As a minority and woman construction business owner, I have experienced hurdles with the lack of professional mentors in a typically male field. It took time building relationships and taking small jobs, patiently waiting to build trust for larger jobs. Another hurdle was difficulties accessing loans and working capital, which are key components in a strong business future. I’m driven and motivated to succeed in business, though, as I’m a single mom of two young sons. I would like to build a successful business they can inherit in the future. And as an Arkansas native, I want to grow and help create jobs in my community. Read More
We’ve had so much great news lately! We won the Banker’s Choice Award for Most Impactful Solution at ICBA Live 2019, and ICBA went on to invest in our company bringing our total seed capital raise to $2 million. Tricia Hopkins, CFO of ICBA, also joined our board of directors, which is certainly exciting. We’ve extended our geographic reach and signed new banks with headquarters in Florida and West Virginia. Read More
The recruitment period for ICBA ThinkTECH 2.0 has officially ended and the Selection Committee is in the process of evaluating the incredible applicants. We are particularly excited about the opportunities that exist with this Accelerator because in this 2nd year, we are primed to experience a tremendous level of growth. Read More
At The Venture Center, we're often thrilled by the number of program applicants we get from across the globe. It's exciting to know that the work we are doing makes an impact from Little Rock to Australia, Israel, and beyond. But, we haven't had a chance to take our mission beyond Little Rock and to other areas of the world that could also benefit from our experiences. That changed when we learned that our friend Xuan Do, a YSEALI (Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative) Outbound Fellow from Vietnam, had a project selected for funding. Read More
The Venture Center team is passionate about entrepreneurship and thrives on the hard work and creativity required to make ideas into viable businesses. We love partnering with people across the state and throughout the world to build better businesses and stronger communities. Get to know our team and learn why we love being here. We have an open door policy, so come for a visit any time. Read More
On October 2, 2018, after ten years of running my company Little Rock Fashion Week, LLC (LRFW) – a local fashion, events and talent management firm that owns fashion weeks in Little Rock, Baton Rouge and Plano (TX) – I started a new phase of my career as Director of Small Business and Inclusion at the Little Rock Regional Chamber. Read More
