Tracy Black
Partner, NewRoad Capital Partners
About me: I am a a partner at NewRoad Capital Partners, a private equity investment firm that invests in supply chain companies that are disrupting the industry. I am a board member of four technology companies: Platform Science, Emerge, MyCarrier and Pickup. Previously, I served on the executive team as senior vice president of information technology at J.B Hunt Transport Services. I serve as a mentor for Endeavor, a global organization that supports entrepreneurship. I am a member of the Arkansas Executive Forum, the Arkansas Academy of Computing and an advisor to Worlds AI. I served as the past president of the NWA Network of Executive Women, and I host a quarterly women in leadership speaker series. In 2022, I received the Women in Supply Chain Award from Supply and Demand Chain Executive.
Lives in: Springdale • Works in: Bentonville
Best Career Advice: Henry Ford said, “Whether you think you can or can’t, you’re right.” Speak with confidence. Drop the apologies and qualifiers. Engage and ask questions. Be prepared and speak up. Advocate for yourself. Don’t be afraid to take on new roles, even if you don’t meet 100% of the requirements.
Lesson Learned the Hard Way: Who you spend time with determines who you become. Surrounding yourself with people that have higher standards than you accelerates your growth. You can’t hang with negative people and have a positive life. Your network is your net worth.
Call to Action: I encourage everyone to learn about the startup community in our state and the technology innovations they provide. Recruiting new startups to the state, investing in the startups already here and providing mentorship to help them succeed will strengthen our economic ecosystem and provide future high-quality jobs. We also need continued focus on recruitment and retention of women into STEM fields.
What Keeps Me Motivated: As an investor, I get to meet with a lot of very smart, innovative leaders that are creating solutions to problems in the industry. Every day I get to learn something new. I love sharing my experiences, guiding them and watching their companies achieve success.
TOP 100 WOMEN OF IMPACT IN ARKANSAS 2023
A Women’s Foundation of Arkansas Initiative