Arkansas Human Development Corporation (AHDC) began its economic development program in 1987 with support from the Arkansas Department of Human Services, Office Community Services, Eastern Arkansas Private Industry Council and the Levi Strauss and Winthrop Rockefeller Foundations. These organizations jointly funded a series of demonstration programs designed to encourage and support entrepreneurial endeavors by youth and adults. In addition to training and small loans, funding supported an annual youth entrepreneurship conference and a quarterly newsletter entitled “Tomorrows Entrepreneurs.” During the 1990’s additional funding was provided by the United States Department of Human Services and current funding is provided by the Arkansas Division of Workforce Services (DWS) and the United States Department of Agriculture, Rural Development.
Economic development activities currently include youth and adult entrepreneurship training, financial literacy, lender forums, rural and minority business development conferences targeting the African American, Hispanic and Latin populations, as well as rural communities..