After winning the Cureate Courses pitch competition in Springdale earlier this year, Vito and Vera has expanded to Northwest Arkansas. 

• In-store: Vito and Vera is a “culinary wellness business that meets people where they are on the plant based continuum” and now has products at Ozark Natural Foods Co-Op in Fayetteville. The store has Vito’s Deconstructed Lasagna, Big Bertha’s Fat Stack, and Mighty Loaf. 
• Meals to-go: Chef Alicia Watson, the owner of Vito and Vera, worked with the University of Arkansas to sign off on the products’ nutritional values and choose meals with products people are familiar with. Each meal can serve up to two people and is $15 each. 

Read the Talk Business & Politics story HERE. 

A University of Arkansas professor recently published a study that shows how the coronavirus pandemic impacted Black-owned businesses in the United States. 

• Findings: The study uses data from the news, blogs, tweets, and yelp reviews across 20 major cities in the U.S. to calculate the pandemic’s effect. The analysis revealed Black-owned businesses nationally “had a greater loss in business visits than other businesses during the pandemic.” 
• Researchers: U of A assistant professor Xiao Huang and four others conducted the study, which is one of the few that has been undertaken to examine conditions of Black-owned businesses during the troubling times of 2020.

Read the full KNWA story HERE. 

Dog Daze Do-Over is happening this Thursday as an extra-special First Thursday event! 

• Activities: Because Dog Daze was canceled in August due to weather, it’s happening in September! Furry friends and their humans can look forward to a costumed canines pageant, live music, food trucks, a pup parade, art vendors, galleries, and more! 
• Details: The special First Thursday event is free, open to the public, and will take place on the Fayetteville Square from 5:30-9p. 

Click HERE for more information. 

U.S. News & World Report has its 2022-23 ranking of the Best Colleges in the U.S., and a couple of Northwest Arkansas institutions are mentioned. 

• The University of Arkansas is ranked #176 out of 443 National Universities and is known for its first-year retention rate (87%) and graduation rate(70%). Out of 234 institutions, the U of A is tied for 87th in the Top Public Schools category. 
• Out of 135 in the Regional Universities South category, John Brown University is #16 overall, and it is #19 for Best Value. JBU’s engineering program was ranked No. 110 among U.S. universities without a doctoral engineering program.

Click HERE for the full rankings of this year’s U.S. News Best Colleges. 

The Botanical Garden of the Ozark’s annual International Festival is this Sunday, September 18! 

• All welcome: The International Festival is free for the public to attend and celebrates diversity, inclusion, and different cultures. Fittingly, the event is on the last day of Welcoming Week, which brings together immigrants, refugees, and native-born residents to affirm their importance.
• Learning and growth: The festival at the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks will feature food from around the world, traditional dance performances and demonstrations, arts, cultural items for sale, and more. Attendees will also have opportunity to talk to experts and engage with resources for multiple marginalized communities. 

Learn more HERE.