Northwest Arkansas nonprofit Startup Junkie Foundation is partnering with community volunteers and donors to launch a re-sell store to provide financial support to local small business owners. The store, dubbed UpStart Thrift, will be in a community southwest of Fayetteville, and all proceeds will be directed back to the entrepreneurial community.
Building on the Startup Junkie mission of improving lives through entrepreneurship, UpStart Thrift will focus on serving the community through access to affordable clothing and home goods, access to hand-up capital to small business owners, and community lending as a Kiva NWA lending team.
UpStart Thrift will be located at 235 E. Main Street in Farmington. The store will be attached to a soon to be announced national food chain. The Foundation said all associated startup costs have been covered by anonymous donations, including operating costs, until the store is self-sufficient.
UpStart Thrift serves as the latest endeavor of Startup Junkie Foundation’s “Entrepreneur’s Give Back” initiative, under which the organization launched a food drive to benefit the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank in Dec. of 2021.
“The Northwest Arkansas venture community is a very giving one,” said Startup Junkie Foundation Executive Director Caleb Talley. “Whether it’s giving of their time, knowledge, or resources, I’ve seen the impact our area entrepreneurs have on each other and the rest of this growing community. Through this store, we hope to be able to provide our small business community access to funding that could make all the difference.”
Criteria for these small grants has not yet been determined. Funds lent through the NWA Kiva Hub will be directed as small business borrowers raising on the platform.
UpStart Thrift is currently seeking donations of clothing and home good items to be sold in the store and is planning for a June 1 grand opening and ribbon cutting.
All physical and monetary donations are tax deductible, as Startup Junkie Foundation is a 501c3 organization. Monetary donations can be made at startupjunkie.org/support.
