HomeMy WebLinkAbout226-24 RESOLUTIONFile Number: 2024-438
113 West Mountain Street
Fayetteville, AR 72701
(479) 575-8323
Resolution: 226-24
ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND INNOVATION (SERVICE CONTRACTS):
A RESOLUTION TO AWARD RFP 24-06 AND AUTHORIZE A TWO-YEAR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
SERVICES CONTRACT WITH STARTUP JUNKIE CONSULTING TO PROVIDE ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND
INNOVATION CONSUL TING SERVICES IN THE AMOUNT OF $250 ,000 .00 ANNUALLY
WHEREAS, Fayetteville is the only municipality in Arkansas with a standalone economic development contract for
entrepreneurial support ; and
WHEREAS , Startup Junkie provides a wide range of services aimed at aiding current and prospective small business
owners to realize their entrepreneurial dreams ; and
WHEREAS , Startup Junkie's presence in Downtown Fayetteville through consulting , education , and programming
helps sustain and grow the entrepreneurial eco-system of Fayetteville.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FAYETTEVILLE,
ARKANSAS:
Section I: That the City Council of the City of Fayetteville, Arkansas hereby awards RFP 24-06 and authorizes Mayor
Jordan to sign a two-year economic development services contract with Startup Junkie Consulting to provide
entrepreneurship and innovation consu lting services in the amount of $250 ,000.00 annually with an option to renew for
up to three additional two-year terms.
PASSED and APPROVED on September 3, 2024
Attest:
Page 1
Mailing address:
113 W. Mountain Street
Fayetteville, AR 72701
www.fayetteville-ar.gov
CITY COUNCIL MEMO
2024-438
MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 3, 2024
TO: Mayor Jordan and City Council
THRU: Susan Norton, Chief of Staff
FROM: Devin Howland, Director of Economic Vitality
SUBJECT: Entrepreneurship and Innovation Consulting Services Contract
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of a resolution authorizing Mayor Jordan to sign a contract with Startup Junkie
Consulting.
BACKGROUND:
On March 17, 2024, the City of Fayetteville’s Purchasing Division published RFP 24-06 titled “Economic
Development Services- Entrepreneurship and Innovation” for economic development services beginning in
January of 2025. Upon the closing of RFP 24-06 on April 10, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. CST, the City received three
proposals for consideration:
1. Roads Consulting: $2.6M for year one and $5.2M for year two;
2. Generator Management: $400,000 annually; and
3. Startup Junkie Consulting: $250,000 annually.
The selection committee, including Council Member Bunch, unanimously agreed upon proceeding with the
lowest bidder, Startup Junkie Consulting.
DISCUSSION:
Small businesses are the soul and vibrancy of Fayetteville’s economy. Since 2016, the City of Fayetteville has
been the only municipality with a standalone economic development contract for entrepreneurial support. This
contract provides the City of Fayetteville with a wide range of services aimed at aiding current and prospective
small business owners to realize their entrepreneurial dreams. Startup Junkie’s presence in Downtown
Fayetteville through consulting, education, and programming helps sustain and grow the entrepreneurial eco-
system of Fayetteville. Building on the success witnessed from 2016 through 2024, staff recommends that
these services be retained and expanded to aid residents who have been historically disadvantaged and
members of the creative economy.
Key Contract Features:
At a macro-level, this contract retains Startup Junkie Consulting’s headquarters in Downtown Fayetteville,
providing access to free co-working and meeting space to Fayetteville residents. Securing this space in
Fayetteville ensures that the annual Startup Crawl is a City of Fayetteville event, provides technical assistance
and direct support to the Department of Economic Vitality (3,800 hours annually), and, most importantly,
ensures ease of access to Startup Junkie Consulting’s no-cost, one-on-one consulting.
Mailing address:
113 W. Mountain Street
Fayetteville, AR 72701
www.fayetteville-ar.gov
One-on-one Consulting
Startup Junkie’s consulting engagements are extremely popular with companies of all types, sizes, and
revenues. A summary of its consulting services utilization is outlined in the table below:
2019-2020 2021-2022 2023 Total
(2019-2023)
Fayetteville
entrepreneurs
served
1,042 881 476 2,399
One-on-one
consulting
engagements
1,122 898 454 2,474
Women-owned
ventures
served
289 326 147 762
Minority-owned
ventures
served
154 188 84 426
Veteran-owned
ventures
served
53 39 20 112
Events, Programming, and Education
The contract also calls for a diverse and regular cadence of entrepreneurial events and programming to take
place in Fayetteville. This ensures the City of Fayetteville receives most of the entrepreneurial programming
taking place throughout the region, including the retention of Arkansas’s largest entrepreneurial event the
Startup Crawl. The direct and indirect benefits of these events are expansive: from networking opportunities,
education, access to capital, awareness of resources, and much more. Regularly scheduled entrepreneurial
programming aids in retaining the startup culture associated with our community. For the forthcoming contract,
programming will expand in three key ways:
1. Fifty events in Fayetteville with an additional 20 tailored toward Fayetteville’s entrepreneurs;
2. Six events, workshops, and program engagements annually focused on underserved entrepreneurs;
and
3. Six events, workshops, and program engagements annually focused on artists and the creative
economy.
2019-2020 2021-2022 2023 Total
(2019-2023)
Events, Workshops, or
Programs
256 183 67 506
Attendees 19,560 12,579 7,247 39,386
Technical Assistance to the Department of Economic Vitality
Another key component of the contract is 3,800 hours technical assistance to the Department of Economic
Vitality. This provision enables City staff to tap into expertise, support, or general assistance on an as-needed
basis. Past examples include staffing public engagement opportunities for the City’s Economic Vitality Master
Plan as well as their proactive, robust, and coordinated response to the burdens impacting small businesses
Mailing address:
113 W. Mountain Street
Fayetteville, AR 72701
www.fayetteville-ar.gov
during the COVID-19 pandemic. Moving forward, this provision will be utilized to aid in the implementation,
monitoring, and tracking of the first section of the draft Economic Vitality Master Plan: Small Business,
Entrepreneurship, and Industry.
Comparison of Services and Contracts:
2016-2024
Contracts
2025-2026 Contract
Annual Cost $150,000 $250,000 Retains Startup Junkie Consulting’s
Headquarter on the Fayetteville
Square, providing no-cost co-
working space to Fayetteville
residents
Yes Yes
Retains the Startup Crawl in
Fayetteville Annually
Yes Yes, with an expanded focus on inclusion and
diversity as well as the creative economy.
Additionally, beginning in 2025, the event will
change to multiple days and begin offering
professional development and educational
opportunities.
Technical Assistance and Support
Hours to the Department of
Economic Vitality
2,080 hours 3,800 hours
Tailored Events and Consulting for
members of the Creative Economy
No Yes, six events will be held throughout the year
with guidance from the City’s Arts and Culture
Director. Tailored Events and Consulting for
Disadvantaged Residents
No Yes, six events will be held throughout the year
with guidance from and the inclusion of non-profits
currently serving these populations.
