The Venture Center in Little Rock on Thursday morning named Arthur Orduña, chief innovation officer at the investment firm Circumference Group, as its next executive director.
Orduña officially takes over on Monday. He follows Wayne Miller, who stepped down last fall after leading the nonprofit since 2018. Mimi San Pedro, The Venture Center's chief strategy officer, has been serving as interim director.
Orduña has more than 20 years of experience developing innovative technology products and strategic partnerships across diverse industries, The Venture Center said in a news release. In his role with Circumference Group, he facilitated engagement with entrepreneurs, investors and industry leaders in the early-stage technology ecosystem.
"Arthur’s global experience, knowledge, contacts and abilities will lead The Venture Center into the next phase of growth and build our world-class programs for entrepreneurs here in Arkansas and around the globe,” James Hendren, The Venture Center's board chair, said in the release. "As he joins us in a full-time capacity in his new role with the Venture Center, he will continue to support Circumference Group empowering both entities to share resources and network connections."
The Venture Center provides educational programming, financial support and other resources to entrepreneurs. Orduña joins the organization as it looks to build on the success of its inaugural VenCent Fintech Summit, which brought technology startups from around the world to Little Rock last summer.
"The Venture Center spent the last nine years building an incredible springboard for entrepreneurial pursuits," Orduña said. "I’ve developed a deep appreciation for the organization’s role in forging long-lasting and high-impact relationships to build a culture of innovation here in Arkansas and beyond, and I'm confident our next growth phase will build upon Arkansas's reputation as a tech hub with a dynamic future."
