Excellerate Foundation appoints Brad Sikorski as president, CEO

Rogers-based nonprofit Excellerate Foundation announced Thursday (Feb. 20) that Brad Sikorski, former chief financial officer at Walton Enterprises, will be the next president and CEO. Jeff Webster, who’s served in the role for the past six years, will transition to executive advisor.

According to a news release, Webster will remain in the new role through early 2026. Sikorski starts in his new role Monday (Feb. 24).

“I am honored to step into the role of president/CEO at Excellerate Foundation,” Sikorski said. “With its strong legacy of service and commitment to driving systemic change in Northwest Arkansas, Excellerate remains dedicated to empowering individuals and strengthening our region. I look forward to collaborating with our team, partners, and community leaders to create a lasting and meaningful impact.”

Sikorski has experience in leadership, finance and philanthropy. He worked for five years at Walton Enterprises in Bentonville and helped to guide financial strategy and operations. He previously served on the Excellerate Foundation board when it was known as Endeavor Foundation. In a recent social media post, Sikorski explained his decision to join Excellerate Foundation as its CEO.

“After an incredible five years at Walton Enterprises that included implementing not one but two accounting systems, purchasing an NFL team, and working through a global pandemic, I’m excited to announce that I’ll be stepping into a new role later next month as the CEO of Excellerate Foundation,” he wrote. “Excellerate is an organization that has been near and dear to Kelly and I for many years. We feel passionate about the organization’s mission to help folks across Northwest Arkansas through the development of affordable housing programs such as McAuley Place, enhancing the financial security of our community through programs like Upskill NWA, and driving efficiency in delivering social services to our community through platform organizations such as Hark.”

A recent project Excellerate Foundation has been a part of is the 160-unit workforce housing development Bentonville Teacher Homes project at McAuley Place in Bentonville. In July, the Walton Family Foundation and the state of Arkansas announced providing $18.7 million for the 11-acre development, which will be built for employees of Bentonville Schools and other families in the district. Along with the school district and Excellerate, the public-private collaboration includes Benton County, Mercy Health, Arvest Bank, and Strategic Realty.

In his tenure at Excellerate Foundation, Webster served as a board member and executive. He’s focused on “driving lasting change and standing side by side with businesses, municipalities and institutions … to develop a shared vision and a common will to ensure that all may fully benefit from the prosperity of Northwest Arkansas,” according to the release.

“Jeff’s commitment and dedication have been extraordinary,” said Ryan Faust, board chair of Excellerate Foundation. “His leadership has elevated Excellerate’s ability to serve Northwest Arkansas, and we are profoundly grateful for his service. As we celebrate Jeff’s accomplishments, we are thrilled to also welcome Brad Sikorski, whose expertise, and deep understanding of our community ensures that Excellerate will continue to help build a bright future for all of Northwest Arkansas.”

The nonprofit has 10 staff, and including its other operating entities, Hark and Upskill, the organization has 24 employees.