Walmart & Vendors Archives - Bentonville Economic Development

A New Era for Walmart: Inside the New Home Office Project

In this episode of The Bentonville Beacon, host James Bell sits down with Cindi Marsiglio, Senior Vice President for Corporate Real Estate at Walmart. With over two decades of experience in corporate real estate and government affairs, Cindi is at the forefront of Walmart’s monumental new home office located in Bentonville. She brings a wealth of insight from overseeing the mammoth task of managing Walmart’s office space across the United States, solidifying her as a leader who plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of Bentonville’s thriving community. Throughout the conversation, Cindi shares the significance and intent behind Walmart’s cutting edge, open-concept campus, the sustainability efforts it’s championing and how it’s transforming the way we live, work and play in the Greater Bentonville Area.

Coffee and Community: Exploring Airship’s Unique Destinations

In this episode of The Bentonville Beacon, host James Bell is joined by Mark Bray, Owner and Founder of Airship Coffee. This independently owned, specialty coffee company boasts four unique cafes and a roastery, all located in Bentonville, Arkansas. Since its inception in 2008, Airship has consistently strived to exceed the ordinary in all its endeavors, with a strong commitment to enhancing the coffee experience for everyone involved. This commitment is underpinned by a dedication to excellence, fueled by the belief that its cafes are not just places to enjoy coffee, but vibrant hubs where genuine community connections flourish. Throughout the episode, James and Mark explore how Airship’s cafes are designed as destinations for adventure and why Bentonville’s community-focused ethos makes it the perfect setting for Airship’s distinctive locations.

2023 NWA Tech Summit Live Part 4

Join host James Bell in the final episode of a special four-part series of The Bentonville Beacon podcast, featuring live-recorded conversations at the 2023 Northwest Arkansas Technology Summit with the thinkers and doers shaping the future of global tech in Bentonville. The NWA Tech Summit is the Heartland’s premier technology conference and serves to enhance, prepare and diversify the Northwest Arkansas economy. Now in its tenth year, the event is hosted by the Greater Bentonville Area Chamber of Commerce and is supported by nearly 100 partners, including the Walton Family Foundation, Walmart, Sam’s Club, Verizon, Salesforce, T-Mobile for Business, Zebra, Scott Family Amazeum and Arvest. These episodes bring together voices from the event to share their company’s stories, personal insights and unique #BecauseBentonville moments that define the community’s character. Tune in as we explore the innovations and experiences that are fostering a culture where technology meets the essence of Bentonville and Northwest Arkansas!

2023 NWA Tech Summit Live Part 1

Join host James Bell in this special four-part series of The Bentonville Beacon podcast featuring live-recorded conversations at the 2023 Northwest Arkansas Technology Summit with the thinkers and doers shaping the future of global tech in Bentonville. The NWA Tech Summit is the Heartland’s premier technology conference and serves to enhance, prepare and diversify the local Northwest Arkansas economy. Now in its tenth year, the event is hosted by the Greater Bentonville Area Chamber of Commerce, and is supported by nearly 100 partners, including Walton Family Foundation, Walmart, Sam’s Club, Verizon, Salesforce, T-Mobile for Business, Zebra, Scott Family Amazeum and Arvest. These episodes bring together voices from the event to share their company’s stories, personal insights and unique #BecauseBentonville moments that define the community’s character. Tune in as we explore the innovations and experiences that are fostering a culture where technology meets the essence of Bentonville and Northwest Arkansas!

Sharing Black Culture and Joy

On this episode of The Bentonville Beacon, host James Bell is joined by Madia Willis, Jasmine Hudson and J’Aaron Merchant, the Co-founders of Black Paper Party, where Madia fulfills the role of CEO, Jasmine serves as the Chief Merchant and J’Aaron completes the trio as the Chief Creative Officer. With a combined fifteen years of retail experience, this dream team started Black Paper Party to spread joy through culturally relevant products by combining award-winning illustrations with trendy prints and patterns to create unique wrapping paper designs. Throughout the episode, James, Madia, Jasmine and J’Aaron discuss Black Paper Party’s mission, the struggles they have faced as Black women entrepreneurs and how Bentonville’s culture has helped accelerate Black Paper Party’s growth.

