Catalyzing Community Development & Impact Investing with Ramsay Ball of Grey Space Collective

The Bentonville Beacon

Summary

In this episode of The Bentonville Beacon, host James Bell chats with Ramsay Ball, Founder of Grey Space Collective, a nonprofit organization based in Bentonville that focuses on community development. Through Grey Space, Ramsay and his team focus on real estate, ventures, hospitality and nonprofits to catalyze community development and impact investing. Throughout the conversation, he shares how cultures, colors and companies blend together to form new relationships, accelerate entrepreneurship and create more good for our community and people. And it is by seeding opportunities for more music, food and art, that Grey Space does its part to do more good, which results in a virtuous cycle of doing more good for the Greater Bentonville area.

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Show Notes

Timestamps in this blog are for the audio-only version of the podcast; video timing differs.

(0:53) Introduction to Ramsay Ball

(6:51) About Grey Space Collective

(17:12) Creating Collisions with Diverse Social Clustering Initiatives

(21:54) Defining Impact Investment

(29:15) Ramsay’s #BecauseBentonville Story

(32:29) The Secret to Happiness

(38:08) Closing Question

‍Links

James Bell

Bentonville Economic Development

Greater Bentonville Area Chamber of Commerce

Ramsay Ball [phone]

Grey Space Collective

HighGround Hospitality

Focus Commercial Real Estate

Quotes

“[We] ended up moving to Bentonville and it was the best move of my life. It’s such a dynamic region and there is so much opportunity here. So that’s how I got here, and I love being here…but so many people were not born here. So many people have come from different parts of Arkansas and around the country. It’s just wonderful. Truly, the land of opportunity is in Northwest Arkansas.” - Ramsay Ball, (5:02)

“...you mix artists, you mix tech people, tech people from different companies,all. Everyone will go to a show, enjoy music, enjoy food, and it creates an opportunity for breaking down barriers, whatever barriers might be there. We often say culture and colors–between different cultures and different colored people, we have a lot of diversity [in Bentonville], and then companies, confluence of companies or people with companies to come together. And we heard that–I heard that–and I was thinking ‘Aha!’, this makes sense, and there’s an economic reason to do it also. So that was really the beginning of the thought process of Grey Space Collective.” - Ramsay Ball, (18:33)

“Impact investment has been an investment thesis for our group and I call it profit with a purpose…I’m a big believer that there are opportunities in impact investment to potentially beat a market return…So that’s a focus that we have is to hopefully demonstrate that you can do really good things and make above market return on your investments.” - Ramsay Ball, (22:39)

“I’ve heard [the Greater Bentonville Area] described in many ways, but the difference here is the culture. I noticed that when I moved up here. That’s what really sucked me in back in the day, was the opportunity and how things were merit-based…It’s progressive and so many people that come here feel that same spirit.” - Ramsay Ball, (29:28)

“The strategic leadership [in Bentonville] is so good. The mindset of the people here is so good. It’s very practical in ways, but very accepting of new ideas and thought processes. It’s unique, but there’s a certain magic here.” - Ramsay Ball, (31:42)