Council Forms In Bentonville

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS TECHNOLOGY COUNCIL ASSET TO REGION

BENTONVILLE — The newly created Northwest Arkansas Technology Council will assist small businesses in the city and eventually become a resource for the region, organizers said.

The council is part of the Bentonville/Bella Vista Chamber of Commerce. The chamber board approved creating the council in January, said Jon Cadieux and Kyle Howell, two of the organizers.

The council’s mission is “to help individuals and area businesses whose focus is in technology fields gain a competitive edge both locally and globally through education, fellowship and community involvement.”

The council also will “be on the front line helping promote all that Bentonville has to offer when it comes to tech talent pool and technology innovation,” Cadieux said.

A seven-member committee will guide the council, which will operate its own budget as a line item in the chamber’s overall budget, Cadieux explained.

There will be a $45 annual membership fee. Businesses can buy 10 memberships for $250 and $25 for any additional members. Non-members can attend meetings for a $5 drop-in fee.

“The whole idea is that it’s going to add to the chamber and not take away from the chamber,” Cadieux said. “We’ll be self-suft cient.”

The group will off er informational sessions once a month where a local expert will discuss some aspect of technology and how it relates to business, Howell said. Topics might include the use of social media, how to use Google Analytics, the basics of marketing, setting up a website and information security.

The council plans to host a technology summit later this year. Organizers are in the process of lining up keynote speakers, Cadieux said.

“That, to me, is going to kick off this whole program,” Howell said.

In addition to working with small businesses, the council plans to partner with educational entities like the Bentonville School District and NorthWest Arkansas Community College to help promote technology forums or assist in developing programs centered around technology, Howell said.

The initial activity of the council will focus on educating small-business owners in Bentonville, but organizers have a larger vision of developing Northwest Arkansas into a “small Silicon Valley” where innovative people will come because there are investors, Howell said.

“I’m hoping this will be a big game-changer for Northwest Arkansas,” he said.

The council will be able to help the chamber entice companies to move data centers here, Cadieux said.

“With all that Northwest Arkansas has to off er, maybe we can offer the expertise that will help close the deal,” he said.

Cadieux approached chamber CEO and President Dana Davis last year about the idea for a technology council, Davis said.

“Technology is one are where we have some special opportunities,” Davis said, explaining that a technology council could help recruit businesses to the chamber, assist in the growth of entrepreneurial companies, be involved with educational systems and provide opportunities for small businesses.

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