- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

First-Generation Student Finds It’s Never Too Late For an Old Dog to Learn New Tricks at College

John Hill — Wed, 23 Nov 2022 13:59:07 +0000

First-generation college student and entrepreneur Steve Foster has worn many different hats in his life – everything from a merchant marine to an owner of a liquor distribution company to a marketing consultant. But the one thing Foster never thought he would be successful at – at least until much later in life – was college. “Being an older, nontraditional student, there may be a story that needs to be told to let others know that it is possible to teach an old dog new tricks,” he said. A native of Pascagoula, Mississippi, the 61-year-old is not only the first person in his family to go to college but also the first born in the United States as his family emigrated from the Cayman Islands. After graduating high school in 1979, he followed his family’s long history of working on the sea. “In my ancestry, all the men went to sea,” Foster said. “I went on ships. I was a captain on tugboats and an officer on ships.” Foster was working as a deck officer on a tanker when the Exxon Valdez oil spill occurred on March 24, 1989, spilling 11 million gallons of crude oil into Alaska’s Prince William Sound that covered 1,300 miles of coastline. He said that the shipping industry was forever changed after the incident, one of the worst oil spills in U.S. history. “The little company I was working for went out of business,” Foster said. “I was one of the first ones laid off because I didn’t have a degree. I was much more expendable not having the education. I took off in another direction and have done lots of things since then.” Losing his job came with a silver lining. Foster moved to his family’s home in the Cayman Islands and was hit with the entrepreneurial bug, running a number of successful businesses. He bought a liquor store, which turned into a multi-island distributorship business. He later became a diving instructor, which grew into a water sports business for fishing and diving excursions. “I even got to work with the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism when they negotiated to buy a Russian destroyer from Cuba,” Foster said. “They sunk the ship to create a new dive site. It was the first Russian warship ever sunk during Russian peace time. Jean-Michel Cousteau even did a documentary on it.” The Cayman Islands bought the abandoned 330-foot Russian destroyer for about $275,000. It was sunk in 1996 to create an artificial reef, an attractive spot for marine life and divers. Foster spent 12 years living and working in the Cayman Islands before he returned to the U.S. without a set plan for the future. When asked about why he chose to settle in Little Rock, Foster will tell you that he stayed because he needed to get his computer fixed. “When I left the islands, I bought an RV and traveled around for about 18 months,” he said. “My laptop broke down on me. Toshiba told me to go to Complete Computing. Little Rock just felt like home, and that is why I stayed. Most people live life in a linear fashion, and that is not me.” Fast forward to 2018 and Foster has decided that now is the time to go after a college degree. He enrolled for one semester at Pulaski Tech and then transferred to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock to complete a bachelor’s degree in applied science with minors in management, applied communication, and nonprofit leadership studies. “One of my biggest reasons to come here was the opportunity to have the nonprofit leadership studies minor,” Foster said. “Dr. Joe Giammo was over that minor. I took a political science class at Pulaski Tech, and Dr. G came over to explain the ballot issues, and I was just enamored with someone who could explain all of it. I talked to him some years ago about the nonprofit leadership studies program. Everything felt serendipitous for me. I’ve been involved in nonprofit work for a number of years, and I wanted to learn how to do it right.” Since graduating from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in 2020, Foster earned a Master of Public Service from the Clinton School of Public Service this year. He is now completing an MBA with an emphasis in organizational communication at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock that he plans to finish next year. Now the question on everybody’s mind is what Foster is going to do with all his college success, but he’s still on the lookout for the right opportunity. “I’m open to anything,” Foster said. “I did not walk into my education laser focused on what I am going to do. That’s not my story. I am trying to grasp everything that comes along because I want to be in a position to help people. At this point in my life, I want to know how I can be of maximum service. I got an education to help people.” Foster said the message he truly wants to get across in his story is that it’s never too late to earn a college degree, even for a self-described old dog like himself. “I want others to know that it’s never too late to come back if you have a dream,” he said. “I didn’t even consider the meaning behind being a first-generation student to begin with. I didn’t have any concept of what college was truly like and the advantages it gave until I got here on this campus. I started to talk to other first-generation students, and it gave us the opportunity to be in a better position than our parents and those who came before us.”

