The Creative Economy; What is it? Where it is? How does it work? How do you get in? What is the role of The College of Aspiring Artists?  Dr. Stuart Rosenfeld is the founder of RTS, Regional Techology Strategies and recently conducted the state's first creative economy study. 

Dr. Rosenfeld recently made a visit to Arkansas for the TCAA Creative Economy Network for "The Art of Creativity."  Now in it's second year, "The Art of Creativity," is touring the state with our most recent presentation at Arkansas Northeastern College. Check out the Upcoming Event pages for constant updates.

 To read more on the creative economy visit www.rtsinc.org    

Identifying Arkansas' Creative Economy

Karen Tricot-Steward (2009-08-19) FM 89 Feature on Arkansas Creative Economy

 

http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/kuar/news.newsmain/article/0/0/1544146/Arkansas'.Creative.Economy/Identifying.Arkansas'.Creative.Economy

 

 

   Arkansas Creative Economy Network Expands from Desha County to Statewide Tour

Recently, Arkansas Northeastern College, The College of Aspiring Artists (TCAA), the Arkansas Department of Workforce Services (ADWS), United States Department of Agriculture, Rural Development and a large complement of other public and private sector organizations in support of Northeast Arkansas's small business community and creative talents and enterprises on October 14 and 15 and hosted the 2010 Northeast Arkansas Business, Education & Creative Economy Conference:  Sharpening Your Competitive Edge!  Arkansas Northeastern College was transformed into a powerful vehicle to both showcase small business successes and build the capacity of these businesses to participate more fully in the job creation process. 

A blog from Arkansas State University Small Business written by Herb Lawrence entitled Rural Arkansas Entrepreneurs Discover New Business Tools: Growing Rural Entrepreneurs in the Delta has put Desha County in the mainstay with contributions made by The College of Aspiring Artists which is headed by Rev. Arthur L. Hunt, Jr., Pastor of Hunt Memorial Cathedral of Faith in Dumas.  

“Having the opportunity to begin this conference in Desha County last year and to see how much God has favored us to expand it with a two-year college collaborative, three state agencies and the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development program partners mean a lot to what we see happening with our TCAA Creative Economy Network.  Based on the three-year Study sponsored by the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation with key support from the Arkansas Arts Council, Arkansas Science and Technology Authority and Arkansas Association of Two-Year Colleges, we know that Arkansas has a strong creative economy network and our goal is to continue to build on legacy that sees the best and brings the best to this state.  When we did “The Art of Creativity” last year with Dr. Stuart Rosenfeld from North Carolina, it was without any partners joining us in presenting it.  Now, with partners signing on through this initiative, we are most assured that we will all see great results.

In his blog Mr. Lawrence stated that successful entrepreneurs know that to launch a new venture it takes more than luck.  It takes hard work, dedication, sacrifice, inspiration and support from others if the business is to grow.  They will also tell you that two things are vital from the very beginning:

  • Access to reliable and timely information upon which to make good business decisions, and
  • A support team of mentors and cheer leaders

Many of them advisors, mentors and cheer leaders will probably also tell you that all too often these two items are difficult to find.  Fortunately, entrepreneurs and small business owners in Northeast Arkansas recently had an opportunity to tap into both of these resources.

I was extremely lucky to be asked to help the great folks from the Arkansas Human Development Corporation and Arkansas Northeastern College the conference on the ANC campus in Blytheville for small businesses.  It was funded by the Arkansas Department of Workforce Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development to help provide tools that rural entrepreneurs need to succeed in today’s economy. 

The conference began at noon on Day 1 and introduced participants to “The Art of Creativity”.   Arthur L. Hunt Jr. of The College of Aspiring Artists and Arkansas Creative Economy Advisory Panel member led the afternoon session as he and his panelists discussed:

  • The Creative Economy and Wealth Creation
  • Creativity and the Entertainment Industry
  • Marketing Your Creativity
  • Intellectual Properties and Intellectual Capital
  • The role of Technology and Creativity.

Mr. Hunt’s distinguished panel of speakers included John Cain of KABF 88.3 FM, Mike Lester of K-JAMS 93.9 FM, JC Loves of TCAA Creative Economy Network, Freeman McKindra of McKindra Development Institute, Inc., Mary Gay Shipley from That Bookstore in Blytheville, Annie Abrams, Community Organizer and Developer and Michael Durant, CEO, Imagine Global Media of Las Vegas NV.    My real take away from the Thursday session was a reminder that entrepreneurs must have a spark of creativity and innovation if they are to succeed.  At the end of the day the group was entertained by an enthusiastic group of children from the Mississippi County Boys & Girls Club followed by receptions at the ANC campus and the Blytheville Holiday Inn.

If Day 1 was designed to spark the creative side of entrepreneurship, Day 2 brought the vital tools to the conference that small business owners must possess.  Day 2, entitled “Sharpening Your Competitive Edge” allowed these rural Northeast Arkansas Entrepreneurs to access information from a number of speakers & panelists necessary for success.  Topics and panelists for the day included:

