Author: Talk Business & Politics

Forty Under 40: Jeannette Reyes Balleza

The power of global networking is not lost on Jeannette Balleza, 29. She relocated to Northwest Arkansas from Little Rock in 2001 to work for a marketing firm, and started…

Forty Under 40: Jamie B. Banks

Fundraising was a career Jamie Banks, 36, came into somewhat by accident. But it’s one she has a knack for that has been very rewarding. The Little Rock native got…

Forty Under 40: James Bell

James Bell, 34, was born and raised in Springdale, but when it came time for college, he took off for Tulane University in New Orleans. He wasn’t sure what he…

Forty Under 40: Charles Bowen Blanchard

Russellville native Charles “Chip” Blanchard, 28, originally wanted to own a bar and grill in Colorado, but that dream faded with some of the realities of the business. He grew…

Many people struggle to understand and manage one business; Burt Box, 29, spends his days overseeing many businesses in different industries.In 2005, Box, his father and mother started Milver Investment…

Forty Under 40: Peggy Deon Boyles

Peggy Boyles, 39, came to Fayetteville because of the University of Arkansas architecture program, but the career she embarked upon lets her help build relationships instead of buildings. Boyles is…

Forty Under 40: Steven Brooks

As someone who has played football and in a band, Steven Brooks, 39, is accustomed to performing for a crowd. But for a chef, there is no greater thrill than…

Forty Under 40: Jed Alexander Bullock

When the bigwigs at Best Western corporate headquarters need reliable feedback and regional expertise, Jed Bullock, 38, is one of the leaders the company calls on. The fifth-generation Eureka Springs…

Forty Under 40: Kristin W. Butler

Kristin Butler, 27, majored in kinesiology, but she comes from a family of salespeople. Her father worked for Pfizer Inc. for many years, her mother is in fundraising and both…

Forty Under 40: Jesse Core

Jesse Core, 35, has a lot on his plate these days. The Fort Smith native works full time, serves on the Springdale City Council, takes classes through Harding University and…

Forty Under 40: Katherine Armentrout Deck

In a Venn diagram of skydivers and economists, the intersection is most likely just a sliver. But Kathy Deck, 32, occupies that area. Though jumping out of airplanes didn’t prove…

Forty Under 40: Brittney Duke

“Some people grew up Army kids,” Brittney Duke, 32, jokes, “I grew up a retail kid.” That background eventually led her to work with one of the largest marketing firms…

Forty Under 40: Cassie Elliott

Cassie Elliott, 36, learned the value of hard work when she was forced to juggle paying for college with a full-time job. “Working my way through school was a huge…

Forty Under 40: Josh Francis

The ability to meet many different types of people and get to know them on a personal and a professional level is an important asset, and it’s certainly not one…

Forty Under 40: K. Bryan Griggs

From an executive position at the corporate offices of Nike in Portland, Ore., to founding his own athletic and outdoors equipment company, Bryan Griggs made a serious leap of faith….

Forty Under 40: Joy Wooden Hagerty

Wal-Mart has spawned its share of entrepreneurs who have taken lessons from the company and struck out on their own. Joy Wooden Hagerty, 39, is walking that path as a…

Forty Under 40: Joy Heuer

A love for community carried over from New Mexico to Springdale for Joy Heuer, 32. She graduated with a degree in business administration from the University of New Mexico before…

Forty Under 40: Walt Hunnicutt

Walt Hunnicutt, 38, traded grad school for flight school and hasn’t looked back since. He grew up around aviation with his father an aeronautical engineer, but felt flying was an…

Forty Under 40: Scott S. Jeffus

Scott Jeffus, 34, was born in Fayetteville, but from the time he was 8, his family moved all over the state and country due to his father’s ever-changing job in…