News
U.S. Partners with Lao Farmers to Support and Expand Trade
July 23, 2019
VIENTIANE, LAOS – The United States is collaborating with Laos to improve the livelihoods of farmers and expand the trade of Lao agricultural products. On July 10, 2019 in Vientiane, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Lao PDR and Winrock International signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to expand programs designed to strengthen local farmers and expand their markets through the Agriculture Creating Linkages for […]
Stuttgart, Eudora and Arkansas City Receive $250K USDA STRIVE Boost
June 3, 2019
LITTLE ROCK, ARK. – June 3, 2019 – Winrock International is implementing a USDA-funded program to provide training and resources for three rural Arkansas municipalities to pursue their unique economic development opportunities and confront challenges specific to each community. The program, called Strategic Training for Rural Innovative and Vibrant Economies (STRIVE), will empower local leaders […]
Startups Celebrate Journey from Dream to Reality
April 19, 2019
Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson told startup founders at the Delta Innovation Fund (Delta I-Fund) startup accelerator’s 2019 Demo Day that entrepreneurship holds the key for a brighter economic future in the state’s rural delta region. “People who love the delta, who are committed to it, want to see its growth, and have got great ideas… […]
Delta Innovation Fund Alumni to Demonstrate Innovations April 17
April 4, 2019
Little Rock, Ark. – April 4, 2019 – The Delta Innovation Fund (Delta I-Fund) startup accelerator will host its 2019 Demo Day at the Clinton Presidential Center on April 17 at 4 p.m. Eight Delta I-Fund alumni companies will showcase their innovations and successful business models. Governor Asa Hutchinson, Delta Regional Authority Federal Co-Chairman Chris […]
Arkansas Innovation Council Takes Flight at Inaugural Summit
March 14, 2019
On February 19, Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson and Winrock’s Innovate Arkansas took an important step to expand Arkansas’ knowledge-based economy with the launch of the Arkansas Innovation Council. This new initiative will tap into the combined insights and innovation of the state’s established industry leaders and its burgeoning startup community. Comprised of key leaders from […]
Delta Innovation Fund Selects 20 Delta Startups for Accelerator Program
February 27, 2019
Cape Girardeau, Mo. – February 27, 2019 – Twenty early-stage startups from the Mississippi Delta region have been selected for the seventh cohort of the Delta Innovation Fund (Delta I-Fund) startup accelerator. Funded by the Delta Regional Authority (DRA) and administered by Winrock International, the Delta I-Fund is a proof-of-concept startup accelerator that connects budding […]
Arkansas Woman Jumpstarts Her Business With Help of AWBC
February 26, 2019
When a large chicken processing plant in El Dorado, Arkansas, closed in 2008, roughly 1,500 employees and 160 contract growers found themselves out of work. Amid the bleak economic downturn, however, LaQuita Rainey saw an opportunity. Rainey had spent 28 years in the nursing field and operated her own business, Elder House Adult Daycare, which […]
From Myanmar to Music City
February 12, 2019
It’s wintertime in Nashville, and coffee roasters at some of the top specialty coffee shops in the U.S. are reacting to their first experience with a newcomer to the international market: beans from the Shan State of Myanmar. “It blew my mind because it’s really complex,” said Will Shurtz, roaster and green coffee buyer at […]
Facebook to Launch National Program at Winrock’s Innovation Hub
January 29, 2019
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — January 29, 2019 — Facebook is set to kick off a new national program called Career Connections with a Skills Summit at the Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub at Winrock International on March 30-31. Career Connections connects emerging talent to training opportunities, local internships and Facebook mentors. “We’re thrilled to partner with […]
Empowering Micro Hydro Plants in Nepal
January 3, 2019
“For a person who had never touched a computer throughout his life, trainings from Winrock opened unprecedented opportunities of learning. Soon after the trainings, I completed data entry for all customers and started a computer billing system with transparent accounting,” says Mohan Shrees, manager of the Chachalghat Micro Hydro Plant (MHP) in the Baglung District […]