Bumpers, Engineering and Walton College Seniors Awarded CORD Entrepreneurial Scholarship

Joshua Mast

From left, students Cris Caballero, Jenova Kempkes and Namrata Anand have each been awarded a $4,000 stiped to aid their entrepreneurial pursuits in the 2023-24 school year.

Three seniors from three U of A colleges have each received a $4,000 stipend to cover expenses related to entrepreneurship in the upcoming school year after being awarded the Friends of the CORD Entrepreneurial Scholarship. 

The scholarship is a joint award from the U of A's Cordia Harrington Center for Excellence (The CORD) and the U of A Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Funding covers tuition, books or expenses associated with the recipient's participation in entrepreneurship programs.

The purpose of the scholarship is to support exceptional undergraduate students in pursuit of first-hand educational experiences that will equip them to be innovators within existing enterprises or entrepreneurs who start something new. 

CORD recipients must demonstrate an interest in promoting women in entrepreneurship, enthusiasm for learning new skills in a fast-moving environment and an expressed commitment to participating in a diverse, inclusive, entrepreneurial community in Arkansas and beyond. 

The awardees: 

Cris Caballero
Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences 

Majoring in animal science, Caballero was involved in the Venture Internship Program in spring 2023 and worked with Hens at Home. The startup provides laying hen rentals to help folks experience backyard chickens, learn about agriculture and experience fresh eggs. Caballero plans to take what she learned during her VIP experience and apply it to agricultural practices in her home country of Panama. 

Jenova Kempkes
College of Engineering 

A participant in the inaugural hackathon of the Northwest Arkansas BioDesign Sprints program, Kempkes is a biomedical engineering major with previous internship experience at a hospital in Kenya. During the hackathon, Kempkes assisted with redesigning a corrective harness to benefit infants born with hip dysplasia. 

Namrata Anand
Sam M. Walton College of Business

A double major in accounting and music, Anand has participated in the McMillon Innovation Studio's Design Team Program, which connects students from across the U of A to solve real-world problems. Anand has also been a student leader in other entrepreneurship programs and has traveled internationally several times over the course of her U of A experience, most recently to Chile. 

The contribution from Cordia Harrington is more than a gift; "It's a source of hope and empowerment for the next generation of entrepreneurs at the U of A," said Deb Williams, senior director of operations and student programs at the Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

"Her unwavering support illuminates the path to innovation and success, inspiring us all to reach higher, dream bigger and create a brighter future. We are incredibly grateful for her support of these students."

Harrington, a 1976 graduate of the College of Agriculture — now Bumpers College — was the first in her family to earn a bachelor's degree. She went on to become recognized by Forbes Magazine as one of the most successful self-made women in America, NBJ CEO of the Year and is the first female international president of the Chief Executives Organization as well as the chair of the American Bakers Association, Washington, D.C. 

About the U of A Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation: The Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation creates and curates innovation and entrepreneurship experiences for students across all disciplines. Through the Brewer Family Entrepreneurship Hub, McMillon Innovation Studio, Startup Village and Greenhouse at the Bentonville Collaborative, OEI provides free workshops and programs — including social and corporate innovation design teams, venture internships, competitions and startup coaching. A unit of the Sam M. Walton College of Business and Division of Economic Development, OEI also offers on-demand support for students who will be innovators within existing organizations and entrepreneurs who start something new.