Profiles

A directory of Profiles for Northwest Arkansas Business Journal Awards

Forty Under 40: Kathryn Heller

Kathryn Heller believes words matter. “They can inspire, convict or move people to action,” she said. At the foundation, Heller drives communication strategy and messaging to share the organization’s work…

Forty Under 40: Sara Heck

Watching her parents serve others in their careers as a Methodist minister and a schoolteacher encouraged Sara Heck to do the same. “While I didn’t feel a call to either…

Forty Under 40: Rachel Griffin

Rachel Griffin has always had a “deep love for Walmart.” She would walk around a Walmart store as a poor college kid and sometimes get her feet measured at the…

Forty Under 40: Alexandria Gladden

Alexandria Gladden joined Signature Bank of Arkansas in 2005 as a part-time teller after growing up watching her family work in banking. Her father, Gary Head, is president and CEO…

Forty Under 40: Ashley Gerhardson

Growing up in Heavener, Okla., the daughter of a homemaker and a mechanic, Ashley Gerhardson’s mother encouraged her to consider education as a profession because she enjoyed serving people. She…

Forty Under 40: Alex Font

Growing up, Alex Font was interested in building things and had various builders’ sets, including Lego and Lincoln Logs. Initially, he thought he would be an architect but was better…

Forty Under 40: Kaitlyn Fondano

Beaver Lake is a big reason Kaitlyn Fondano is in Northwest Arkansas. She was born and raised in the Phoenix area but spent summer vacations near the lake where her…

Forty Under 40: Chris Fink

The corporate world and college weren’t for him, so Chris Fink decided to follow the passion he found in a hobby to create what is now a drone business —…

Forty Under 40: Marie Findlay

Marie Findlay’s passion is helping people find careers that allow them to develop, grow and thrive and helping companies find the right talent to help their business grow. Leading a…

Forty Under 40: Brahm Driver

Growing up in rural Arkansas, Brahm Driver often helped his father build things. The Oark (Johnson County) native thought he’d be an architect until learning about civil engineering while in…

Forty Under 40: Shayan Dehbozorgi

Shayan Dehbozorgi grew up living in multiple cities and experiencing different cultures, including Austin, Texas, and Shiraz, Iran. The buildings and spaces he saw sparked an interest, and he wanted…

Forty Under 40: Kyle Cupp

Baseball took Kyle Cupp to Missouri Southern State University in Joplin, Mo., his hometown. He graduated with a master’s degree in business administration from William Woods University in Fulton, Mo.,…

Forty Under 40: Keith Bowles

Keith Bowles was attending college when he joined Arvest Bank in Fayetteville as a teller in 2009. He’s remained with the bank because of the culture and mentorship. “When I…

Forty Under 40: Lauren Oswalt Baber

If she’d followed the prominent career choice within her family, you would be reading about Lauren Baber, the successful doctor. “I did think about that [career], but I have an…

Forty Under 40: Christopher Adkins

ArcBest’s vision, “We’ll find a way,” resonates with Christopher Adkins. “I like to think that any problem is solvable. If I’m given a mission impossible, I’ll find a way to…

Women in Business: Amy Wenger

Residence: Fayetteville Education: B.S., health/science, University of Arkansas; M.H.S.A., University of Arkansas at Little Rock Professional background: In 2021, Wenger was named the vice chancellor of UAMS’ Northwest Regional Campus….

Women in Business: Latisha Settlage

Residence: Fort Smith Education: B.S., agricultural business; M.S., agricultural business, University of Arkansas; Ph.D., agricultural business, Purdue University Professional background: Settlage leads academic operations for various business and industry programs….