Startup Talk: The Latest On Argenta’s Maker Faire Festival

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ARGENTA’S MINI MAKER FAIRE EXHIBITORS AND VENDOR BOOTHS ANNOUNCED
With only about two weeks until North Little Rock’s Min Maker Faire on May 2, the Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub has announced its initial list of exhibitors and vendor booths at the highly-anticipated event that will be held in conjunction with the Argenta Arts Festival.

Last month, North Little Rock was selected to host the one-day science, art and technology-focused event on Saturday, May 2, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The festival will be sponsored by the Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub, the Argenta Arts Foundation and the City of North Little Rock.

Organizers are planning for a large crowd of more than 3,000 people. The Maker Faire community has spawned a new generation of STEM-focused youth inventors, and brought together legions of so-called “makers” to participate in hands-on activities and learn new skills at several Maker Faire events across the U.S. and internationally.

Modeled after the original Maker Faire in the San Francisco Bay area, the North Little Rock version will feature Power Tool Drag Racing, recycled tiny houses, rockets and more. This community-based learning event will also showcase DIY science and tech, urban farming, alternative energy, crafts and educational workshops.

According to organizers, nearly 60 exhibitors and vendors will be showcasing their ideas and products on May 2 at the North Little Rock Mini Maker Faire in the Argenta Arts District. The list of exhibitors and event booths run the gamut, from Tech, Space, Education and Robot World exhibits and competitions to space reserved for food vendors and a “beer garden.”

To learn more, go to www.makerfairenlr.com.

NEW ARTISAN WEB SITE MAAYDE OFFICIALLY LAUNCHES IN ARKANSAS
A new e-commerce site, Maayde.com, aimed at showcasing Arkansas-based businesses with locally made products has officially launched. The company was founded by Bernard Baskin and Yvonne Quek in early 2015 and it aims to also tell the stories behind those products. Read more on the new enterprise here.

NEW CAR SHARING COMPANY SET TO OPEN IN FAYETTEVILLE
A new form of city transportation, building on the notions of sustainability and car sharing, is coming to Fayetteville and owners are banking on local residents using low speed electric vehicles for short trips around downtown or to the University of Arkansas.

Sustained Urban Mobility (SUMO), with its “Benign Disruption,” plans to open May 1 at the northeast corner of Lafayette and West streets, one block north of Dickson Street, said co-owner Mikel Lolley. The low speed electric vehicles — described by Lolley as “souped up, street legal golf carts” — are governed to move at a top speed of 25 miles per hour.

It’s a simple process: A user buys a cost efficient membership and uses the membership card to access the vehicle, drive from point A to B, then park the car. The cost is based on the minutes the car is in motion. No reservation is required and you don’t have to return the car where you picked it up. The preferred model of car is the Smart Car. Read more at this link.