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Being Young, Female and a Minority Didn't Stop This Entrepreneur From Taking Charge of Her Engineering Firm!


One might assume that being very young, female and a member of a minority group might prevent an entrepreneur from being successful. But nothing could be further from reality for Iam Tucker, president and owner of ILSI, a successful engineering firm in New Orleans. How did she do it?

Leveraging a law enforcement background

Iam Tucker started her career in an entirely different direction.  She enrolled in a police academy and joined the Baton Rouge Police Department as a police officer. She was even preparing to take her career a step further by specializing as a narcotics detective or SWAT team member. Her ultimate goal was to become a member of the Secret Service.

Her career takes an unexpected turn

Although her career took a different course, Iam's law enforcement background provided her with the strength to take on an even bigger challenge as a female, minority business owner. It was a tough choice, but in 2008 when her father, Robert Tucker, a civil rights, politics, business man and owner of an engineering firm in New Orleans, Integrated Logistical Support, Inc., retired, Iam took over.

What Iam attributes to her success

Although Iam was not timid about making the company her own, she also is savvy about the importance of connecting with other people who can provide important talents and resources. Her business strategies include:
  • Willingness to learn from the experience of others (her father)
  • The courage to make an important career change
  • Working hard to learn the city's business culture
  • Helping other minority-owned businesses
  • Surrounding herself with talented people
  • Never forgetting community and core values

To read Iam's whole story, visit www.nola.com/business/index.ssf/2014/07/the_readers_pick_of_minority_b.html