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The Collaborative

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The Collaborative

The Collaborative is the new University of Arkansas education and research presence and innovation catalyst in Bentonville.

We accelerate Benton County innovation ecosystem development through workforce development and experiential learning, start-up acceleration in strategic sectors, industry sponsored research, small business development, and product prototyping services. Initial focuses will be in outdoor recreation, bio-design, whole health, and air mobility; and the application of data sciences, data visualization

, and sustainability principles across these innovation focuses. This Bentonville presence is a spoke of the University of Arkansas Institute for Integrative and Innovative Research (I3R). The Collaborative will bring together special people in a special place to solve 21st century challenges.

08/20/2026

There’s a lot happening at the University of Arkansas Collaborative in Bentonville as we head into the fall.

Link to Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/uark/aug18

Our latest newsletter introduces the 9th cohort of the Greenhouse Outdoor Recreation Program (GORP) — eight emerging companies building new products, services and experiences for the outdoor recreation economy. The 12-week program brings together founders, mentors, University of Arkansas students and industry partners, with each company eligible for up to $15,000 in non-dilutive funding.

Also over the next several weeks, the Collaborative will host and support gatherings focused on entrepreneurship, e-commerce, AI, technology and innovation, while continuing to connect Benton County companies with U of A student talent, researchers, workforce training, product development and business support.

A few dates to watch:

• Aug. 25 — GORP Community Meet-Up (RSVP here: https://luma.com/ajn0sysk?tk=tsdGq9)

• Aug. 27 — NWA E-Commerce Meetup + NWA AI Meetup

• Sept. 17 — Future of Commerce Summit

• Nov. 10 — GORP Founders Showcase

We’re excited about the growing connections between the University of Arkansas and the people, companies and ideas shaping the future of Northwest Arkansas.

08/04/2026

Our latest U of A Collaborative newsletter is out!

A couple of highlights:

🚀 TONIGHT: Join us at the Collaborative for our Student Business Incubator Demo Night and hear pitches from an impressive group of U of A student founders. RSVP: https://luma.com/t2612yon?tk=FOZA2H

🌲 Later this month: The Greenhouse Outdoor Recreation Program (GORP) Community Meet-Up brings together outdoor recreation founders, alumni, mentors, partners and supporters as we welcome the Fall 2026 cohort.

Plus, check out more upcoming programs, events and resources happening across Northwest Arkansas.

Link to Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/uark/aug04

07/08/2026

This week marks the 5th anniversary of The Collaborative in Bentonville.

Thank you to the University of Arkansas faculty, staff, students, University leadership, and colleagues across campus who have invested their time, expertise, and passion in making the Collaborative a success. Thank you to the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation for its transformational investment in the University's future. And thank you to our community partners, donors, entrepreneurs, employers, volunteers, and friends throughout Bentonville and Benton County for embracing the University as a partner.

The Collaborative: Five Years of Serving Bentonville:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/collaborative-five-years-serving-bentonville-tobias-teeter-kfyic/

06/23/2026

The new Collaborative Newsletter is out today.

Each month, we share how the University of Arkansas is helping businesses, entrepreneurs, students, and communities connect with resources, talent, innovation, and opportunity in Benton County.

In this issue:

🔹 News & Highlights: Ozark Retail Accelerator Caps Inaugural Cohort with Demo Night and Product Market

🔹 Put the University of Arkansas to Work for You

🔹 Upcoming Programs & Events

🔹 Upcoming Fall Cohorts – Apply Now

🔹 Programs & Resources at The Collaborative

Whether you're launching a startup, scaling a business, developing talent, exploring university partnerships, or simply looking to stay connected to the region's innovation ecosystem, there's something here for you.

Read the newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/uark/june23

06/09/2026

A lot is happening at The Collaborative in Bentonville right now and today's Collaborative newsletter captures all of it.

