The NWA Startup Week (Sept. 14-18) will feature five nights of virtual, televised events and local food and drink pairings that highlight startups, small businesses, restaurants and breweries throughout the region. Each night, local startups will be showcased on Fayetteville Public Television (FPTV) and YouTube in short video clips in which founders and their teams will tell the story of what it’s like to be an entrepreneur in Northwest Arkansas. These showcased clips will be followed by special programming and accompanied by local food and drink offerings for ticket holders that vary each night of the week-long event.
A special televised event will follow each night’s lineup of startup videos. Tickets may be purchased for individual days for $20 each or for the entire week for $75. Week Passes can be purchased here. Ticket price includes the following featured food and drink. A ticket purchase is not required to view the televised or YouTube programming.
The Startup Week lineup includes:
Monday:
Special Event: Startup Week will kick off with the first-ever televised IdeaFame Pitch Competition. Entrepreneurs and innovators will pitch their idea in a 60-second clip to be voted on by a panel of judges and the viewing audience. The winner of the Judge’s Choice and the People’s choice will each receive $1,000 to turn their idea into a reality!
Judges for Monday night’s IdeaFame Pitch Competition include NWA Council’s Jeannette Balleza Collins, Greater Bentonville Area Chamber of Commerce President Graham Cobb, Venture Noire’s Bjorn Simmons and economist and MentorCamp founder Permjot Valia.
The viewing audience will have the opportunity to text-to-vote for their favorite pitch.
Featured Food + Drink: Startup Junkie Foundation is partnering with local restaurants to host small and socially distanced watch parties for Monday night’s programming. The Monday ticket price of $20 will include a $20 gift certificate to participating restaurants. Participating restaurants include Cheers at the OPO, Plomo Quesadilla Bar and Tula.
You can purchase a ticket for a Monday night watch party here.
Tuesday:
Special Event: Startup Week will premiere special, pre-recorded GameChangers: conversations with nationally recognized founders who will share stories of their entrepreneurial journey. Tuesday night’s featured guest includes Tom Gordon, co-founder of Slim Chicken’s, and Thomas “Mack” McLarty, former White House Chief of Staff and chairman of McLarty Associates.
Featured Food + Drink: Startup Junkie Foundation is partnering with local breweries to host watch parties for Tuesday night’s programming. As with Monday night’s restaurants, anyone who purchases a $20 ticket to attend a Tuesday night watch party will receive a $20 gift card to the participating brewery of their choosing. Participating breweries include Bike Rack Brewing Company(Springdale location), Natural State Beer Company, New Province Brewing Company and Saddlebock Brewery.
You can purchase a ticket for a Tuesday night watch party here.
Wednesday:
Special Event: Following Wednesday’s lineup of startup videos, FPTV will premiere a special panel discussion highlighting female founders and entrepreneurs of color. Local entrepreneur panelists will discuss the challenges women and people of color face when trying to start their own business and how those barriers can be lowered to create a more equitable venture ecosystem. Wednesday night’s panelists include Angela Grayson of Precipice IP, Daymara Baker of Rockin’ Baker Academy, Jessica Keahey of Sweet Freedom Cheese and Edwin Ortiz of Luncher.
Featured Food + Drink: It’s Wine Wednesday! Ticket holders will receive an expertly paired wine and cheese kit from Sweet Freedom Cheese with fresh bread from the Rockin’ Baker Academy. Pairings must be picked up from Fayetteville (Rockin’ Baker Academy) and Bentonville (Sweet Freedom) locations on the day of the event (location confirmed at time of ticket purchase). Tickets must be purchased by Sept. 9 in order to have orders ready by Wednesday. Must be 21+ to purchase ticket. Ticket options include Chenin Blanc white wine and a Lubanzi Red Blend.
You can purchase a ticket for Wednesday’s wine, cheese and bread pairings here.
Thursday:
Special Event: Startup Week will premiere special, pre-recorded GameChangers: conversations with nationally recognized founders who will share stories of their entrepreneurial journey. Thursday’s special guest includes Steve Case, founder of AOL and Revolution, and Sam Alley, co-founder and CEO of VCC.
Featured Food + Drink: For Thursday’s event, Startup Junkie Foundation is partnering with local breweries to deliver beer and cider to the homes of every ticket holder within their established delivery region. Ticket holders will have the opportunity to choose from a list of beers and ciders made available for delivery by participating breweries. Ticket holders will also receive Startup Week swag with their beer delivery, including a shirt and themed face mask. Shirts will go out in the order that tickets are sold, and while supplies and sizes last.
Participating breweries/cideries include Black Apple Hard Cider, Fossil Cove Brewing Company, New Province Brewing Company and Saddlebock Brewery.** You must be 21+ to purchase. Ticket holders must be present and show ID when beer/cider is delivered.
You can purchase a ticket for Thursday beer/cider delivery here.
Friday:
Special Event: Startup Week will conclude with a socially distanced outdoor concert at George’s Majestic Lounge. Attendees will have the opportunity to listen to live music while enjoying Fayetteville’s newly established Outdoor Refreshment Area outside of one of the city’s longest running businesses, George’s. This event will begin at 8 p.m. A ticket is required to attend, and space will be limited.
The Friday night concert is sponsored by George’s Majestic Lounge. Northwest Arkansas-based band Goose will perform the Friday night show. Tickets for the Friday concert are available to purchase here.
Program Schedule:
Startup videos will air each night at 6:30 p.m. Each night’s main event will air at 7 p.m., excluding Friday night’s live concert, which will be streamed on Facebook Live via Startup Junkie. Tickets are not required to view any of the programming airing throughout Startup Week. Each event except the live concert will concurrently be televised on FPTV (channel 218 on Cox and channel 99 on AT&T U-verse) and streamed live on FPTV’s YouTube channel.
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