Niketa Reed, teaching assistant professor, diversity director and digital communications manager at the U of A's School of Journalism and Strategic Media, has been named to the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal's 2021 class of Forty Under 40 honorees.

Now in its 25th year, the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal annually honors up-and-coming young professionals under the age of 40 in the Northwest Arkansas and Fort Smith metro business community.

In their 2021 class of Forty Under 40 announcement, the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal said the honorees "represent all ends of the business spectrum" and can be described as either "having already 'arrived' in their respective fields," or "on the fast track to success."

This class also includes "some of the state's most accomplished leaders in business and industry," said the publication's editorial board, adding that after learning about this year's recipients and their accomplishments, "we think you will agree that Northwest Arkansas's future remains bright."

One of those bright honorees is Reed, who is also the digital communication manager for the U of A's Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and specializes in digital media, diversity in media and digital content strategy.

These skills have served her well both as faculty member and as the founder and executive director of Arkansas Soul Media, Inc., a nonprofit digital media platform geared toward coverage of Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) news, with work primarily created by both young and established BIPOC journalists in Arkansas.

Reed told the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal that she created Arkansas Soul in 2018 to be "a place to pitch ideas and catapult careers" to help "get BIPOC students interested in media and journalism, provide opportunities for BIPOC journalists and increase the stories in the media about BIPOC culture."

On the student side, Reed said the site is also where scholars can put what they learn into action.

"The site is a place where you can go and get your portfolio started, and you can be published. You might even get the attention of major news outlets. That's the dream," Reed said.

As an instructor, Reed said she always aims to give her students real-world experiences "to open their eyes to different perspectives to understand how important diversity, equity and inclusion is, especially in the media landscape."

Thanks to Reed's passion for media representation for diverse audiences, scholarship support, community partnerships and grant funding for video projects and a documentary, the Arkansas Soul site has grown from a few hundred visits to thousands each month - and is on track for even more growth in the future.

"Professor Reed is making a difference, and it's nice to see her recognized for her tireless work and dedication, especially in the area of diversity recruitment," said Larry Foley, chair of the U of A's School of Journalism and Strategic Media. "She's a great colleague, teacher and mentor, with a deft ability to work with others for the greater good."

Todd Shields, dean of the U of A's Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, which is home to the School of Journalism and Strategic Media, echoed Foley's sentiments.

"Niketa is a phenomenal entrepreneur and instructor," Shields added. "We are so proud of her and all the hard work she's put into founding and growing Arkansas Soul. She is exactly the top-notch type of professional that we are honored to have creating, shaping and teaching our next generation of journalists."

Originally from Peoria, Illinois, Reed graduated with an English degree from the University of Memphis in 2005 and earned a master's degree in journalism and communication from the U of A in 2010.

In addition to teaching at the U of A and running Arkansas Soul, Reed also founded Branded By Nikki / Nikki Digital, a small digital marketing boutique firm, in 2015. Her digital marketing clients include the Memphis Area Transit Authority, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and the National Wildlife Federation.

Reed is the only faculty member from Fulbright College to receive the Forty Under 40 honor this year, but several of the college's alumni were also honored, including:

• Robin Atkinson, art history '11
• Becca Bradley, political science '08
• Rachel Cox, communication '04
• Emily Ironside, Master of Arts in communication '11
• Mary Mickel, journalism '08
• Mailena Urso, journalism '06

The Northwest Arkansas Business Journal's Forty Under 40 honorees were selected from numerous nominations submitted by readers, friends, business associates and industry partners.

For more information on all of the leaders in the 2021 class of the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal's Forty Under 40, please visit the announcement online.