The Opening Session at Onward FX Opening Session ft. Bill Dillard III and Miles Stephens

​Heritage Meets Innovation

​Arkansas’s most established families built companies that outlasted every market cycle by pairing conviction with adaptability. In this session, Bill Dillard III of Dillard’s and Miles Stephens of Stephens Inc. will share how those same instincts are shaping their approach to innovation today—from modernizing legacy industries to engaging with the state’s growing venture ecosystem.

​It’s a conversation about what comes next when patient capital meets entrepreneurial energy, and how generational leadership can create the conditions for new founders, investors, and ideas to thrive.

​Run of Show

• ​10:45 AM — Registration & light lunch

• ​11:30 AM — Welcome remarks from Victoria Ramirez (Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts), Nelson Peacock (Northwest Arkansas Council), and Hugh McDonald (Arkansas Secretary of Commerce)

• ​11:40 AM — Keynote Conversation: Bill Dillard III (Dillard’s) & Miles Stephens (Stephens Inc.)

  • ​Moderated by Serafina Lalany (StartupNWA)

• ​12:00 PM — Video message from Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders

• ​12:02–12:45 PM — Open networking