The Venture Center and Little Rock Regional Chamber are accepting applications for the spring cohort of Spark!, an accelerator program for small businesses in Central Arkansas. Now in its fourth year, Spark! delivers mentorship, publicity and subject matter expertise to selected small businesses through a 10-week virtual/in-person hybrid program.
The Venture Center is an Arkansas-based Entrepreneurial Support Organization (ESO) that helps entrepreneurs turn their start-ups into viable, high-growth businesses.
This year, Spark! will serve two cohorts and will run from April 27 through June 29. The Spark! Selection Committee will accept spring program applications until Friday, April 1, 2022.
“Over the past three years, Spark! program participants have put in hard work to grow their businesses and strengthen the small business community here in Central Arkansas,” said Wayne Miller, executive director of The Venture Center. “Every year, more people put their hands up and say they’d like to join in. We are excited to offer two sessions to serve more entrepreneurs in 2022 and beyond. We are delighted to play a role in their journey by providing mentorship and connections with our co-founders at the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce.”
The 2022 Spark! program will accept up to ten local startups to participate in the 10-week virtual/hybrid bootcamp. Led by The Venture Center, the Little Rock Regional Chamber and local subject matter expert volunteers, the Spark! Cohort will gain critical business skills in sales, marketing, and small business finance.
Qualifying applicants will be full-time founders/CEOs of startup companies in any industry, with verifiable revenue between $25,000 and $100,000, operating between one to five years, and will be central Arkansas residents. Benefits of the program include access to mentors via The Venture Center‘s local mentoring program, Ventureship, and the opportunity to win thousands of dollars in seed capital by pitching at the Pitch ‘N Pint event on June 9.
To learn more about Spark!, or to apply to be a program participant, please visit www.venturecenter.co/spark.
Photo courtesy of: The Venture Center, Pictured: The 2021 SPARK! class: (standing) Ashley Jones, The Venture Center; Miya Blackmon, Little Rock Lightning; Ben Harrison, FareMarket; Soroya Tucker, VLS Waste Solutions; (bottom row) Meosha Howard, Infidimensional Skin; Kissa Kimble, Elite Recruiting; Tammy Iosbaker, The Frame Maker; Whitney Gray, Whit’s End. (Not pictured is Ayana Baraka, Edamame Films)
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