The University of Arkansas at Little Rock has hired Marla Johnson as its first technology entrepreneur-in-residence.
In her new role, Johnson will work to expand the university’s entrepreneurship, business innovation and artificial intelligence technology programs.
“UA Little Rock already boasts global leaders in research in several fields, including cybersecurity, nanotechnology and AI,” Johnson said in a news release. “My job is to bring together the amazing resources we have to offer entrepreneurial programs, workshops, certifications and commercialization services to increase our economic impact in the greater Little Rock area.”
She has previously provided workshops in 33 states and Canada on how companies can benefit from internet, digital advertising, search, data analytics and mobile technologies.
Johnson is a tech entrepreneur and business leader with more than 30 years of experience. She was the CEO and co-founder of Aristotle, Inc. of Little Rock, an internet service provider and interactive marketing agency. She also led Smart Media, an omnichannel shopper marketing agency based in northwest Arkansas, and LeapXL of Carlisle, an application development platform.
Johnson also co-founded Blockchain Ready Studio of Little Rock, where she collaborated with IBM Hyperledger to help agricultural suppliers implement blockchain solutions for food traceability and advocated for smart contracts legislation in Arkansas.
Brian Berry, vice provost of research and dean of the UA Little Rock Graduate School, said in the release that Johnson will aim to boost Little Rock’s economy by connecting students, faculty and the business community with university resources and employees with expertise in technology and artificial intelligence.
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