The national nonprofit Right to Start has launched the Arkansas Starters Coalition, a new initiative focused on making entrepreneurship a priority across the state. The coalition’s goal is to foster an environment where new businesses can thrive, recognizing the critical role entrepreneurship plays in economic growth and reducing poverty. Research shows that a 1% increase in entrepreneurship correlates with a 2% decrease in poverty rates.
The Arkansas Starters Coalition, which includes organizations such as the Arkansas Coalition of the Marshallese, Conexión de Negocios Latinos, and the Southern Capital Project, aims to identify and dismantle barriers to starting businesses. The coalition’s work will include engaging historically excluded communities and proposing policies to support new entrepreneurs.
At the launch event in Springdale, Mayor Doug Sprouse, Right to Start COO Kim Lane, and other speakers emphasized the coalition’s potential to transform the state’s business landscape. Lane noted that creating a supportive environment for entrepreneurs is crucial for widespread economic development.
“The Arkansas Starters Coalition is a crucial catalyst for enhancing our entrepreneurial environment so that new businesses can grow dramatically in every community in the state,” Lane said.
The coalition’s founding members bring extensive experience and expertise to this effort, positioning them as essential players in advancing entrepreneurship across Arkansas. Jeannette Balleza Collins, Right to Start’s Heartland Coalition Manager, highlighted their vital role in prioritizing and facilitating business growth in all communities statewide.
“They have extraordinary knowledge, talent and experience in helping foster entrepreneurship,” Balleza Collins said.
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