Profiles

A directory of Profiles for Northwest Arkansas Business Journal Awards

Fast 15: Erin Thomas

Erin Thomas led public communications for Ronald McDonald House’s (RMH) $3.5 million capital campaign to build an 11-bedroom house in Fort Smith and got it done in two years. Her…

Fast 15: Jackson Mendenhall

Fort Smith native Jackson Mendenhall is one of the rare people who know what they want to do before graduating college and where they will do it. He graduated from…

Fast 15: Michaela Day

Michaela Day relocated from central Illinois to southwest Arkansas at the age of 8, where she spent her formative years on a bustling 70-acre hobby farm surrounded by diverse livestock….

Fast 15: Payne Phillips

Payne Phillips, a native of Washington County, is driven by a deep-rooted passion for Northwest Arkansas. His aspiration to excel as a commercial real estate broker is fueled by his…

After earning a bachelor’s degree in hospitality management from the University of Missouri, Mariah Crews realized that the hospitality industry wasn’t her true calling. The Gower, Mo.-native looked to a…

Fast 15: Max Harrell

Max Harrell joined Generations Bank in 2014, becoming the sixth generation of the Harrell family to work in banking. His father, Jon, is the chairman and CEO of the Rogers-based…

Fast 15: Melodie Hays

Starting and running a candle and bath bomb business in college, Melodie Hays realized she enjoyed problem-solving. With a major in English literature and a minor in supply chain management,…

Fast 15: Kimberly Norris

Kimberly Norris always knew she wanted to have a business. “My dad had always had a business,” she explained. “So I grew up seeing that and … he was a…

Fast 15: Hannah Newkirk

Helping people plan their financial future motivates Hannah Newkirk in her work at Arvest. “The average person doesn’t know all the ins and outs and constantly changing laws and tax…

Fast 15: Nick Smith

While working toward his marketing degree at Belmont University in Tennessee, Bentonville native Nick Smith discovered a passion for investing. However, neither of those things was his primary ambition. “I…

Fast 15: Kimberly Kay

Seeing the confidence she inspired in seventh and eighth graders in area rural schools through a robotics curriculum she developed and taught as a homeschooled eighth grader set Kimberly Kay’s…

Fast 15: Haley Vincent

Haley Vincent’s work as a scholarship program manager at Single Parent Scholarship Fund of Northwest Arkansas (SPSF) “fills her cup.” Working with single parents in Benton and Carroll counties, she…

Fast 15: Leilani Ocasio

Leilani Ocasio isn’t discouraged by rejection. It just means there is another path to a “yes.” Ocasio graduated from Northside High School in Fort Smith and earned a bachelor’s degree…

Fast 15: Reese Dollins

Reflecting on his career thus far, a reporter asked Reese Dollins what it means to be a corporate attorney. “We’re an extension of the business,” he explained. “We like to…

Fast 15: MacKenzie Allison

MacKenzie Allison loved math from an early age, mostly because she was good at it. In high school, her calculus teacher suggested that she consider an engineering career. The Rogers…

Engine

Startup finalists Engine Rogers Co-founders: Nick Dozier and Pat Lockridge Year founded: 2022 Line of work: Consumer packaged goods (CPG) omnichannel software developer Website: engine.net Retail/consumer packaged goods (CPG) analytics…

FOY

Startup finalists FOY Bentonville Founder/CEO: Caroline Stelte Year founded: 2023 Line of work: Retail sales of dealcoholized wine, a subset within the non-alcoholic category Website: drinkfoy.co In February 2023, FOY…

SupplyPike

Large Business finalists SupplyPike Rogers Founder/CEO: Dan Sanker Year founded: 2018 Line of work: Supply chain software provider Website: supplypike.com SupplyPike, a supply chain software company that works with…

Single Parent Scholarship Fund of Northwest Arkansas

Nonprofit finalist Single Parent Scholarship Fund of Northwest Arkansas Bentonville President/CEO: Tyler Clark Year founded: 1984 Line of work: Help single-parent families become financially stable and independent Website: spsfnwa.com The…

Premier Dermatology & Aesthetics

Small Business finalists Premier Dermatology & Aesthetics Bentonville CEO/Owner: Missy Clifton Year founded: 2004 Line of work: Medical practices Website: premierderm.net Since its inception in 2004 by Dr. Missy Clifton,…