Startup Talk: Innovation Hub Schedules Press Conference Monday With Hutchinson, Other Top Officials

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INNOVATION HUB SCHEDULES PRESS CONFERENCE MONDAY
The Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub has scheduled a press conference at 1:30 p.m. on Monday, April 27 to make an announcement with federal, state and local officials, including Gov. Asa Hutchinson, U.S. Rep. French Hill and North Little Rock Mayor Joe Smith.

The announcement will be held ahead of a full weekend of events in North Little Rock’s Argenta area, including the Arkansas Manufacturing Innovation Summit on April 29-30, the Mini Maker Faire festival on May 1.

Other officials scheduled to attend the announcement include U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce Matt Erskine and Chris Masingill, co-chairman of the federal Delta Regional Authority.

The Innovation Hub is located at 201 East Broadway in North Little Rock.

2015 DONALD W. REYNOLDS GOVERNOR’S CUP WINNERS ANNOUNCED
College students were rolling in the dough at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock on Wednesday.

The 2015 Donald W. Reynolds Governor’s Cup named its winners across multiple categories and students at the undergraduate and graduate level from universities across the state racked up more than $100,000 in prizes for their ideas. Read more on the event here.

SUMOTEXT LAUNCHES NEW MOBILE APP TO GIVE BUYERS CONTROL OVER VENDOR RELATIONSHIPS
As customer relationship management (CRM) systems developed by such tech players as SalesForce.com, SAP and Oracle continue to populate the workplace, SumoText President and CEO Tim Miller said Wednesday that his company has created a mobile app that will give buyers and sellers more control over vendor relationships.

In Wednesday’s one year anniversary edition of the Little Rock Venture Center’s 1 Million Cups, Miller announced the launch of a new startup company called Air Support, a new mobile app that allows subscribers to track requests and notices with vendors, customers, partners and employees.

Read more about how Miller envisions this product working in the marketplace at this link.

SBA EMERGING LEADERS PROGRAM TO LAUNCH THURSDAY
The SBA will launch its Emerging Leaders Initiative in Little Rock Thursday, offering local executives a chance to participate in a special project that will help create a three-year, strategic growth plan tailored to help their small businesses grow.

The federal initiative, which is new to Arkansas, will provide 17 local business executives with the organizational framework, resource network, and motivation required to build sustainable businesses and promote economic development.

Previous companies that participated in the program in other parts of the country saw 39% average revenue growth per business and secured an average of $1.4 million of new contracts in 2013, SBA officials said.

Today’s kick-off will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce. To learn more about the program, click here.