AT&T Donates $35,000 To Support EAST, Innovation Hub

The EAST Initiative and the Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub announced a $35,000 donation from AT&T on Wednesday (Sept. 10) to support a partnership to develop and encourage entrepreneurship in central Arkansas.

The donation, which was made today at EAST Initiative headquarters in Little Rock, will assist with the procurement and setup of technology and equipment to be used in the EAST STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) lab, located in the Argenta District in downtown North Little Rock. It will provide technical training sessions for students and the community, officials said.

The STEAM lab will include technology such as Apple iMac computers with professional software, HP Plotter large-format printers, Arduino microcontrollers for coding and professional photography and videography equipment, officials said, all available for participants to use.

According to EAST Initiative and Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub officials, the partnership will expand the EAST learning opportunity into the community to develop and encourage entrepreneurship, especially technology- and engineering-based innovation. The vision of the partnership is to strengthen the infrastructure for economic growth and innovation in Central Arkansas through building cutting-edge technology skills in the community, officials said.

 “AT&T and the EAST Initiative have worked closely together since the earliest days of our organization,” said Matt Dozier, the EAST Initiative President and CEO. “AT&T has always been at the forefront of supporting innovative opportunities for EAST students and we are excited to have them invest in our partnership with the Innovation Hub.”

“We are grateful for this generous award from AT&T,” said Warwick Sabin, Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub Executive Director. “What’s more, we deeply appreciate the confidence in the mission and potential of the Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub that this investment represents.” 

“AT&T is committed to supporting local organizations that align with our goal of graduating more students who are prepared for the jobs of today and the future,” said Ed Drilling, AT&T Arkansas President.