Today we’d like to introduce you to Labeaud Colbert.
Hi Labeaud, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I started volunteering in church at the age of twenty. That blossomed into working with several community service and advocacy organizations as a speaker. That was about eighteen years ago. Eventually, I began to build a career in marketing and ultimately started my own company.
Throughout this time I was still continuing to volunteer. When I started, I was primarily working with children. I then moved on to teen boys and girls. Soon I started speaking to women in crisis, small business communities, and community college students. Specifically, lowering barriers of access to education and resources for members of the black community was of high priority for me for many years.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It was anything but a smooth road. One of my largest obstacles was the lack of funding needed to nurture and scale my efforts. I wasn’t financially savvy and didn’t know where to begin to find help. This resulted in a couple of community service projects I had started coming to an end.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Iris Global Group Inc?
Iris Global Group Inc is a 501-c3 non-profit organization. It operates as a conglomerate to facilitate a hand full of initiatives to service multiple communities. What sets us apart is our focus on making up the gap in a variety of ways so that should anyone have the desire to serve, there’s sure to be a place for them to do so. These are the branches within our organization.
Women for Progressive Action or (WPA) is the revival of a women’s charity group started in the seventies located in the New Orleans Lower 9th Ward where I am from. This group met regularly to organize meeting community needs locally and through this program, we can service several communities by partnering with other organizations and putting on our own events.
The Creole Preservationist Club or (CPC) is dedicated to fostering connectedness and education of Louisiana Creole culture via community events and content creation. We strive to uncover lesser known historical figures and hidden gems that reach far into the depths of who we are as a people.
The Labeaud Literacy Program or (LLL) provides free books and book vending machines to schools suffering from low literacy rates in New Orleans schools.
Labeaud Production and Publishing aka (LPP) lowers the barriers of access for aspiring Louisiana Creole authors and filmmakers by providing resources, education, tools, support and funding towards content which contributes to the Louisiana Creole culture.
Acumen Academy aka (AA) Offers a supportive, inclusive environment for entrepreneurs and their communities to gather, connect, tackle business challenges, and discover new opportunities. We provide guidance, resources and community support to startup founders.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
My greatest mentor was my grand mother, Iris G. Labeaud of New Orleans, Louisiana; affectionately known as maw-maw. I owe her all the credit for who I am today. The example she set and the diligent and purposeful way she raised me gave me the foundation which everything I do and hope to do rests upon.
Contact Info:
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/labeaud/
Image Credits
Oliver Martinez
