Startup Talk: Hayseed Ventures To Launch Startup Lecture Series

Editor’s note: Each Thursday, Talk Business & Politics provides “Startup Talk,” a round-up of startup, technology and entrepreneurial news in our email newsletter, which you can sign up to receive daily for free here. Read more great stories from our Startup, Technology, and Entrepreneurship web site at this link.

STARTUP TALK, HEADSHOTS AT FAYETTEVILLE EVENT LED BY HAYSEED VENTURES
Hayseed Ventures of Fayetteville will be hosting a startup lecture series on Wednesday, Aug. 19, that will focus on online customer acquisition. John James, the founder of Acumen Brands, will be offering the free educational event at the Hayseed Ventures office, located in the Old Post Office on the Fayetteville Square.

The event starts at 5:30 p.m., and photographers from Sixth & Burnside will also be in attendance from 11:00 – 7:00 to take headshots for startups employees and entrepreneurs. Photos, which can be used for website, LinkedIn profiles, and other professional purposes, will cost $40 for individuals and $30 each for groups of four or more.

Interested parties can RSVP for the lecture series event here and for photo shoots here.

NEW MOBILE ADVERTISING DATA SHOWS CLICK-TO-CALL COMMERCE IS ENGINE OF MOBILE ECONOMY
Mobile consumers are increasingly using smartphones to connect directly with businesses, changing the way Americans purchase products and services, according to recent data released by mobile advertising analytics firm Marchex.

The Seattle-based data marketer forecasts that “click-to-call commerce” will contribute more than $1 trillion in consumer purchases this year. Further, the study finds that consumers who “click-to-call” directly from a mobile advertisement are four times more likely to purchase a product or service than a consumer who interacts with an online ad.

The study defines click-to-call commerce as a new type of consumer purchase behavior influenced by consumer adoption of smartphones. In 2015, consumers will call businesses directly from mobile publishers and apps more than 93 billion times, according to industry research group BIA/Kelsey. The study confirms that many of those phone calls result in an appointment, reservation, in-store purchase or over-the-phone sale and forecasts that these calls result in more than $1 trillion in consumer purchases. The findings appear in a white paper released this week.

PRESIDENT ANNOUNCES NEW ENTREPRENEURSHIP INITIATIVES WITH FIRST-EVER WHITE HOUSE DEMO DAY
President Obama hosted the first-ever White House Demo Day on Tuesday to foster inclusive entrepreneurship and encourage women and minority startup founders and innovators from across the country.

As part of the program, the White House released a lengthy statement outlining a multitude of initiatives surrounding the Demo Day effort that Obama said would “provide more Americans with the opportunity to pursue their bold, game-changing ideas.” Read more here.

JEFF STINSON JOINS INNOVATION HUB AS SILVER MINE DIRECTOR
The Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub announced that Jeff Stinson will become the director of The Silver Mine, which will provide facilities and programs to support entrepreneurs and early-stage ventures in Arkansas. Stinson currently is the Director of TechLaunch at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and he also is the Executive Director of the Fund for Arkansas’ Future. He will leave UALR, but will continue to direct the Fund for Arkansas’ Future in his new role at the Innovation Hub.