Three students from the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service conducted research for Crossroads Coalition, an 8-county economic development organization, exploring initiatives to advance small businesses in eastern Arkansas.
Clinton School students, Danielle Folks of Austin, Texas, David Ford of Cleveland, Ohio and Thato Masire of Botswana, completed a comprehensive, five-state study of leading entrepreneurial development organizations, developing an innovative framework to meet the specific needs of the Arkansas Delta region.
The team will present their findings at Mid South Community College in the Marion Berry Renewable Energy Center on Thursday, April 3, 2014 at 3:00 p.m.
Over the past eight months, students visited twelve existing business support organizations, interviewing experts in the field and examining key attributes, procedures, and practices. Additionally, the team conducted a series of meetings with community members and elected officials to determine the assets and needs of Crittenden County.
“This project embodies the very mission of the Crossroads Coalition to promote broad-based development through education, leadership, community, and economic development,” said Heather Maxwell, executive director of the Crossroads Coalition. “Creating a culture across our region that supports small business and entrepreneurship is critical for our communities to sustain and grow. We can best cultivate that culture through employing proven practices, collaboration, community engagement, and strong leadership. I think this Blueprint has the potential to bring people and resources together to do just that.”
At the public presentation, students will speak about the innovative and educational strategies that distinguish successful small business development organizations. At its fruition, this program has the potential to create jobs, retain local talent, and provide access to entrepreneurial education.
For more information, contact Danielle Folks at dbfolks@clintonschool.uasys.edu
About Crossroads Coalition
The Crossroads Coalition is a regional economic development partnership of local economic developers, five award-winning community colleges, workforce investment boards, community development organizations, utility providers, elected officials, and many other local, state and regional partners all working together to attract, retain and grow business and industry and build strong communities. Crossroads Coalition counties include Crittenden, Cross, Lee, Monroe, Phillips, Poinsett, St. Francis and Woodruff. The Crossroads Coalition is working to implement strategies identified in the Regional Strategic Blueprint (May 2009) and Regional Marketing Plan (2014) to create a more competitive economic environment in East Arkansas. For more information about Crossroads Coalition, visit www.crossroadscoalition.org.
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