Science Venture Studio, a project of Startup Junkie funded by the Walton Family Foundation, recently wrapped up another successful cohort with three exceptional University of Arkansas students. The students were each paired with a different company that worked individually with SVS in preparing and submitting Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) or Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) proposals this Spring. Each student provided a vast amount of support to the companies because of their background experience and expertise in the technology and understanding of the market.
-
Astha Malhotra – a Ph.D. student at the University of Arkansas Medical Sciences in Little Rock, was paired with Lineus Medical to pursue funding through the NIH Catalyze Program.
-
Toma Tomonari – a graduating Senior at the University of Arkansas, was paired with WattGlass to aid in preparing their NASA Phase II proposal.
-
Jean Morales – a Master’s student in Microelectronic and Photonics at the University of Arkansas, was paired with Catalyze H2O to support them in customer discovery to help identify the needs of their customers.
SVS searches for two advanced Senior level or graduate-level students who can commit 20 hours per week during the summer. This paid fellowship, a $5000 stipend, is a partnership between the UofA and Startup Junkie. The fellowship will begin June 8, 2021, and will conclude on August 20, 2021.
The application is now open through Friday, May 28. Interviews will be conducted via zoom June 1 – June 3.
The fellows will be partnered with an SVS client company to work over the summer to conduct market research, customer discovery, and other duties as needed to reach the milestones the companies have identified for a successful SBIR or STTR proposal.
###
About Startup Junkie: Through united efforts, the Startup Junkie team improves lives through innovation and entrepreneurship. Startup Junkie Consulting marked its beginnings in 2008 and formally organized as an LLC in 2011 by offering consulting services at no cost to entrepreneurs. In order to expand the reach, impact, and depth of services, Startup Junkie Foundation was born in 2015. As two companies sharing the same purpose, mission, vision, and values, the team is jointly building entrepreneurial ecosystems in Northwest Arkansas through providing no-cost, one-on-one consulting to nearly 1,000 entrepreneurs a year and 200 events, workshops and programs.
About the U of A Office of Entrepreneurship: The Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation creates and curates innovation and entrepreneurship experiences for students across all disciplines. Through the Brewer Family Entrepreneurship Hub, McMillon Innovation Studio, and Startup Village, OEI provides free workshops and programs — including social and corporate innovation design teams, venture internships, competitions, and startup coaching. OEI also offers on-demand support for students who will be innovators within existing organizations and entrepreneurs who start something new.
English 
Spanish 
Korean