The Science Venture Studio is seeking mentors to pair with five women in the studio's EMPOWER accelerator, a 16-week program assisting Arkansas women and non-binary folks in STEM fields with bringing their ideas to market through non-dilutive federal funding.

Mentees in the EMPOWER program will master the skills impacting innovation, commercialization strategies and technical milestones that are essential to bringing their innovation to market. 

The cohort is scheduled to run from Jan. 24 to May 9. Potential mentors should complete this interest form by Jan. 14.

Mentors must commit 30 minutes of their time each week to connect with their mentee to support them, make connections for them that are needed and share their experiences with them. 

In return, mentors will be able to witness cutting edge technology at its earliest stages, make lasting connections in the startup community and support someone who is making an impact in our ecosystem. 

"I am always blown away by the outpouring support that is continually given to budding entrepreneurs," said Katie Thompson, director of Science Venture Studio and leader of the EMPOWER accelerator. 

"I am very grateful for all that have volunteered their time thus far and look forward to working with everyone over the course of this program."

About Science Venture Studio: The Science Venture Studio aims to help Arkansas science- and technology-based startups apply for non-dilutive federal funding. The SVS team is composed of a grant specialist, advisor, commercialization fellows and technology mentors all with the passion for helping small science and technology businesses secure funding to develop their technology and grow their company. SVS is supported by the Walton Family Foundation and collaborates with Innovate Arkansas, the Northwest Arkansas Council, University of Arkansas Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and Startup Junkie.