- University News Archive - 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock /news-archive/tag/michael-singleton/ 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Tue, 06 Sep 2022 13:15:56 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 ASBTDC Launches Arkansas Business Navigator Project to Help Entrepreneurs from Underrepresented and Underserved Communities /news-archive/2022/09/06/arkansas-business-navigator/ Tue, 06 Sep 2022 13:15:56 +0000 /news/?p=82096 ... ASBTDC Launches Arkansas Business Navigator Project to Help Entrepreneurs from Underrepresented and Underserved Communities]]> The helps small businesses address and overcome some of the systemic challenges that face entrepreneurs from underrepresented communities. ASBTDC expects to provide training and technical assistance to more than 5,000 new and existing small businesses owners during the two-year project. This support includes access to capital, business development, contracting and procurement, marketing, operations, and exporting. Led by Associate State Director Michael Singleton, the Arkansas Business Navigator team also includes Diego Morales Ibarra, project manager; Angela Gardner, Tania Martinez Chavez, and Adriana Fuentes Archila, navigator specialists; Harrison Hudson, market researcher and content specialist; and Javier Hernandez, navigator eFellow. 鈥淭he goal of the Arkansas Business Navigator Project is to ensure that entrepreneurs from underrepresented and underserved communities have full access to broad services to help them start or grow their own businesses,鈥 Singleton said. 鈥淲ith this program, we are democratizing entrepreneurship by giving the people the tools and resources to take control of their own futures.鈥 Under the community navigator approach, trusted community partners act as 鈥渟pokes鈥 who will reach into specific sectors of the state鈥檚 entrepreneurial community. ASBTDC will provide centralized support and structure for all the spokes, develop and share tools for the spokes, and provide market research and specialized expertise for businesses. The spokes include the Arkansas Human Development Corporation, Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce, Central Arkansas Library System, East Arkansas Enterprise Community, Phoenix Youth and Family Services, and University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service. One of the critical goals of the project is to increase the capacity to serve Spanish-speaking entrepreneurs in the state. ASBTDC has partnered with Martinez Agency, a creative and branding agency in Rogers, to create a marketing accelerator program for Spanish-speaking business owners. 鈥淥ur goal by the end of the project is to develop, communicate, and create a situation where Spanish-speaking entrepreneurs have access to all the resources and tools they need to start a business,鈥 Singleton said. About 35 Spanish-speaking entrepreneurs are participating in the accelerator program. They are learning about topics such as the importance of having a business website, how to sell products on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, and how to use digital tools to reach their customers. 鈥淲e wanted to create this marketing program because we knew it will help to support the Latino community and Spanish-speaking entrepreneurs and business owners,鈥 Morales Ibarra said. 鈥淚 like to be in direct contact with small business owners about what we can do to cover their needs. We want to help entrepreneurs cover all the ground they need to be successful.鈥 The Navigator team is working with the North Little Rock Chamber of Commerce and Conexi贸n de Negocios Latinos to provide 15 workshop and training events for Spanish-speaking entrepreneurs across the state. A calendar of events is . The Arkansas Business Navigator Project is also recruiting students for paid positions in its . The opportunity is open to juniors, seniors, and postgraduate students with at least a 3.0 GPA from any higher education institution within the University of Arkansas System. Bilingual and multilingual students are especially encouraged to apply . They will work with expert business consultants as they advise and develop entrepreneurs from socioeconomically disadvantaged communities including women, minority, Spanish-speaking, rural, veteran, LGBTQ+, and disabled entrepreneurs. The eFellows assess the needs of small business owners and match them with resources in the Arkansas Business Navigator network as well as assist with training programs and outreach efforts. The project is funded by a ASBTDC received through the U.S. Small Business Administration鈥檚 . Part of the鈥疉merican Rescue Plan鈥痠nitiative, the program is designed to reduce barriers that all small businesses, including those from underrepresented and underserved groups, often face in accessing critical support. ASBTDC is one of 51 organizations that will receive a combined total of $100 million in funding through the Community Navigator Pilot Program. The organizations will work with hundreds of local groups to connect America鈥檚 entrepreneurs to government resources so they can recover and thrive. Cossatot Community College in De Queen is also a member of the Community Navigator Pilot Program.]]