AEDC, UA Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Launch Arkansas Business Resource Hub

Submitted

The Arkansas Business Resource Hub is designed to help Arkansas entrepreneurs and small business owners engage organizations throughout the state to help them grow.

The Arkansas Economic Development Commission and the University of Arkansas' Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation have announced the launch of the Arkansas Business Resource Hub, a free and centralized listing of organizations providing resources, programs, and funding to Arkansas entrepreneurs and small business owners.

The Arkansas Business Resource Hub is designed to help Arkansas entrepreneurs and small business owners identify, contact and engage organizations throughout the state to help them grow their prospective or existing businesses. Entrepreneurial support organizations (ESOs) will be able to utilize the hub to promote programs, events and other resources.

"The Hub will be a gamechanger for our entrepreneurial community, connecting entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources they need to thrive," said Danielle Chaney, senior program manager for the Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation and responsible for administering the tool.

"Our team is dedicated to ensuring proper onboarding is completed to achieving widespread adoption, making this platform a comprehensive, useful, and accessible resource for our entire state."

Users will have access to a range of features, including a learning center with guides to help entrepreneurs and ESOs explore co-working opportunities, food and beverage entrepreneurship, and student entrepreneurship opportunities, in addition to guides on navigating the platform itself. The center will continue to develop and grow over time as additional learning resources are added. Other features include an events calendar and a keywords database making it easy to search for resources.

Powered by EcoMap, the Arkansas Business Resource Hub allows users to submit information to all database pages; all submitted data is reviewed by platform administrators before being added to the platform. EcoMap is a digital platform that centralizes ecosystem information to increase resource visibility and connectivity.

"AEDC is committed to helping small business owners and entrepreneurs connect, network and thrive in Arkansas, and the Arkansas Business Resource Hub will play an important role in achieving this goal," said Esperanza Massana Crane, director of AEDC's Small Business and Entrepreneurship Development Division.

"We look forward to working with the University of Arkansas Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, EcoMap, and other partners on the Arkansas Business Resource Hub to provide connectivity and access to resources for small business owners and entrepreneurs in our state."

The hub will be managed by OEI. Funding for the Arkansas Business Resource Hub was provided by the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, the Asset Funder's Network, the Arkansas Community Foundation, and the Arkansas Women's Foundation.

"The Arkansas Business Resource Hub exemplifies how technology can catalyze economic growth at a state level," said Sherrod Davis, co-founder and CEO of EcoMap.

"By centralizing information and making it easily accessible, we're empowering entrepreneurs across Arkansas to find the exact support they need, when they need it. This platform will not only accelerate business development but also create a more interconnected and dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem throughout the state."

About the University of Arkansas 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.

About the Arkansas Economic Development Commission: At AEDC, we know economic advancement doesn't happen by accident. We work strategically with businesses and communities to create strong economic opportunities, making Arkansas the natural choice for success. AEDC is a division of the Arkansas Department of Commerce. To learn more, visit ArkansasEDC.com.