Executive Director & Creative Director

An Arkansas native, Will studied at the University of Arkansas School of Architecture for two years, received his BFA in Graphic Design at the Kansas City Art Institute (2004) and a Masters of Industrial Design from Pratt in New York City, where Thrive was birthed as a thesis project in 2007. Will was a design intern at the Smithsonian Institute and then worked for a year at the William J. Clinton Foundation in Harlem, NYC, as a Fellow in the Department of Domestic Policy. A co-founder of Thrive, Will is the Executive Director and Creative Director of Thrive’s Design Services department.

Director of Development & Placemaking

After graduating from the University of Arkansas with a degree in architecture, Ryan began working full time for SCM Architects. Through the firm's work throughout the region, including historic preservation and higher education projects for Phillips Community College, Ryan, his wife, Natalie, and their three sons developed a love for the Delta and rural places. A resident of the town of Lonoke, Ryan is involved in leading numerous community development initiatives as a volunteer and supporter. Following the conclusion of Thrive's initial phase of branding design work on behalf of the community of Lonoke, Ryan was invited to join the non-profit's Board of Directors in late 2017. He has served as an integral part of Thrive's mission to design opportunity in rural communities, and began a new role as Thrive’s Director of Development & Placemaking in 2019.

Associate Creative Director

Born and raised in rural Kansas, Jarod studied Graphic & Web Design at John Brown University, and has worked in graphic design and nonprofit administration since 2012. His previous roles have included product design at Dayspring Cards, web design at social enterprise Agency Boon in Bucharest, Romania, capacity building at rural design nonprofit Epicenter in Green River, UT, and development at housing nonprofit Rebuilding Together Nashville. Jarod lives in Nashville, TN where he is an active member of the design and affordable housing communities. He enjoys spending time with his wife and two cats, getting outdoors, making food, and playing pinball.