> U.S. Small Business Administration Awards ASBTDC $2.5 Million Grant for Community Navigator Pilot Program /news-archive/2021/10/28/asbtdc-community-navigator-program/ Thu, 28 Oct 2021 20:23:06 +0000 /news/?p=80286 ... U.S. Small Business Administration Awards ASBTDC $2.5 Million Grant for Community Navigator Pilot Program]]> The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) awarded the competitive funding under the Community Navigator Pilot Program administered by the SBA鈥檚 Office of Entrepreneurship Education. Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman announced recipients Oct. 28. 鈥淭he Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center is pleased to be one of the programs selected to participate in SBA鈥檚 Community Navigator Pilot Program,鈥 said Michael Singleton, associate state director of ASBTDC and principal investigator for the project. 鈥淲e know that not all groups and individuals have had the resources and capital needed to start or grow their businesses. We are excited about the opportunity to utilize this program to ensure all Arkansas entrepreneurs and small business owners have the tools and resources to succeed.鈥 The , part of the鈥疉merican Rescue Plan鈥痠nitiative, is鈥痙esigned to reduce barriers that all small businesses, including those from underrepresented and underserved groups, often face in accessing critical support. 鈥淭he Biden-Harris Administration has prioritized building our small business ecosystems back better so that all of our entrepreneurs have a fair shot at achieving the American dream of business ownership,鈥 said Guzman. 鈥淲e need to meet businesses where they are with resources to start, grow and be resilient, and the Community Navigator Pilot Program will power a trusted network of community partners to connect America鈥檚 entrepreneurs with the SBA. The program鈥檚 Community Navigators will develop strong relationships with deeply trusted community-based organizations that will tap into one-on-one, targeted support from programs designed to help them create jobs and drive innovation.鈥 Under the community navigator approach, trusted community partners act as 鈥渟pokes.鈥 Each spoke will reach into specific sectors of the state鈥檚 entrepreneurial community. As the 鈥渉ub,鈥 ASBTDC will provide centralized support and structure for the spokes.
Michael Singleton

Michael Singleton

Arkansas Community Navigator spokes include:
  • Arkansas Human Development Corporation
  • Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce
  • Central Arkansas Library System
  • East Arkansas Enterprise Community
  • Phoenix Youth and Family Services
  • University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service
ASBTDC will also develop and share tools for the spokes and provide market research and specialized expertise for businesses. The Arkansas Community Navigator project seeks to assist businesses with access to capital, business development, contracting and procurement, marketing, operations, and exporting. This project will allow ASBTDC and partners to help small businesses address and overcome some of the systemic challenges that face entrepreneurs from underrepresented communities. 鈥淭hese organizations will meet nascent and existing entrepreneurs at any level, provide a clear path toward achieving their small business goals, and equip them with knowledge, tools, and access,鈥 said Singleton. By leveraging and empowering existing community-engaged and culturally knowledgeable organizations and programs, the Navigator project will provide the platform for equipping small businesses and entrepreneurs in minority, rural, and other underserved communities across the state. 鈥淲e want all Arkansas small businesses to have access to relevant, comprehensive, wrap-around services needed for persisting through the COVID-19 pandemic and aftermath,鈥 Singleton said. Earlier SBA pandemic relief programs for small businesses included the Paycheck Protection Program and COVID Economic Injury Disaster Loan. Arkansas has nearly 250,000 small businesses, and less than a quarter of them received PPP funding in 2020. An analysis of the PPP and EIDL funds distributed in 2020 found that not all communities benefited equally from the programs. This disparity was underscored by the recent studies conducted by the and Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation. ASBTDC is one of 51 organizations that will receive a combined total of $100 million in funding through the Community Navigator Pilot Program. The organizations will work with hundreds of local groups to connect America鈥檚 entrepreneurs to government resources so they can recover and thrive. 鈥淭he Arkansas Human Development Corporation has partnered with the ASBTDC on numerous endeavors since the mid 1980s, and we are honored to be a part of the Community Navigator initiative that will expand the menu of high-quality business and technical assistance services to rural communities and isolated populations,鈥 said Clevon Young, AHDC executive director. ASBTDC expects to provide training and technical assistance to more than 5,000 new and existing small business owners during the two-year project.]]