Drew Higginbothom: Giving Back is the Right Thing to Do

John Hill — Thu, 19 May 2022 18:18:53 +0000

Drew Higginbothom, an insurance agent from Forrest City, Arkansas, has always understood the value of education. “My mom was a fifth-grade teacher her whole life,” he said. “She taught to give back to kids. I always admired her.” At 42, Higginbothom is a successful leader in the Arkansas insurance industry. He serves as vice president of . The company has 17 employees and offices in Forrest City, Little Rock, Marianna, and Stuttgart. A 2006 graduate of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Master of Business Administration program, Higginbothom credits his education as an essential component of his success in business. “��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s MBA program truly taught me more than just subject matter,” he said. “It’s very applicable to what I do today since I’m very involved in the running of the business. They are solid individuals who care about their students. They teach material, and you can see it being applied in real life.” Growing up, golf was also a huge part of Higginbothom’s life. He recalls how his parents would often drop him off during summer mornings, and he would practice all day until night. He eventually played on the golf team while he attended the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in finance in 2003. Like many young people do, Higginbothom moved away from home after graduating college to explore life during what he describes as his “what-do-you-do phase.” He lived and worked in the golf industry in Tampa Bay, Florida, for two years before deciding to return to Arkansas. “I had to go and get out into the world,” Higginbothom said. “After a year goes by, the lightbulb comes on. I called my dad and said ‘I’m coming home,’ and he said’ I’ve been waiting on you to make that call.’ He suggested that I should go to law school or get a master’s degree. I decided I would apply for a master’s program, and that’s how I wound up at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock.” Higginbothom joined the MBA program at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, a decision that had a great influence on his future career in the insurance industry. He worked full-time while taking classes at night. “I would 100 percent recommend people get an MBA if it fits their current situation in life,” he said. “There is no downside to procuring your MBA in my mind.” Higginbothom recalls learning important skills from business professors Andy Terry and Mark Funk. “With Andy’s courses, you are always left with something you can take away. You realize that you need to log it in your mind because it will be useful in the future,” he said. “Funk has a way of presenting things that are entertaining. Their courses were influential in my life and still are today. That information helped to accelerate my career. I utilize it every year having to run a business. They prepared me well to do that.” Upon graduation from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Higginbothom went to work as a commercial broker for Ramsey, Krug, Farrell, and Lensing. “I was introduced to Ramsey Krug during my last semester at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock,” he said. “I always had an inkling I would ultimately go into insurance. Ramsey Krug gave me the best training I could possibly have to be a commercial-focused insurance agent. Ultimately, I made a decision to move closer to home when I had an opportunity to work with Mark Smith to own and operate a business.” A native of Marianna, Arkansas, Higginbothom grew up in a tight-knit family that also influenced his decision to join Smith and Company Insurance in 2011. He and his wife Jessica are the proud parents of three daughters – Fuller, Merritt, and Palmer. “I loved where I grew up. That is why I eventually moved to Forrest City, Arkansas,” he said. “I have three children, and my brother has three children. We have a standing family dinner with my parents every Sunday at 5 p.m.” Having been a partner at Smith and Company Insurance for more than 10 years, Higginbothom is actively involved in the community and serves as a board member for Armor Bank, Forrest City Chamber of Commerce, Independent Insurance Agents of Arkansas, Revitalization of Downtown Forrest City, and Rotary Club. Higginbothom is a firm believer in the benefits of higher education and giving back to students to help them achieve their goal of obtaining a college education. “That’s why I have agreed to point people from my community who are interested in college to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock,” he said. “Because that’s relatable to me, and it has a positive impact on people’s lives. I’m a big believer in showing up and doing the right thing. Giving back to the community and my university is the right thing to do.”

��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s new flexible MBA program offers best of online, face-to-face classes

John Hill — Wed, 01 Jul 2020 13:51:43 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock is offering Master of Business Administration (MBA) students the opportunity to embrace the best of on-campus and online learning through a new flexible MBA program. “What makes the program special is the degree of flexibility and convenience offered to our students,” said Sonya Premeaux, associate dean for graduate students in the College of Business. “Traditionally, they would come to campus one to three nights a week, depending on their chosen course schedule. Now they can come to campus whenever they want. It’s eliminated the commute, the fighting rush hour traffic, or having to rush out of work to make it to class.” Beginning in the fall 2020 semester, all required MBA courses will be offered via Zoom video conferencing. For students who prefer in-person classes, all courses will be taught on-campus in classrooms outfitted with advanced technology. “��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s MBA will allow the student to choose the delivery method that best suits them at the time – in class or through Zoom technology,” College of Business Dean Jane Wayland said. ”If life gets in the way, the class is recorded with a transcript for the student to view at any time. This provides the ultimate convenience for the student.” MBA students will have the freedom to attend classes on campus, online, or to switch back and forth at any time and as often as they like. Online and on-campus students will be able to see, hear, and interact with their instructors and classmates. “This MBA program solves one of the major problems we see for our students,” Premeaux said. “Many of them receive a promotion, transfer, or new job offer and move in the middle of their program, and they need a way to finish their degree. The new flexible learning option makes completing their education seamless. They can continue as if they were still here, even if they have moved out of town.” All classes will be recorded and made available for review. To make it easier for students, all class recordings will be accompanied by a searchable transcript indexed in the video recording that allows students to easily find content without the hassle of continuously fast-forwarding and rewinding the video. “The new option will help me earn my MBA by allowing me to have the option to either learn in person or at home,” said Michael Kramer, an MBA student from Heber Springs. “It also allows me to re-watch the lecture, in case something was missed in real-time. Students have different schedules and learning styles, and this option has broadened the ability to cater to all styles and schedules. These options allow for the utmost flexibility as most students’ schedules can change from week to week.” College of Business faculty and students have been testing the hybrid learning classes for the past academic year. “The faculty and students are loving the flexibility,” Premeaux said. “They are offering us invaluable feedback with suggestions to improve the experience for incoming MBA students.” Kyle Davis, an MBA student from Redwater, Texas, said the transition to a flexible MBA program is a “great move” for ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “I know that many people may have the desire to pursue higher education, such as an MBA, but cannot commit to the time constraints of a traditional curriculum,” Davis said. “By providing prospective students with online class options, I think that many more people will seriously consider obtaining the degree.” Since he is also pursuing a Ph.D. in pharmacy while completing his MBA, Davis said the new MBA option is offering him the opportunity to have the life and education he wants. “The increase in flexibility of the curriculum will hopefully allow me to have more control over my schedule and alleviate some of the pressures of time constraints,” he said. “I’m a huge fan of having the ability to complete my coursework on my own time, and I believe that the transition ��Vlog��ý Little Rock is making will drastically increase the likelihood that people will enroll to pursue a higher education with ��Vlog��ý Little Rock.”

