Influential Arkansans
We highlight more than 50 who shape our state.
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As for being influential, Fisk said one of his greatest accomplishments was the establishment of a bladesmithing school in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in 2001. He had 14 students that first year, and the school has since raised a whole generation of young artisans out of poverty.
"Three of my original 14 were living in the streets in cardboard boxes," he said. "Now they're in the middle class, they all have a house, they all have students of their own, and a lot of their students have students. So I have great-grandchildren."
KENNY TOMLIN
Digital advertising
How does a one-man start-up become one of the most respected ad agencies in the country in a matter of years? Kenny Tomlin, who's seen Rockfish Interactive grow its revenues by 60 percent to 100 percent every year since he founded it in 2006 (meteoric growth that prompted ad giant WPP to scoop up the company for an undisclosed sum last year), has four answers: "It was a good business idea and a good location at a good time filled with good people." In a profile accompanying a 2008 award for small agency of the year, Advertising Agency magazine said of Rogers-based Rockfish, "You might call it the advertising agency of the future, except that its time is clearly now." In other words, while legacy agencies were busy trying to hire programmers and hold onto clients eager to launch innovative campaigns on the web and on mobile, Rockfish was founded on a digital-first approach. That Walmart is just down the road from Rockfish and gave the company business early helped it land a number of other big fish, Tomlin said. Today, clients include Walmart, Johnson & Johnson and EA Sports. Its most recent high-profile job was building Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's Mitt's VP app for iPhones and Android phones, through which the campaign first made the announcement of the selection of Paul Ryan. That Rockfish has managed to steadily attract tech talent — today, its staff of some 200 works in offices in Rogers, Little Rock, Dallas, Cincinnati and Austin — might owe to its culture of innovation. Rockfish was founded as two parts, one devoted to servicing clients and another to creating spin-off companies. Maintaining a healthy balance can be challenging, Tomlin said. "Especially when your professional services side of the business has grown so rapidly, it's hard to ever want to put resources on something else when you know there is billable work to get done." The incubator side of the company, Rockfish Labs, has created a half a dozen ventures, including a specialty coffee shop, a digital coupon creator and an employee rewards platform. Tomlin said Rockfish had already had an opportunity to sell the coupon creator, couponfactory.com, for "a meaningful amount of money, but we think we've got a lot of good opportunity in front of us."
ROBYN HORN
Sculpture, philanthropy
Wood sculptor Robyn Horn has done some heavy lifting in her life, turning enormous chunks of wood into art with the use of a chainsaw and other tools. She's also done a lot of lifting of the arts in Arkansas, promoting contemporary crafts and arts education, including the Applied Design program at the University of Arkansas, with generous gifts of money, time and passion. She's made it possible for instructors and students at UALR to become involved in Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina, is working with the Thea Foundation in its efforts to promote the A+ arts-infused curricula in the schools, and promoted the Conversations in Contemporary Craft presentations at the Arkansas Arts Center. She's newly involved with programs likes Hearts and Hooves, a physical therapy program for children, and Our House. "I feel less influential and more like a facilitator," Horn said. "There are people here doing extraordinary things." Without Horn, though, they'd be having a harder time.
BILL DILLARD III
Retail
Speaking of...
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Won't shoot
May 30, 2013This state would be in awful shape if the people who run the colleges and universities were as goofy as the ones who run the legislative branch of state government. They are not, though, and all across Arkansas, boards of trustees of public colleges and universities are opting out of a new state law that would allow faculty and staff to carry concealed handguns on campus. Amazingly, the law permits the institutions to opt out. The NRA must have nodded off. /more/
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The heart(less) of the Arkansas Republican Party
May 27, 2013Stephens Media's John Lyon gathered some good quotes in the course of an article on the future for those seeking General Equivalency Diplomas. /more/
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Beebe to announce treasurer pick Wednesday
May 24, 2013When I went to Conway this morning to film a segment of "Arkansas Week," I asked Matt DeCample of the governor's office whether a decision was coming today on Gov. Mike Beebe's appointment of someone to serve out Martha Shoffner's term as treasurer. /more/
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A downtown dream realized for Little Rock Film Festival
May 16, 2013Screens straddle the river. /more/
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Diamonds in the manure of the Arkansas legislature
May 9, 2013Some legislators and legislation shone. /more/
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Keith Haring sculpture debuts at Crystal Bridges
April 24, 2013The graffiti artist's depiction of a two-headed creature is installed on the grounds. /more/
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Photo essay: A hog farm for the Buffalo River watershed
April 17, 2013Don Nelms, a former Fayetteville auto dealer, political candidate, environmentalist and photographer, has taken up a roost near Jasper overlooking the Buffalo River. /more/
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Koch lobby has new leader in Arkansas
April 15, 2013The Arkansas chapter of Americans for Prosperity, the Koch billionaires' anti-tax, anti-regulation political arm that spent a million bucks to produce a Republican legislative majority in Arkansas, has a new state executive director. /more/
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Ethics update: Amending the amendment
April 14, 2013I've done some emoting on the blog and in my column about the proposed constitutional amendment, SJR 9, crafted by Rep. Warwick Sabin and others to incorporate some of the Regnat Populus ethics initiative into a multi-pronged proposal with some benefits for legislators. /more/
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Greed rules
April 11, 2013The Arkansas legislature earns its low regard daily, last Friday with committee approval of a constitutional amendment labeled "ethics reform." /more/
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Re: C'mon strike
OVER THE LINE!!
- on June 19, 2013
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