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World-renowned mentorship program \u2014 last held in Arkansas in 2015 \u2014 brings seven international mentors from the UK and Canada together with regional powerhouses to work directly with a hand-picked cohort of NWA\u2019s most promising AI-driven startups.<\/em><\/p>\n FAYETTEVILLE, Ark.<\/strong> (June 25, 2026) \u2014 MentorCamp NWA 2026 kicks off today in Bentonville, hosted by Startup Junkie<\/a> and its Fuel Accelerator<\/a> program \u2014 marking the first MentorCamp held in Northwest Arkansas since 2015. The invite-only program runs through June 27 across Bentonville and the broader region, pairing a curated cohort of high-growth NWA founders with a roster of world-class mentors flying in from London, Halifax, Calgary, and the Yukon.<\/p>\n Founded by globally recognized startup coach Permjot Valia in Halifax in 2011, MentorCamp has been staged in cities across Canada, the UK, South Africa, Turkey, and the United States. Valia \u2014 named by TechCrunch as \u201cone of the best mentors to startups in Europe\u201d and \u201cone of the very best pitch trainers in the world\u201d \u2014 has personally invested in more than 50 companies globally, including several in Arkansas, previously served as a Mentor-in-Residence at the University of Arkansas Sam M. Walton College of Business<\/a>, and also serves as an advisor to the Fuel Accelerator program.<\/p>\n \u201cMentorCamp\u2019s return to Northwest Arkansas is a long time coming, and the caliber of mentors making the trip says everything about the program Permjot has built up and how this region is being represented on the global stage,\u201d said Caleb Talley, Executive Director of Startup Junkie. \u201cThese are operators and investors who could be anywhere in the world this week, and we\u2019re so grateful that they\u2019ve chosen to be here with us, experiencing Northwest Arkansas and engaging with our founders.\u201d<\/p>\n MentorCamp NWA 2026 is made possible with the support of EY<\/a>, ARise<\/a>, Synapse Communications Consulting<\/a>, and Chambers Bank<\/a>, and in collaboration with the University of Arkansas Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation<\/a>.<\/p>\n A Global Bench of Mentors<\/strong><\/p>\n This year\u2019s program features seven international mentors representing two countries and four distinct innovation hubs \u2014 London, England; Halifax, Nova Scotia; Calgary, Alberta; and Whitehorse, Yukon \u2014 alongside a deep bench of regional mentors and consultants drawn from across Arkansas.<\/p>\n Visiting international mentors include:<\/p>\n They will be joined by a deep bench of Arkansas-based mentors \u2014 founders, operators, investors, and ecosystem leaders representing some of the region\u2019s most active companies and institutions.<\/p>\n A Front-Row Seat for NWA\u2019s Next Generation of AI-Driven Companies<\/strong><\/p>\n The 2026 cohort is built around a thesis of horizontal AI \u2014 companies applying AI across industries from cybersecurity and healthtech to retail, supply chain, and government technology. Participating startups include:<\/p>\n A Region That Punches Above Its Weight<\/strong><\/p>\n MentorCamp NWA 2026 is hosted by Startup Junkie and its Fuel Accelerator program, with the support of EY, ARise, Synapse, and Chambers Bank, and in collaboration with the University of Arkansas Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Programming is hosted at The Collaborative<\/a> in Bentonville and venues across Benton and Washington counties.<\/p>\n Beyond the working sessions, the program is intentionally designed to immerse visiting mentors in the NWA experience \u2014 with a curated corporate campus visit, a guided tour of the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art<\/a> and its contemporary sister space, The Momentary<\/a>, and an authentic Arkansas rodeo on the itinerary.<\/p>\n ###<\/p>\n About the Partners<\/strong><\/p>\n About Startup Junkie:<\/strong> Startup Junkie is a Fayetteville-based nonprofit empowering innovators and entrepreneurs across Arkansas and the broader region through no-cost consulting, programming, and ecosystem-building.<\/p>\n About Fuel Accelerator:<\/strong> Fuel Accelerator is Northwest Arkansas\u2019 premier accelerator program, connecting high-growth startups with strategic corporate partners and the region\u2019s leading investors.<\/p>\n About ARise:<\/strong> ARise is a statewide initiative funded by the Arkansas Economic Development Commission<\/a> supporting Arkansas\u2019 tech and tech-enabled founders through consulting, events, and access to resources and subject matter experts.<\/p>\n About EY, Synapse, and Chambers Bank:<\/strong> EY, Synapse, and Chambers Bank are supporting partners of MentorCamp NWA 2026, providing the resources and regional commitment that make a program of this caliber possible in Northwest Arkansas.<\/p>\n About the University of Arkansas OEI:<\/strong> The University of Arkansas Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation (OEI) is a collaborating partner, anchoring MentorCamp NWA\u2019s connection to the Sam M. Walton College of Business and the university\u2019s broader entrepreneurship ecosystem. As part of the collaboration, students from OEI\u2019s Student Business Incubator<\/a> summer cohort will have a dedicated opportunity to engage with and pitch their ventures directly to MentorCamp\u2019s international and regional mentors.<\/p>\n About MentorCamp:<\/strong> MentorCamp, founded in 2011 by Permjot Valia, brings together the most promising startups in emerging ecosystems with a hand-selected bench of world-class mentors \u2014 operators, investors, and advisors \u2014 for high-intensity working sessions that accelerate company growth and deepen each region\u2019s connection to the global startup community.<\/p>\n\n
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