Latinx Hub City Pang Wangle

On this edition of Out to Lunch, Peter Ricchiuti, Stephanie
Riegel and Christiaan Mader meet at the nexus of the Latinx Hub
City Pang Wangle. Okay, let's unpack that:


LatinX


There’s no two ways about it – this is a tough time to be in
business. There is help available to get through this rough
patch – in the form of business loans, and even grants. Some are
through Federal agencies, some are from State agencies, and
there’s money available from city governments in New Orleans,
Baton Rouge, and Lafayette.


Getting a hold of this money is not easy. Typically, businesses
benefit by being a member of a business alliance to help them
navigate the maze of regulation and bureaucracy.  But
some businesses are too small to join alliances like the Chamber
of Commerce. For those small owner-operator businesses, getting
access to financial expertise of any kind is challenging.


You might be a great hairdresser, house painter, or plumber, but
that doesn’t mean you have great – or even any – business skills.
Now, imagine having the added problem of not being able to speak
English. That’s the position many Latinx self-employed
people find themselves in, in Louisiana. And that’s why
there’s an organization called El Centro. El Centro provides
business assistance for Latinx entrepreneurs.


Lindsey Navarro is Executive Director of El Centro. There’s a
local Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, but that’s not El Centro. If
there was ever an organization that truly exists to help the
little guy, it’s El Centro.


Pang Wangle


Before a previous disaster, Hurricane Katrina, blew Stephanie
Riegel and her family to Baton Rouge, Stephanie was a journalist
and news anchor at WWL TV in New Orleans. One of
Stephanie’s colleagues there was fellow journalist, Jennifer
John.


Stephanie is still a journalist but Jennifer John is not, she’s
the founder and CEO of  a company with an intriguing
name, Pang Wangle.


The story goes that while Jen was out in the field reporting, she
was so sick of getting bitten up by mosquitoes and other bugs
that she created a line of bug resistant clothing for women:
scarves, wraps, pants, hats, and bags that are not only stylish
and lightweight for life outdoors in the South, but they’re also
impregnated with a safe and long-lasting bug repellant.


Things had been going pretty well since Jen launched Pang Wangle
at the end of 2017. And then along came Covid 19. But,
instead of decimating Jen’s business like so many others, the
pandemic got Pang Wangle coverage in the Los Angeles Times,
the Washington Post, New York Lifestyles magazine, and on a
coveted Buzzfeed list.


Hub City


Over the course of the last few months, journalists have found
themselves asking what seems like an endless list of questions
for which there are often no known answers. How long will
this economic downturn last? What happens when your government
assistance runs out? What is the future of education, of the
tourist and convention business, the entertainment industry, air
travel… The list goes on.


But, in the midst of all this uncertainty, there is one economic
question that we get a definite answer to on this edition of Out
to Lunch Louisiana. And that question is – Why, during the
course of this pandemic and unprecedented economic uncertainty
and record unemployment – why are bicycle sales through the roof?


To answer that question, we’re not turning to an economist or
financial pundit, we’re turning to Meg Arcenaux, owner
of Hub City Cycles in Lafayette.


You can also check out other bike related conversations.


Photos by Jill Lafleur at our website.


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