These Two Women Are Taking On New Orleans Flooding Issues — One Garden At A Time

New Orleans is known for its rich culture, vibrant music scene, and resilience, and the Crescent City holds a special place in the hearts of its residents. But as one of the rainiest cities in the U.S. — and with roughly half of its land sitting below sea level — New Orleans is also known for its flooding.

The city averages more than 60 inches of rainfall a year, according to a 2020 National Weather Service report, putting tremendous pressure on the local pumping system to drain stormwater. Underserved areas like the city’s Ninth Ward are especially vulnerable to flooding.

Like many residents in New Orleans, carpenters Arien Hall and Luisa Abballe grew frustrated over repeatedly repairing flood-damaged homes. “We knew the fixes were only temporary because the homes were going to flood again,” Abballe says.

“We realized that we needed new solutions to address the flooding and the devastation it can cause to residents’ homes and property,” Hall says. “We thought if we can install passive systems like green infrastructure and rain gardens that can hold the water close to where it falls — and allow the water to slowly infiltrate into the soil — we can help ease the strain that we put onto our great infrastructure systems.”

So with just $500, a pickup truck, and a clear problem to solve, Abballe and Hall embarked on a mission to provide underserved areas with new ways to manage stormwater. Realizing the immensity of their project, they originally named their construction company Juggernaut but quickly switched to Mastodonte to pay homage to New Orleans’s French heritage. The company designs and builds stormwater solutions such as retention and detention systems, rain gardens, and more.

A Better Solution For New Orleans

To bring their vision to life, Abballe and Hall sought guidance and support from Propeller, a local nonprofit that helps entrepreneurs grow their businesses and improve their communities. Propeller, which receives financial support from JPMorganChase, provides small business owners with access to capital and connects them with mentors who can help with everything from marketing to applying for government contracts. The nonprofit is also home to the Water Impact Accelerator, a five-month program that supports startups working on urban water management and coastal resilience.

“We know that for small businesses, one of the biggest hurdles is accessing capital, so we help with that and set them up for success,” says Andrea Chen, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Propeller, which has helped nearly 50 water-focused ventures in and around New Orleans.

Mastodonte won Propeller’s Water Challenge in 2019, taking home the $10,000 first-place prize for its holistic approach to water management. The winnings helped Mastodonte scale its business and expand its impact around New Orleans.

Since 2015, JPMorganChase has committed over $1.5 million to Propeller to help companies like Mastodonte carry out their missions. “Stormwater management is a reality of life in our city,” says Victoria Adams Phipps, Vice President of Global Philanthropy at JPMorganChase, which supports over 43,000 small business clients in the greater New Orleans region. “It’s critical that we find solutions for the ways we live and work with water, and Mastodonte is helping to do that.”

From Empty Lots To Community Rain Gardens

The impact of Hurricane Katrina is still felt in New Orleans today. For years, certain areas of the city sat empty, drained of their vitality. Mastodonte has been working to transform these spaces into assets for the community, enhancing both flood management and local living conditions.

One standout project is a public garden in the Ninth Ward. The space remained vacant for years, but it now features a rain garden that holds over a thousand gallons of water during storms. It’s also an orchard filled with edible plants, native trees, and pollinators, providing fresh produce for local residents and a serene green space for relaxation. “The Lower Ninth Ward is a food desert,” Abballe says. “These gardens produce food and provide residents with access to healthy options.”

A Community Working Together

Mastodonte is firmly committed to bringing education and employment opportunities to the community. The company offers an apprenticeship program that equips individuals with valuable skills for the construction industry. “We work with individuals to teach them a trade, how to use tools, how to be on a construction site. We work with them not only on hard skills but also soft skills,” Abballe says.

Apprenticeships like these are vital for building a robust local workforce. “Offering these apprenticeships and internships not only brings value to our company but ensures that we can create the talent pool we need in this industry,” Hall says.

Adding jobs to the local economy is one of the many reasons JPMorganChase teamed up with Propeller. “By supporting Propeller, we’re creating a ripple effect. Propeller helps Mastodonte, and Mastodonte helps people learn new skills to build careers. And that helps the community and all of New Orleans,” Phipps says.

A Brighter Future For New Orleans

The collaborative efforts of Mastodonte, JPMorganChase, and Propeller are making meaningful strides in the work to support the resiliency of communities they serve.

“New Orleans is one of the most special places on the planet, but it also has incredibly unique issues,” Phipps says. “Through philanthropic investments that support nonprofits like Propeller and small businesses like Mastodonte, we can help strengthen the city and the local economy.”

Visit the JPMorganChase website to see how the company is supporting small businesses like Mastodonte and driving community development.

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