Team members 

Eric Griggs, M.D. (Download Bio)
Health and Wellness Training Leader

Melvin N. Cade, Esq.
Legal Counsel/Trainer

Mark Debose, MBA
Accounting Consultant/Trainer

Julien Grayer, PhD
EBO/Diversity Consultant

Trenese Dennise
Talent Acquisition Consultant

Reagan A. Peters-Roussell
Social Media/Digital Marketing Intern​
Norman David Roussell, MBA
​Founder/CEO | NDRoussell@startsmartllc.com

As an entrepreneur, consultant and nationally recognized author and speaker, Norman has been empowering clients with the tools to succeed for nearly 20 years.  In 2001, Norman founded Capital Access Project, Inc., an award-winning entrepreneur and economic development non-profit that played a seminal role in post-Katrina New Orleans’ small business recovery efforts for over 10 years.  In 2005, Norman founded a Start Smart, LLC, to provide consulting and training solutions for government, corporate, education and non-profit clients. 

In 2008, Norman and his team won a national award from the U.S. Department of Commerce as the operators of the Louisiana Minority Business Enterprise Center for the highest volume of financial transactions closed for clients. In 2009, Norman was named Minority Business Advocate of the Year by the Louisiana Minority Supplier Development Council.  In 2019, Norman received the New Orleans City Business Excellence in Construction and Real Estate Award for his award-winning Contractor's College training program.
 
Norman is the author of the best-selling book, Principles of Building Business Credit as well as five other titles, Ultimate Strategy: The Art and Science of Strategic Business Planning, Ultimate Business Planning for Visionary Start-Ups and Revolutionary Companies, Louisiana Business Certifications Guidebook, Start Smart Guide to Personal Credit Management and the Construction Laborer Job Readiness Assessment.  
 
Norman earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from Howard University at Washington, DC, and a Master of Business Administration from Loyola University at New Orleans. 

Norman is certified as an Adult Financial Literacy Trainer through the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and completed the executive education program, Implementing a System for High Quality Service, from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth.