Entrepreneurs Invited to Develop and Pitch Ideas During The Venture Center’s November Startup Weekend

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (Nov, 1 2022) — Entrepreneurs in Central Arkansas and beyond are invited to participate in Techstars Startup Weekend, a unique opportunity to develop and pitch new business ideas hosted by The Venture Center. The event will be held from 6:30 pm, April 14 to 8:00 pm, April 16 at the Little Rock Technology Park located at 417 Main Street. 

The event is open to all, and people with any level of experience in entrepreneurship are encouraged to join. Expert mentors and facilitators will guide participants in developing business solutions in health tech, agriculture, education tech and community affairs to help them gain a deeper understanding of pitching, business model creation, prototyping, designing and market validation. More information can be found on the Startup Weekend Central Arkansas website. 

“An event like this is critical to supporting innovative thinkers who are determined to succeed, but still looking for resources and help to move their business ideas forward,” said Mimi San Pedro, chief strategy officer of The Venture Center. “Entrepreneurs who are now leading billion-dollar companies have participated in events just like this, and we’re excited to uncover and uplift the potential here in Central Arkansas.” 

Zapier, a workflow automation company in Columbia, Missouri, and EquipmentShare, a construction equipment rental agency in Little Rock, are both proven success stories and products of identical startup weekends. 

Over the course of the weekend, teams will compete for the $2,500 prize in each category and present to a panel of judges including:

• Jeston George, CEO and founder of Apptegy, a Little Rock-based education technology company and one of the fastest-growing startups in the US
• Kevin W. Sexton, MD, an NIH-funded surgeon-scientist with board certifications in Surgery and Clinical Informatics, has used this expertise to create software that worked across multiple electronic medical records to predict patient complications in hospital and outpatient settings
• Dr. Tina Moore, Director of STEM and Computer Science Continuum for the Arkansas Department of Education

Following a successful August event in Northwest Arkansas hosted by Startup Junkie, The Venture Center is excited to bring the startup weekend event back to Central Arkansas for the first time since 2017. To learn more, view the schedule, or register, visit the Techstars Startup Weekend Central Arkansas website. 

###

About The Venture Center
The Venture Center is a globally recognized Arkansas-based Entrepreneurial Support Organization (ESO) that helps entrepreneurs turn their start-ups into viable, high-growth businesses. By leveraging the expertise of a world-class team of mentors, intensive programming, and introductions to the investor community, The Venture Center serves as an engine for economic growth in Arkansas and beyond.  Learn more at www.venturecenter.co. Follow The Venture Center on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter(@VentureCenter), and Instagram.

About Startup Junkie
Startup Junkie is a team of passionate people working every day to help entrepreneurs win and communities thrive. We exist to educate, inspire, and support entrepreneurs and innovators through no-cost, one-on-one consulting; events, workshops, and programs; and access to capital and talent.

About Techstars Startup Weekend
Learn how to think, work and build like a startup. In 54 thrilling hours. Techstars Startup Weekend is an exciting and immersive foray into the world of startups. Over an action-packed three days, you’ll meet the very best mentors, investors, co-founders and sponsors to show you how to get more done faster — and, maybe even start that business. 

About Techstars
The Techstars worldwide network helps entrepreneurs succeed. Founded in 2006, Techstars began with three simple ideas — entrepreneurs create a better future for everyone, collaboration drives innovation, and great ideas can come from anywhere. Now we are on a mission to enable every person on the planet to contribute to, and benefit from, the success of entrepreneurs. In addition to operating accelerator programs and venture capital funds, we do this by connecting startups, investors, corporations, and cities to help build thriving startup communities. Techstars has invested in more than 3,100 companies with a combined market cap of more than $140B. www.techstars.com