Management of monthly business
and job reporting, including
calculating the survival rates of
small businesses in Fayetteville,
and Future Master Plan
implementation tracking
No Yes
About Startup Junkie Consulting:
Startup Junkie Consulting is a globally recognized small business and innovation support venture
headquartered in Fayetteville. Their diverse team of subject matter experts enables them to offer a wide range
of expertise and resources to local entrepreneurs. The organization has a strong history of working
partnerships with federal entities such as the U.S. Small Business Administration. Startup Junkie also plays a
significant role in economic development at the state-level, partnering with the Arkansas Economic
Development Commission (AEDC) to manage statewide initiatives aimed at tech commercialization and
supporting tech and tech enabled ventures. This competitively awarded contract for the management of the
Arkansas Statewide Technology Commercialization Center (ARISE) supports tech startups in Arkansas with
one of its key epicenters of activity now in Fayetteville.
Mailing address:
113 W. Mountain Street
Fayetteville, AR 72701
www.fayetteville-ar.gov
BUDGET/STAFF IMPACT:
The cost of the new Entrepreneurship and Innovation Consulting Services Contract is $250,000 annually for at
least two years. The contract also locks in the annual rate for three additional two-year terms if the Council
wishes to continue these services following the completion of the first contract term.
To cover the proposed cost increase of this contract, staff will use $50,000 from current funding from the
Department of Economic Vitality and will request an additional $50,000 during the 2025 budget development
process as a target overrun. Staff anticipates returning over $40,000 at the end of fiscal year 2024, which could
be used to aid in this request.
ATTACHMENTS: SRF (#3), 2025-2026 Entrepreneurship Contract (#4), RFP 24-06, Submittal - Startup Junkie
Consulting (#5), RFP 24-06 Economic Development Services - Entrepreneurship Innovation (#6) , SJC Past
Performance (#7)
Page 1
City of Fayetteville, Arkansas
Legislation Text
113 West Mountain Street
Fayetteville, AR 72701
(479) 575-8323
File #: 2024-438
Entrepreneurship and Innovation Consulting Services Contract
A RESOLUTION TO AWARD RFP 24-06 AND AUTHORIZE A TWO-YEAR ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT SERVICES CONTRACT WITH STARTUP JUNKIE CONSULTING TO
PROVIDE ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND INNOVATION CONSULTING SERVICES IN THE
AMOUNT OF $250,000.00 ANNUALLY
WHEREAS, Fayetteville is the only municipality in Arkansas with a standalone economic development
contract for entrepreneurial support; and
WHEREAS, Startup Junkie provides a wide range of services aimed at aiding current and prospective
small business owners to realize their entrepreneurial dreams; and
WHEREAS, Startup Junkie’s presence in Downtown Fayetteville through consulting, education, and
programming helps sustain and grow the entrepreneurial eco-system of Fayetteville.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS:
Section 1: That the City Council of the City of Fayetteville, Arkansas hereby awards RFP 24-06 and
authorizes Mayor Jordan to sign a two-year economic development services contract with Startup Junkie
Consulting to provide entrepreneurship and innovation consulting services in the amount of $250,000.00
annually with an option to renew for up to three additional two-year terms.
City of Fayetteville Staff Review Form
2024-438
Item ID
9/3/2024
City Council Meeting Date - Agenda Item Only
N/A for Non-Agenda Item
Devin Howland 8/13/2024 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (050)
Submitted By Submitted Date Division / Department
Action Recommendation:
Staff recommends approval of a resolution authorizing Mayor Jordan to sign a contract with Startup Junkie
Consulting for Entrepreneurship and Innovation Consulting Services.
Budget Impact:
1010.050.0500-5315.00 1010 - General
Account Number Fund
Project Number Project Title
Budgeted Item?Yes Total Amended Budget $250,000.00
Expenses (Actual+Encum)$-
Available Budget $250,000.00
Does item have a direct cost?Yes Item Cost $250,000.00
Is a Budget Adjustment attached?No Budget Adjustment $-
Remaining Budget $-
V20221130
Purchase Order Number:Previous Ordinance or Resolution #
Change Order Number:Approval Date:
Original Contract Number:
Comments:
1
CONTRACT FOR
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CONSULTING SERVICES
BETWEEN
THE CITY OF FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS
AND
STARTUP JUNKIE CONSULTING, LLC
WHEREAS, the City of Fayetteville, Arkansas wishes to contract for Economic
Development Consulting Services, and;
WHEREAS, Startup Junkie Consulting, LLC wishes to provide certain Economic
Development Consulting Services to the City of Fayetteville, Arkansas, and;
WHEREAS, Startup Junkie Consulting has been selected to perform Economic
Development Consulting Services for the City of Fayetteville utilizing the competitive Request
for Proposal selection process (via RFP 24-06, Economic Development Consulting Services –
Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual promises contained in this Contract
and other good and valuable consideration, the parties agree as follows:
1. This Contract is made by and between the City of Fayetteville, Arkansas located
at 113 W. Mountain, Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701 and Startup Junkie Consulting, LLC located at
1 # Center Street, Suite 270, Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701.
2. Term: This Contract shall commence on January 1, 2025 and shall end December
31, 2026. This contract may be terminated by either party with thirty days written notice.
3. Renewals: This Contract may be renewed for three additional two-year terms
upon approval of the City Council and with mutual agreement of Startup Junkie Consulting.
4. Contract Documents: The Contract documents, which comprise the contract
between the City of Fayetteville and Startup Junkie Consulting, consist of this Contract and the
following documents attached hereto, and made a part hereof:
x Exhibit A - Schedule of Deliverables and Performance Measures
5. Changes to Schedule of Deliverables and Performance Measures: The City of
Fayetteville shall coordinate with Startup Junkie Consulting for modifications to the Schedule of
Deliverables and Performance Measures. Any modifications to Exhibit A shall not reduce the
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quality or quantity of the services to be provided pursuant to this contract, as determined by
the Mayor or his/her Chief of Staff or his/her Director of Economic Vitality. Any modifications
shall be agreed upon by both the City and Startup Junkie Consulting; however, any changes
affecting price shall have prior approval by both Startup Junkie Consulting and the Fayetteville
City Council. In the event Exhibit A is revised and the price is not modified, such revised
document shall be provided to the City Council at the next regularly scheduled update.
6. Services to be Provided: During the terms of this Contract, Startup Junkie
Consulting shall:
x Support and maintain a collaborative entrepreneurial/innovation environment
x Provide innovative spaces and programs to support entrepreneurs
x Collaborate with the City for communication with the public
x Monitor, track, and report on Performance Metrics
x Maintain clear and open communication with the City on all economic
development services and activities provided under the scope of this contract; and
clearly articulate when communicating on behalf of Startup Junkie Consulting
versus City-contracted initiatives to create clear accountability
x Provide all deliverables and performance measures outlined in the attached Exhibit
A
7. Fees and Expenses: The City of Fayetteville agrees the consulting fee shall be
paid upon invoice as follows:
Consultation Services shall be invoiced for quarter in the amount of $62,500 per
quarter. Total fees for consultation services shall not exceed $500,000 from the date of
contract. Startup Junkie Consulting shall track, log and report hours and expenses directly
related to this Contract along with invoice for payment for each month. Invoices shall be
itemized.
Payment of the above-described fees shall be contingent upon annual budget approval
by the Fayetteville City Council. If funds are not appropriated for any year this Contract shall be
terminated at the end of the then current term. If funds appropriated are less than the full
amount contemplated by this Contract, then the parties shall agree upon an amended Schedule
of Deliverables and Performance Measures (Exhibit A). In the event the parties are unable to
reach an agreement on an amended schedule, then the Contract shall be terminated at the end
of current month.
