Author: Jennifer Joyner

Jennifer Joyner

Nowhere Developers speaker lineup represents tech giants

The Nowhere Developers conference is planned for March 15, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Record in downtown Bentonville. The “pure tech conference” will feature high-level discussion and…

BFF organizers encourage businesses to make the most of the festival

The biggest change in the annual Bentonville Film Festival since its inception in 2015 is it keeps growing, and so does community support for the event, said Wendy Guerrero, president…

Panel: You don’t have to move to New York to be an artist

Northwest Arkansas in the last decade has made strides in becoming a more welcoming environment for art and artists, but a panel of artists at Northwest Arkansas Community College’s Spring…

Democrats challenge Washington County seats held by Republicans

Several Democrats have challenged Republican incumbents for county positions in Washington County. Residents will vote May 22 in primary and school board elections, and the general election in November. The…

Report: Arts and culture activity grows in Arkansas, nationwide

Arts and cultural economic activity rose 4.9% nationwide between 2014 and 2015, reaching $763.6 billion and accounting for 4.2% of the GDP, according to a report published Tuesday (March 6)…

Sam Walton Centennial Celebration planned at Walmart Museum

Walmart founder Sam Walton — who died April 5, 1992, due to cancer — would turn 100 years old on March 29, and the Walmart Museum in Bentonville has planned…

Benton County residents to decide sheriff, surveyor in May 22 primary

Benton County residents will vote May 22 in primary and school board elections – with a number of Republicans facing off ahead of a November election that features several Democrat…

Then & Now: Ericson says ‘you get the best of both worlds’ in Siloam Springs

EDITOR’S NOTE: The following story appeared in the Feb. 19 issue of the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal. “Then & Now” is a profile of a past member of the Business Journal’s…

Council discusses Northwest Arkansas options within changing digital economy

Northwest Arkansas must make “transformative” changes in order to keep up with a changing digital economy in the decades ahead, said Rick Webb, recently named president of the Northwest Arkansas…

Tax reform, access to talent are key factors for the startup scene in 2018

Edward Haddock, director for the Arkansas District Office of the U.S. Small Business Administration, is optimistic about the state startup scene in 2018. “We’ve had some good wins for this…

Outdoor recreation makes up 2% of U.S. GDP, is ‘big business,’ says Arkansas official

Outdoor recreation spending accounted for 2% of the GDP – or $374 billion – in 2016, according to data released Wednesday (Feb. 14) by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau…

Springdale voters overwhelmingly approve bond issues for roadwork, city offices, other projects

Springdale residents voted on Tuesday (Feb. 13) to issue $224.7 million in bonds to fund multiple projects in the city. Voters approved in a special election $92.7 million for street…

Fay Jones School to add master’s in resiliency, retail/hospitality design

Arkansas will have its first graduate program for architects, landscape architects and interior designers next fall, pending approval of the Arkansas Department of Higher Education. The University of Arkansas System…

Panelists say NWA’s housing issues require public-private coordination

Use of public land, zoning regulation changes and public-private partnerships are key in addressing current and future housing issues in Northwest Arkansas, according to speakers at the recent Housing NWA…

Carnival company revives RiverFest, set to debut Memorial Day weekend in Little Rock

After RiverFest organizers announced this past year an uncertain future for the long-running music festival in downtown Little Rock, a Memphis, Tenn.-based fairs and events production company is bringing it…

Bond issues up for a vote in Springdale on Feb. 13

Springdale residents will vote in a special election Feb. 13 on whether to authorize an issue of bonds and existing sales tax revenue to fund several improvement projects in the…

Former HUD secretary: Diversity is key to Northwest Arkansas’ affordable housing issue

Former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan, a keynote speaker of the recent Housing NWA symposium, was exposed to a broad range of housing-related issues through his…

UA engineering grad says support for diversity cannot be passive

University of Arkansas College of Engineering alumnus Jakym Battle returned to the university Jan. 29 in order to give a speech on diversity and inclusion in STEM (science, technology, engineering…

Arkansas hotel occupancy down in 2017, while U.S. industry posts record year

The occupancy rate of Arkansas hotels in 2017 was down 3% from the previous year, according to a report from the hotel industry data resource, STR. With an occupancy rate…

‘Freight Farms’ in Northwest Arkansas reflect hydroponic, urban farming trends

More than 12,700 heads of lettuce in two years have been harvested from the University of Arkansas Freight Farm, a hydroponic vegetable farm contained in a 40-foot-long freight shipping container….