Startups in U of A's Outdoor Recreation Incubator Showcase Their Progress

Brandon Howard

Jennifer Stout and Nathan Stout present their company, Just Bikes, a startup that aims to offer a family restaurant and cycling retail experience along the region's trails.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. – Cate Handley jokes that it "would be difficult" to pick just one way the Greenhouse Outdoor Recreation Program (GORP) has benefited her startup.

When nudged, though, Handley said it would be that GORP taught her company "how to tell our story."

Handley, co-owner of Yonder Adventure Company, joined six other companies for GORP's Demo Night last month as the Fall 2022 cohort unveiled their learnings and prototypes at the conclusion of the 12-week program. Handley and her partner, Joe Goodwin, established Yonder Adventure Company to offer full-service, highly customizable float trips on the Buffalo River via oar-powered drift boats.

Handley said GORP helped them make tremendous gains, including adding a booking platform and management software to the company's website. She also praised GORP's access to expert mentors and its weekly workshops, which she said offered an intense learning environment.

"It's just been an amazing resource to be able to refine our business strategy," Handley said.

Two cycling-focused companies from the cohort — XNA Bikes and Merman Bicycles — are prepping for product launches in early 2023. Others are pivoting their prototypes to enter product testing, including Rover Hunting Equipment, an all-in-one mobile tree stand, and Morii, a multi-purpose device that provides a camping solution inside your SUV.

Just Bikes, a startup that aims to offer a family restaurant and cycling retail experience along the region's trails, hopes to begin site development after the new year. And Gnargo Bike Co., which builds cargo bikes from discarded bikes, is focusing on expanding and streamlining their manufacturing process.

The progress the companies made in only 12 weeks impressed Tracy Byrd, a local Ironman triathlete and entrepreneur.

"To come here now and sit 12 weeks later and see what they've done, what they've learned and what they're doing and where they're going, it's phenomenal," Byrd said.

Overseen by the U of A Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, GORP is a business incubator focused on the outdoor recreation industry. The program is housed inside the Greenhouse at the U of A Collaborative in Bentonville.

GORP supports startups in each cohort with workshop training, team mentoring and dedicated product/service development to help them scale globally. GORP also provides up to $15,000 in "non-dilutive seed funding" per company — funding that doesn't require the owner to give up equity in the company.

Applications are open for GORP's Spring 2023 cohort. Residents from both Northwest Arkansas and the broader Heartland region, as well as current U of A students, are eligible for the GORP program.

GORP's Fall 2022 cohort:

• Gnargo Bike Co. — Bentonville
  • Using a circular supply chain, Gnargo reinvents discarded bikes into "modern utility transportation" to aid individuals and families seeking a low-cost way to explore Northwest Arkansas' trails. Founded by husband-and-wife team Elysia Contreras Springer and Zach Springer, the idea emerged after they learned families in Bentonville wanted to bike in a communal setting that was affordable and minimally impactful on the environment.
• Just Bikes — Fayetteville
  • Just Bikes plans to be the all-in-one destination for individuals and families exploring Northwest Arkansas' trail system. Operated by married couple Jennifer Stout and Nathan Stout, Just Bikes will offer accommodations, food and drinks, and a bike shop just off the trail in south Fayetteville.
• Merman Bicycles — Bentonville
  • Merman Bikes designs and creates progressive, party-inducing bikes that are born from Northwest Arkansas dirt but are comfortable for shredding anywhere. The company's co-founders, Tyler Siems and Taylor Weichman, have more than 15 years combined in the cycling industry.
• Morii — Fayetteville
  • Created by Colin Whittington, the Yonder is an inexpensive, multi-purpose device for camping inside your SUV that also aids in storage, organization and preparation for outdoor activities.
• Rover Hunting Equipment — Springdale
  • Rover seeks to provide an all-in-one mobile tree stand system that takes the hunter from carry-in to the harvest.
• XNA Bikes — Bentonville
  • XNA Bikes is on a mission to lower the barrier to competitive cycling by offering high-quality, affordable carbon-frame bikes. The team, composed of Deihl Betz, Saul Fernandez and David Lopez, eventually plans to build the bikes in Northwest Arkansas while incorporating student-athletes into its business to harness their STEM skills and offer hands-on education.
• Yonder Adventure Company — Little Rock
  • Formed by Cate Handley and Joe Goodwin, two active leaders in the Arkansas Canoe Club, Yonder Adventure Company offers full-service, highly customizable float trips on the Buffalo River via oar-powered drift boats. The company will provide meals, gear and handle logistics for day-long or multi-day trips of up to six people.

About the U of A Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation: 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, Startup Village, and Greenhouse at the Bentonville Collaborative, the Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation provides free workshops and programs — including social and corporate innovation design teams, venture internships, competitions and startup coaching. A unit of the Sam M. Walton College of Business and Division of Economic Development, the Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation  also offers on-demand support for students who will be innovators within existing organizations and entrepreneurs who start something new.