8. Notices: Any notice required to be given under this Contract to either party to
the other shall be sufficient if addressed and mailed, certified mail, postage paid, delivery, fax
(receipt confirmed), or overnight courier.
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9. Applicable Law: This Contract shall be governed by and construed in accord with
the laws of the State of Arkansas.
10. Entire Agreement: This Contract sets forth the entire agreement and
understanding between the parties on the subject matter of this Contract. Neither party shall
be bound by any conditions, definitions, representations or warranties with respect to the
subject matter of this Contract other than those as expressly provided herein.
11. Amendments and Waivers: Changes, modifications, or amendments in cost or
fees to this Contract shall not be allowed without a prior formal contract amendment approved
by the Mayor and the City Council in advance of the change in cost or fees. No modification of
this Contract shall be binding unless made in writing and executed by both parties. No waiver
by either party or any breach or obligation of the other party under this Contract shall
constitute a waiver of any other prior or subsequent breach or obligation.
12. Performance Measures: Startup Junkie Consulting shall provide the deliverables
as outlined in the attached Exhibit A, which serves to implement the adopted Fayetteville First
Economic Development Strategic Plan. Performance measures are included for the services and
will be used to evaluate the work performed throughout the entire term of the contract.
13. Contract Administration: The Mayor or the Mayor’s designee shall be the
Contract Administrator for this Contract. Startup Junkie Consulting Principal or his/her
Designated Representative shall be the primary contact for all matters pertaining to this contract.
While it is understood that many facts pertaining to projects must be held in the strictest
confidence, Startup Junkie Consulting Principal will ensure that the Mayor and the Director of
Economic Vitality are kept abreast of details and progress made pertaining to Economic
Development prospects considering development in Fayetteville to the greatest extent possible.
14. Freedom of Information Act: City contracts and documents prepared while
performing work pursuant to this Contract may be subject to the Arkansas Freedom of
Information Act. If a Freedom of Information Act request is presented to the City of Fayetteville
or to Startup Junkie Consulting the parties shall do everything possible, in a prompt and timely
manner, to determine whether the requested records must be disclosed as required by the
Arkansas Freedom of Information Act (A.C.A. §25-19-101 et. seq.), or whether the records are
exempt pursuant to A.C.A. § 25-19-105(b), A.C.A. § 14-176-105(b)(1) or other applicable state
or federal law. Records required to be disclosed shall be made available for inspection and
copying. Only legally authorized photocopying costs pursuant to the Freedom of Information
Act may be assessed for this compliance.
[Signature page to follow]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Contract.
Start~
By : Date: ___ 8/_1_2_/2_4 ____ _
Jeff Amerine, Principal
Witness: _____________ _ Date: ___________ _
Date: __ 0_9/_0_3_/2_0_2_4 ____ _
4
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Exhibit “A”
Contract for Economic Development Consulting Services-
Entrepreneurial Services & Small Business Support
2025-2026 Schedule of Deliverables and Performance Measures
As outlined herein, Startup Junkie Consulting shall provide the following services, more
generally referred to as Entrepreneurship & Innovation economic development services:
One. Support and maintain a collaborative entrepreneurial/innovation environment
Two. Provide innovative spaces and programs to support entrepreneurs
Three. Collaborate with the City for communication to the public
Four. Performance Measures
Five. Report Outcomes
One: Support and maintain a collaborative entrepreneurial/innovation environment
1. Serve as a direct point of contact for entrepreneurship/innovation and startup efforts for
the City of Fayetteville.
a. Coordinate with all entities involved in entrepreneurial efforts in the City of
Fayetteville and serve as the point person in addressing any city-related
processes that impact entrepreneurs.
b. Dedicate 1.84 FTEs to work with the Department of Economic Vitality on
realizing the objectives of this exhibit and measures outlined in the contract and
the City’s next Economic Vitality Master Plan.
c. Maintain a bright line of communication with the City’s Economic Development
team to maintain accountability and address issues as they arise.
2. Start-up/Entrepreneurial Business Retention and Expansion. In order to promote a
welcoming and sustainable environment for entrepreneurship, implement a business
retention and expansion program for startups.
a. The city expects top 25 fastest growing Fayetteville startups to be visited
annually. A questionnaire developed in partnership with the Department of
Economic Vitality shall be used.
b. Business needs or challenges that are identified during the visit and or survey
shall be reported to the Director of Economic Vitality immediately.
3. Assist with the implementation of startup, entrepreneurship, and small business support
strategies within the City’s forth coming Economic Vitality Master Plan.
a. Lead the implementation and execution of the strategies and action items within
the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Section.
b. In coordination with the Department of Economic Vitality, Startup Junkie
Consulting will help calculate and develop a system for monitoring and tracking
the survival rate of small businesses in the City of Fayetteville.
6
4. Provide one-on-one no-cost consulting, technical assistance and support for prospective
and current Fayetteville entrepreneurs.
a. Ensuring free access to a diverse core team of consultants and subject matter
experts, such as Venture attorneys, accountants, e-commerce, intellectual
property experts, retail, digital marketing, Government contracting, SBIR and
STTR expertise, and finance experts.
Two: Provide innovative spaces and programs to support entrepreneurs
1. Provide collaboration space. Clustering the physical spaces in which entrepreneurs can
collaborate is one way to encourage idea generation, maturation and sharing of
resources. Startup Junking Consulting will provide collaboration space free to the public
in the form of Centerspace, in Downtown Fayetteville, currently located on the 2nd floor
of the Pryor Center in Suite 270.
a. In addition to maintaining the existing Centerspace free and open to the public,
Startup Junkie Consulting will maintain an inventory of additional shared space
opportunities for entrepreneurs, innovators, inventors and creatives throughout
the City.
2. Entrepreneurial Programing. Continue to provide a wide range of entrepreneurial
programing through a wide range of events that educate entrepreneurs and inspire
residents to start their own ventures.
a. In addition to rotating regional and digital events, Startup Junkie shall host the
Startup Crawl (or an adapted version such as Startup Week) in Fayetteville
annually, working to enhance and evolve this premier event to ensure its
continued growth and participation.
b. Startup Junkie agrees to host at least 50 of their regular events annually in the
City of Fayetteville. Additionally, Startup Junkie will work with the Department of
Economic Vitality to provide another 20 Fayetteville tailored events.
i. Six of the events will be tailored towards underserved residents and
entrepreneurs;
ii. Six of the events will be tailored towards the creative economy, Startup
Junkie will coordinate with the City’s Arts and Culture Director on these
events.
c. Provide entrepreneurial education through programing and engagement. Develop
and lead programs that enrich talent development, starting at the youngest ages,
as a key part of workforce development. Focus on diversity of population in all
aspects of entrepreneurship. Continue to lead entrepreneurship programs such as
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GameChangers, Startup Stories, HER Entrepreneur Journey, Startup Weekend,
Congressional App Challenge, KIVA, IdeaFame, and entrepreneurship and
innovation education focused Lunch & Learn event series.
3. Support the Center for Innovation. Support the Fayetteville Public Library’s Center for
Innovation in downtown and engage in efforts to link interested users of the space and
related programs.
