Startup Junkie Foundation has named a new executive director to head up its entrepreneurial support efforts. Taylor Hasley will be taking over the role, succeeding former executive director Haley Allgood.
Hasley joined Startup Junkie in 2019, overseeing the organization’s Fuel Accelerator. Before joining Startup Junkie, he served as a private equity analyst at New Road Capital and as a senior analyst at Zweig Group.
“I couldn’t be more excited about what the future of Startup Junkie Foundation holds. Haley has set an incredible example, and I look forward to taking this opportunity in full stride,” Hasley said in a statement. “We have an amazing team that will continue to empower innovators and entrepreneurs. Thanks to the work Haley has put in over the years, our ecosystem is now more vibrant than ever before. We will continue to build off the great foundation she and the rest of our team have created.”
Allgood has served as Startup Junkie’s executive director since 2017, helping to grow the organization into a major resource for entrepreneurs and startups throughout the state.
“During my time as executive director, the Startup Junkie Foundation team impacted over 2,000 entrepreneurs through individual mentorship and consulting. We hosted close to 600 events with tens of thousands of attendees. Our team has launched programs like the Fuel Accelerator to support high growth technology companies and also the NWA Kiva Hub to provide microloans to solopreneurs and small businesses. I know Startup Junkie Foundation will continue to grow and meet the needs of our community as we have done since launching in 2015,” he said.
The foundation has also appointed Calvin Smith as the new board chairman. Smith will be taking over the role from Brett Amerine, who established the foundation board and has served as its chairman since its inception, as he transitions from the board.
“I am excited about the Startup Junkie Foundation Chairman position as it will give me a platform to impact the entrepreneurial community that has helped me achieve my goals so far,” Smith said. “The Startup Junkie Foundation is the key catalyst behind the growth in interest, as well as the success of entrepreneurial ventures in Northwest Arkansas. The consulting, events and more importantly, the relationships that the Startup Junkie Foundation helps bring together will be pivotal as the next Sam Walton and Don Tyson launch and grow their businesses in Northwest Arkansas.”
A Mountainburg native, Smith has served as the Director of Business Development at the UAMS Northwest campus in Fayetteville and co-founded NowDiagnostics.
READ MORE: Haley Allgood – Fayetteville’s Startup Queen
