Summary
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 tuning in!
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Show Notes:
(2:47) Introducing John Walker and Tom Vernon
(4:39) Learning about DroneUp and What They Do 
(6:04) What Challenges DroneUp Has Faced to Get Where They Are Today
(9:17) The Benefits and Practicality of Drones
(15:01) All about the Safety Measures and Best Practices of Drones 
(31:09) What Made NWA Ideal to Build DroneUp
(35:53) What’s to Come for DroneUp
(48:58) Because Bentonville(
55:06) Tom’s and John’s’ Favorite Lessons Learned This Year and Closing Thoughts
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‍Links
JAMES BELL
TOM WALKER
JOHN VERNON
DRONEUP
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‍Quotes
“[NWA] gave us a huge opportunity to expand, very much a crawl-walk-run approach to how we were going to move this. And to learn all of the lessons, not just about the drone, those are the things we kind of knew…You can build all of these amazing technologies and apps, but like any other agile and innovative company, all of the lessons you learn actually happen when you start doing it.” John Vernon, (31:27)
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“Our culture really aligns well with Walmart’s. Ours is about doing it safely and then growing it appropriately…By being associated with Walmart, I don’t think we were looked at as sort of this rogue drone company that’s going to start flying all over, but we were partnered with Walmart and therefore we were expected to behave like Walmart, and just by virtue of our culture and how we operated, we did.” Tom Walker, (32:48)
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“Make no mistake about it…Northwest Arkansas is very very innovative. It’s interesting because in some ways it still has the laid back feel of the parts of Arkansas that I used to really like; it wasn’t a super fast-pace; it didn’t feel that way. But if you look at the innovation that’s going on around here…It’s almost like this subtle underground community of hyper-innovation that’s super impressive for the area.” Tom Walker, (34:33)

“I think that sense of accomplishment overcomes the fear, uncertainty, or doubt of what’s going to be next. Focusing whatever you can do to be the best that you can be in the moment that you’re in has really been an enriching experience for everybody involved, and I think in emerging industries, it’s another drawing factor that brings people in and helps people feel like they’re a part of something that’s more than just a day-to-day job.” John Vernon, (52:15)

“Keep humble. I wouldn’t say ‘Be humble,’ it’s ‘Keep humble.’ We’ve come a long way but we’ve got a long way to go…I think more than anything, especially with the growth that we’ve experienced over the last year, it’s very easy to get caught up in the big number that you see around growth and people count, but its also very humbling.” John Vernon, (55:06)‍‍
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Leveling Up Delivery in Northwest Arkansas with DroneUp
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.
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DroneUp!
“[NWA] gave us a huge opportunity to expand, very much a crawl-walk-run approach to how we were going to move this. And to learn all of the lessons, not just about the drone, those are the things we kind of knew…You can build all of these amazing technologies and apps, but like any other agile and innovative company, all of the lessons you learn actually happen when you start doing it.” John Vernon, (31:27)

DroneUp is another example of a company whose idea was born outside of the area, but has found its home and success in Bentonville. Like many businesses, DroneUp has discovered that its success came from the structure within the company as much or more as the connections on the outside. The founders, Tom Walker and John Vernon echo countless leaders before them who realized that doing their craft is almost the easy part—the learning curve comes when they have to build a real business around that craft and curate a company culture that matters.

“I think that sense of accomplishment overcomes the fear, uncertainty, or doubt of what’s going to be next. Focusing whatever you can do to be the best that you can be in the moment that you’re in has really been an enriching experience for everybody involved, and I think in emerging industries, it’s another drawing factor that brings people in and helps people feel like they’re a part of something that’s more than just a day-to-day job.” John Vernon, (52:15) 

John and Tom expressed that when running a tech startup, it is difficult to plan business moves five years ahead in such a rapidly-changing field. However, the parts that are important to prepare for and focus on are the ones that keep the public safe and the team engaged. They love providing something in drone services that will help shape the future, but staying in the present is what keeps their company alive and thriving.

“Keep Humble. I wouldn’t say ‘Be humble,’ it’s ‘Keep humble.’ We’ve come a long way but we’ve got a long way to go…I think more than anything, especially with the growth that we’ve experienced over the last year, it’s very  easy to get caught up in the big number that you see around growth and people count, but its also very humbling ” John Vernon (55:06)
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‍Why Bentonville?
‍“Our culture really aligns well with Walmart’s. Ours is about doing it safely and then growing it appropriately…By being associated with Walmart, I don’t think we were looked at as sort of this rogue drone company that’s going to start flying all over, but we were partnered with Walmart and therefore we were expected to behave like Walmart, and just by virtue of our culture and how we operated, we did.” Tom Walker, (32:48)

When speaking to employees moving to Bentonville to get a quick leg-up on the DroneUp ladder before moving back to their home city, Tom found many of them instead wanted to stay and build their lives and careers here. Walmart sets the stage really well for how to do business and more importantly, how to pour into the community and the people that make the business possible. Everyone in Bentonville benefits because this business model attracts other companies like it to the area until the entire city is full of people wholeheartedly invested in where they live.

“Make no mistake about it…Northwest Arkansas is very very innovative. It’s interesting because in some ways it still has the laid back feel of the parts of Arkansas that I used to really like; it wasn’t a super fast-pace; it didn’t feel that way. But if you look at the innovation that’s going on around here…It’s almost like this subtle underground community of hyper-innovation that’s super impressive for the area.” Tom Walker, (34:33)

John joked that NWA is the Ozarks Silicon Valley, which is interesting because the area is known for its innovative nature, always pushing the boundaries and looking forward. But what’s missing about that Silicon Valley feel is how nice, helpful, and genuinely happy the people in Bentonville tend to be. It is what makes this area so ripe for new things.
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Get Connected!
‍Thanks for tuning in to this episode of The Bentonville Beacon! Join us weekly for more stories from entrepreneurs and business leaders who are making a positive impact on Bentonville’s culture, community, and lifestyle. Don’t forget, Bentonville is a place where you can have more of what you want and less of what you don’t!