Entrenuity Purchases Overflow Coffee Bar
February 5, 2018Entrenuity now owns Overflow Coffee Bar. We hope you'll enjoy being on this journey with us as we seek to intentionally do good in and through our community while offering an exceptional coffee experience.
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In Loving Memory - Mrs. JoAnn Soderquist
December 14, 2017Sometimes we are blessed to have people in our lives that not only support our great ideas, but also support our failures. Such a person was JoAnn Soderquist, who passed away on Friday, December 1, 2018, after an 8-year battle with breast cancer. She was a fighter. I got to know Mrs. Soderquist over the last 20-years through my relationship with her son—my good friend, Mark Soderquist. Several years ago, while presenting an idea for a new Entrenuity concept at the Soderquist Center for Leadership and Ethics in Bentonville, AR, I learned a valuable lesson from Mrs. Soderquist. For most of my presentation, I focused mainly on Don Soderquist—her husband—former Chairman & Chief Operations Officer (COO) of Walmart, who was seated fairly close to me. Mrs. Soderquist was seated at the end of the table, listening politely. About midway through my presentation, as I was thoroughly engaging Mr. Soderquist, Mrs. Soderquist stopped me and gently said, "Young man, you might want to occasionally look this way, too. I’m very involved with the decisions made at the foundation.” To say I got “checked” would be an understatement. I quickly found out who actually ran the foundation. Lesson learned: never let perception cause you to underestimate or under engage your audience, even on friendly grounds. Over the next several years I also witnessed Mrs. Soderquist’s love for her family and her passion to serve. She served on a number of boards and was an active volunteer. Of all her volunteer efforts, her commitment to Lake Geneva Youth Camp and John Brown University were among the highlights. Without the invitation from Mark Soderquist to get to know his family, not just as financial supporters of Entrenuity, but to really get to know them, I’m convinced Entrenuity would not have the impact we have today. Anyone fortunate enough to have had a matriarch like JoAnn Soderquist involved in their life should be thankful for the lessons learned and the servanthood modeled. I know I am. Mrs. Soderquist, I will miss you until we meet again.
L. Brian JenkinsRead Story
mox.E Women Collaborate
December 14, 2017Friday, December 1st, was a great night of collaboration and holiday fun for mox.E Women entrepreneurs and their clients at L!VE Cafe.
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Sounds of Poetry
November 14, 2017The beautiful sounds of the violin and the unique syllables, words and phrases of spoken word--Sounds of Poetry. Sheila and Maya are performing arts entrepreneurs.
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Duncan Legacy Fund
November 14, 2017More Success for DLF Recipient, Myron Davis and One Last Prayer.
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Entrepreneur Update: Britney Robbins, Gray Matter
November 13, 2017With a little funding and a lot of faith, 28-year-old Britney Robbins launched The Gray Matter Experience, a non-profit that aims to get more African-American teens interested in business while changing the landscape of blighted neighborhoods across Chicago. Along the way, she found some help from Entrenuity and StartingUp Now.
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