I Am Northwest Arkansas®

About the Show: In this short episode of the podcast, we reflect on the importance of Memorial Day and we talk about the history of the holiday and why it is such an important holiday of reflection and sacrifice here in the United States. We also shared a Memorial Day poem from Lenore Hetrick. OUR MEMORIES by Lenore Hetrick If we remember those who are gone Then they live again. They are here once...

About the Show: In this episode of the podcast, we sit down with musician and live music expert, Brian Crowne to discuss the growth of the Music venue scene here in Northwest Arkansas. Brian and his family have owned George's Majestic Lounge on Dickson St for more than two decades. And, if that wasn't enough he purchased the AMP in the early 2000s and proceeded to help make Northwest Arkansas a re...

About the Show: One of the things we've found doing this podcast is that Northwest Arkansas has plenty of room for economic growth. We live in the shadows of some large and iconic companies, but this area of the “Heartland” is also home to entrepreneurial development.  We often think of this type of growth happening in bigger cities on the coast somewhere or in Silicon Valley. But this entrep...

About the Show: In this Special Episode of the I am Northwest Arkansas podcast, we feature Larissa Ramey, a local artist and graduate student in the MFA program at the University of Arkansas . She is hosting an art workshop ( STOOP TALK) on May 15, 2022, collaborating with Lakisha Harper Bradley at MYTBYDESIGN studio and other local artists. This event hopes to spread the word about Black creative...

About the Show: One of the first things I did when I visited Northwest Arkansas was to check out the trail system everyone spoke about. The Razorback Greenway, as it is affectionately known, winds its way through the four major cities in NWA, Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers, and Bentonville, and several other smaller towns, including Bella Vista, which sits right on the border of the Southwest co...

About the Show: Hayne Begley makes a lot of Biscuits. More than 400,000 and counting as of the recording of this podcast episode. He has an exciting story of taking one of the iconic food staples of the South, the southern biscuit and elevating them to another level by creating some tasty biscuit sandwich combinations on his food truck.  Initially based in Central Arkansas, Hayne recently mov...

About the Show: What do you do with 95,000 Acres and 135+ miles of a river? You create the Buffalo National River and Park. The first National River in the United States was established in 1972.  You hear the expression, “Are you going to float the Buffalo?”. You may not fully understand that question for the uninitiated, but for many locals here in Northwest Arkansas, that question takes on...

About the Show: We recently sat down with Phil Shellhammer, the Director of the Greenhouse Outdoor Recreation Program (GORP) from the Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Arkansas. Phil discussed in detail his new role and the mission of GORP. Northwest Arkansas is not just fertile ground for Fortune 50 Companies. It’s also one of the best outdoor recreation areas in the...

About the Show: We recently sat down with Chris Brosh and Tim Robinson, Phat Tire Bike Shop founders, and Tanner Bedwell, Board Member of Benton County Quail , to discuss the upcoming Double Barrel Gravel Ride on Saturday, May 14th, 2022.  This FREE event is unique for many reasons, the least of which is that you get to ride your bike and shoot guns with friends. At the end of the ride, there...

About the Show: I cannot believe that it has been three years since we started the I am Northwest Arkansas Podcast. I honestly had no hardcore plans for this podcast other than to sit down with some incredible people and organizations, learn about them, and share their stories with my brand new audience. As I’ve told anyone who will listen, the podcast I created was what I would have wanted to lis...

About the Show: This podcast has created numerous connections, relationships, and new ideas. Every week I am blown away by the stories I get to tell and share. This week on the podcast, we sit down with Harry Hill, an avid cyclist/mountain biker and founder of the Minority Mountain Bikers group. Based in suburban Washington D.C., Harry’s Group loves to get out and rip up the trails. Last year he b...

About the Show: If you own a dog, there is nothing like being greeted when you come home by the sound of a happy bark and being licked to death.  Northwest Arkansas is home to many pet owners, and we decided to sit down with local dog trainer Denise Holmes from Love Trust Teach and Travel Tails . Denise is an expert in communicating and training our four-legged canine friends.  You can l...

About the Show: The biggest surprise was how vibrant the art community was. When my family moved to Northwest Arkansas, I didn’t know what to expect. I knew Crystal Bridges , but that was a museum. What I wasn’t sure about was the local art scene. Or if creators were toiling in relative obscurity. What was it like for them?! Once I got here, I met several local artists and realized that the local...