Four: Collaborate with the City for Communication with the Public
1. Communications pertaining to the implementation of the City’s Economic Vitality
Master Plan and the implementation, outputs, or outcomes of this contract will be
communicated on the City’s Economic Development website using the City’s branding
and marketing. Communication and engagement with the business community as it
relates to measures outlined in the contract will be done through the City’s website,
which is managed by the Department of Economic Vitality. Promotion of the measures
outlined in the contract will be conducted through the City’s social media channels. All
performance measures and reports will be updated on a monthly basis via the City’s
web site by the Department of Economic Vitality.
2. Communications from Startup Junking Consulting related to economic development
initiatives within the scope of this contract, major decisions and/or development
matters, and public-facing activities should be coordinated with the Mayor’s office or his
assigned staff. This includes statements at City Council meetings, Agenda Sessions,
public presentations, press conferences, etc. Updates to the City Council will be given in
June and December of each calendar year.
Five: Performance Measures
1. The performance measures outlined below serve to measure specific work which is
completed as a result of the services outlined in the contract being completed.
a. Outputs:
i. Number of Fayetteville entrepreneurs served through 1 on 1 no-cost
consulting, mentoring, and assistance engagements;
ii. Number of women, minority, and veterans served in Fayetteville;
iii. Number of creative economy entrepreneurs served in Fayetteville
iv. Number of events, programs, and workshops held in Fayetteville;
v. Attendees of events, workshops, and program engagements;
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b. Outcomes:
i. Net new jobs created on average per Fayetteville venture;
ii. Private Capital raised for Fayetteville entrepreneurs;
iii. Public Capital (Grants and State and Federal) funding raised and secured
by Fayetteville ventures;
iv. New products, services, and solutions brought to market by Fayetteville
entrepreneurs;
v. Number of patents and patent applications by Fayetteville entrepreneurs;
vi. Number of SBIR, NSF and STTR applications filed for Fayetteville
entrepreneurs;
vii. Number of unique retail, restaurant, and accommodation startups
assisted in Fayetteville;
viii. 1 year and 5-year survival rates for new businesses;
2. Startup Junkie will provide baselines of the agreed upon outputs and outcomes during
the first year of this contract. Startup Junkie will work to increase their performance
measures by 10% annually starting in year two of this contract.
Six: Reports and Presentations
1. Reporting results and milestones will be done as deliverables are met in the
implementation of the Fayetteville First Economic Development Strategic Plan and will
be formatted to fit within the City’s Economic Development branding on the city web
site. The City’s internal Economic Development team will meet regularly with Startup
Junkie Consulting (at a minimum on a monthly basis) to discuss the status of
deliverables. The Mayor and/or City Council may request periodic updates and public
engagement for citizens to be kept informed of the city’s economic development goals.
2. Startup Junking Consulting shall provide written monthly reports and prepare a brief
presentation to the Mayor and City Council on at least a bi-annual basis. Reports and
presentations should outline the tasks accomplished, outcomes achieved and include
statistics for each performance measure outlined herein.
3. A schedule for completion of outlined performance measures and a monthly status
report shall be submitted for each month of the contract, delivered during regular
monthly meetings with the City’s internal team.
RFP 24-06
Startup Junkie Consulting
Supplier Response
Event Information
Number:RFP 24-06
Title:Economic Development Services - Entrepreneurship & Innovation
Type:Request for Proposal
Issue Date:3/17/2024
Deadline:4/10/2024 02:00 PM (CT)
Notes:The City of Fayetteville, Arkansas, is now accepting proposals for
providing contract services in the areas of small business support,
entrepreneurship, and innovation. Any questions regarding this
solicitation process shall be directed to Amanda Beilfuss, City of
Fayetteville Sr. Purchasing Agent at abeilfuss@fayetteville-ar.gov or
(479) 575-8220.
Contact Information
Contact:Amanda Beilfuss
Address:Purchasing
Room 306
City Hall
113 West Mountain Street - Room 306
Fayetteville, AR 72701
Email:abeilfuss@fayetteville-ar.gov
Vendor: Startup Junkie Consulting RFP 24-06Page 1 of 3 pages
Startup Junkie Consulting Information
Contact:Brett Amerine
Address:1 East Center Street
Suite 270
Fayetteville, AR 72701
Phone:(479) 225-7550
Email:brett@startupjunkieconsulting.com
By submitting your response, you certify that you are authorized to represent and bind your company.
Brett Amerine brett@startupjunkieconsulting.com
Signature Email
Submitted at 4/7/2024 10:53:10 AM (CT)
Supplier Note
We are submitting 6 files. The file titled "SJC City of Fayetteville Contract Bid FINAL COMBINED" is the
combined proposal containing all proposal components. These additional files are components broken out into
separate files for ease of review and handling by the City. Thank you for the opportunity, we appreciate you all!
Requested Attachments
RFP 24-06, Economic Development Services - Entrepreneurship &
Innovation
SJC City of Fayetteville Contract
Bid FINAL COMBINED.pdf
Please attach the signed and completed RFP form, located in the 'Attachments' tab, along with proposal.
Response Attachments
SJC City of Fayetteville attachments Section C and D FINAL.pdf
We are submitting 6 files. The file titled "SJC City of Fayetteville Contract Bid FINAL COMBINED" is the combined
proposal containing all proposal components. These additional files are components broken out into separate files for
ease of review and handling by the City.
SJC City of Fayetteville attachments Resumes FINAL.pdf
We are submitting 6 files. The file titled "SJC City of Fayetteville Contract Bid FINAL COMBINED" is the combined
proposal containing all proposal components. These additional files are components broken out into separate files for
ease of review and handling by the City.
SJC City of Fayetteville narrative FINAL.pdf
We are submitting 6 files. The file titled "SJC City of Fayetteville Contract Bid FINAL COMBINED" is the combined
proposal containing all proposal components. These additional files are components broken out into separate files for
ease of review and handling by the City.
SJC City of Fayetteville Exec Summary FINAL.pdf
We are submitting 6 files. The file titled "SJC City of Fayetteville Contract Bid FINAL COMBINED" is the combined
proposal containing all proposal components. These additional files are components broken out into separate files for
ease of review and handling by the City.
SJC City of Fayetteville Cover Sheet FINAL.pdf
We are submitting 6 files. The file titled "SJC City of Fayetteville Contract Bid FINAL COMBINED" is the combined
proposal containing all proposal components. These additional files are components broken out into separate files for
ease of review and handling by the City.
Vendor: Startup Junkie Consulting RFP 24-06Page 2 of 3 pages
Bid Attributes
1 Addendum Acknowledgement
By selecting "I agree", you acknowledge that you have read all addendum(s) that have been issued for this
solicitation, if applicable.
I agree
Vendor: Startup Junkie Consulting RFP 24-06Page 3 of 3 pages
RFP 24-06
Economic Development Services -
Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Startup Junkie Executive Summary - page 1 of 3
Proposal to the City of Fayetteville: RFP 24-06
Executive Summary
Introduction
Startup Junkie Consulting is pleased to submit this proposal to the City of Fayetteville for providing
consulting services in the areas of business support, entrepreneurship, and innovation. A veteran-owned
small business and globally recognized social venture led by serial entrepreneurs, service-disabled
veterans, women, and minorities, Startup Junkie is a trusted partner of the City of Fayetteville with deep
expertise and a track record of success. We are proposing a robust contract to broaden our reach and
partnership with the City to address all Strategies of the Economic Vitality Master Plan.
