Arkansas Business

For the third consecutive year, Arkansas Business is introducing readers to a crop of young talent in a feature called "The New Influentials: 20 in Their 20s."

We reviewed more than 300 nominations with an eye toward accomplishments and responsibilities that were clearly ahead of their time for individuals who are not yet 30, and I have to say that this year's nominations were the strongest yet as impressive young leader after impressive young leader ended up in our "alternate" pile. I promise we'll revisit those next year.

The New Influentials may seem a lot like our ever-popular "40 Under 40" feature, and it's possible that you will see some of these faces in those ranks in the future. But we've long recognized that the younger nominees for "40 Under 40" rarely make the final cut because they are mixed in with a much larger crowd of people who have had an extra decade in which to make their marks. I enjoy this opportunity to scope out the names and faces that could well be household names for Arkansas Business readers 20 or 30 years from now.

We're proud to introduce these 20 New Influentials and to consider all the potential they offer our state in the decades to come.

See All 20 Profiles

Click to read all 20 profiles of the 2011 New Influentials class.