Meet Our Team

Ashlye Keaton practices intellectual property and entertainment law, and she also works in cultural advocacy and policy. Ashlye is the Co-Founder of The Ella Project, a nonprofit based in New Orleans that serves Louisiana artists, musicians and culture bearers with direct legal, business and advocacy services. Ashlye is an adjunct professor at Tulane Law School and the University of New Orleans Graduate School in Arts Administration.  She received the distinguished teaching award by Tulane Law class of 2015.  Along with other legal successes, Ashlye helped the Mardi Gras Indians by arguing that their elaborate suits qualified for copyright protection as works of sculpture. She is also noted for her work around the New Orleans municipal noise ordinance and other arts-related policies and regulations.  Ashlye served the creative industries sub-committee for Mayor Cantrell’s transition team; she is the Chair of the community advisory board for WWOZ 90.7FM; she has served on numerous boards for arts and culture related organizations, including the Recording Academy.  Beyond New Orleans, Ashlye has convened stakeholders and presented at conferences at the World Trade Organization in Geneva, Georgetown University, Canadian Music Week, the NoncomMusic Alliance, National Endowment for the Arts, South Arts, and other organizations steeped in conversations around developing best practices and facilitating fairness and equity in promoting thriving creative industries and cultural ecosystems. Ashlye has been recognized with numerous accolades for her commitment to arts and culture, including OffBeat Magazine’s Best Music Attorney for nine consecutive years, The Advocate’s Forty under 40, New Orleans CityBusiness Leadership in Law, the Mardi Gras Indian Hall of Fame Legal Eagle Award, and was named a 2022 Activist of the Year by Avenue Magazine.

Email: ashlye@ellanola.org

Gene Meneray is Co-Founder of The Ella Project, a pro bono legal, business development, and cultural advocacy organization. A native New Orleanian and graduate of Tulane University, Gene worked for more than a decade as Director of Artist Services at the Arts Council of New Orleans. He has also worked for Thomas Mann Design and for Young Aspirations/Young Artists (YAYA). From 2011-2017, he taught Arts Business in the Graduate School at the University of New Orleans Arts Administration program.  He has been a panelist and moderator for events including the World Cultural Economic Forum, American Bar Association Conference on Pro Bono, the Music Cities Summit in Toronto, and the Sociable City Summit. Gene is also the former Executive Director of the Louisiana Crafts Guild, and serves as the Chair of the Louisiana State Arts Council and as a Board Member for the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies. He lives in the Carrollton neighborhood of New Orleans with his wife Elizabeth, a domestic hearting officer and volunteer DJ on WWOZ, and son Campbell. 

Email: gene@ellanola.org
Phone 504-250-0429