The University of Central Arkansas has partnered with Startup Junkie Consulting and the Central Arkansas Venture Team to launch the Conductor, a public-private initiative aimed at driving entrepreneurship and innovation.
The announcement was made in November 2016.
The Conductor will focus on delivering mentoring, counseling, training, capital readiness and technical assistance to startups, small businesses and emerging investors in central Arkansas.
“UCA has always been a leader in central Arkansas. Launching this initiative will serve our students, our faculty and our community for years to come. In fact, I’m confident we will look back in a few years and see this as a pivotal moment in our evolution as an institution,” said former UCA President Tom Courtway.
The Conductor is powered by the Central Arkansas Venture Team, a group of executive consultants, coaches, local leaders and experts. In addition to providing world-class programming and consulting for startups and small businesses, the Conductor will provide innovation and commercialization support for UCA and all of its academic programs.
In addition, the University has also engaged the Innovation Hub at Winrock International to help create an on-campus makerspace that offers advanced tools, technology and equipment for educational and entrepreneurial use. Students, faculty and community members will have access to the space, which will be modeled after the Innovation Hub’s original location in North Little Rock. The Innovation Hub will also provide expertise and programs to facilitate rapid prototyping and other services.
AR Conductor Q&A