College of Business to honor Jay Heflin, Rajesh Chokhani as Distinguished Alumni

Janea Snyder — Wed, 28 Aug 2019 18:12:41 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock College of Business will honor two Little Rock businessmen at its Distinguished Alumni Luncheon on Oct. 23. Jay Heflin with Legacy Termite and Pest Control has been named Distinguished Alumnus of the Year, and Welspun Chief Operating Officer Rajesh Chokhani will receive the Dean’s Award for Excellence. The award luncheon, sponsored by Legacy Termite and Pest Control, will be held at the Little Rock Marriott, 3 Statehouse Plaza. Registration opens at 10:45 a.m. with lunch served at 11:30 a.m. The Distinguished Alumni Award, the highest honor granted by the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock College of Business, is given to a graduate who has made a significant impact in business or a nonprofit organization and has served the Little Rock community and ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. Heflin is vice president of administration for , a company he and his brother, Marc Heflin, and friend, Chris Maloch, founded in 2009. The Heflin brothers are third-generation pest control business owners who have followed in the footsteps of their grandfather, John Heflin Sr., and father, Johnny Heflin Jr. The company, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, has five offices throughout central Arkansas and employs 30 people. Heflin earned a bachelor’s degree in general business from Ouachita Baptist University and an MBA from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in 1994.�� “It helped tremendously,” Heflin said of his graduate work. “��Vlog��ý Little Rock is big, but there was a tight-knit community of professionals within the College of Business.” Heflin is a graduate of Leadership Greater Little Rock Class XII. He is a member of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Business Advisory Council, PARK Foundation, Arkansas Pest Management Association Board, chair of Easterseals Arkansas board, chair of the Arkansas Junior Competitive Tennis Council board, and a member of Second Baptist Church. ��“Jay Heflin has been a member of the College of Business Advisory Council since 2012 and has been a true advocate for the college and university,” said Jane Wayland, dean of the College of Business. “As an entrepreneur, Jay understands business risk and has been very successful. We are pleased to honor Jay and celebrate his many successes.” Dean’s Award for Excellence Rajesh Chokhani, chief operating officer of (USA), is this year’s recipient of the Dean’s Award for Excellence. The award is granted to a graduate of the past 10 years who has shown promise as a leader in business or nonprofit work and who is actively involved in serving Little Rock and the university. Chokhani has worked 25 years for Welspun, an India-based global company that employs more than 27,000 people at its pipe manufacturing, steel, and textile plants around the world. The company has produced enough pipe to stretch 8656 miles, the distance between Houston and Dubai. The company also holds records for manufacturing the heaviest pipe, the highest altitude pipe, and the longest pipeline in the world. Welspun’s textile division has plants in India and offices in New York and Manchester, U.K. The textile division manufactures soft furnishings like towels, bedsheets, linens, and rugs and currently holds exclusive contracts to provide towels for Buckingham Palace, Wimbledon, the Australia Open and World Championship Rugby. Chokhani first came to the U.S. in 2007 in search of a site to expand Welpun’s pipe manufacturing. He chose Little Rock for the plant, investing more than $300 million into the site which employs 1,100 people. Chokhani had planned to attend graduate school in India but discovered ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s MBA program. At the time, he was working about 80 hours a week during the two-year construction phase of Welspun’s Little Rock plant, but as soon as the project was complete, he enrolled in the graduate program. He was still traveling significantly for business and still carved out time to attend classes and study. “It was like a dream come true,” he said. “It was very interesting, and it was very intense.”�� Since then, Chokhani has stayed active in the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock community. He is involved with the College of Engineering and Information Technology since engineering is the base for manufacturing. “I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to meet with students,” he said. “Students seem so much more prepared now. They seem to know what they want, and they seem more involved with the community at large. I think the College of Business does a good job of getting students to serve beyond school.” Chokhani serves on boards for the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce, Museum of Discovery, ��Vlog��ý-Pulaski Technical College, India Fest, and Harmony Clinic, which provides free healthcare to underserved families. “Rajesh Chokhani typifies a successful MBA,” Wayland said. “He understands the success of a business depends on the economic development in the region and, therefore, is a strong advocate for Little Rock. He is active in the community and is the perfect role model for our students.” Tickets to the College of Business Distinguished Alumni Luncheon are $125 each and are available at . For more information, contact Dr. Wayland at 501-569-3356 or jpwayland@ualr.edu. Photo above right: Jay Heflin (left), owner of , and Welspun Chief Operating Officer Rajesh Chokhani (right) will be honored at the College of Business Distinguished Alumni Luncheon on Oct. 23, 2019.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Hadden recognized as industry Pacesetter

