. >>> chuck makel is wrapping up his tour of asia.ursday he took his message to the philippines. they have been developing a plan to increase troops to the country. >>> it was eight years ago today that hurricane katrina slammed ashore on the gulf coast. the recover there is still underway. here are some of the creative people who have gone to the big easy to help drive the revival. >> reporter: matthew has come a long way since helping his father fix up houses in vermont. he is now a respected furniture designer with a booming business. >> this material is what makes my work beautiful to me. >> reporter: and like many other creative entrepreneurs, he was drawn to new orleans in the desperate days following hurricane katrina. >> i visited and really fell in love with the city. the music, the young people moving here who wanted to be part of rebuilding the city. >> reporter: and the influx of the young and the talented is obvious across the city. shared work spaces are increasingly common, and new orleans is ranked as one of the americ