Forbes, JP Morgan and Harvard Review are all talking about it. Black woman-owned entrepreneurial busnesses are “soaring,” growing 50% in the last few years.

The literary arts reign supreme at Critical Mass 11, an annual Shreveport Regional Arts Council (SRAC) project. As the literary arts critic, I received submissions from writers that ran the whole gamut of literary styles, from novel excerpts and historical and science fiction to contemporary, experimental and love poems.

Carla Buntyn is a Shreveport native. She received her Bachelor of Business Management with a minor in business administration, a Master of Human Services, and a Ph.D. in criminal justice. Carla identified the urgency of needs for individuals who desired a second chance at success in the community and, in 2013, founded Compassion for Lives.

She graduated from Caddo Magnet High School in 1994 and earned her bachelor’s degree from Northwestern State University in 1999. Connie is a senior administrative assistant at JPMorgan Chase, supporting three executive directors and assisting 49 retail branches and 400 employees.