SHARKS BITE! Arkansan Brittany Hodak, now of New York, where she co-owns a startup business, ZinePak, recently landed two big ones. The Fort Smith native and University of Central Arkansas graduate appeared on ABC's reality show, Shark Tank, recently to pitch her business, which grew into a multimillion-dollar company in less than two years.
ZinePak creates fan-specific content and packaging to entice the sales of music CDs by high-profile artists like Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Kiss and the Beach Boys.
Hodak and her business partner Kim Kaupe persuaded sharks Robert Herjavec and Lori Greiner to take the bait. The deal -- offering $725,000 for 17.5 percent of the business -- allows for strategic hiring and an expansion into new markets such as film and sports.
RUMER HAS IT: So how does Rumer (Sarah Joyce), an Anglo-Pakistani-born British singer/songwriter, come to have vintage Baby Boomer-era home movie footage from the '50s, '60s and '70s shot in and around south Arkansas in the video for her single "Pizza and Pinball" from her new album, Into Colour? Her fiance, Rob Shirakbari, who hails from Monticello, produced, arranged and conducted the music and the video. He used home movies from his maternal side of the family -- the Seamans of McGehee. Shirakbari is Dionne Warwick's longtime keyboardist and arranger and also has served as keyboardist, arranger and music director for composer Burt Bacharach. He also has recorded and performed with Frank Sinatra, Smokey Robinson, Johnny Mathis, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles and more. The pair now call Bella Vista home but still travel a lot for their work.
BIPARTISAN PARTY: Former Little Rock resident Julie Zelnick and David Lasseter, both of whom now work in Washington, D.C., came to Little Rock a couple of weeks ago to wed at Quapaw Quarter United Methodist Church. The event landed the pair a mention in Mike Allen's Playbook on Politico. Why? Zelnick works for Democrats (on Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign and as a legislative assistant to former U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor in 2014), while Lasseter works for Republicans (including U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold of Texas and U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller of Florida).
BLANK SPACE: Those attending the Arkansas Arts Center's exhibition of "30 Americans" -- the museum's comprehensive exhibit of contemporary art by black artists -- probably won't get to see the colorful, flower-adorned Soundsuit 2008 by Nick Cave displayed on a six-panel brochure.
On the show's opening weekend, the piece, crafted of fabric, fiberglass and metal, and measuring 102 inches by 36 inches by 28 inches, was damaged when a patron bumped into it. The piece is being repaired, says Angel Galloway, the museum's director of marketing and communications. Three other of Cave's creations and nearly 40 other works remain on display.
Contact Linda S. Haymes at (501)399-3636 or lhaymes@arkansasonline.com
SundayMonday on 05/03/2015