This Wednesday, ten cycling startups from six countries pitch at the Arkansas Global Cycling Accelerator Demo Night at Compton Gardens. Belgium, France, Norway, the UK, Canada, and the U.S. are all represented. Free admission. 5 to 7 p.m. If you care about where Bentonville's cycling economy is headed, this is the room to be in.

Our Student Business Incubator is also underway. Ten University of Arkansas student founders are spending the summer here in Bentonville, building their companies inside one of the most dynamic startup ecosystems in the country. Week One is in the books and the energy is real.

And on June 17, twelve Arkansas founders from across the state wrap up the Ozark Retail Accelerator with Demo Night right here at the Collaborative. Food and beverage, apparel, consumer goods, and more. Come meet them.

Fall Cohorts: Both the Greenhouse Outdoor Recreation Program and the Fuel Accelerator are NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS.

All of this, plus a full list of upcoming Collaborative events, programs, and resources can be found in our current newsletter:

https://mailchi.mp/uark/june9-11004144

05/26/2026

Big week ahead in Bentonville.

Our latest Collaborative newsletter just dropped, and the calendar is packed! Starting tomorrow morning with One Million Cups at 8am, followed by the NWA AI Meetup Thursday evening right here at 700 SE 5th St. Then on June 1, OpenClaw NWA and the Student Business Incubator Kick-Off both land on the same night. June is going to move fast.

The Impact Spotlight this issue goes to the GORP Spring Cohort #8. Five outstanding outdoor and adventure ventures that just completed their demo night. I want to call out a few that caught my eye:

- BikeWhip.com (Jeff Ireland) -- a bike discovery platform aggregating rentals and used listings across NWA cycling destinations
- The Wander Outdoor Adventure Hub -- a full-service cycling basecamp for visitors and locals riding the Bentonville trails
- Rewilding Lab -- guided forest bathing and nature experiences designed for well-being and trail engagement
- Ozark Float Park -- a floating inflatable recreation park coming to NWA lakes this summer
- Oakdrop -- premium spray skirts for kayakers built by a longtime paddlesports professional

This cohort reflects exactly what NWA is becoming: a serious launchpad for outdoor recreation entrepreneurship.

Also exciting: Andy Williamson has been named Director of Business Incubation for the Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Walton College, taking the helm of GORP, the Arkansas Global Cycling Accelerator, and the Ozark Retail Accelerator. Great hire. Great mission.

If you are building something in NWA, or just want to be in the room where things are happening, come find us at the Collaborative.

Read the May 26th Collaborative Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/uark/may12-11003992

Subscribe: https://uark.us6.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=3005b84f0a62bddcd8be70294&id=c3ab9a1879

05/12/2026

Today's Bentonville Collaborative newsletter is out, and it reflects what feels like a genuine inflection point for the NWA innovation ecosystem.

Spring has been full. We hosted Coffee with the Mayor, watched our Agentic AI (OpenClaw) meetups grow into standing-room-only gatherings, and launched NWA E-Commerce meetups for DTC founders to trade real knowledge with peers. One Million Cups keeps drawing hundreds of founders to 700 SE 5th Street every Wednesday morning -- one of the most energizing fixtures on the NWA startup calendar.

Three cohorts are in their final sprint: the Greenhouse Outdoor Recreation Program (GORP), the Ozark Retail Accelerator, and the Fuel Accelerator HealthTech cohort. Demo days are coming. Come see what these founders have built.

This month's calendar is packed. A few highlights:

- GORP Demo Night -- May 19 @ Acosta Office, Rogers
- NWA E-Commerce Meetup -- May 21 @ the Collaborative
- NWA AI Meetup -- May 28 @ the Collaborative
- OpenClaw NWA Meetup -- June 1 @ the Collaborative

And looking ahead: this fall, the University of Arkansas pilots its applied learning program right here in Benton County -- deploying students into real projects alongside regional employers and entrepreneurs. The goal is to turn the most dynamic economic corridor in the state into a living classroom. We intend to make it permanent.

If you're building something in NWA, there's a seat at the table for you.