Janea Snyder — Thu, 04 Jul 2019 14:45:56 +0000

Ian Hadden, director of Energy Management Services at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, has been named a 2019 Pacesetter for the educational facilities management industry. previously known as the Association of Physical Plant Administrators, will recognize Hadden July 15 at the APPA awards reception during the APPA annual conference in Denver. APPA promotes leadership in educational facilities for professionals seeking to build their careers, transform their institutions, and elevate the value and recognition of facilities in education. The Pacesetter Award recognizes professionals who have made significant contributions at their regions or chapters. “Ian has represented ��Vlog��ý Little Rock with distinction in the APPA arena, and the Pacesetter award is well deserved,” said Dave Millay, associate vice chancellor for facilities management and planning at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “His contributions to our university and profession are significant, and I am proud of what he has accomplished and will continue to accomplish.” As Director of Energy Management Services for ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Hadden leads a 21-member team responsible for the HVAC, plumbing, electrical, building control systems and utilities on campus and the Bowen School of Law. Before joining ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Facilities Management Department in 2013, Hadden spent 16 years in the commercial HVAC, energy project development and green building industry with manufacturers and an architecture and engineering design firm. Prior to that, he served as an officer in the U.S. Navy for six years. ��Hadden is a licensed Professional Engineer;�� a Certified Educational Facilities Professional (CEFP);�� LEED Accredited Professional Building Design + Construction (LEED AP BD+C), and a Certified Energy Manager.�� In May, he earned his MBA from the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s College of Business and was named the Outstanding MBA student for the 2018-19 academic year, His wife Tiffany is also a ��Vlog��ý Little Rock alum who earned her Master of Social Work, also in May 2019. They have two sons, a high school senior at Central High School and a freshman at Parkview Magnet. “I would like to thank David Millay for introducing me to APPA,” Hadden said. “It’s been wonderful getting to know colleagues from other institutions, sharing successes and solutions to struggles as well as exposure to the wonderful training programs.” Other 2019 recipients of the Pacesetter Award this year include Connie Simmons, Phillip Exeter Academy; Kevin Mann, Salisbury University; and Thomas Polansky, Occidental College. Photo of Ian Hadden��by Benjamin Krain��

Little Rock couple’s $37,000 gift endows business scholarship

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 27 Jun 2019 15:00:36 +0000

University of Arkansas at Little Rock business and finance students can now look forward to an additional scholarship to help them complete their dream of finishing a college education, thanks to a generous gift from a community-minded Little Rock couple. ��Henry “Hank” Kelley Jr. and his wife Stephanie have donated $37,000 to the A.P. Vibhakar Endowed Scholarship, named in honor of Dr. Ashvin Vibhakar, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s long-time Joe. T. Ford Chair of Finance. ��“I am touched and honored to have this scholarship endowed in my name,” Vibhakar said. “I am thankful to Hank and Stephanie, who I consider to be my close friends and family, for their gift. Hank was one of my MBA students in the 1980s, and having a past student honor me this way gives me the sense that I have a made a difference in the community.” Chancellor Emeritus Joel Anderson created the scholarship in 2009 with a $5,000 gift, and the Kelleys’ donation brings the scholarship’s endowment to $50,000. Now that the endowment has reached that level, the scholarship will be awarded annually to a ��Vlog��ý Little Rock minority student majoring in international business or finance. ��Hank Kelley and Vibhakar are both members of the . Kelley, incoming president of Rotary 99, said his new responsibility led him to understand how important higher education is to the future of Little Rock.

