Chris Tisdel has been named director of the McMillon Innovation Studio, the campus innovation hub at the University of Arkansas.
The studio, named for Walmart CEO Doug McMillon and his wife Shelley, aims to develop future leaders, entrepreneurs and innovators by cultivating their creative mindset and connecting them to opportunities to make real-world impact.
Tisdel is a Texas native with a background in architecture, consulting, higher education, sales and project management, the university said in a news release. He founded Ruckus Innovation Consulting in 2009, serving as president and CEO of the independent, boutique consulting firm that assisted clients ranging from startups to Fortune 100 companies.
He earned a master’s in architecture from Texas Tech University.
In a news release, Tisdel said the studio is a “launchpad for driven, innovative students who will become the young professional heartbeat of existing and new companies around the world.” He envisions using the studio as a catalyst for “groundbreaking ideas that empower the university community to redefine what’s possible.”
“As (the studio) evolves, I would look to a future where it is serves as an innovative hub within the State of Arkansas while becoming a globally recognized center for innovation and entrepreneurship,” he said in the release.
The studio was founded in 2016 with support from the McMillons. The family later invested $2 million in the studio with additional financial support from Kelly and Steve Barnes, Claude and Don Harris and Sunny Gosain.
In August, the McMillon Family Foundation committed $10 million to permanently establish the studio within the Sam M. Walton College of Business.
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