http://www.arktimes.com/arkansas/big-ideas-for-arkansas-2012/Content?oid=2581884 Comments On: Big Ideas for Arkansas by Leslie Newell Peacock, Jayce Hafner, Mara Leveritt, Karama Neal, Gabriel Fotsing, Mason Ellis, Eric Francis, Vic Snyder, Robert Lowry, Sara Mullally, Jamie K. Fugitt, Penelope Poppers, James Szenher, Brian C. Campbell, Calvin Smith, Jennifer Carman and David Ramsey en-us Copyright 2013 Arkansas Times. All rights reserved. This RSS file is offered to individuals, Arkansas Times readers, and non-commercial organizations only. Any commercial websites wishing to use this RSS file, please contact Arkansas Times. robert@arktimes.com (Arkansas Times Webmaster) Thu, 23 May 2013 00:00:01 -0500 Thu, 23 May 2013 23:00:00 -0500 Foundation http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Posted by mrprincipal07]]> Wed, 09 Jan 2013 00:27:16 -0600 Arkansas Times Posted by mrprincipal07]]> Wed, 09 Jan 2013 00:20:22 -0600 Arkansas Times Posted by ElizabethB]]> Thu, 20 Dec 2012 17:35:11 -0600 Arkansas Times
As I said in that comment, this is the type of area where Little Rock has a natural edge with its important nonprofits and world class Master's Program in Public Service. In my opinion, the Clinton School of Public Service is perhaps the only educational program in the state that has the gravitas to pull in out-of-state national talent at a significant level. I know plenty of great kids from my out-of-state alma mater who have considered the program, and I even know one who has attended. (And I've since seen that more from my alma mater have attended!) The students at the Clinton school have the talent and tenacity; with some focused effort, that talent could be "pivoted" towards social entrepreneurship endeavors.

Imagine downtown Little Rock--historically blighted until its relatively recent revitalization--teeming with creative, do-gooder talent, and the Big Dog (Clinton) coming back stateside to rile up the troops periodically. Imagine a social entrepreneurship conference at the Clinton Center every year.

Attracting nationwide talent (and retaining local talent) is a key component to developing a social entrepreneurship corridor: Arkansas has a serious brain drain. Just an off the cuff estimate: of the 30-40 National Merit Scholars I know from Arkansas (from high school and my U. alma mater), a grand total of one returned to the state. That's an incredibly high bleed rate of some of the most talented Arkansans.

I hope this is an idea the Clinton School, Mr. Fugitt, and others in Little Rock pursue strongly. Little Rock has a lot to gain in being boldly forward thinking in an area that it already has a comparative advantage. Good luck!

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Here's the comment: http://innovation.arkansasbusiness.com/blo…

"What ever happened to LR’s so called 'nonprofit corridor'? I heard it being discussed when the Clinton Center was opening, but then it died down. A 'Social Entrepreneurship Corridor' would be PERFECT for Little Rock. Let me explain.

EVERY major city has technology parks (and should); EVERY major city is courting green tech (and should). Those are such incredibly obvious assets to have at this point in the game. We’re doing that to, but that just puts us at status quo, at even. Social entrepreneurship, on the other hand, is really just getting started. We all know LR has a pretty hefty nonprofit base for its size. We know that LR has the first public service Masters program in the nation with a pretty popular former president. Why not make some conscious decisions through policy and investment to cultivate not only the nonprofit corridor, but the nation’s first “social entrepreneurship” corridor? Give incentives for these organizations to relocate, perhaps build a vast swath of land by Heifer International and the Clinton Center equivalent to a technology park for social entrepreneurs? East of I-30, much of which is abandoned wasteland, would be rejuvenated. No city has this (that I know of) yet. Bigger places like Boston may have a couple of these organizations, but there is a difference when you state explicitly: “Little Rock: the Nation’s First Social Entrepreneurship Corridor,” and take specific investment/policy decisions to back it up. Now, imagine once you have you vision laid out, you get President Clinton himself at his library to announce the social entrepreneurship corridor. KEEP THE MOMENTUM that’s already going in LR with the nonprofits it has. (And just to clarify, social entrepreneurship and nonprofits are NOT the same, but they have similar mentalities.)"
Posted by John R]]> Wed, 19 Dec 2012 17:13:25 -0600 Arkansas Times
Taken together, they're not only doable but lay terrific foundations for The Rock and the Natural State that will carry ever-growing rewards --economically, socially, educationally--far into the foreseeable future.

Kudos to all!
Posted by Norma Bates]]> Wed, 19 Dec 2012 17:12:25 -0600 Arkansas Times Posted by MysteryShopper]]> Wed, 19 Dec 2012 07:52:47 -0600 Arkansas Times