Methods and Approach
Startup Junkie will provide the following consulting services to Fayetteville residents, entrepreneurs,
and business owners, in accordance with the City’s RFP:
a. Support a collaborative entrepreneurial and startup environment;
b. Create programming and spaces for entrepreneurship to flourish, including dedicated
programming to support women, people of color, and other historically underrepresented
populations; and
c. Provide technical assistance and support to the Department of Economic Vitality.
Through the proposed contract, we will build upon our successful partnership with the City to serve
more entrepreneurs/businesses; deepen our
outreach to women, people of color, and
historically underrepresented populations; and
strengthen our ability to provide data and
analysis to the Department of Economic Vitality.
Startup Junkie will continue our high-quality
work that has proven so successful for
Fayetteville’s small business and startup
community. We will also subcontract with our
sister organization, Community Venture
Foundation (DBA Startup Junkie Foundation), to
provide the City with their deep community
engagement and relationships which will expand
our collective impact.
Startup Junkie Executive Summary - page 2 of 3
Scope of Work/Deliverables
Startup Junkie commits to the following deliverables under the proposed contract, for each of the City’s
focus areas (targets are for year one). In addition, we will work with the Department of Economic
Vitality to establish other data points the City would like Startup Junkie to add to our evaluation.
Support a Collaborative Entrepreneurial and Startup Environment
● # entrepreneurs served through 1:1 high quality no-cost consulting, mentoring, counseling, training,
support, and assistance engagements (target: 520) (note: this figure does not include the thousands of
Fayetteville residents we will reach through events, workshops, and programs)
○ #/% women-owned ventures
○ #/% minority-owned ventures
○ #/% veteran-owned ventures
○ #/% creative economy entrepreneurs
● # Fayetteville businesses contacted through the BRE program to ensure growth and address
challenges (target: 50+ during contract period)
Create Programming and Spaces for Entrepreneurship to Flourish
● # visible, accessible, high-quality events, workshops, networking, and program engagements for
Fayetteville entrepreneurs (target: 70)
● # attendees of events, workshops, networking, and program engagements (target: 8000+)
● # events specifically for underrepresented entrepreneurs (target: 6)
● # events specifically for the creative economy (target: 6)
● # entrepreneurs reserving CenterSpace conference space downtown (target: 1,540)
● # of participating startups in annual Startup Crawl event (target: 80+)
● # attendees of annual Startup Crawl event (target: 3,300 in 2024)
● # zero-interest, no-fee microloans for female and minority entrepreneurs issued through Kiva
Northwest Arkansas annually (20)
● #$ of loans issued through Kiva Program annually to Fayetteville entrepreneurs ($150,000)
The true value of Startup Junkie’s work shines through
our outcomes (impact). These measure the results of our
services and demonstrate the growth of local startups and
our small business economy. Our outcomes for the
proposed contract will include # of net new jobs created
on average per Fayetteville venture annually, $# in private
capital raised, $# in public capital (grants, state and
federal) secured, # new products, services, and solutions
brought to market, # patents and patent applications, #
SBIR and STTR awards, and # unique Fayetteville retail,
restaurant, accommodation ventures assisted through
multiple ongoing and in-depth engagements, and the one-
year and five-year survival rates for new ventures.
Qualifications and Experience
Startup Junkie is uniquely qualified for this work. We are Fayetteville’s trusted leader in the
development of viable, lasting, and inclusive startup and venture ecosystems. For more than 15 years,
we have been providing entrepreneur support, promoting innovation, commercializing technology, and
Startup Junkie Executive Summary - page 3 of 3
building entrepreneurial ecosystems in underserved communities across Fayetteville. The end result is
continued accelerated economic growth and increased quality of life for our community members.
Our world class team has 80 years of experience helping entrepreneurs and innovators reach their goals.
Each year, we provide 1:1 consulting to more than 1,000 small businesses, present more than 200
events/workshops/ programming for entrepreneurs, award $150,000 - $200,000 in Kiva microloan
funding for underrepresented entrepreneurs, and host a Fuel Accelerator program which attracts global
companies to our community. Support for our
efforts has come through funding and partnerships
with Innovate Arkansas, the US Department of
Commerce, ARK Challenge startup accelerator,
Ozarks Regional Innovation Cluster, ScaleUp
America, AEDC, Winrock International, the
Walton Family Foundation, Small Business
Administration, and Northwest Arkansas Council.
Under the proposed contract, ten (10) members of
the Startup Junkie team will facilitate the
requirements of this project. Our budget includes a
total of 1.84 FTE equivalents to the Department of
Economic Vitality (nearly double our prior contract). This is necessary in order to satisfy the exciting
and ambitious goals of the Master Plan. Please see the resumes attached to this proposal.
Listing of All Fees
Startup Junkie is proposing a total annual fee of $250,024.32 which includes only direct labor from
Startup Junkie Consulting, LLC, labor by subcontractor Startup Junkie Foundation, and a small
overhead fee. We do not propose an annual increase each year due to inflation. Should the contract be
renewed for additional two-year periods, the annual fee will remain the same. Startup Junkie estimates
that it will take 3,827 annual total staff hours to complete the proposed scope of services.
To maximize impact, Startup Junkie will leverage other funding sources that we take the initiative to
secure to cover all other program materials, supplies, and facilities necessary to execute this project. We
view this as an opportunity to act as good stewards of Fayetteville tax dollars and direct City funding
entirely towards our staff expertise in supporting entrepreneurs.
Listing of All Fees
Year 1 Year 2
Direct Labor $161,054.40 $161,054.40
Subcontract (Startup Junkie) Subtotal $77,064.00 $77,064.00
Subtotal $238,118.40 $238,118.40
Fee (Includes overhead) 5% 5%
Firm Fixed Price Total $250,024.32 $250,024.32
Startup Junkie Proposal - page 1 of 25
Proposal to the City of Fayetteville
RFP 24-06, Economic Development Services – Entrepreneurship & Innovation
Introduction
Startup Junkie Consulting is pleased to submit this proposal to the City of Fayetteville for
providing consulting services in the areas of business support, entrepreneurship, and innovation.
A veteran-owned small business and globally recognized social venture led by service-disabled
veterans, women, and minorities, Startup Junkie is an established, trusted partner of the City of
Fayetteville with deep expertise and a track record of success. Along with our subcontracted
partner organization, Startup Junkie Foundation (together known as “Startup Junkie”), we will
provide the following consulting services in accordance with the City’s RFP and in service of the
City’s Economic Vitality Master Plan. We are proposing a robust contract that will broaden our
reach and partnership with the City to address all Strategies of the Master Plan.
Methods and Approach
Startup Junkie will provide the following consulting services to Fayetteville residents,
entrepreneurs, and business owners, in accordance with the City’s RFP:
a. Support a collaborative entrepreneurial and startup environment;
b. Create programming and spaces for entrepreneurship to flourish, including dedicated
programming to support women, people of color, and other historically underrepresented
populations; and
c. Provide technical assistance and support to the Department of Economic Vitality.
These services are already the core of Startup Junkie’s work. For the past eight years, Startup
Junkie has worked with the City of Fayetteville to provide these services, with great success. For
example, in 2021 – 2022 alone, Startup Junkie’s work enabled the creation of 889 high-tech jobs,
procurement of 15 SBIR/STTR awards, delivery
of 183 virtual events/workshops reaching 12,579
attendees, no-cost working space for 2,600
community members, and much more. In 2023
alone, Startup Junkie clients saw a net growth of
173 jobs and secured more than $11.5 million in
investment capital and loans. We are
Fayetteville’s inclusive “go-to” resource for
consulting and counseling services that help
startups and small businesses thrive. Thanks to
our partnership with the City of Fayetteville, we
are able to provide these world class services at no
cost to Fayetteville residents and business owners,
democratizing innovation and making entrepreneurship accessible to all in our community.
