GORP Statewide Program Announces Leader, Events Schedule

Elizabeth Quinn has been chosen to lead the statewide expansion of the Greenhouse Outdoor Recreation Program, a business incubator launched at the U of A focused on the outdoor recreation industry. 

Quinn began her career as an instructor at the U of A but left to work for a startup focused on food-system-based rural economic development. She's spent the past several years scaling an ecommerce business owned by Arkansas regenerative livestock farmers. 

Quinn said she was drawn to GORP because of its mission to support founders by utilizing Arkansas' outdoor amenities. 

"I joined GORP to further economic development by building a program of entrepreneurial support for entrepreneurs utilizing one of the state's greatest resources — its public land and waterways," Quinn said. 

"Our intention is to design programming that both supports businesses and communities around the state and makes it easier and more enjoyable for people to get outside and enjoy Arkansas' natural beauty." 

Last fall, the U of A Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, which oversees GORP, received a $1.2 million grant to expand statewide and support founders creating innovative products and services within the outdoor recreation industry.  

The grant, which is matched by an additional $1 million in funding from the state of Arkansas, will allow GORP to focus on four key areas of the state that were recently designated as opportunity zones for the outdoor recreation economy: Queen Wilhelmina State Park (Mena), Petit Jean State Park (Morrilton), Pinnacle Mountain State Park (Roland) and the Delta Heritage Trail State Park (West Helena).  

GORP's expansion will support entrepreneurs in these communities by providing business-focused community events, incubator intensives and general entrepreneurial support. 

The public events will kick off in May, with the first founder's talk being held from 5:30-6:30 p.m. on May 20 at U of A Little Rock's downtown campus. Speakers include Sally Mengel, founder of Loblolly Ice Cream, and Taylor Cassat, co-founder of Sabo. 

The second founder's talk will be from 6-7 p.m. on May 21 at the U of A Community College at Morrilton. The speaker will be Tom Brawley of Adventure Trail Outfitters. 

GORP's general services, offered a la carte across the state, have supported more than 300 entrepreneurs and include workshops, networking events, 1:1 consulting and a forthcoming partnership with the U of A School of Law to feature entrepreneurial law sessions to assist founders with operating agreements and other business formation documents. 

The Cohort Incubator, located in Bentonville, is offered twice a year to selected applicants. The 12-week program includes workshops, a dedicated mentor team, product/service development support, up to $15,000 in non-dilutive funding per company and an intern from OEI's Venture Intern Program. Applications for the fall 2024 cohort will open in June. 

Since launching with four startups in spring 2022, more than 30 startups have harnessed the cohort incubator to expand their businesses. 

"We started GORP with the goal of supporting as many early-stage founders building a business in this industry," said Phil Shellhammer, OEI's executive director. 

"It's a natural next step to expand this programming to as many regions of our state as we can, and I couldn't be more excited that Quinn has taken on this effort." 

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, OEI 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, OEI also offers on-demand support for students who will be innovators within existing organizations and entrepreneurs who start something new.