The Spirit of Entrepreneurship
West Ninth derives its namesake from West 9th Street, once the epicenter of African American business and commerce, with a Vision to reignite the Spirit of Entrepreneurship across the State of Arkansas.
Founded on Juneteenth 2020, West Ninth incubates newly-emerged, fast-growing ventures that aim to meet marketplace needs by developing or offering an innovative product, process, or service that is a scalable and sustaining business model.
Southeast Arkansas College
West Ninth is headquartered at the campus of Southeast Arkansas College, offering food production kitchens, on-site facility management, storage/commissary, prep/demonstration kitchens, and mobile utility connections to drive down small-business operational costs and increase Arkansas Small Business Incubation Outcomes. Via our partnership with Southeast Arkansas College, volunteer opportunities will ensure consistent support and resources allocation across the State of Arkansas, yielding increased health outcomes, reduced health systems costs and accelerated community building during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
The History of West 9th Street
West Ninth Street in Little Rock (Pulaski County) emerged as a predominately African-American neighborhood during the Civil War. In 1863, the Federal army, which occupied Little Rock, began constructing log cabins in the area for freed slaves. After the war, many stayed and settled there. By 1870, what was originally known as Little Rock’s West Hazel Street was renamed West Ninth Street. More African Americans settled west of Mount Holly Cemetery between 9th and 12th streets. As the population grew, a four-block section along West Ninth Street, between Broadway and Chester, became the center of the black business district. *via encyclopediaofarkansas.net.
Gerald Turner
Founding Chief Executive Officer
Christopher Willis-Turner
Chief Operating Officer