Thanks for tuning in!

Transforming Retail Execution and Workforce Management

On this episode of The Bentonville Beacon, host James Bell is joined by Stan Zylowski, CEO and Co-founder of Movista, a software development company that provides an all-in-one platform for retail execution and workforce management. Movista integrates a multitude of disparate systems into a single user-friendly interface where everyone can manage, review, and approve work. With more than fifteen years of experience in sales, marketing, and general business, Stan has had great success in brand and account management, sports marketing, and operations. Throughout the episode, James and Stan discuss how Movista’s core values are the foundation for its success and best practices for developing a future workforce.

Thanks for tuning in!

Building an Evergreen Technology Services Company with Exceptional Culture in Bentonville

On this episode of The Bentonville Beacon, host James Bell is joined by Jared Smith, President and CEO of Kitestring Technical Services, a leading technology services firm. Kitestring brings together talented people, influential ideas and a mission-driven culture to turn business visions into tangible value. Jared has led Kitestring for nearly ten years, scaling it from fourteen employees to more than 150, and he is also a board member of STOPWATCH, another local tech firm that provides cloud-based commerce software. Throughout the episode, James and Jared discuss the evolution of Kitestring, the importance of workplace culture in retaining employees and the benefits of establishing a business in Bentonville.

Thanks for tuning in!

Bonus Episode | NWA Tech Summit Live

The NWA Tech Summit is the Heartland’s premier technology conference and serves to enhance, prepare, and diversify the local Northwest Arkansas economy. In its ninth year, the NWA Tech Summit came back with 1,700 registered attendees when it returned in-person to downtown Bentonville. The NWA Tech Summit is an event hosted by the Greater Bentonville Area Chamber of Commerce, and it is supported by the Walton Family Foundation, Northwest Arkansas Council, Walmart, J. B. Hunt, Tyson Foods, Salesforce, and the University of Arkansas Blockchain Center of Excellence.

Transforming Workplace Mobility

On this episode of The Bentonville Beacon, host James Bell is joined by Kourtney Barrett, a serial entrepreneur and the current Director of Workplace Mobility at Walmart. Kourtney launched Junk Brands, a successful direct-to-consumer headwear brand, and is a co-founder of Women of OZ NWA, an inclusive nonprofit and the largest women’s mountain biking organization in the USA. Curious by nature and motivated by fun, it’s no surprise Kourtney was hired to lead workplace mobility efforts for Walmart’s new corporate campus. Throughout the episode, James and Kourtney discuss Bentonville’s bike-friendly environment, Walmart’s emphasis on mobility, and how to encourage more people to ride bikes.

Thanks for tuning in!

Leveling Up Delivery in Northwest Arkansas

On this episode of The Bentonville Beacon, host James Bell showcased the founders and leaders of DroneUp, a company that provides flexible flight services and works with many power players in retail, medical, and other important areas. Tom Walker, DroneUp’s CEO served in the Navy and was a White House Advisor in technological areas of expertise, along with serving as the president of Web-Tex prior to forming DroneUp. His partner, John Vernon, serves as DroneUp’s CTO following serving on multiple boards in the areas of aviation and technology, as well as working as the COO of Web-Tex. James, Tom, and John discussed the future of drones, how they can help people and greatly improve the quality of life, and the benefits of working with business giants in Bentonville.

Thanks for turning in!

A New Era for Walmart: Inside the New Home Office Project

Coffee and Community: Exploring Airship’s Unique Destinations

2023 NWA Tech Summit Live Part 4

2023 NWA Tech Summit Live Part 1

Sharing Black Culture and Joy

Transforming Retail Execution and Workforce Management

Building an Evergreen Technology Services Company with Exceptional Culture in Bentonville

Bonus Episode | NWA Tech Summit Live

Transforming Workplace Mobility

Leveling Up Delivery in Northwest Arkansas

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