The Arkansas Fellowship, a program designed to keep and attract top talent in our state, officially introduced its inaugural class on Wednesday with an invitation-only event hosted by Gov. Mike Beebe at the Arkansas Governor’s Mansion.
The 2014 Arkansas Fellows include 11 recent graduates of six different Arkansas colleges and universities, and each of them will be employed by a dynamic host company in the state for the next two years while participating in educational, civic, and other enrichment activities organized through the Arkansas Fellowship program.
Modeled after a successful program in Indiana called the Orr Fellowship, the Arkansas Fellowship offers a two-year fellowship program to a select group of graduating college seniors. The program focuses on developing the next generation of entrepreneurs and business leaders in Arkansas.
“We are extremely pleased with the caliber of the inaugural class of Arkansas Fellows and the Host Companies where they will be placed,” said Kristian Andersen, who chairs the Arkansas Fellowship board of directors. “This is a great way to launch a program that we expect to grow and ultimately make a difference in keeping our most talented young people in this state.”
The Arkansas Fellowship is a nonprofit organization that received its startup funding from Winrock International, Fifty for the Future, and the Northwest Arkansas Council.
The inaugural class of Arkansas Fellows, their undergraduate institutions, and their host company are:
Keenan Abner, University of Central Arkansas: Sumotext
Jeremy Enders, John Brown University: Stone Ward
Travis Finch, Hendrix College: Circumference Group
Will Gilbrech, University of Arkansas: Datarank
Maggie Good, Arkansas Tech University: Collective Bias
Christopher Hembree, John Brown University: CFO Network
Timothy Luff, John Brown University: Treatsie
Brandi Mikula, University of Central Arkansas: Moxy Ox
Jacob Moore, John Brown University: Acumen Brands
Sreesh Reddy, Hendrix College: Perks
Kurt Shemanske, University of the Ozarks: Dillard’s
The Arkansas Fellowship program is designed for accomplished and highly motivated undergraduates who are seeking world-class entrepreneurial experiences following graduation. Successful applicants will have the opportunity to kick-start their professional futures through paid positions with some of Arkansas’s most dynamic and flourishing companies.
With executive-level mentorship, Arkansas Fellows will have the opportunity to build a reliable and meaningful network of business leaders, co-workers, and peers. Through professional experiences, monthly speaker series, mixers, and civic engagements, the Fellows will have ample opportunities to accelerate the development of their personal careers.
