Support for Women Entrepreneurs in Arkansas

Just short of his 17th birthday, Wes Wilson was looking forward to another South Arkansas summer with his horses and then returning to school to start his senior year. A diving accident changed all that.  Paralyzed from the neck down, Wilson’ prospects were bleak at best.  But this was Wes Wilson, the kid born with the can-do attitude.

Wilson spent the summer at Arkansas Children’s Hospital recovering and working through an exhaustive rehabilitation program. At summer’s end, he was ready.  Wilson began his senior year at Emerson (Arkansas) High School in a push wheelchair and with an aid in tow to help him take notes.  Wilson didn’t just finish his senior year, he owned it.  Wilson graduated with honors and gave a Valedictorian’s speech that brought tears to the entire audience.

That fall, Wilson took time to learn to use his power wheelchair efficiently and enrolled in Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia the following spring semester, where he majored in Agricultural Science. There, Wilson broke many barriers, literally. “I was one of the first students in a power wheelchair to attend SAU and the doors were not designed for my chair, so the facilities folks were always trying to get me unstuck,” Wilson remembers. 

After earning his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, Wilson searched unsuccessfully for ways to use his education.  Wilson had been working with Innovate Arkansas client InvoTek on technologies to help him become more independent.  That’s when he met John Riggins, a business consultant with the Arkansas Women’s Business Center (AWBC).  “Mr. Riggins introduced me to the AWBC and I became a client,” said Wilson.  “He and the AWBC helped me identify something I loved doing and was good at – tutoring. I decided to create a tutoring service helping junior and senior high students and college students in math, English, and science.” The Center worked with Wilson to create a workable business model and a marketing plan.  InvoTek helped Wilson find funding from the State of Arkansas Vocational Rehabilitation for needed technology.

Wes Wilson Tutoring, LLC launched in July 2013 and has grown rapidly. Today, Wilson works with students from the surrounding area as well as students at Southern Arkansas University and nearby community colleges. Not surprisingly, his students are doing well in their courses and getting better grades, but they are also more self-assured and less intimidated when starting new subjects. 

Thanks to Winrock and the AWBC, the Can-Do Kid is giving other Arkansas young people the confidence to set high expectations and the tools to exceed them.    

The AWBC helps women- (and men-) owned small businesses start, grow, and compete in global markets by providing quality training, counseling, and access to capital. The AWBC is partially funded by a cooperative agreement from the U.S. Small Business Administration. For more information on the AWBC, go to www.winrockusprograms.org/arkansas-womens-business-center. For more information on Wilson, go to www.Wilsonwilsontutoring.com.