Startup Junkie Proposal - page 2 of 25
Through the proposed contract, we will build upon this successful partnership with the City to
serve more entrepreneurs/businesses; deepen our outreach to women, people of color, and
historically underrepresented populations; and strengthen our ability to provide data and analysis
to the Department of Economic Vitality. Startup Junkie will continue our high-quality work that
has proven so successful for Fayetteville’s small business and startup community. We will also
subcontract with our sister organization, Community Venture Foundation (DBA Startup Junkie
Foundation), to provide the City with their deep community engagement and relationships which
will expand our collective impact. Please see below for our Methods and Approach for each of
the City’s three focus areas, including our approach, tasks, interaction with the City, methods,
and timeline/schedule.
Scope of Work: Support a Collaborative Entrepreneurial and Startup Environment
A collaborative entrepreneurial and startup environment requires easy access to deep expertise,
close coordination between a City and its business leaders, and strategic evaluation of metrics to
measure growth and vibrancy. Please see below for a description of Startup Junkie’s approach
and planned coordination with the City under this contract, followed by tables outlining our
proposed tasks, methods, timelines, and metrics.
I. Primary point of contact for entrepreneurship, innovation, and small business
support in the City of Fayetteville.
Headquartered in downtown Fayetteville, Startup Junkie has been at the heart of the City’s
thriving startup community for 15 years. We have deep expertise and extensive inroads into the
Fayetteville business community, including key partnerships with the City of Fayetteville,
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville Public Library, Arkansas Economic Development
Commission, United States Small Business Administration, and a long list of community non-
profits such as Art Ventures. We are active participants in the City of Fayetteville’s Economic
Recovery and Vitality Steering Committee and the Regional Entrepreneurial Support
Organization Task Force. We also helped the City develop its Economic Vitality Master Plan.
This uniquely positions Startup Junkie to work with the City to further develop our small business
ecosystem and accomplish the goals of the Economic Vitality Master Plan.
Approach. Startup Junkie will work intensively with the City through committees/task forces and
individual coordination to implement the strategies of the Economic Vitality Master Plan. Our
staff will participate in this collaborative work to ensure we are making progress together.
Additionally, we will continue our successful Startup Business Retention and Expansion (BRE)
Program, which provides regular health checks on Fayetteville ventures to ensure growth and
address challenges. We will continue to connect ventures to the Director and Mayor for them to
personally visit. Finally, we will facilitate special projects and opportunities that will benefit the
City and its small business community, such as the highly impactful annual Startup Crawl which
we choose to hold in Fayetteville, CenterSpace coworking facility which we maintain on the
Fayetteville Square at no cost to the public (and will commit to keep there should we win this
contract), and the Kiva Loan Program based in Fayetteville which provides no-interest loans to
underserved entrepreneurs.
Interaction with the City of Fayetteville. Startup Junkie’s communication with the City will be
prompt, regular, and effective. We will serve on committees and task forces with City leaders as
Startup Junkie Proposal - page 3 of 25
advised by the Department of Economic Vitality, be available 24/7 for the City’s needs and
questions, and work with City personnel to identify opportunities and challenges in the
implementation of the Economic Vitality Master Plan.
We have a proven track record of close collaboration. For example, when COVID-19 arrived,
Startup Junkie was the City's responsive go-to partner for rapidly serving entrepreneurs and small
business owners. We conducted the region’s first impact survey; provided 100% support of the
City’s Small Business Resiliency Task Force and Entrepreneurial Support Organization Task
Force; hosted a high cadence of virtual events; and provided near-daily guidance on the latest
federal and state aid updates for small businesses during the pandemic crisis. We also provide
significant leadership to the Supporting Lifelong Success (SLS) Community, a key project for the
Department of Economic Vitality in creating entrepreneurship and innovation pathways to
neurodivergent adults. When it comes to responsiveness and partnership, the City can rely on us
like no other. Through the proposed contract, Startup Junkie will continue to be the City’s go-to
partner for quick response to the changing needs of Fayetteville and its business community.
Relevance to Economic Vitality Master Plan. Through this component of the proposed
contract, Startup Junkie will help the City implement Strategies 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, and 9 of its
Economic Vitality Master Plan. For example, Startup Junkie will provide our expertise to the City
to identify regulatory and marketing barriers for small businesses, contact businesses to assess
their life cycle stages and offer support, and coordinate with employers in targeted industry
sectors. We will help the City facilitate a woman-owned business mentorship program and host
events and trainings for women- and minority-owned business owners, through expansion of our
current offerings in this area.
Table 1: Serve as City’s Point of Contact
Task Method Timeline Metric
Serve on relevant City
committees and task
forces
Startup Junkie will attend
all meetings; provide
expertise and support
Continuously
throughout
contract period
Completed
committee work
Conduct health checks
on Fayetteville ventures
through BRE program
Startup Junkie staff will
contact 50 ventures
Throughout 2-year
contract period
Businesses
contacted
Facilitate special
projects
Startup Junkie staff will
identify opportunities and
coordinate City efforts
Continuously
throughout
contract period
Opportunities
identified, pursued
Coordinate efforts for
Fayetteville’s
entrepreneurial
ecosystem
Startup Junkie will
cultivate and maintain
working relationships
with all relevant parties
Continuously
throughout
contract period
Community
partnerships
established and
cultivated
Startup Junkie Proposal - page 4 of 25
II. Consulting, technical assistance, and support for Fayetteville residents.
Through our team’s combined 80 years of working one-on-one with more than 3,400
entrepreneurs and innovators, we are intimately familiar with the challenges of starting a business,
from securing capital to attracting a qualified workforce to reaching customers through effective
marketing. Small businesses and entrepreneurs attest to the value of our services. Across nearly a
thousand engagements, we have a Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 96. According to Qualtrics, an
NPS above 80 is considered world-class. Our NPS of 96 puts us in the top percentile of
organizations across the globe.
Approach. At Startup Junkie, we are not just experts at challenges facing small businesses - we
are also experts at helping business owners overcome them. Our approach is to provide one-on-
one consulting to business owners and entrepreneurs. We offer guidance, advice, technical
support, and connection to resources. We meet business owners where they are and help them
with the stage they are in. For an entrepreneur in an idea stage, this may be testing concepts or
business plan development. For an existing business looking to scale, we can help with market
research, financial management, or customer discovery. Our team’s expertise is both broad and
deep, enabling us to meet the needs of a huge array of businesses and markets.
With the financial backing of the City of Fayetteville, we
provide this one-on-one consultation at no charge to
Fayetteville small business owners and entrepreneurs.
People can schedule a consultation with us directly
through our website, phone, or through a referral from the
City. We meet with people either virtually or in-person
and conduct follow-up consultations as needed.
Startup Junkie has a specific focus on reaching
underserved entrepreneurs. Since our inception, our team
has provided 5,000 consultations with 3,400 unique entrepreneurs. In 2022, our one-on-one
consultation clients were 59.8% women entrepreneurs and 35.3% racial minority entrepreneurs -
greatly exceeding both the national and state saturation of women- and minority-owned
businesses, as Table 2 below shows.
