New Voices Foundation at the 2025 ESSENCE Festival

For the 2025 ESSENCE Festival of Culture, the New Voices Foundation presented a robust lineup of programming-designed to empower entrepreneurs from New Orleans and across the country

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At the heart of this year's activation were the New Voices Village™, New Voices Entrepreneur Hub™ and SOKO MRKT Stage.

These were vibrant spaces for entrepreneurs to learn, demo and connect with each other—and with consumers, retailers, funders and other key stakeholders.

The New Voices Village featured Founder Pop-Ups and a Makers' Studio, with hands-on workshops that allowed entrepreneurs to showcase their products and engage directly with festival attendees. Founders also participated in New Voices Office Hours, offering one-on-one professional guidance from the New Voices Fund, Townsend & Lockett lawyers, Target, KIVA and NMSDC.