> Faculty and staff lead in giving to 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock /news-archive/2019/03/08/faculty-staff-giving/ Fri, 08 Mar 2019 20:22:33 +0000 /news/?p=73662 ... Faculty and staff lead in giving to 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock]]> Faculty and staff at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock have once again surpassed the national average for faculty and staff giving with the 2018 ALL IN Campus Campaign. Last year, more than 700 faculty and staff members – 46 percent of all employees – contributed to the campaign. Faculty and staff giving is important to the university鈥檚 overall fundraising efforts because foundations and corporations look for a high percentage of employee giving when making funding decisions. The national average for faculty and staff giving is 25 percent. 鈥淭he level of support received from our faculty and staff members inspires,鈥 said Christian O鈥橬eal, vice chancellor for university advancement. 鈥淚 cannot express how grateful I am to serve with faculty and staff members who show their support.鈥 With the Campus Campaign, the emphasis is on participation rather than dollar amounts. 鈥淓ach gift, whether $1 or $1,000, is truly significant,鈥 said Samantha Wiley, director of annual giving. Funds raised through the annual Campus Campaign provide funding for programs, department and scholarships. 鈥淎s a faculty member and parent of a 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock alum, I鈥檝e witnessed the impact first-hand that these scholarships can have on a student鈥檚 success,鈥 said Tom Clifton, chair of the Department of Art and Design and a Campus Campaign steering committee member. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 important that we commit to the university as we ask others to do so.鈥 Aresh Assadi, another member of the Campus Campaign steering committee, said the level of faculty and staff participation is a point of pride for the university. 鈥淎s a first-generation student who has benefited immensely from receiving a college education, I am happy to be a part of this steering committee,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 believe that we are raising money for a great cause, and it has been incredibly heartwarming to witness the commitment that our faculty and staff have for our students. The internal giving rate at this campus is much higher than most.鈥 Recurring payroll deductions increased by 2 percent in 2018 over 2017. Additionally, the Office of Alumni and Development received several new planned giving commitments which will benefit students in perpetuity. Campus Departments with 100 percent participation in the campaign received commemorative 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock water bottles provided by the alumni association. They are as follows: Alumni and Development, Budget Office, Business Micro Computer Lab, College of Education and Health Professions Advising and Support Center, College of Arts Letters and Sciences Dean鈥檚 Office, College of Engineering and Information Technology Dean鈥檚 Office, Jodie Mahony Center for Gifted Education, Mail Services, Office of Military Student Success, Office of Title IX, Study Abroad, 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock STEM Center, and University Affairs. Members of the 聽Campus Campaign Steering Committee included JR Andrews, Aresh Assadi, Dr. Greg Barrett, Tyson Baldwin, Regina Wade-Carter, Tom Clifton, Shawana Diaz, Dr. Christina Drale, Cassie Gehring, Keli Jacobi, Joni Lee, Darrell Morrison, Ashley Nipp, Dr. Mary Parker, Michael Singleton, Linda Stipsky, and Samantha Wiley. Employees who work in the Jodie Mahoney Center for Gifted Education (top right),聽College of Engineering and Information Technology Dean鈥檚 Office (above left) , and Mail Services (bottom right) all have 100 percent participation in the 2018 Campus Campaign.  ]]> Singleton named to accreditation committee for America鈥檚 small Business Development Centers /news-archive/2017/10/03/singleton-accreditation-committee/ Tue, 03 Oct 2017 13:54:51 +0000 /news/?p=68111 ... Singleton named to accreditation committee for America鈥檚 small Business Development Centers]]> His three-year appointment was confirmed in September by the America鈥檚 Small Business Development Centers Board of Directors. Singleton, of Little Rock, has been with ASBTDC since 2004. He started at the Henderson State University office before moving to the Lead Center at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock in 2007. Composed of members from across the nation, the 20-person committee oversees the accreditation process for the nationwide network of Small Business Development Centers to ensure high performance and quality services. ASBTDC assists companies at every stage of business development and growth, providing free consulting and market research services plus affordable educational events for the business community. The Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration through a partnership with the University of Arkansas at Little Rock College of Business and other institutions of higher education. All ASBTDC programs are extended to the public on a non-discriminatory basis. Language assistance services are available for limited English proficient (LEP) individuals. ]]>