Summary
On this episode of The Bentonville Beacon, host James Bell is joined by Michael Paladino, Co-Founder and Chairman at RevUnit, a technology studio that helps companies supercharge their supply chain operations with technologies built specifically for them. RevUnit has been named to the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies four times and the Entrepreneur 360 list of America’s most innovative businesses. Additionally, with a people-centric mindset, it has been recognized by Entrepreneur Magazine on its Top Company Cultures list and as Best Place to Work by Arkansas Business. Throughout the episode, James and Michael discuss the past, present and future of RevUnit, the evolution of Bentonville and Northwest Arkansas’s startup ecosystem, and how the recent surge in artificial intelligence advancements is revolutionizing business and everyday life.

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‍Show Notes
Timestamps in this blog are for the audio-only version of the podcast; video timing differs.
(0:51) Introduction to Michael Paladino
(4:49) RevUnit’s History
(8:24) What RevUnit Offers
(11:23) The Evolution of RevUnit
(16:12) Cultivating the Bentonville and Northwest Arkansas Startup Community
(20:31) The Future of the Bentonville and Northwest Arkansas Startup Community
(22:56) Why Tech Leaders Should Have a Presence in Bentonville
(30:20) #BecauseBentonville Story
(37:34) Advice on Managing the Emergence of AI
(40:17) Closing Question
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‍Links‍‍‍‍‍‍
JAMES BELL
BENTONVILLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT‍
‍MICHAEL PALADINO
REVUNIT
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Quotes
“What we’re doing is building emerging technology for the supply chain, so we’re a professional services company. We come in and do custom work, but largely we’re looking at creating a great customer experience for that company whether it’s interaction with one of their clients or creating a new front end for a new system in the supply chain.” – Michael Paladino, (8:29)

“My hope is to see others come along and create their own RevUnits… I hope to see the various generations of entrepreneurs finding ways to give back and support the next generation of entrepreneurs.” – Michael Paladino, (20:52)
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“There’s so many organizations here that are trying to do good and trying to create opportunities. I think the word I come back to often is access. You’re never more than one or two steps away from just about anybody in this community. And from what I understand, that’s relatively unique.” – Michael Paladino, (24:36)

“I think one of the most interesting skills over the next couple of years is going to be distinguishing between truth and lack thereof for generative content…there’s plenty of opportunities to talk about automation and creating marketing content, but for the average person, it’s going to be understanding what is real and what isn’t.” – Michael Paladino, (37:35)‍

Fueling Bentonville’s Startup Renaissance with Michael Paladino and RevUnit
On this episode of The Bentonville Beacon, host James Bell is joined by Michael Paladino, Co-Founder and Chairman at RevUnit, a technology studio that helps companies supercharge their supply chain operations with technologies built specifically for them. RevUnit has been named to the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies four times and the Entrepreneur 360 list of America’s most innovative businesses. Additionally, with a people-centric mindset, it has been recognized by Entrepreneur Magazine on its Top Company Cultures list and as Best Place to Work by Arkansas Business. Throughout the episode, James and Michael discuss the past, present and future of RevUnit, the evolution of Bentonville and Northwest Arkansas’s startup ecosystem, and how the recent surge in artificial intelligence advancements is revolutionizing business and everyday life.

Supercharging Supply Chain Operations
What started out as a consumer-facing product studio quickly turned into a technology studio providing clients across the supply chain space with the tools to receive actionable insights on their data twice as fast. RevUnit identifies and implements data solutions across industries like transportation, freight, logistics, retail and manufacturing that improve ROI through innovative solutions powered by AI/ML and the cloud.
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“What we’re doing is building emerging technology for the supply chain, so we’re a professional services company. We come in and do custom work, but largely we’re looking at creating a great customer experience for that company whether it’s interaction with one of their clients or creating a new front end for a new system in the supply chain.” – Michael Paladino, (8:29)

In 2013, RevUnit became one of Walmart’s key strategic technology partners with a small team of twelve full-time employees. And as of today, it has created technology and data solutions for several Fortune 500 companies such as Tyson, Under Armor and J.B. Hunt.

Creating Better Futures with Tech Solutions
RevUnit’s purpose is to create better futures through bold decisions, meaning it makes bold decisions in its work and builds solutions that help its clients do the same. RevUnits prides itself on moving quickly, with speed to value being the name of its game. Furthermore, its culture grants it the ability to hire the best of the best, top-tier talent, which allows RevUit to upscale its clients’ teams while partnering with them.

RevUnit continues to fuel the innovation and success of Northwest Arkansas’s entrepreneurial spirit by reinvesting in the community through engagement in accelerator programs and workforce development opportunities as well as adhering to their core values to foster lasting, mutually beneficial relationships.

RevUnit’s core values are: 
     – Do what’s right – It may not be easy, but it’s always worth it.
     – Be fearless – We act with courage in spite of fear.
     – A little better all the time – We see failure as an opportunity to learn.
     – I’ve got your back, you’ve got mine – We act with sincerity and empathy.
     – Celebrate the win – We believe in celebrating the outcomes that inspire us to set a new standard for ourselves. 

“My hope is to see others come along and create their own RevUnits… I hope to see the various generations of entrepreneurs finding ways to give back and support the next generation of entrepreneurs.” – Michael Paladino, (20:52)
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Get Connected!
‍Thank you for tuning into this episode of The Bentonville Beacon! Join us weekly for more stories and advice from the entrepreneurs, business executives and community leaders who are sparking the rise of Bentonville. If you are interested in discussing whether your business should have a presence in Bentonville or would like to discuss this podcast, please contact James Bell. You may reach James at jbell@greaterbentonville.com or (479) 273-2841.