Connect with other local entrepreneurs during Startup Junkie's Ozark Innovators Networking Happy Hour this evening, Mar 1, in Bentonville. 

• Craft libations and ideations: The Happy Hour will last from 5:30p to 7:30p at Bike Rack Brewing's Taproom in 8th Street Market. 
• Make connections: The event is co-sponsored by BorderCode, a talent recruiter connecting European developers with American startups, and Innoflexion, a leading Silicon Valley software services, and product engineering company. 

Reserve your spot HERE. 

The Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center (ASBTDC) is offering several sessions in March to help small businesses start or grow their dream ventures. 

• Business Basics: ASBTDC provides free and affordable one-on-one consulting, online classes, and in-person workshops for entrepreneurs and business owners on financial analysis, market research, loan packaging, marketing, profitability, and more.
• Online and local: Several online options range topics from Retaining Employees Through Benefits to How to Win At Social Media, and a few of the workshops coming to NWA include Beginner SEO for Small Business Owners, Marketing Boot Camp, and Financial Boot Camp.

Find these free training opportunities and more HERE.

The interactive Listening Forest returns tonight to light up the forest around the art museum until the end of May, and that's just one of several engaging exhibits currently on display at Crystal Bridges.

• Reliving Rivera: Uncover the social and cultural life of Mexico and America in Diego Rivera's America, the first major exhibition focused exclusively on Mexican artist Diego Rivera in over 20 years. 
• Portraits: Explore American identities, human relationships, and current events through one of the 20th and 21st century's most celebrated photographers Annie Leibovitz.

See Crystal Bridges' full 2023 exhibition lineup HERE.

February's reports revealed that Bentonville, Fayetteville, Rogers, and Springdale brought in a collective $10.052m in sales tax revenue, showing growth in the face of persistent inflation and higher prices.

• A good start: Despite a 0.44% decline in Rogers, the cities are up 8.66% over last year collectively, with Bentonville seeing the most significant increase at 22.17%.
• Great off the blocks: City leaders expect consumer spending to slow as inflation persists, but a solid start to the year puts most on track for the yearly budget.

Read more from Talk Business & Politics HERE.

Last week we were able to visit the highly anticipated Lady Slipper in Downtown Bentonville, and it thoroughly exceeded our expectations.

• Come and find me: A speakeasy lounge and restaurant situated in the basement of Bentonville’s historic Massey building, its unassuming location invites you to find it for yourself.
• Stay a while: Once underground, you're exposed to a tasteful selection of drinks, food, and art. Some of our favorites were the meat and cheese board and their namesake Smash Burger, all chased down with one of their signature cocktails.

For some date night or after-work happy hour ideas, you should check out their IG HERE.