The Venture Center Mixer Connects Businesses And Talent
by July 26, 2015 9:44 pm 118 views
Each month, the Arkansas Venture Center hosts a mixer jointly with the Little Rock Chamber of Commerce. Every second Tuesday of the month, the mixer “draws together disparate segments of the community in an evening of fast-paced creative collisions.”
The mixer begins with a 90-second pitch where six individuals are drawn to pitch their talents, their company or their startup. Following the pitch, the mixer will then host a Q&A “fireside chat” with a local industry leader or executive.
During the summer months, the mixer has not included the chat, but, according to Venture Center President Lee Watson the mixer will pick back up the Q&A chats this fall.
Following the chat, the participants then participate in a “speed networking” giving entrepreneurs, companies and the talent to pitch themselves or business to the other person.
The speed networking is an engaging event as the participants are divided into two groups and they stand on one of two lines that are marked on the floor. After three minutes, the buzzer sounds and one of the lines moves. After some time, each participant should have met between 10 and 20 people.
Following the speed networking, the participants are invited to continue conversations over a drink. Snacks and drinks are provided as the participants meet and network.
The mixer is a social, casual atmosphere, and often, participants arrive following work. Some members of The Venture Center may still be working at their desks and often join in the networking.
The mixer can have a positive effect. Apptegy CEO Jeston George said, “We actually found two people at the mixer. We found it to be a very effective networking event for us.”
One of the first mixers back in the spring featured over 120 people, many of whom were looking for work.
While the mixer is free, The Venture Center requests that participants register.
The next mixer will be August 11th. The mixer is a great time to network with entrepreneurs, startups and talent as well as learn more about The Venture Center and what it has to offer.
