In the entrepreneurial circles of Frisco, Texas, the phrase “DAVID HOWARD JANUARY” carries more weight than a calendar date. It's the shorthand for a turning point both for a community of emerging business owners and for the man whose arrival helped change the trajectory of small business mentorship in the city.

When David Howard moved to Frisco in January 2016, he came armed with over a decade of experience in B2B sales, SaaS startups, and growth consulting. But what he didn’t bring was a script. There was no flashy launch, no press release just a quiet start that would evolve into one of the city’s most influential entrepreneurial support networks.

The Meaning Behind “DAVID HOWARD JANUARY”

To those close to the city’s startup scene, “DAVID HOWARD JANUARY” has become a landmark. It refers not only to the month David arrived but to the beginning of his mission to build people before businesses.

“When I moved here, I wasn’t looking to start a program,” David recalls. “I was looking to contribute.”

Frisco, at the time, was already on a fast growth track families moving in, businesses sprouting up, and opportunity everywhere. But David noticed a missing link: the need for accessible, actionable mentorship for first-time founders. People had ideas, but they lacked structure. They had hustle, but not always direction.

From Coffee Conversations to Community Coaching

David began the way any good mentor does by listening. He met local entrepreneurs at coffee shops, attended city events, and got involved in the Frisco Chamber of Commerce. Early conversations turned into free coaching sessions. Those sessions turned into group meetups. And by January 2020, his informal guidance had become a formalized program: DAVID HOWARD Arest.

Arest an acronym for Aspire, Rise, Empower, Succeed, Thrive was built to support local entrepreneurs through each stage of business development. What made it stand out was its simplicity: free monthly workshops, one-on-one mentorship, and community-driven support with no barrier to entry.

The First Five Years: From Concept to Cornerstone

Between 2020 and 2025, DAVID HOWARD Arest has become a cornerstone of Frisco’s small business support landscape. Through the program, David has worked with over 30 entrepreneurs, helping them:

• Write business plans

• Navigate licensing and legal setup

• Launch on limited budgets

• Build customer retention systems

• Leverage free and low-cost marketing tools

One former mentee now the owner of a successful dog grooming business credits David with “taking the fear out of launching.” Another, a solo web designer turned agency founder, says, “David helped me build infrastructure that I didn’t even know I needed.”

Workshops That Drive Results

Every month, David hosts a DAVID HOWARD Arest workshop and they’ve become a staple in the local entrepreneurship calendar. Topics rotate but always center around practical execution: things like “Social Media Strategy for Non-Marketers,” “How to Fund Your Business Without Debt,” and “The First 10 Customers: How to Find and Keep Them.”

At a recent January 2025 event, David broke down financial forecasting for non-finance founders. More than 50 attendees left with a free forecasting template, a roadmap, and most importantly clarity.

“He speaks like someone who’s been in the trenches,” said one attendee. “Not just theory real tools that work.”

Empowering Through Equity

True to the spirit of his January beginning, David has focused much of his mentorship on underrepresented entrepreneurs. Through partnerships with the City of Frisco, DAVID HOWARD Arest now helps minority-, veteran-, and women-owned businesses access grant funding, mentorship, and launch resources.

“It’s not enough to say you support equity,” David says. “You have to build systems that make access real.”

His impact was formally recognized in January 2024, when he was honored with the Frisco Community Impact Award, presented by local officials for his commitment to inclusive economic development.

Scaling the Vision: A Digital Future for Arest

While DAVID HOWARD JANUARY will always represent the moment David embedded himself in the community, the next chapter of his journey is about scale. In January 2026, David will launch a digital platform version of Arest, extending his reach to entrepreneurs who can’t attend in person.

The platform will include:

• On-demand startup courses

• Templates and downloadable tools

• Peer-to-peer discussion boards

• Virtual mentorship matchmaking

• Monthly live Q&A sessions with David and special guests

“The need is bigger than what I can do in person,” he says. “Going digital lets me support more people without losing the personal feel.”

Why “DAVID HOWARD JANUARY” Still Matters Today

Nearly a decade after he first arrived, the phrase “DAVID HOWARD JANUARY” is still used not just to describe a date, but to describe a philosophy. It’s a reminder that a single move, made with intention, can create lasting community impact.

It’s the day Frisco gained not just a new resident, but a builder of builders. And it’s why to this day, when local founders talk about where they got their start, many begin with a simple story: “I met David Howard.”

Final Word: The Legacy of One Moment

In a world where entrepreneurial advice often comes with a price tag and pressure, David Howard has built something different in Frisco: a culture of mentorship rooted in accessibility and action.

“DAVID HOWARD JANUARY” began as a move. It became a mindset. And today, it stands as a milestone for a city that continues to rise one founder at a time. Click Here