Venture Noire, a non-profit committed to assisting Black and minority entrepreneurs, is launching "In the Black", a new program designed to advance Black-owned businesses in key industries.

• Made possible by a $1.3 million grant from the Walton Family Foundation, In The Black will provide eight-week courses for minority entrepreneurs that will address income equality, minority workforce creation and the racial wealth gap. Each program will feature a Northwest Arkansas showcase, which will be attended by business leaders and investors.

• Participants can attend workshops and mentoring sessions designed to enhance their businesses with indispensable tools and knowledge. The showcase will serve as a front-and-center opportunity to pitch to local business owners and stakeholders.

• “Venture Noire is making significant strides in advancing inclusive entrepreneurship in Northwest Arkansas... “Through innovative programming, the organization will support local Black-owned businesses and draw minority talent to the region," said Walton Family Foundation Program Officer Yee Lin Lai. -Arkansas Money & Politics

Want to know more? You can read it HERE

You can apply to join Venture Noire’s inaugural In The Black cohort by email.

Announced earlier this month, Alice Walton's new Whole Health Institute is destined to make waves in the medical field, revolutionizing the way we look at healthcare, said Dr. Tracy Gaudet, the Executive Director of the Whole Health Institute.

• The School of Medicine in Bentonville will be the first of its kind, making a holistic approach to health care foundational to the medical school's curriculum. "Many medical schools and osteopathic schools have been trying to integrate these concepts, because we know it is the best approach to health and well being," said Gaudet.

• Walton's vision for the Institute is for the "re-imagination of American medical education" - incorporating mental, emotional, physical and spiritual health, the elements of Whole Health, to help people live healthier and happier lives.

• The real deal: The school will be allopathic, meaning graduates will receive a doctor of medicine degree (MD). -Arkansas Business

Read more about WHI and it's potential impact on the community HERE.

On Tuesday night, Fayetteville City Council finally made a decision on a new parking deck going into downtown Fayetteville. The new parking deck located on Dickson Street is part of a larger process of redevelopment known as the Cultural Arts Corridor project.

• The contract was tossed around for months, but finally received the green-light by city officials in a 6-1 vote. In 2019, Fayetteville voters approved a $31.6 million bond package for the arts corridor, including $10 million for a parking deck that will replace the parking spaces across from the Walton Arts Center. The surface parking currently there is where an outdoor park and civic plaza are planned. -Fayetteville Flyer

• However, the measure clearly stated that the land transformation could not begin until all 290 parking spaces were replaced and ready for use. The contract is for the purchase of a one-half acre that's known as the Depot Lot, which is situated across Dickson where the train bank and Arsaga’s at the Depot are located.

• Most of the ground floor of the deck will be commercial space. A portion of the ground floor; however, will be reserved for a city police substation. The developers will also have the option to build two additional stories on top of the deck for their own use and at their own expense. -Fayetteville Flyer

• Fayetteville Food Hall: As part of this transaction, the City also plans for developers to build the "Fayetteville Food Hall", a four-story building envisioned to house multiple culinary experiences, including options for morning, lunch, evening and after-hours dining.

Read more about the decision and development plans HERE.

One year after breaking ground, Transplace's new regional ops center is nearing completion in Rogers. The three story, 150,000 square-foot center could bring up to 1,200 new jobs to the area.

• Transplace is one of the country’s largest providers of third-party logistics services. Through industry expertise, advanced logistics technology services and data insights, Transplace delivers financial and operational efficiencies and supply chain improvements. -Transplace

• The three story building is "first of its kind in Northwest Arkansas. The new development will feature courtyards, lighted pedestrian walkways, a retention pond and more than 1,000 parking spaces." - Talk Business & Politics

• The facility sits on a 15-acre site on Magnolia Street along I-49 in Rogers and is set to be completed in the next few months.

Read more about the company and its development HERE

Bikeways and walkways: On Tuesday, The Bentonville Planning Commission unanimously approved the City's bike and pedestrian plan, which lays out a network of low-stress bikeways and walkways that will establish a connected network of bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure with access to community destinations.

• The City was intentional in not creating and approving a plan that would interfere with the master street plans. "We wanted to create a document that citizens want," said David Wright, Parks and Recreation Director.

• Connecting Bentonville by bikeways and walkways will employ strategies to promote safety and connectivity for pedestrian use within the city. It will also serve as a resource and guide for the implementation of local bicycle and pedestrian projects to advance the plan's vision. -NWA Democrat-Gazette

• One major goal is to create a loop trail system that would span up to 30 to 35 miles in the city, Wright said.