Northwest Arkansas stands as a testament to what's possible when talent, opportunity, and collaboration converge in unexpected ways. What began with Walmart's explosive growth has evolved into a dynamic ecosystem that many now recognize as the retail value chain capital of the world.
"This region pedals downhill," explains Graham Cobb, managing partner at Emeraude, capturing the forward momentum that characterizes the area. Unlike communities that coast on past successes, Northwest Arkansas constantly pushes forward, embracing innovation while building on its core strengths. These strengths include an unparalleled density of supply chain expertise and a business culture where accessibility trumps hierarchy.
The ripple effects of this environment are evident in the entrepreneurial ventures taking root. Fieldbook Venture Studio, with managing partner Josh Stanley, exemplifies this spirit, having launched five startups focused on different aspects of the retail value chain. From connecting brands with retailers to product innovation for consumer packaged goods companies, these ventures leverage the region's unique advantages while creating new opportunities for growth.
What truly sets Northwest Arkansas apart, however, isn't just business opportunity but quality of life. As Graham articulates with his philosophy to "help folks earn more, learn more, and live well," the region offers a holistic approach to success. Mountain biking trails, world-class art museums, and a vibrant culinary scene complement the professional advantages, creating an environment where work and life enhance rather than compete with each other.
For those curious to experience this ecosystem firsthand, Embark Retail Innovation Summit on September 16th offers a perfect entry point. Featuring CPG founders, retail experts, and thought leaders sharing their stories in an intimate setting, the event embodies the collaborative spirit that has made Northwest Arkansas successful. Beyond formal sessions, this event is one part of the greater Retail Innovation Week that is hosting events all through September 15th to the 18th, where attendees can explore the region's outdoor offerings, cultural institutions, and network with industry peers in a relaxed environment.
Whether you're an established CPG brand looking to innovate or an entrepreneur seeking fertile ground for your next venture, Northwest Arkansas offers unique advantages worth exploring. Use promo code BEACON for 25% off Embark Summit tickets, with proceeds benefiting the Chamber of Commerce.
More About this Episode
Building the Future of Retail: Embark Retail Innovation Summit
In today’s hyper-competitive retail landscape, where innovation and execution determine a brand’s ability to thrive, one region is quietly becoming the epicenter for consumer packaged goods (CPG) growth: Northwest Arkansas.
Home to Walmart, Sam’s Club, and more than 1,400 supplier offices, this region offers a uniquely powerful mix of retail proximity, supply chain talent, and entrepreneurial momentum. But what’s truly driving Northwest Arkansas forward is the strategic effort by its leaders to double down on its strengths and build the next generation of companies, talent, and economic infrastructure.
This isn't about chasing the latest trends in tech or replicating Silicon Valley’s playbook. It’s about leveraging deep domain expertise in the retail value chain to create lasting, scalable CPG innovation.
Let’s take a closer look at what makes this region so compelling for CPG professionals.
A Ground-Level View of the Retail Value Chain
Josh Stanley, managing partner at Fieldbook Studio, is one of the visionaries shaping this momentum. His big idea? Northwest Arkansas is already the retail value chain capital of the world. It simply hasn’t been marketed that way.
Fieldbook Studio operates as a venture studio focused on launching and scaling startups within the retail space. With a $10 million fund, the studio is currently building five companies that serve different segments of the CPG and retail value chain. Each is designed to solve real-world problems using a combination of technology, services, and hands-on operator experience.
Some examples:
- Triive, led by Justin Urso, is modernizing the broker-retailer relationship using a tech-enabled services model. It helps brokers manage relationships or serves as a managed service provider itself.
- Coaxial Collective, headed by Myra Dallas, is creating a platform for brands to tap into endemic YouTube audiences through influencer partnerships and creator content.
- Umami, an AI-driven platform, helps CPG companies identify new product opportunities by revealing category gaps and suggesting line extensions based on brand capabilities.
The model is different from venture capital or accelerators. Fieldbook doesn’t invest in external companies. It builds them from scratch and recruits operational leaders to scale them. For CPG professionals, this presents a new opportunity to apply their skills in emerging companies without the risky leap of founding one from the ground up.
In a place like Bentonville, this approach works because the infrastructure and human capital already exist. The companies are simply tapping into a rich vein of underutilized expertise.
Retail-Centric Talent with Supply Chain Depth
One of Northwest Arkansas’s most underappreciated assets is its supply chain density. Matt Waller, longtime supply chain expert and former dean of the Walton College of Business, put it succinctly: per capita, there is more supply chain talent in Northwest Arkansas than anywhere else in the country.
