I'll admit, when I told people back in Georgia I was moving to Arkansas I got a fairly uniform answer:

"There?" 

It often reminded me of the "Arrested Development" quote "Her?" spoken when various characters referred to Ann Veal, George Michael Bluth's unimpressive girlfriend. Not usually a good response.

But I knew there were hidden - and not so hidden - gems in Arkansas. Little Rock is a pretty neat city, and several influential businesses and people have come out of this state. 

Today I had the opportunity to go to the launch of Startup Arkansas where I met several entrepreneurs from across the state. I was impressed with the innovation and dedication the business owners expressed. 

Some of the speakers had the excitement of a college student excited to jump into their chosen field paired with the experience of already starting a successful business.

It seemed like everyone there did not just want to succeed, but wanted the state and other startups in the state to succeed.

Arkansas may not have a New York City-type area or Silicon Valley, but there seems to be some pretty cool things happening here.