing them come out and sharing with one another,” she says. LaGarde also participates in local organizations. She does fundraising for Meals on Wheels, which provides food to homebound older adults; coordinates programs and raises funds for the New Orleans Regional AIDS Planning Council, representing older adults with HIV; and is a board member of Family Services of Greater New Orleans, which provides services to children, teens and adults. While LaGarde sometimes wants to rush home to be with her 4-month-old daughter, she understands the importance of her position. “The saying I live by is ‘Be your best self,’” she says. “It has allowed me to be successful in my career, volunteerism and personal life.” — Carroll
Gambit > bestofneworleans.com > NOVEMBER 02 > 2010
Founder and CEO, Southern Pain Relief Pain management specialist Dr. Tarun Jolly hit the ground running after graduating from LSU’s School of Medicine and completing an internship at Tulane Hospital and a post-doctoral pain management fellowship at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Shortly after joining Ochsner Hospital in 2006, he became one of the youngest directors in the hospital’s history and founded Ochsner’s first surgery center for pain management. In February he left Ochsner to start a private practice, Southern Pain Relief. He already has opened two locations and plans to further expand his business. Jolly’s specialty is treating patients who have undergone surgeries that failed to alleviate their chronic pain. “I use a combination of medications and interventions, including minimally invasive therapies,” he says. “There are over 200 interventions I can do. The focus is to mask enough of the pain so they can enjoy their life.” He also educates other doctors about innovative pain therapies, delivering lectures around the country, and has been featured on the ABC network’s website for pain management. One of his goals is to dispel the stigma surrounding pain patients as well as the doctors who treat them. “For me, it’s always been about education,” he says. “Not every pain doctor is a drug dealer, and not every pain patient is looking for drugs. Some of these patients expect a cure. A patient who comes into my office is just looking for hope.” — Graves
“For many of these students, survival is their top priority,” Jupiter says. “It is difficult for them to prioritize education when they do not know when their next meal is going to come. It became my vocation to help these vulnerable kids succeed.” Under his leadership, NOPLAY has doubled the number of people it serves from 300 to 600 and has cultivated more than 20 new community partnerships, expanding the program’s supportive services to new levels. “It is definitely a labor of love,” Jupiter says. “We’re like family. It’s fulfilling to actually be a part of helping individuals overcome their barriers.” — Ribera
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