Inaugural Class Named for Arkansas Fellowship Program

The Arkansas Fellowship, a program designed to keep and attract top talent in the state, has announced its inaugural class of fellows and host companies.

According to a news release, the inaugural class will be officially introduced later today with an invitation-only event hosted by Gov. Mike Beebe at the Arkansas Governor’s Mansion.

The 2014 Arkansas Fellows include 11 recent graduates of six different Arkansas colleges and universities, and each of them will be employed by a dynamic Host Company in the state for the next two years while participating in educational, civic, and other enrichment activities organized through the Arkansas Fellowship program.

The Arkansas Fellowship offers a two-year fellowship program to a select group of graduating college seniors and focuses on developing the next generation of entrepreneurs and business leaders in the state of Arkansas.

It is modeled after a similar program in Indiana called the Orr Fellowship.

“We are extremely pleased with the caliber of the inaugural class of Arkansas Fellows and the host companies where they will be placed,” Kristian Andersen, who chairs the Arkansas Fellowship board of directors, said in a prepared statement. “This is a great way to launch a program that we expect to grow and ultimately make a difference in keeping our most talented young people in this state.”

The inaugural class of Arkansas Fellows, their undergraduate institutions, and their host company placements are as follows:

Keenan Abner, University of Central Arkansas: Sumotext, Little Rock

Jeremy Enders, John Brown University: Stone Ward, Little Rock

Travis Finch, Hendrix College: Circumference Group, Little Rock

Will Gilbrech, University of Arkansas: Datarank, Fayetteville

Maggie Good, Arkansas Tech University: Collective Bias, Bentonville

Christopher Hembree, John Brown University: CFO Network, North Little Rock

Timothy Luff, John Brown University: Treatsie, Little Rock

Brandi Mikula, University of Central Arkansas: Moxy Ox, Tontitown

Jacob Moore, John Brown University: Acumen Brands, Fayetteville

Sreesh Reddy, Hendrix College: Perks, Little Rock

Kurt Shemanske, University of the Ozarks: Dillard’s, Little Rock

The Arkansas Fellowship program, according to the news release, is designed for accomplished and highly motivated undergraduates who are seeking world-class entrepreneurial experiences following graduation.

Successful applicants will have the opportunity to kick-start their professional futures through paid positions with some of Arkansas’s most dynamic and flourishing companies.

With executive-level mentorship, Arkansas Fellows will have the opportunity to build a reliable and meaningful network of business leaders, co-workers, and peers. Through professional experiences, monthly speaker series, mixers, and civic engagements, the Fellows will have ample opportunities to accelerate the development of their personal careers.

The Arkansas Fellowship is a nonprofit organization that received its startup funding from Winrock International, Fifty for the Future, and the Northwest Arkansas Council.