About the Show: We recently sat down with fellow podcaster, model, and all-around great person, Rochelle Bailey from INTERFORM .  INTERFORM is an organization at the forefront of a movement toward a “self-sustaining design-led fashion and art industry in Northwest Arkansas.” In addition to this mission, INTERFORM is also responsible for NWA Fashion Week , the twice-yearly premier fashion even...

About the Show: At I am Northwest Arkansas , we love both Tea and Coffee. They are both beverages that we enjoy every morning. Sometimes we mix it up and do a week of tea and a week of coffee. It just depends on how we feel.  We recently sat down with an expert in Tea and Tea Making, Ola Atilola from ASAMI Teas . ASAMI Teas is a local Tea company specializing in teas from the African continen...

About the Show: On this episode of the I am Northwest Arkansas podcast, we sit down with Brian Squire, who recently relocated to Fayetteville with his wife, Dena. Brian and Dena are both avid cyclists, and they are managing to make it here in Northwest Arkansas without a car.   Yes, they get around on two wheels, and they are having a ton of fun doing it.  Brian is not a strang...

About the Show: We recently sat down with Nate Walls from Secondhand Smoke BBQ And Second Helping NWA to catch up with him and find out how things are going. We featured Nate on Episode 42 of the podcast almost two years ago.  Nate has a big BBQ Grill but an even bigger heart. As soon as the pandemic hit he went into overdrive making sure that people all around Northwest Arkansas had food to...

About the Show: We recently sat down with Orson Weems and Greg Thompson from the Music Education Initiative to learn about their desire to expose young people to a career path in music.  According to Weems and Thompson, there are numerous pathways for young people to learn about the music industry and how they can get involved. Of course, we know the typical path of writing, recording, and pe...

About the Show: We are excited to share some good news from Signature Bank . They are adding Latin American Advisory Boards in the Communities they serve here in Northwest Arkansas.  With the growth of the Latin American community in Northwest Arkansas - currently representing almost 35% of the population - Signature recently hired Francisco Herrerro to be the President of Multicultural Banki...

About the Show: It’s not often that we have repeat guests on the podcast, but this week's episode is an exception. Kinya Christian is an Artist and Owner of the Into + View Art Gallery . Located in Downtown Rogers, Into + View Art Gallery is one of only a few black art galleries in Northwest Arkansas. Kinya has worked hard to create a space for underrepresented POC, women, and advanced-age artists...

About the Show: If he were still alive, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., would be 93 years old. Today, throughout Northwest Arkansas, we celebrate his life through various events and activities.  We thought it would be worth taking a break from our regular programming here at I am Northwest Arkansas to say “Thanks!” to Dr. King for having a Dream that we could ALL aspire to. All this and more on...

About the Show: We sat down with Rodrigo Salas and Ana Ortiz from Entrepreneurship For All NWA - EForAll - to talk about their new program launched recently here in Northwest Arkansas. Founded in Massachusetts, an Entrepreneur started EForAll to serve the underserved regarding business startup advice, guidance, and encouragement. The program focuses on mentoring and developing the startup entrepre...

About the Show: We sat down with Lauren Blanco, the Co-Founder, and CEO of Markham and Fitz Chocolate in Bentonville.  Lauren shared her origin story and how she found success with making Chocolate.  Hear how time spent in war-torn parts of West Africa introduced her to the Cocoa Bean.   Learn how they developed the Markham & Fitz name - hint, they wanted a solid trademark....

About the Show: We sit down with two good friends of the podcast, Jerra Nalley Toms and Jeremy Tran, to talk about the year that was 2021. We experienced highs and lows this year.  And, there is also a lot to look forward to in the future. This podcast is the first time we have done a year-in-review episode, and we hope you enjoy it.  As we said in episode 151 last week, we have accompli...

About the Show: Wow, 151 Episodes! Can you believe it? This is a short episode where we share all of the things we are thankful for this holiday season. We have accomplished a lot with the I am Northwest Arkansas podcast, and we just want to acknowledge our fans and listeners by saying, “Thank You!” All this and more on this episode of I am Northwest Arkansas. Important Links and Mentions on the S...