Meet the Team

The people who make the Startup Junkie gears turn.

The Startup Junkie team

Startup Junkie team members talk on the Fayetteville square

Startup Junkie team walks the Fayetteville square

Building an ecosystem for entrepreneurship in Arkansas

Startup Junkie is a coalition of entities, brands and programs working toward one mission: empowering existing and aspiring entrepreneurs, innovators and small business owners, and illuminating the path on their journeys toward success. Startup Junkie Consulting began in 2008 and formally organized as an LLC in 2011, offering consulting to entrepreneurs at no cost. To expand the reach, impact and depth of that work, Startup Junkie Foundation was born in 2015 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

Since its inception, Startup Junkie has operated like a startup: a team of multitalented “Swiss Army Knives” with a bias toward action, working to eliminate barriers and make entrepreneurship accessible to anyone and everyone. Together, the two organizations have served thousands of clients across the region, the state and the globe.

Meet with a Startup Junkie

Startup Junkie Consulting

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Jeff Amerine

Founder and Managing Director, Startup Junkie Consulting

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Brett Amerine

Managing Director, Startup Junkie Consulting

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Phyl Amerine

Head of Philanthropic Programs, Startup Junkie Consulting

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Kristopher Adams

Program Manager, ARise , Startup Junkie Consulting

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Florence Meadors

Program Manager, LRIC , Startup Junkie Consulting

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Shawn Lee

Managing Director, International Programs

Toma Tomonari, Senior Consultant, Japan Programs at Startup Junkie Consulting, smiling in a navy blazer

Toma Tomonari

Senior Consultant, Japan Programs, Startup Junkie Consulting

Jinkyung Lee, Korea Programs Coordinator at Startup Junkie Consulting, smiling in a sage green dress

Jinkyung Lee

Korea Programs Coordinator, Startup Junkie Consulting

Startup Junkie Foundation

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Caleb Talley

Executive Director, Startup Junkie Foundation

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Grace Gill

Fuel Accelerator Director & Consultant, Startup Junkie Foundation

Claudia Scott

Director of Entrepreneurial Access & Kiva NWA, Startup Junkie Foundation

Harrison Kitson

Director of Marketing & Outreach, Startup Junkie Foundation

Daniel Koonce

Director of Community Events & Partnerships, Startup Junkie Foundation

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Matthew Ward

Senior Executive Consultant, Startup Junkie Foundation

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Danny Duong

Fuel Accelerator Operations Manager, Startup Junkie Foundation

Ignacio Balderrama

Kiva Associate, Capital Access

Fall 2026 Interns

A young person with short, tousled blonde hair, wearing a light gray suit, white shirt, and black tie, is smiling in front of a plain dark background.

Ty Steele

Senior Intern

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Ava Cook

Intern

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Shely Flores Ferrufíno

Intern

English