Startup Junkie will host a tech commercialization sprint on April 9 in Pine Bluff as part of ARise, a statewide program that helps people start and grow businesses.
ARise stands for “Arkansas Innovators, Startups, and Entrepreneurs.”
The Pine Bluff ARise event will feature expert-led sessions on legal protections for ideas, funding pathways and early product development. The sessions will be led by experienced startup advisors who have worked directly with founders and understand what it takes to launch and grow a company.
“Entrepreneurs in every part of Arkansas deserve access to the same high-quality resources and guidance, regardless of where they live,” said Grace Rains, co-director of ARise. “The tech commercialization sprint is designed to meet founders where they are and help them take meaningful steps toward turning their ideas into real businesses. We’re excited to bring this opportunity to Pine Bluff and support the innovation already happening in the region.”
In partnership with the Division of Outreach and Community Engagement at the University of Central Arkansas, participants who complete the training and follow-up consultations will earn a Rural Tech Commercialization Certificate. The certificate strengthens Arkansas’s innovation pipeline by guiding promising ideas from early development to successful businesses, and demonstrates that recipients are prepared to pursue funding and move their products toward the market.
“Building Arkansas’ innovation economy and supporting entrepreneurs is essential for growing our statewide economy and generating opportunities for Arkansans,” said Esperanza Massana Crane, director of AEDC’s Small Business and Entrepreneurship Development Division. “The tech commercialization sprint from ARise will provide entrepreneurs with access and resources to help them succeed, ultimately strengthening our state’s economic competitiveness.”
ARise is funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) 2025 Growth Accelerator Fund Competition (GAFC), a national program that invests in organizations helping startups grow faster.
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