Table 2: Underserved Businesses / Entrepreneurs
Task Method Timeline
United States1 22% 21%
Arkansas 2 43.5% 13%
Startup Junkie one-on-one
Consulting Clients
59.8% 35.3%
1 US Census Annual Business Survey, 2022
2 SBA Arkansas Small Business Economic Profile, 2022
Startup Junkie Proposal - page 5 of 25
For the proposed contract, we seek to expand our audience of underserved entrepreneurs through
dedicated outreach efforts and an expanded FTE commitment (from 1.0 FTE to 1.84 FTE). We
expect that subcontracting with Startup Junkie Foundation will enable us to reach more women
and minority business owners and entrepreneurs with one-on-one consulting opportunities.
Interaction with the City of Fayetteville. Startup
Junkie will work closely with the City of Fayetteville to
accept referrals for one-on-one consultations from the
City, and to identify trends in challenges or opportunities
that we deduce from our ongoing one-on-one
consultations. We will report our metrics to the City
regularly.
Relevance to Economic Vitality Master Plan. Through this component of the proposed
contract, Startup Junkie will help the City implement Strategies 2 and 4 of its Economic Vitality
Master Plan. For example, Startup Junkie will provide targeted awareness of the City’s small
business resources through one-on-one consultations. Startup Junkie will host events and trainings
for women- and minority-owned businesses and raise awareness of micro-financing and small
dollar loan options for women and minority residents through our program Kiva NWA.
Table 3: Consulting, Technical Assistance, and Support for Fayetteville Residents
Task Method Timeline Metrics (Outputs)
Provide consultations
to Fayetteville
residents and business
owners
Meet one-on-one with
residents and business
owners; provide
assistance and
connect to resources
Continuously
throughout contract
period
# consultations
# entrepreneurs
# women-owned
ventures
# minority-owned
ventures
# veteran-owned
Ventures
III. Data Analysis and Tracking
Startup Junkie has long been dedicated to effective evaluation of small business growth and
vitality. We keep careful records of our own work as it relates to the success of our clients, and
we work closely with the City of Fayetteville to track and report both outputs (productivity) and
outcomes (impact). We have effective internal procedures for tracking data, and our staff are
adept at data analysis and communication.
“Everyone is very friendly. If you
want to get connected with the
startup scene, it’s the place to be.”
– Andrew Beers (consulting client)
Startup Junkie Proposal - page 6 of 25
Approach. We currently track and analyze the following data, specific to Fayetteville.
Outputs
● # entrepreneurs served through one-on-one high quality no-cost consulting, mentoring,
counseling, training, support, and assistance engagements
● # women-owned ventures
● # minority-owned ventures
● # veteran-owned ventures
● # events, workshops, and program engagements
● # attendees of events, workshops, and program engagements
Outcomes
● # net new jobs created on average per Fayetteville venture over the year.
● $# in private capital raised
● $# in public capital (grants, state and federal) secured
● # new products, services, and solutions brought to market
● # patents and patent applications
● # SBIR and STTR awards
● # unique Fayetteville retail, restaurant, and accommodation ventures assisted through
multiple ongoing and in-depth engagements
● 1 year and 5 year survival rates for new businesses
For the proposed contract, we aim to do more. We will continue to track the above outputs and
outcomes. However, we will work with the City to expand and refine this list of metrics, in
accordance with the City’s priorities and the Economic Vitality Master Plan. In the first year of
the contract, we will work with the City to establish accurate baselines for our outcomes. Then,
in each subsequent year of the contract, we will aim to increase our outcome metrics by 10%
year over year. To do this, we will collaborate with Startup Junkie Foundation’s Head of
Metrics, Systems, and Reporting to expand our capacity for data collection and analysis.
Interaction with the City of Fayetteville. Evaluating the health and growth of Fayetteville’s
small business and startup community will be a collaborative effort between Startup Junkie and
the City. Startup Junkie will work closely with the Department of Economic Vitality to identify
additional metrics (beyond those listed above) that will best illuminate progress toward the
City’s goals as outlined in the Economic Vitality Master Plan. We will report progress regularly
to the City and work together to address any challenges that arise.
Relevance to Economic Vitality Master Plan. Through this component of the proposed
contract, Startup Junkie will help the City evaluate progress toward all Strategies of its Economic
Vitality Master Plan. For example, Startup Junkie will provide engagement opportunities for
minority-, woman-, veteran-, and neurodiverse-owned businesses and track participation to
measure reach. We can also analyze the participation rates in one-on-one consulting and events
for members of the creative economy and for entrepreneurs in the arts, entertainment, and
recreation.
Startup Junkie Proposal - page 7 of 25
Table 4: Data Analysis and Tracking
Task Method Timeline Metric
Track outputs and
outcomes specific to
Fayetteville and to
this contract
Collect and analyze
additional outputs and
outcomes
Continuously
throughout contract
period
See list above; will
expand on this list
with City input
Report outputs and
outcomes to the City
of Fayetteville
Provide regular
updates to the Dept.
of Economic Vitality
Annually and as
requested by the
Dept. of Economic
Vitality
See list above; will
expand on this list
with City input
Scope of Work: Create Programming and Space for Entrepreneurship to Flourish
Rigorous outreach, networking, and entrepreneurial opportunities support a successful small
business ecosystem and ensure equitable access to historically underrepresented entrepreneurs.
Please see below for a description of Startup Junkie’s approach and planned coordination with
the City under this contract, followed by tables with our proposed tasks, timeline, and metrics.
I. Events and Education
Startup Junkie is committed to providing visible, accessible, high-quality events and networking
opportunities for Fayetteville entrepreneurs and small business owners. In 2023, we executed 67
events, workshops, and program engagements in Fayetteville alone, serving 7,247 attendees.
Please see Table 5 below for a sampling of the events Startup Junkie held in Fayetteville in 2023.
.