This Week's Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/uark/may12

Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://uark.us6.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=3005b84f0a62bddcd8be70294&id=c3ab9a1879

05/06/2026

Last month, we had the pleasure of hosting Coffee with the Mayor at the Bentonville Collaborative, welcoming Mayor Stephanie Orman for a conversation about our library programming, the new Bentonville Adult Recreation Center (ARC), infrastructure improvements, and the future of Bentonville.

The room was full of residents, business leaders, entrepreneurs, educators, and community partners doing what these gatherings are designed for: honest conversation, new connections, and shared ideas that help shape where this city is headed.

Grateful to Mayor Orman for making time to engage with our community, and to everyone who pulled up a chair. These are exactly the conversations that move Bentonville forward.

04/28/2026

A LOT is happening at the UofA Collaborative in Bentonville:

- Tonight's NWA AI Meetup
- Tomorrow's 1 Million Cups at 8am
- OpenClaw NWA Meetup next week
- Spring startup cohorts are in full swing, including the Greenhouse Outdoor Recreation Program (GORP), the Arkansas Global Cycling Accelerator, the Ozark Retail Accelerator, and the Fuel Accelerator's healthtech cohort.
- Our workforce development team has engaged dozens of Benton County employers to expand experiential learning and sponsored research partnerships to create more hands-on, applied opportunities for students while strengthening the University of Arkansas → Benton County talent pipeline that is essential to the region’s continued growth.

Also recently, we convened 25 faculty and staff from the University of Arkansas for a structured, day-long engagement at Walmart’s Walmart Bentonville Headquarters. The program featured in-depth dialogue with Walmart’s Early Career recruitment team and senior technology leaders across AI, software engineering, and data science. Participating departments spanned Engineering, Computer Science, and Mathematical Sciences, as well as Supply Chain Management, Economics, Information Systems, and the Sam M. Walton College of Business Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovatio, Underscoring the full spectrum of talent pipelines Walmart actively engages across campus.

Read our newsletter for more: https://mailchi.mp/61a6e40d9f25/aqi6cfek1i-11003687

Subscribe here: https://uark.us6.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=3005b84f0a62bddcd8be70294&id=c3ab9a1879

04/14/2026

Our latest Bentonville Collaborative newsletter is out. If you're not subscribed, now's a good time.

Here's what's coming up this week and beyond:

Tomorrow morning -- 1 Million Cups is back at the Collaborative. Come grab coffee, hear from a local entrepreneur, and connect with the NWA startup community. 7:30 AM. Free.

Thursday -- E-Commerce Meetup at the Collaborative. Whether you're building a brand, running a Shopify store, or just curious about selling online, this one's for you.

Ongoing -- ASBTDC is running free virtual "How to Start a Business" sessions. If you've got an idea and don't know where to begin, this is the resource. Registration info in the newsletter.

Coming up -- OpenClaw NWA returns. Our practitioner-focused AI automation community keeps growing. Details dropping soon.

On the horizon -- NWA AI Meetup at the Collaborative. More to come, but block the date.

And behind the scenes, our team is actively meeting with the 100 largest employers in Benton County. The goal is straightforward: dramatically expand experiential learning opportunities for University of Arkansas students and strengthen the talent pipeline right here in our market. More to come on that front.

Full details on all of it in this week's newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/d02bfab043b1/aqi6cfek1i-11003582?e=3d6fe4675b

Subscribe for updates: https://uark.us6.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=3005b84f0a62bddcd8be70294&id=c3ab9a1879

Address

700 SE 5th Street, Suite 130
Bentonville, AR
72712

Opening Hours

Monday	8am - 5pm
Tuesday	8am - 5pm
Wednesday	8am - 5pm
Thursday	8am - 5pm
Friday	8am - 5pm

Telephone

+14795757900

Website

http://collab.uark.edu/, https://uark.us6.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=3005b84f0a62bddcd8be70294&id=c3ab9a1879, http://be

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