There’s a reason you don’t hear people bragging about shopping for a new bank. Most of us choose one when we’re young and stick with it—even if we’re frustrated, even if it means worse service or fewer benefits. We treat it like a utility, not a relationship.
That’s good news if you’re running a big bank. Not so good if you’re trying to build a bank here at home.
Joe Zanco is doing exactly that. He’s the President and CEO of Catalyst Bank, a community bank based in Opelousas with branches around Acadiana. He’s a former CPA and internal auditor who cut his teeth working for the biggest names in banking and public accounting—Arthur Andersen, Iberia Bank, Home Bank.
Joe Zanco, President & CEO of Catalyst Bank. Joe says, advancing technology diminishes the need for bank branches and even ATMs and opens the door for smaller, local banks to do exactly the same job as big banks
But the banking path wasn’t exactly his plan. Joe grew up in St. Bernard Parish and got into banking thanks to a mop, a grocery store manager, and a knack for numbers. He’s been laid off by bankrupt state agencies and global scandals—but every detour brought him closer to his real calling: helping people grow their businesses.
On the opposite end of the spectrum is the world of civil litigation. Louisiana has lots of personal injuries to choose from. And that crowded competitive landscape comes with its own obstacles.
Geremy Garcia is a managing partner of Landgrave Garcia Injury Attorneys. His path to entrepreneurship winds through geology, pool supplies, and a fraternity house visit with Exxon’s legal team.
Geremy Garcia, along with partner Logan Landgrave, says they run their personal injury law firm, Landgrave Garcia, with transperancy and integrity: If you don’t have a legit case, they won’t represent you
Geremy was born and raised in Corpus Christi and came to Lafayette in 2022. He studied geosciences at Texas Tech, then pivoted to law when the oil and gas industry hit the skids. After law school at Southern University, he found his niche in personal injury—especially the kinds of cases that require digging into long backstories and legal nuance, like dog bites or offshore injuries.
In 2023, he and Logan Landgrave opened Landgrave Garcia. They’ve had to get scrappy: bootstrapping the firm, managing cash flow while fronting litigation costs, and learning to run a business from scratch.
Johanna Divine sits in for Christiaan Mader on Out to Lunch Acadiana at Tsunami Sushi
Turns out, there are two kinds of people who enjoy long odds and long paperwork trails: personal injury attorneys and community bankers.They may work in very different industries, but both Joe Zanco and Geremy Garcia are betting on something similar: that people in Acadiana value relationships, and that service still counts for something.
Joe Zanco, Geremy Garcia, Johanna Divine, Out to Lunch at Tsunami Sushi
Out to Lunch Acadiana was recorded live over lunch at Tsunami Sushi in downtown Lafayette. Photos by Astor Morgan.
