Walton Family Foundation Series: The Future is Local
At I Am Northwest Arkansas®, we’re honored to partner with the Walton Family Foundation on a special series exploring community-driven solutions, local leadership, and the ideas shaping Northwest Arkansas.
Listen to the Series
Episodes
Episode 1: From Tricycles to Food Truck Parks: The Pedal Pops Story in Northwest Arkansas
In this kickoff episode of the Future is Local series, we sit down with the team behind Pedal Pops, a beloved local business that started with a simple idea — selling handcrafted frozen pops from a tricycle. What began as a grassroots venture has grown into a community staple, and their journey reflects the creativity, resilience, and entrepreneurial spirit that makes Northwest Arkansas such a unique place to call home.
Episode 2: Exploring ORT On-Demand and the Next Era of Public Transportation in Northwest Arkansas
This episode highlights Ozark Regional Transit (ORT) and their innovative On-Demand service, designed to make public transportation more accessible and flexible for the people of Northwest Arkansas. By leveraging technology and community input, ORT is reshaping how residents move through the region — providing options that are responsive, affordable, and future-focused.
Episode 3: Repair, Don’t Replace: Upkept.io’s Mission to Transform Fashion’s Environmental Footprint
In this episode, host Randy Wilburn sits down with Robin Wallis Atkinson, artist, entrepreneur, and founder & CEO of Upkept.io. Together, they dive into the growing challenges of fast fashion, the decline of garment repair skills, and how Upkept is using technology and creativity to make clothing repair simple, accessible, and climate-friendly for everyone.
Episode 4: The Future Is Local: Affordable Housing Insights from Architect Jessica Lewallen in Northwest Arkansas
Host Randy Wilburn and architect Jessica Lewallen discuss housing, growth, and what it takes to keep Northwest Arkansas a place where people can actually afford to live. Through her work with ULI’s Faithful Foundations program, the Fayetteville Housing Crisis Task Force, and as founder of Gemstone Design Studio, Jessica is tackling one of the region’s biggest challenges — making sure explosive growth doesn’t price people out or erase what makes this place special.
Episode 5: From Ice Cream Entrepreneur to Rhodes Scholar and Mentor: Coleman Warren’s Journey
Before he was a Rhodes Scholar or the co-founder of the Compass Foundation, Coleman Warren was just a kid from Farmington, Arkansas — a small town that had no idea what it was sending out into the world. In this episode, Coleman traces the full arc of that journey: from a rural upbringing shaped by teachers and community members who saw something in him, to launching a socially-minded ice cream business that proved you could build something meaningful and mission-driven from the ground up.
About the Series
The Future is Local series shines a light on the work being done across Northwest Arkansas with the support of the Walton Family Foundation. From education and environmental stewardship to arts, culture, and entrepreneurship, this series tells the stories that matter most.
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