Milligan among 1st cohort of Obama Leaders program

Katie Milligan, the entrepreneurship and workforce program director of “think and do tank” Heartland Forward in Bentonville, has been selected by former President Barack Obama as a member of the first class of the Obama Foundation’s new Leaders USA program.

According to a news release, the program will train the 100-person cohort to “tackle some of the most pressing issues of our time.” The program is a six-month virtual initiative supporting emerging leaders in the United States, Africa, Asia-Pacific and Europe.

The first cohort includes participants from 37 states, Washington D.C., American Samoa, Guam and five tribal nations.

Milligan was chosen for her work in utilizing public policy to build entrepreneurial communities in the middle of the country across public, private and nonprofit sectors.

“I look forward to connecting with the inspiring Obama Leaders from across the country and learning from one another on how we can best increase our impact and build a better, stronger future,” Milligan said in a statement.

Under her leadership, Heartland Forward brought the Builders + Backers idea accelerator to invest in entrepreneurs in the heartland, benefitting nearly 600 entrepreneurs across 16 communities in the American heartland.

The inaugural Leaders USA cohort also includes Michelle Perez Ferrer of Little Rock. She is a senior program officer at Winrock International.