�� Dr. Ashvin Vibhakar

“The scholarship that Stephanie and I funded is a recognition of Ashvin Vibhakar’s service to his students and ��Vlog��ý Little Rock,” Hank Kelley said. “We share membership in Rotary 99 of Little Rock with many other members of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock community, and Stephanie and I know Little Rock’s trajectory is directly tied to having a student-focused research university in our city. We know no better way to express our appreciation to Ashvin and Diane as friends than to help fund this important scholarship in his name.” Chancellor Andrew Rogerson, also a Rotarian, said the university is indebted to Hank Kelley and other donors like him in central Arkansas who understand the importance of helping ��Vlog��ý Little Rock thrive.�� “Hank and Stephanie are pillars of the community who have given their hearts and souls to Little Rock,” Rogerson said. “Their latest gift to support business scholarships is yet another investment in the future of this university that will help us cultivate future leaders in central Arkansas.” ��Hank Kelley is the CEO, partner, and executive broker in his brokerage and property management firm, . He received an MBA from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, both with honors. In addition to his Rotary membership, Kelley is involved with the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Foundation, Baptist Health Foundation Board, Fifty for the Future, and the Board.�� Stephanie Kelley works as a Pilates instructor, coach, and mentor in the community. She is a graduate of Mount St. Mary Academy and the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, where she and Hank met. The couple has four children and nine grandchildren.�� Hank and Stephanie Kelley (photo above right) have endowed a scholarship in honor of Dr. Ashvin Vibhakar (photo above left), chair of finance at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock announces new MBA program concentrations, graduate certificates

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 07 Mar 2019 14:00:48 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock College of Business has added two new concentrations, business analytics and financial accounting data analysis, to its Master of Business Administration Program as well as matching graduate certificates that will begin during the fall 2019 semester. �� The MBA concentration in financial accounting data analysis addresses an area of documented need for graduates of finance and accounting programs statewide. “Firms need accounting and finance people with analytical skills, and not just in audit and financial statement analysis,” said Dr. Mark Funk, chair of the departments of economics and accounting. “The demand for analytics is growing in tax, consulting, real estate investments, risk management, and other areas within the accounting and finance professions.” The MBA concentration in financial accounting data analysis will help students fill these gaps, while the second new MBA concentration will prepare students for a career in the fast-growing field of business analytics. “The MBA concentration in business analytics can help you differentiate your career readiness by developing technical skills in the use of analytics tools, such as Watson analytics and Tableau, and using evidence-based decision making relevant to all areas of business,” said Dr. Robert Mitchell, chair of the Department of Business Information Systems. The report of the Blue Ribbon Commission on the Economic Competitiveness of Data Analytics and Computing in Arkansas indicates that Arkansas is outpacing U.S. growth in most data analytics and computing-related occupations, Mitchell said. �� “The business analytics program can help you move into this growing career path,” he said. Additionally, the graduate certificate in financial accounting data analytics is a great option for students with a bachelor’s degree in accounting or finance who are seeking additional coursework to improve their skills in data analytics. The 18-hour graduate certificate will help students satisfy the 150-hour requirement for Certified Public Accounting (CPA) licensure. The graduate certificate program helps professionals develop their financial data analytical skills and achieve their career goals. With convenient night classes taught by outstanding faculty members with real-world experience, the graduate curriculum can be easily customized. While many university data analysis programs remain focused on information technology services, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s program for accounting and finance professionals focuses on the analytical skills most needed in the accounting and finance fields. The 15-hour graduate certificate in business analytics is designed to increase the career readiness of information technology and MBA graduates. Students will develop business intelligence skills while familiarizing themselves with information technology infrastructures and systems that provide data and decision support. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock also offers a traditional MBA and the Weekend MBA as well as MBA concentrations in human resources and organizational communication.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock alumni at forefront of Arkansas energy efficiency, solar market

