From the Starting Line to the Summit:

It’s back to school week.  My daughter starts 7th grade.  I will never forget my first day of 7th grade.  Forest Heights Junior High, 1988.  I walked into that open air, public school courtyard straight out of  my small private elementary school.  I knew a couple folks but not well.  I had been to a week or two of summer football practices and quit.  Maybe I was injured, maybe everyone wants to quit football when it’s August in Arkansas and I was persuasive enough to make it happen.

A slightly familiar kid stood a few yards in front of me.  I didn’t remember his name, but I knew that band on his t-shirt.  “Guns n’ Roses was Here.” - Alignment. We had enough in common to be in this new adventure together.  

I recently found professional alignment with three partners that shared focus, understanding, and intention.  We have diverse skills, experiences, and networks.  But we believe in the magic and moxie of Northwest Arkansas and understand the magnificent moment in which the region sits.

For the last few months Jim Smith, Rebecca Hurst, Kristen Baldwin and I have been quietly building a first of its kind firm. Emeraude is purpose built to help founders, businesses, families and other influential organizations navigate complexity, scale with precision, and steward legacy with intention. 

The first day of school - the mix of butterflies and excitement, and the sense that everything could change? That’s exactly where we are - and we’re ready to meet this moment.

Just as in Northwest Arkansas today, we’re standing at an inflection point.
The pace of growth is relentless. The margin for misalignment is slim.

This is the moment to tie goals to something bigger than a bottom line, to show up with focus, and to design for durability. And if we’re not intentional, we’ll miss it.

From Paceline Strategies to Emeraude

A wise man once told me, “I got some news, you dudes, could use.”

“A paceline is a pact” — a promise to share the load and go farther together. That’s been our operating system: capacity, clarity, and community.

Emeraude scales that model. Built alongside Jim Smith, Rebecca Hurst, and Kristin Baldwin, we bring operational rigor, strategic lift, and a trusted partnership through three integrated pillars:

• Emeraude Business Partners — Scaling companies with systems, strategy, and operational support.

• Emeraude Family Office — Coordinating wealth, governance, and lifestyle needs with precision.

• Emeraude Strategies — Providing clarity, alignment, and influence for leaders shaping communities and industries.

This isn’t about solving problems one at a time. It’s about aligning early, leading clearly, and building structures that sustain growth and preserve legacy.

Intentional Timing

We’re living through one of the largest transfers of wealth in history — an estimated $124 trillion over the next 20 years. Private capital is increasingly mission-minded. Arkansas’s economy is diversifying and gaining sophistication. And the decisions made now will ripple for decades.

“What impact can we unlock by helping leaders build better businesses, by guiding intention for good, and stewarding legacy?”

This is a question the three of us asked separately, and now we aim to answer it together, with you, and with our partners.

Sophisticated goals require more than vision — they demand trusted partners with insight, access, and experience. That’s what Emeraude is here to deliver.

In moments like this, misalignment and mismanagement are momentum killers. The most effective leaders will be the ones who:

• Recenter  alignment.

• Move from urgency to intention.

• Build structure and support before burnout.

• Plug into the bigger picture.

Those moves are exactly what Emeraude was built to deliver.

Looking Ahead

In the weeks ahead, you’ll see The Prologue transform into Emeraude’s voice — keeping the vibe, but widening the aperture. We’ll share stories, strategies, and signals worth watching for anyone interested in doing big things and anyone doing big things that is looking to do them better. If you’re planning on making an impact, especially in Northwest Arkansas, you’ll want Emeraude in the mix.

If you’ve been here since the first Prologue, thank you.
If you’re joining now, welcome.

I hope you’ll stick with me (now us). As has been said so many times — if you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.

Either way — the route is evolving, the terrain is challenging, and the view from the summit will be worth it.

Let’s climb.

—
Graham Cobb
Managing Partner, Emeraude