House of Genius unites entrepreneurs and community collaborators to encourage disruptive thinking, supportive input and creative new ideas. Little Rock is one of over 30 cities to welcome the think tank, joining the ranks of other Genius tanks around the world, from Albuquerque and London to San Francisco and Madrid.
Little Rock’s first House of Genius meeting was Wednesday, Oct. 21. The event is invite-only, and operates in partnership with The Hive, a creative co-working space in Little Rock. The group will meet every six weeks moving forward.
Bernie Baskin, who leads the digital ventures division at Bespoke Media Group; Jordan Carlisle, founder of Strengthen; and serial entrepreneur John Slattery coordinated House of Genius’ Little Rock location out of a desire to help grow the entrepreneurial community in Arkansas.
“If Central Arkansas is to truly create an ecosystem in which an entrepreneur can flourish, private organizations also need to get involved and provide a quality support system to help entrepreneurs overcome the inevitable challenges that they’ll face on their journey. This ecosystem lifts the entire economy. When an entrepreneur succeeds, jobs are created, property values rise, cities thrive. House of Genius has been an integral support network for entrepreneurs in cities around the world. I can’t think of a better organization to bring to Little Rock at this time,” Baskin said.
During each House of Genius event, an entrepreneurs give an overview of their business challenges to a panel of anonymous community members. The panel then advises the entrepreneur on how to overcome their obstacles, analyzing the situation through critical thinking, brainstorming and strategic introductions.
“It’s an amazing way to receive feedback, because the advice given can stand on it’s own without justifying who it came from,” Carlisle said.
To present in House of Genius as a panelist or presenter, email thehive@bespokemg.com.
