The University of Central Arkansas has created the institution’s first scholarship innovation and entrepreneurship, which has been endowed by Jeff and Lori Standridge.
The new scholarship, Dr. Jeff and Lori Standridge Innovation & Entrepreneurship Scholarship, will be awarded each year to an upperclassman majoring in the college’s innovation and entrepreneurship program. Established in 2012, the Innovation and Entrepreneurship program currently has 74 students.
Jeff Standridge is no stranger to entrepreneurship. In addition to being an adjunct professor of innovation and entrepreneurship at UCA, he is the chief catalyst of Conductor and served in executive roles at Acxiom Corporation for roughly two decades. During his time with Acxiom, Standridge led the growth of companies around the world, from Poland to China, as well as growing the company’s presence in Latin America.
Endowing the scholarship, according to Jeff Standridge, is a way of inspiring the next generation of entrepreneurs and business owners.
“We wanted to honor the act of entrepreneurship and young, aspiring entrepreneurs and, hopefully, ease their mind a bit about meeting financial obligations while completing their degree,” Jeff Standridgesaid. Our hope with this scholarship is its beneficiaries will create the next startup or corporation that employs hundreds in our community.”
However, he emphasizes that students to not necessarily have to be business owners to benefit from the program. “Even if these students don’t go on to start their own business, established firms and companies, public schools, universities, hospitals and health care systems want to hire innovative, entrepreneurial talent,” said Jeff Standridge. “The program in the UCA College of Business does a great job of equipping the aspiring entrepreneur and innovator.”
As the entrepreneurial community in Arkansas has continued to grow, so has the need to provide more access for students. Creating a scholarship, according to Lori Standridge, was a “no-brainer” for the family.
“It was a given for me that it needed to be done,” Lori Standridge said. “The number of coaching sessions Jeff has done in the last few years, the profile of companies that have moved to Conway and just the general excitement level toward the field in our community, it shows a need for this.”
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Full disclosure: Jeff Standridge is an advisory board member for Arkansas Money & Politics