ARK Challenge, NWA Council Win Entrepreneurship Award
The ARK Challenge and the Northwest Arkansas Council were jointly awarded an Excellence in Economic Development Silver Award for Entrepreneurship Monday at the International Economic Development Council’s annual conference in Fort Worth, Texas.
Here's the full story from the NWA Council.
The award goes to "programs, policies, or initiatives that nurture and support individuals or emerging small businesses to develop their ideas, products, and/or services into viable, competitive businesses."
Here's a sample:
“When we started focusing on entrepreneurs about three years ago, one of our primary objectives was to create a more robust entrepreneurial ecosystem for Northwest Arkansas,” said Mike Harvey, chief operating officer for the Northwest Arkansas Council, a private nonprofit organization that works to improve economic opportunity and quality of life in the region. “This validates some of the progress we’ve made. It’s a special recognition.”
The entrepreneurship award goes to programs, policies, or initiatives that nurture and support individuals or emerging small businesses to develop their ideas, products, and/or services into viable, competitive businesses.
“Economic development efforts have long been a keystone in the quest to bolster the economy and improve quality of life in every locality across the country,” said Bill Sproull, the International Economic Development Council’s chair and president and CEO of the Richardson (Texas) Chamber of Commerce. “As the nation continues to tackle challenges in the midst of global uncertainty, these efforts have taken on an even greater significance. With this award, we laud trendsetting organizations like the Northwest Arkansas Council for leading the charge.”
Jeff Amerine and Jeannette Balleza-Collins represented the ARK. Well deserved award for both the ARK and the NWA Council, a big supporter of the ARK and local entrepreneurship in general. Keep up the great work, guys.
The ARK's third installment from Fayetteville wraps this month, and the fourth installment, based in Little Rock, will hold its Demo Day Nov. 12.