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 23 Oct 2018 13:34:45 +0000

Two University of Arkansas at Little Rock alumni are taking the Little Rock energy efficiency and solar industries by storm, providing their customers with solutions that are helping the environment and saving them money at the same time.�� Heather Nelson and Josh Davenport are co-founders of , an energy efficiency and solar design and installation company based in North Little Rock that was recently named an t for companies with 31 to 55 employees by Arkansas Business Publishing Group. The company began specializing in energy efficiency options for residential homes and businesses, but the solar industry quickly became an integral part of the company within just three years of the business starting. Nelson and Davenport are both alumni of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s MBA program, while Davenport also holds bachelor’s degrees in accounting and construction management from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. Seal Energy Solutions began in an unusual way. The Clinton Foundation contacted Davenport, who was working at his family’s company, Davenport Contracting, Inc., with an opportunity to work as a general contractor for a program called Home Energy Affordability Loan (HEAL). The program was being incubated within the Clinton Climate Initiative at the Clinton Foundation. “I was a general contractor at the time, but I did not have residential experience,” Davenport said. “The program was designed to go into homes and make them more energy efficient. I said I would look into it and got certified.” Davenport began work with Seal Energy Solutions as a “side gig” in which he expected to subcontract much of the work out. However, Davenport quickly found that wasn’t how things would work out. “There wasn’t a large pool of subcontractors, so we started to grow organically by training our own people,” Davenport said. “After a few acquisitions, we were doing most of the work in house. That has grown today to solar renewables. To date, we have completed 150 solar installs in the past two years. Since inception, we have been in over 10,000 homes.” In 2012, Nelson worked in banking and corporate finance for nearly 20 years prior to co-founding Seal Energy Solutions. She found out about Josh’s business idea while having a “fateful lunch” with Davenport’s father, Ken Davenport, who Nelson had met years earlier at a family reunion. Nelson and Davenport are distantly related, a little unknown fact, though neither can tell you exactly how their family trees connect. “I was having lunch with his dad, and then met Josh afterwards at his dad’s office. Josh said, ‘You have got to do this with me.’ The running joke is that I never said yes, but here I am,” Nelson said. “You know how you meet people, and you have an instant connection, that is how it was with Ken and I. It is cool that our families didn’t know each other growing up, but then you end up getting to know a different part of your family tree by happenstance. That is a unique aspect of this firm and the story of how our lives intersected.” Looking back, Nelson isn’t surprised that she made the decision to pursue a new business opportunity. While earning her undergraduate degree at the University of Arkansas, Nelson took some of the first entrepreneurial classes the university offered, which having come from a long line of entrepreneurs, ignited her interest in entrepreneurship. “I knew in college that one day I wanted to run my own business or someone else’s,” Nelson said. “After years in corporate lending, it was a God ��thing where a great opportunity presented itself to do something entrepreneurial. Honestly, it was scary and awesome at the same time.” Nelson and Davenport had an immense job before them when they partnered to start Seal Energy Solutions. At the end of 2012, they were both still working full time, and jobs started to pour in before they were ready to officially launch the company.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock alumni Heather Nelson (left) and Josh Davenport (right) hang out at Mugs Cafe, one of their favorite hangout spots near their company in North Little Rock. Photo by Ben Krain.

“We didn’t plan to start until Jan. 1, but that didn’t work out. We were already doing work in November,” Nelson said. “The joke is that we both lied to each other. I thought I was just going to help get him started and move on. He thought he was going to stay at his dad’s firm full time and do Seal Energy Solutions on the side. We were both wrong. We were working together in December when I looked at him and said, ‘You are going to have to quit. It’s going to take both of us. We’ve got a runaway train here.’ That’s entrepreneurship 101, don’t lie to your business partner (or yourself) before you even get started.” The key to Seal Energy Solutions success is that we take a holistic approach to energy solutions for a client. The company conducts energy assessments on homes, businesses, and farms and offer recommendations to save the client money off their utility bills. Changes could include switching to LED lights, adding a more energy efficient heating and cooling system, installing solar panels, or a number of other solutions. In 2016, the company expanded into solar agricultural and commercial projects across Arkansas. Seal Energy Solutions recently announced it had entered into a teaming agreement with LightWave Solar of Nashville, Tennessee, currently ranked 42nd nationally in solar design and install firms, which makes Seal Energy Solutions the largest and most experienced solar design and install firm in the state of Arkansas. “I don’t know how you define success, but we are having a lot of growth and are having a lot of fun: we are appreciative of the growth we’ve experienced to this point,” Davenport said. Over the past six years, Seal Energy has grown to a company with 45 employees, all of whom were hired and trained in Arkansas. The company has maintained a growth rate of at least 30 percent every year and has grown into a $6.4 million company as of 2017 year-end. Nelson and Davenport said that their experiences at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock led them to place a high value on education. “We pay 100 percent for our employees’ training and continuing education, and it has been that way since day one,” Nelson said. “We knew education changed the trajectory of our lives. ��We want to invest in the next generation of talent to come into our industry. Making that investment in our people springs from our education at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. My former employers always encouraged me to complete my MBA, even when I didn’t want to, and I hope Josh and I have transferred that encouragement towards education to our team. We really feel strongly about education.” Davenport said that he still relies upon many of the relationships he built at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock to help him with his current business. “From my standpoint, I think the relationships that I made at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, from professors to fellow students, are still there and that is almost 10 years later. Today, one of the assets is the relationships I got to build there because these folks are still around here.” Davenport lives in North Little Rock with his wife, Beth Ann, and three children, Eden, Hawk, and Asher. He also serves as president of the Arkansas Association of Energy Engineers, on the board of directors for the North Little Rock Chamber of Commerce, and secretary of the Argenta Downtown Council. Nelson is on The Excel Center at Goodwill School Advisory Council and the Arkansas Advanced Energy Association Distributed Generation Task Force. She also serves on the board of directors for the Arkansas Advanced Energy Association and Restored and Renewed Ministry, a nonprofit organization that provides free counseling, vacations, and other resources for missionaries serving all around the world. She also travels to Haiti regularly with The Global Orphan Project out of Kansas City, Missouri, championing global artisans to reduce the need for orphan��ages and economic orphans through job creation and economic development.