This matters for CPG companies, because retail execution today depends on tightly integrated functions. Sales, demand planning, logistics, and category management all have to work together. In Northwest Arkansas, even the sales teams on CPG accounts often have a deeper understanding of replenishment and forecasting than their peers in larger cities.
This cross-functional awareness creates a more agile and responsive ecosystem. When your account team understands vendor-managed inventory or sales and operations planning, you reduce friction and improve speed to market.
The result? Faster innovation, better customer outcomes, and smarter use of resources. For startups, this talent pool is a goldmine. For established CPGs, it’s a chance to embed themselves in a community that truly understands their challenges.
Emeraude: Strategic Growth for Scaling Companies
While Fieldbook is building startups, Graham Cobb is working with growing businesses through Emeraude, a new multifamily office and strategic advisory firm created in partnership with the legal experts at Smith Hurst.
Emerald serves founders, owners, and scaling companies that are facing complex inflection points whether it’s attracting capital, planning an exit, or professionalizing operations. Rather than offering piecemeal support, Emerald provides an integrated suite of services that includes strategy, capital advisory, community engagement, and economic development.
The firm’s name is a nod to the Emerald City, symbolizing the journey companies take to reach their goals. As Graham Cobb explains, the road may not look the way you expect, but with the right partners, resources, and strategy, you can get there.
For CPG professionals with operational or leadership experience, Emeraude also represents an important part of the ecosystem. It is helping bridge the gap between idea and execution, especially for companies that don’t fit the venture capital mold but still want to scale.
The Real Missing Resource: Leadership Development
Despite all the resources in the region, capital, talent, access, and infrastructure, there remains a shortage in one critical area: leadership.
Bentonville is home to exceptional talent. Yet too often, high-potential professionals don’t have the opportunities or support to step into leadership roles. Whether it’s running a startup, taking over a growing family business, or scaling a services firm, leadership is the lever that determines whether companies thrive or stall.
As Josh and Graham both emphasized, leadership is not just a personality trait. It’s a skill developed over time, through experience, mentorship, and problem-solving under pressure.
The region doesn’t just need more businesses. It needs more leaders who are ready to make decisions, motivate teams, and turn opportunities into impact.
For CPG professionals, this represents both a challenge and an opportunity. There’s room to lead, to grow, and to help shape the future of the industry not in New York or Chicago, but right here in Northwest Arkansas.
Embark Summit: Where Retail and CPG Meet
To fuel this momentum, Fieldbook is launching a new event during Retail Innovation Week called the Embark Summit, taking place September 16, 2025. This one-day conference is designed specifically for CPG professionals who want to connect, be inspired, and engage in the future of retail innovation.
Rather than diving into retail tech or e-commerce logistics, Embark focuses on the stories behind the brands like how CPG founders and leaders are navigating change, creating value, and building companies that matter.
Featured speakers include:
- Jesse Itzler, entrepreneur and former ZICO Coconut Water partner, who brings an energetic and unconventional approach to innovation
- Stephanie Stuckey, who bought her family’s business back and is rebuilding it through storytelling and brand nostalgia
- Founders of Caulipower, Lifeway Foods, and Unbothered Foods, all sharing hard-won lessons from the front lines of consumer product growth
Local founders like Eric Howerton of AdFury.ai will also share how Northwest Arkansas has enabled them to build brands with national reach.
Beyond the stage, Retail Innovation Week features unique networking opportunities, including private row home gatherings, a curated music event at House of Songs, and cultural experiences that showcase what makes Bentonville unlike any other CPG hub.
To register, visit EmbarkSummit.com. Use promo code BEACON for 25% off registration. Proceeds from that code will benefit the Bentonville Chamber of Commerce, supporting its ongoing efforts to grow regional business.
Why CPG Professionals Should Pay Attention
If you’re in the CPG space, whether you’re at an emerging brand, a global company, or somewhere in between, Northwest Arkansas offers something no other region can: an ecosystem rooted in retail execution, connected to major decision makers, and built for long-term growth.
This is not just a place to visit once a year for buyer meetings. It’s a place to build a career, launch a company, or invest in the next wave of innovation.
The opportunity here is not theoretical. It’s tangible and growing. You’ll find leaders who are eager to collaborate, companies that are scaling with purpose, and a talent pool that understands how retail really works.
As CPG continues to evolve, the brands that win will be the ones that combine product excellence with operational execution and strategic clarity.
Northwest Arkansas is where all of that comes together.
