The Collaborative

This week marks the 5th anniversary of The Collaborative in Bentonville.

Thank you to the University of Arkansas faculty, staff, students, University leadership, and colleagues across campus who have invested their time, expertise, and passion in making the Collaborative a success. Thank you to the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation for its transformational investment in the University's future. And thank you to our community partners, donors, entrepreneurs, employers, volunteers, and friends throughout Bentonville and Benton County for embracing the University as a partner.

The Collaborative: Five Years of Serving Bentonville:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/collaborative-five-years-serving-bentonville-tobias-teeter-kfyic/

Last month, we had the pleasure of hosting Coffee with the Mayor at the Bentonville Collaborative, welcoming Mayor Stephanie Orman for a conversation about our library programming, the new Bentonville Adult Recreation Center (ARC), infrastructure improvements, and the future of Bentonville.

The room was full of residents, business leaders, entrepreneurs, educators, and community partners doing what these gatherings are designed for: honest conversation, new connections, and shared ideas that help shape where this city is headed.

Grateful to Mayor Orman for making time to engage with our community, and to everyone who pulled up a chair. These are exactly the conversations that move Bentonville forward.

Our latest Bentonville Collaborative newsletter is out. If you're not subscribed, now's a good time.

Here's what's coming up this week and beyond:

Tomorrow morning -- 1 Million Cups is back at the Collaborative. Come grab coffee, hear from a local entrepreneur, and connect with the NWA startup community. 7:30 AM. Free.

Thursday -- E-Commerce Meetup at the Collaborative. Whether you're building a brand, running a Shopify store, or just curious about selling online, this one's for you.

Ongoing -- ASBTDC is running free virtual "How to Start a Business" sessions. If you've got an idea and don't know where to begin, this is the resource. Registration info in the newsletter.

Coming up -- OpenClaw NWA returns. Our practitioner-focused AI automation community keeps growing. Details dropping soon.

On the horizon -- NWA AI Meetup at the Collaborative. More to come, but block the date.

And behind the scenes, our team is actively meeting with the 100 largest employers in Benton County. The goal is straightforward: dramatically expand experiential learning opportunities for University of Arkansas students and strengthen the talent pipeline right here in our market. More to come on that front.

Full details on all of it in this week's newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/d02bfab043b1/aqi6cfek1i-11003582?e=3d6fe4675b

Subscribe for updates: https://uark.us6.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=3005b84f0a62bddcd8be70294&id=c3ab9a1879