MC Hammer to judge entrepreneur contest
When MC Hammer comes to Toad Suck Daze on May 3, he’ll do more than just entertain festival goers.
He’ll help choose one entrepreneur who will take home $15,000. Hammer is one of three judges at LaunchPad, a startup competition among 10 Arkansas entrepreneurs.
“When we chose Hammer to perform at Toad Suck Daze, we had this event in mind,” said Brad Lacy, president and chief executive officer of the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce.
“Most people know his music, but they don’t know that he is a major player in Silicon Valley.”
Hammer, whose real name is Stanley Burrell, has also lectured about business and social media at Stanford and Harvard universities.
Six of the 10 contestants will be invited. A team from the Arkansas High School Start-Up Weekend and three other entrants will be selected from video submissions.
More information is available at (501) 932-5401 and ConwayArkansas.org.
- Jack Weatherly
International online skills topic in Rogers
Using the Internet to stay ahead of the competition on an international scale is the focus of a brown-bag lunch at the World Trade Center Arkansas in Rogers on April 23.
Marla Norris, chief executive officer of Aristotle.net, will present, “Climb Higher than the Competition … for More Bountiful Results,” from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the center, 3300 Market St., Suite 400, according to a news release.
Topics are how to enhance online properties and promotions, new technology and advancement in online marketing, social media and a company’s sales strategy, and formula for effective online lead generation.
The event is free and open to the public and is primarily for anyone conducting or considering international business. Those attending can bring their lunch or order a boxed lunch for $7. Due to limited space, those planning to attend should contact Laura James at ljames@uark.edu.
The event is sponsored by the Arkansas chapter of the Organization of Women in International Trade.
- John Magsam
Arkansas Index falls 3.52 to end 324.12
The Arkansas Index, a price-weighted index that tracks the largest public companies based in the state, fell 3.52 to 324.12 Friday, its lowest close since March 3.
Fourteen stocks declined, two advanced and one was unchanged.
Acxiom lost 3 percent in heavy trading. Dillard’s dropped 2.5 percent in above-average trading. USA Truck gained 2.7 percent on low volume.
For the week, 13 stocks fell and four rose.
USA Truck was up 9.1 percent for the week. Acxiom lost 8.6 percent for the week.
The index was developed by Bloomberg News and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette with a base value of 100 as of Dec. 30, 1997.
Business, Pages 31 on 04/12/2014