ASBTDC business consultant honored as State Star

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Thu, 11 Oct 2018 14:19:43 +0000

Whitney Horton of the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center was recognized as a 2018 State Star at the 38th Annual America’s SBDC Annual Conference in Washington, D.C., Sept. 4-7.�� Horton, a resident of Sherwood, is a business consultant at the ASBTDC Lead Center at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. With the center since 2009, Horton assists potential and current small business owners with business planning, funding and marketing. Horton earned her bachelor’s degree in marketing and Master of Business Administration at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. She is also a graduate of the Community Development Institute at the University of Central Arkansas. The State Star award, the highest accolade for SBDC employees, recognizes extraordinary performers who have made significant contributions to their state network and display strong commitment to the state’s small businesses and entrepreneurs. Annually, one person from every state and U.S. territory is selected for the award. Winners were recognized during a special ceremony and reception at the International Spy Museum Sept. 4. With about 1,000 centers across the nation, America’s Small Business Development Center network is a partnership uniting private enterprise, government, higher education and local nonprofit economic development organizations. It is the U.S. Small Business Administration’s largest partnership program, providing management and technical assistance to help Americans start, run and grow their own businesses. In the upper right photo,��Laura Fine (right), ASBTDC state director, congratulates 2018 State Star Whitney Horton (left).

International Business program offers study abroad trip to Prague

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 04 Oct 2018 15:05:10 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock International Business Program is offering a study abroad trip to Prague, Czech Republic, that will highlight the country’s culture, business, and entrepreneurship during spring break 2019.�� Dr. David Gilliam, associate professor of marketing, will lead the trip from March 15-25. The trip will include a walking tour of Prague’s cultural and historical sites, a visit to the town of Pilsen and its brewery, and a tour of Karlštejn Castle, founded in 1348 by Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV. They will also visit Vaclav Havel’s library, Skoda Auto factory, and the Prague Chamber of Commerce. The lecturers and visits will also examine how Czech firms navigate the European Union and Euro Zone. The trip will cost an estimated $3,800, which will include the airfare, hotel, tour fees, breakfasts and dinners, site visits and lectures, and local insurance. A $200 non-refundable application fee is due by Nov. 16. The trip is a required component of the field study in the International Business class, IBUS 4316/5316, at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. MBA students may participate in the trip by registering for IBUS 5316, which will count as an elective toward the MBA program. The study abroad trip is open to students who are not College of Business majors. Interested students may contact Gilliam at dagilliam@ualr.edu or 501-569-8861 and visit the website for more information.

- University News Archive - ����Vlog��ý Little Rock