The Conductor has named Grace Rains as Executive Director. Rains has served as Director of Operations since joining the organization in August of 2019. This new role comes as the company is finalizing plans to move into the Arnold Innovation Center, expanding its impact on Conway and the State of Arkansas.
The Conductor, a public-private partnership with the University of Central Arkansas and Startup Junkie, drives innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic empowerment in central Arkansas through high-impact programming, one-on-one consulting, talent development, collaboration, and rapid prototyping in UCA’s Makerspace, powered by the Conductor, which is free-of-charge to students and the community.
“I can’t say enough good things about Grace and her leadership. She has done a fabulous job executing with excellence and growing the impact of the Conductor, despite the ramifications of the global pandemic,” said Jeff Standridge, managing director of the Conductor. “This move is a natural and logical recognition of the critical role Grace has played as a leader in the organization since she first walked in the door.”
For the past two years, Rains has guided the execution of the Conductor & the UCA Makerspace programming. She is also responsible for cultivating strategic partnerships and consulting with current and aspiring entrepreneurs. In her new role as Executive Director, Rains assumes overall leadership responsibility for the Conductor, including strategy and execution, while continuing to expand its statewide impact.
“I’m humbled and grateful to take on the role of Executive Director”, said Grace Rains, executive director of the Conductor. “We serve a tenacious group of clients with a hardworking, innovative team, and I could not be more inspired to further our mission of empowering entrepreneurs, innovators, and makers”.
Rains also serves as Executive Director of the Ark Angel Alliance, Arkansas’ only active, statewide Angel Investor Association. Prior to joining the Conductor, she worked in Business Development at Conway Regional Health System. She currently serves on the boards of the Conway Public School Foundation and Bethlehem House. Rains holds a Bachelor of Science in Health Administration and a Masters in Business Administration, both from the University of Central Arkansas. She is a 2018 graduate of the Conway Area Leadership Institute and a 2021 graduate of Leadership Arkansas.
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