  • Breakfast with the Lenders: 6 panelists from various financial institutions, economic development organizations and government agencies outlined financing options available to
  • start-up or expanding businesses.  Led by Mr. Tim Smith, Director of Business and Cooperative Programs for the USDA, Rural Development, commercial lenders Randy Scott of Farmers Bank & Trust, Debra Taylor from Liberty Bank of Arkansas and Christie Patterson with Southern Bancorp, Inc. discussed commercial lending opportunities and requirements while Pam Alexander of East Arkansas Planning & Development District and Mike Fasulo of Arkansas Capital Corporation outlined economic development assistance through their non-profit organizations.  The breakfast was concluded by Linda Nelson of the Little Rock office of the U.S. Small Business Administration outlining federal programs to assist small businesses.
  • Next Dr. John Shellnut, Administrator for Economic Analysis and Tax Research from the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration took the participants through the Arkansas Economic Climate.  Shellnut discussed the impact of the recession on Arkansas, his observations for the future and how small businesses can leverage these changes to their advantage.
  • Marcus Turley of the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce then spoke emphasizing the importance of Strategic Relationships in business development.  Marcus reminded the entrepreneurs that networking especially using local chambers of commerce, economic development groups and business associations provided opportunities to set up partnerships with others to help their business grow.
  • Willie Price of the Arkansas Procurement Assistance Center led a panel discussion on State/Federal and corporate Procurement Opportunities.  He reminded the participants that small businesses could have access to markets by selling products and services to governmental agencies as well as larger corporate enterprises.  Kristine Adams, Mark DiGiralamo and Alberta Nava all of Nucor Steel Corporation’s procurement office provided sound advice on how to establish profitable relationships with their company.

Mr. Lawrence also spoke briefly about the services available to small business owners through the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center network through free & confidential consulting assistance, cutting edge market research assistance and training seminars.  He also cited new marketing opportunities for small businesses by combining traditional marketing with social media networks such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. 

He went on to say that as informative as the panel discussions were, the real value came from testimonials by the luncheon keynote speaker and a panel of 3 small business owners.  Mr. Sherman Tate, Vice President – Telecommunications Verizon Wireless and Chairman of Southern Bancorp Bank shared his experiences as a small business owner, lessons learned, mistakes made and management principles that helped him grow this enterprise.  Mr. Tate was followed by 3 local small business owners:

Three very different people with different backgrounds and companies but all three united in the desire to start grow and succeed as a small business in Northeast Arkansas.

There was no question that this conference provided Northeast Arkansas entrepreneurs information and resources they need to ensure good business decision making.  But the most inspiring part of the day was the non-stop networking that went on between the audience and the panelists.  These entrepreneurs took advantage of every free second from the moment they registered until the last person left campus to share information, ask questions and share business experiences. 

If there was one resource that everyone at the conference went home with…it was the knowledge that they now had access to mentors, advisors and cheerleaders to provide the encouragement to take the journey of business ownership.

Conferences such as this one needs to be available in every corner of the state, to empower rural entrepreneurs with the knowledge and tools they will need to succeed.  I walked away from the conference exhausted but energized just by being in the company of these business leaders.  I am definitely looking forward to working with many of them in the coming months.

He went on to thank the organizers with special thanks to Dr. Robert Myers, President and Dr. Blanche L. Hunt, Assistant VP of Community Relations as well as their staff and student assistants for the wonderful hospitality that Arkansas Northeastern College provided during the two days.

 

 Creative Minds, Innovative Thinkers,  Performing & Visual Artists... This is your NOW Moment!

Here’s the billion dollar question….What does Oprah Winfrey, Usher, Jay-Z, Bill Gates, Britney Spears, Warren Buffet and you have in common?  And the answer is… the power of creativity… and you like them… have the opportunity to enjoy, Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

The Creative Economy in its broadest context is the enterprises and people involved in producing and distributing goods and services in which the aesthetic, intellectual, and emotional engagement of the consumer gives the product value in the marketplace.

SPECIAL THANKS TO THE PARTNERS WHO HELPED MAKE IT HAPPEN!

Arkansas Economic Development Commission

Arkansas Northeastern College—Blytheville

Arkansas Minority Business Development Roundtable

Arkansas Procurement Assistance Center

Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center

Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce

Arkansas State University Small Business & Technology Development Center

Congressional District Offices

East Arkansas Enterprise Community, Inc.

East Arkansas Planning and Development District

Farmers Bank & Trust

First State Bank

Greater Blytheville Chamber of Commerce

Liberty Bank of Arkansas

Mississippi County Arkansas Economic Opportunity Commission, Inc.

Southern Bancorp Incorporated

Arkansas Department of Workforce Services

United States Department of Agriculture, Rural Development

Arkansas Human Development Corporation

 

Up Next...

The College of Aspiring Artists looking is forward to “The Art of Creativity” statewide and national tour with a strong recruitment and enrollment initiative aimed at providing scholarships and new opportunities for aspiring creative talents nationwide.  Organizations, institutions and persons interested in partnering should contact us at 870.623.8179. 

Dr. Stuart Rosenfeld has over 30 years of work experience in public policy research and analysis, with an emphasis on education and workforce training, rural development, and technology policy. He is principal and founder of RTS, Inc., and started the Trans-Atlantic Technology and Training Alliance. Stuart is known for his work with networks and clusters. He wrote the Guides to Cluster-Based Economic Development for both the National Governors’ Association and the European Union and, in 2004 was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award by The Competitiveness Institute in Barcelona. He has published and spoken extensively on rural development, community colleges, clusters, networks, education policy, and creative economies.

Previously Stuart served as Deputy Director of the Southern Growth Policies Board, where he founded and directed the Southern Technology Council and Consortium for Manufacturing Competitiveness. Before that he was a Senior Associate at the National Institute of Education in Washington, DC, where he designed and worked on a Congressionally mandated national assessment of vocational education and co-authored the final report. Rosenfeld has carried out comparative research across Europe and has presented papers to eight international meetings of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and has advised or testified before various panels and committees of the U.S. Congress and National Academy of Sciences on technology and education policies. Other past experiences include directing a private elementary school in Vermont and eight years in manufacturing/operations research at the General Electric Company.

Stuart holds an Ed.D. in Educational Planning and Social Policy from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Science cum laude in chemical engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He currently is a Senior Policy Fellow with the Southern Growth Policies Board and Senior Research Associate with the Community College Research Center at Teachers College, Columbia University.