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Central to NWA: A UCA Podcast
Central to NWA: A UCA Podcast is the University of Central Arkansas’ official platform for deepening its presence and building relationships in Northwest Arkansas. Hosted by Paul Gatling, UCA’s Senior Director of Northwest Arkansas Engagement, the show connects alumni, business leaders, and community partners through interviews and relevant conversations.
Some guests will be UCA graduates making an impact in the region. Others will include industry voices, institutional partners, campus leaders in Conway, and community leaders in Northwest Arkansas, all of whom are shaping this region from different perspectives. Each episode explores how leadership, workforce and education intersect in one of the country’s fastest-growing regions.
The goal is straightforward: listen, connect and make sure UCA has a stronger, more visible presence in Northwest Arkansas.
If you want to stay plugged into the people and ideas defining Northwest Arkansas, this is the channel.
Central to NWA: A UCA Podcast
Latest Episodes
Ep. 18 - Public Education Leadership: Inside Bentonville's Rapid Growth
Rapid growth puts immense pressure on public infrastructure, and school systems are often the first to feel the strain. Managing tens of thousands of students while maintaining high academic standards requires constant adaptation and zero toler...
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Ep. 17 - Founder to Funder: Venture Capital Insights with Brady Sharp
Waiting for the perfect time to leap usually means never leaving your comfort zone at all. In this episode, host Paul Gatling sits down with Brady Sharp, Vice President of Private Credit at Discerning Capital and founder of BroThrow, to map out...
Ep. 16 - Economic Development Playbook: Boosting Wages Through Global Reach
Domestic markets only tell part of the story. Staying localized limits your growth potential, locks you out of massive consumer bases, and leaves your business vulnerable to regional economic dips. In today’s interconnected environment, hiding ...
Ep. 15 - Region-First Growth: Robert Burns on Shaping Northwest Arkansas
Growth is a massive regional win, but unmanaged expansion quickly turns into a infrastructure and talent leak. As populations spike, civic leaders face the ultimate balancing act: keeping a booming economy running efficiently while protecting t...
Ep. 14 - Career Trajectory Shifts: From Small Business to NASA COO with Amir Deylami
Operating a massive tech hub in the middle of the world's most aggressive innovation environment leaves zero margin for error. When you are responsible for keeping a 2,000 acre campus running smoothly to support human spaceflight, theory takes ...