Our Team

Laurie Guillaume, CEO

Laurie Guimont Guillaume, a New Orleans native is Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Pepper Leaf. She is a graduate of The University of Memphis where she graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications.

The majority of Laurie’s adult years were spent outside of the city of NOLA.  Prior to returning post Katrina, Laurie resided in Dallas & Corpus Christi, TX, Meridian, MS, Virginia Beach, VA, Memphis, TN, Washington, DC,  New York City, NY, and Plainsboro, NJ. While in Virginia Beach and later in Memphis, TN, Laurie was vice president of ‘The American Dream’ program. Espousing the mission “Education + Hard Work – Drugs = The American Dream”, the program influenced thousands of junior and senior high school students throughout the United States to further their education and shun drugs. The very successful program was featured in newspapers and television shows throughout the country.

Laurie transitioned twenty years ago to a thriving career in the pharmaceutical arena. The multiple award-winner in sales, training and management traveled extensively throughout the United States the last two decades building a successful career in the industry.

In 2011, Laurie founded Pepper Leaf - a boutique communication consulting company. Pepper Leaf was initially designed for individuals, particularly women, who desire to reach the next level of their career or gain new employment, however, require assistance with interview skills and formulating a story that's unique to them.

Laurie is on the Board of Trustees of WYES Public Television, President-Elect of BRAVO (Ballet Resource and Volunteer Organization), and Board Member of Women of Fashion. Additionally, Laurie is Advisory Member of Louisiana Center for Women in Government and Business.

Taryn Brown

LEGAL COUNSEL

​Taryn​ ​Brown,​ ​a​ ​New​ ​Orleans​ ​native,​ ​is​ ​a​ ​Vice​ ​President​ ​at​ ​Legends​ ​-- a​ ​sports​ ​and​ ​entertainment​ ​company​ ​owned​ ​by​ ​the​ ​New​ ​York​ ​Yankees​ ​and​ ​Dallas Cowboys.​ ​​​Prior​ ​to​ ​Legends,​ ​Taryn​ ​was​ ​a​ ​mergers​ ​&​ ​acquisitions​ ​associate​ ​in​ ​New​ ​York City​ ​at​ ​Akin​ ​Gump​ ​Strauss​ ​Hauer​ ​&​ ​Feld,​ ​which​ ​is​ ​consistently​ ​ranked​ ​as​ ​one​ ​of​ ​Am Law’s​ ​A-List​ ​Top​ ​20​ ​law​ ​firms​ ​in​ ​the​ ​country.

Before​ ​practicing​ ​law,​ ​she​ ​worked​ ​in​ ​New​ ​York​ ​as​ ​a​ ​Division​ ​I​ ​basketball​ ​coach​ ​as​ ​well as​ ​a​ ​fundraiser​ ​for​ ​political​ ​campaigns​ ​and​ ​non-profit​ ​organizations​ ​that​ ​focused​ ​on creating​ ​educational​ ​opportunities​ ​for​ ​underrepresented​ ​groups.

Taryn​ ​holds​ ​a​ ​Bachelor’s​ ​degree​ ​from​ ​the​ ​University​ ​of​ ​Texas,​ ​where​ ​was​ ​a​ ​member​ ​and captain​ ​of​ ​the​ ​women’s​ ​basketball​ ​team.​ ​​​To​ ​contribute​ ​to​ ​the​ ​rebuilding​ ​efforts​ ​after Hurricane​ ​Katrina,​ ​Taryn​ ​chose​ ​to​ ​attend​ ​Tulane​ ​University​ ​Law​ ​School,​ ​where​ ​she earned​ ​her​ ​J.D.,​ ​was​ ​the​ ​Editor-in-Chief​ ​of​ ​​The​ ​Sports​ ​Lawyers​ ​Journal​,​ ​and​ ​worked​ ​for the​ ​General​ ​Counsels​ ​at​ ​ESPN​ ​and​ ​the​ ​New​ ​Orleans​ ​Hornets.

Blyss Lewis

HUMAN RESOURCES CONSULTANT

Blyss Lewis has over a decade of experience within many aspects of the Human Resources portfolio.  She began her career with the Texas Workers Compensation Commission where she assisted in the development of the first Medical Fee Guideline for the State of Texas. 

Blyss then worked as the Human Resource and Compliance Manager for a national medical staffing company.  She was responsible for providing strategic guidance and leadership for all aspects of the human resources function and establishing vision and direction for the full complement of core human capital programs and services.  This included recruiting and retention, onboarding, training and development, performance management, development of policies, procedures and processes, employee relations, and benefit management.

In her role as a Compliance Manager, Blyss successfully led the company in obtaining Joint Commission Certification which increased their gross profit margin during the first quarter.  This also provided the company with a competitive edge in the marketplace by demonstrating a commitment to a higher standard of service while providing a framework for organizational structure and management.

Blyss holds a degree from Howard University and brings a dedication to social impact and problem-solving to HR. She is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). 

Blyss is married with two children and enjoys cooking and traveling in her spare time.

Drew Brown, MD

CONSULTANT

Dr. Brown received his undergraduate degree at The University of Texas at Austin where he also played NCAA Division 1 basketball. He then began his medical training in Boston, Massachusetts at Tufts University School of Medicine and completed his Orthopedic residency at The University of Hawaii in Honolulu. 

After residency, Dr. Brown sought further specialization in spine surgery and was selected for a fellowship at the San Diego Spine Fellowship Program located at the San Diego Center for Spinal Disorders in La Jolla, CA under the direction of Dr. Behrooz Akbarnia. Following fellowship, Dr. Brown was selected to join Florida Orthopedic Specialists treating the Treasure Coast community. He spent 3 years developing a spine practice within a multispecialty private orthopaedic group where he emphasized outcome based practice methods for all surgical candidates. Dr. Brown played a pivotal role in creating a spine institute and steering it towards recognition as an Orthopaedic Center of Excellence.

At the end of 2017, Dr. Brown was graciously invited to work as a visiting professor and spine surgeon at FOCOS (Foundation of Orthopedics and Complex Spine) with the world renowned Dr. Oheneba Boachie-Adjei of Hospital of Special Surgery. Dr. Boachie-Adjei founded the FOCOS Orthopedic Hospital in 1998 and it is the only orthopedic hospital in West Africa. This hospital is dedicated to the people of Africa and specializes in complex spine and joint replacement surgeries. Dr. Brown will continue to donate time as an associate professor and visiting surgeon with FOCOS Orthopedic Hospital treating a variety of complex pathology. Most recently Dr. Brown worked with the Laser Spine Institute located in Tampa, FL where he specialized in minimally invasive surgery for conditions of the neck and back.