Table 5: Startup Junkie Fayetteville Sample Events, 2023
Event Date
HER Entrepreneur Journey Workshop* 1/10/23
Networking Happy Hour with Urban Cellar Winery 1/13/23
Startup Stories Aura Launch Party 2/3/23
Lunch & Learn: SEO: Drive Traffic to Your Website 2/10/23
Lunch & Learn: How to Develop Inclusive Leadership 2/16/23
Ederlee Lean Canvas Workshop 2/21/23
Meeting of The Minds Q1 2/21/23
HER Entrepreneur Journey Artpreneurs and Creatives Networking* 3/7/23
Lunch & Learn: Optimize Your Marketing Strategies 4/6/23
Perfecting the Pitch Workshop 4/20/23
Startup Junkie Proposal - page 8 of 25
Startup Stories with Boulders & Brews 4/28/23
Social Media and Photography Presentation* 5/3/23
Personal Values Lunch & Learn 5/17/23
Startup Stories with Boulders & Brews 5/25/23
Branding Workshop with Norris Design 6/7/23
Startup Junkie/H.I.R.E.D! Teacher Externship 6/14/23
Startup Stories with Andy Green 6/22/23
SLS Ground Breaking* 6/27/23
Lunch & Learn with My HR Pros 7/26/23
Lunch & Learn with US Patent & Trademark Office 8/11/23
Professional Development with United Bank 8/28/23
Startup Crawl 9/8/23
Lunch & Learn with the Organizer Chicks 9/12/23
Train the Teacher: Lean Canvas Workshop 9/28/23
Student Entrepreneurship Day at CenterSpace 9/29/23
Lunch & Learn with the Organizer Chicks 10/3/23
Lunch & Learn with Throughline 10/12/23
Lunch & Learn with Black Diamond Capital Advisory Firm 10/18/23
Lunch & Learn with Human Interest 10/24/23
Learn to Fund Your Business with Retirement Accounts! 11/3/23
Lunch & Learn: Misconceptions with Social Media Marketing 11/7/23
Government Certifications for Women, Minority, and Underserved Businesses* 11/9/23
Enspire Conference 2023 11/10/23
Productivity & Workflow Workshop 11/13/23
Networking: Coffee Crawl at Arsaga’s Mill District 11/14/23
Student Entrepreneurship Expo 11/15/23
Cybersecurity Lunch & Learn with Discerning Security 12/7/23
GameChangers: Live Podcasting with TheatreSquared* 12/11/23
Lunch & Learn with Friday Firm 12/14/23
* Events designed specifically for underrepresented and/or creative economy entrepreneurs
Startup Junkie Proposal - page 9 of 25
Approach. Startup Junkie will provide a regular schedule of no-cost in-person entrepreneurial
educational opportunities to educate, inspire, support, and connect the regional startup
community and entrepreneurial ecosystem. For the proposed contract, we will execute the
following cadence of 50 high impact no-cost events in Fayetteville annually. In addition to these
regular events, we will work with the Department of Economic Vitality to identify and deliver 20
additional tailored desired event engagements for Fayetteville entrepreneurs.
Table 6: Proposed Year One Schedule of Events by Startup Junkie
Type of Event* Description Sample Past
Event
Frequency in 12-
month period
Workshop Any topic addressing local
needs of entrepreneurs
Sample past event Monthly
Networking Event providing networking
opportunities in Fayetteville
Sample past event Monthly
Entrepreneurship /
Innovation Event
Event presented in partnership
with another relevant
organization
(Hosted by partner
organization)
Monthly
IdeaFame Pitch competition Sample past event Quarterly
Startup Stories Feature event at local startup Sample past event Quarterly
Gamechangers Live podcast Sample past event Quarterly
Startup weekend Weekend of education,
facilitation, and pitching of
ideas for entrepreneurs
Sample past event Annually
Startup Crawl Large-scale event celebrating
entrepreneurship and
highlighting local resources
Sample past event Annually
*A minimum of 6 of our total events will be focused on an underserved entrepreneurial group. In
addition, a minimum of 6 of our total events will be focused on the creative economy.
All in-person events will be held in Fayetteville. Presenters for events will include Startup Junkie
staff as well as partner organizations, individuals, and contracted professionals with deep
expertise in relevant areas. Startup Junkie’s Head of Events and Marketing will oversee this
project component. We aim to achieve 70 events and 8,000 attendees as a benchmark in year
one, with a goal of increasing audience participation by 10% year over year thereafter.
Startup Junkie Proposal - page 10 of 25
Interaction with the City of
Fayetteville. Startup Junkie will work
with the City to promote events and
ensure that the event schedule is ideal
for Fayetteville residents and other
City activities. We will seek input
from the City to help us identify,
develop, and deliver events on
additional topics needed by
Fayetteville’s current and aspiring
entrepreneurs.
Relevance to Economic Vitality Master Plan. Through this component of the proposed
contract, Startup Junkie will help the City implement Strategies 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, and 8 of its
Economic Vitality Master Plan. For example, Startup Junkie will create and promote a woman-
and minority-owned business education program with structured curriculum on intellectual
property, product development, marketing, commercialization, SBIR/STTR grants, negotiation,
contractual agreements, finance and capital opportunities, and platform-based retail. Every year,
Startup Junkie presents programming specific to women- and minority-owned businesses, so this
is already a focus. In accordance with the Master Plan, we will present 6 events, workshops, and
program engagements per year focused on underserved entrepreneurs, and 6 events focused on
artists and the creative economy.
Table 7: Events and Education
Task Method Timeline Metric
Solicit input from
City on education
topics relevant to
entrepreneurs and in
alignment with Plan
Startup Junkie staff
works with Dept. of
Economic Vitality
to gather input
Beginning of
contract period
Compiled list of topics for
events
Develop, promote,
and present regular
no-cost in-person and
virtual events
Startup Junkie staff
uses current
procedures to
schedule, promote,
and present events
Continuously
throughout
contract period
(approx. 4
events per
month)
# events (target: 70)
# attendees (target: 8,000*)
# events for underrepresented
entrepreneurs (target: 6)
# events for the creative
economy (target: 6)
*For year 1 of the contract period. We will aspire to 10% year-over-year growth thereafter.
Startup Junkie Proposal - page 11 of 25
II. Collaboration Space and Programming
Located in the heart of downtown Fayetteville in the Pryor Center, Startup Junkie is a visible
leader for the City’s small business and startup community. We are focused on bringing people
together downtown in support of our small businesses and startups. Please see below for a
description of Startup Junkie’s approach and planned coordination with the City under this
contract, followed by tables outlining our proposed tasks, timeline, and metrics.
Approach. Should this new contract be awarded, Startup Junkie will commit to continue to
occupy and maintain CenterSpace, a collaborative free working space for use by the
entrepreneurial community for the purposes of learning, co-working, and convening. This space
includes no-cost day use co-working space (including complimentary Wi-Fi) for entrepreneurs.
We also provide a no-cost conference room that entrepreneurs can book online for daytime use.
CenterSpace also serves as Startup Junkie’s primary location for leading virtual and in-person
one-on-one consulting engagements with Fayetteville entrepreneurs. Our CenterSpace is in
demand in the Fayetteville community. As an example, in 2023, 2,600 community members used
the conference room at no charge for their offsite meetings. CenterSpace costs Startup Junkie
$65,000 annually to operate.
To celebrate entrepreneurship and highlight small
businesses, Startup Junkie will present our signature large-
scale event, Startup Crawl. Presented annually, Startup
Crawl is the largest entrepreneurship- and innovation-
focused event in Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma.
Despite active interest from other Northwest Arkansas
cities such as Bentonville, thanks to support from the City
of Fayetteville, Startup Junkie has hosted this event in
Fayetteville, where it has become a title event for the City
(this event cost approximately $50,000/year to execute).
Should this contract be awarded, Startup Junkie will
continue to lead this fabric of the community event that's
loved by all, in Fayetteville. Startup Crawl draws 3,000
attendees from across the country who sample beer from
local craft breweries and listen to live music while visiting
local startups’ booths in the Pryor Center and around the
downtown square. Young companies and innovative
thinkers promote their businesses and ideas to a large
audience. Startup Crawl celebrates Fayetteville’s vibrant entrepreneurial community and
showcases the resources available in Fayetteville. In 2023, we hosted more than 3,000 attendees,
70 participating ventures, and 14 breweries, along with music by Sister Hazel.
In 2024, should we be awarded this contract, we will keep the Startup Crawl in Fayetteville, and
continue to make it the largest entrepreneurship- and innovation-focused event in the region and
ensure that inclusion and diversity are centered at the event. We aim to attract 3,300 attendees
and increase our audience by at least 10% year over year thereafter. We will also continue to
engage with our local arts, music, and food scene and key community partners. In alignment with
Startup Junkie Proposal - page 12 of 25
the City’s Economic Vitality Master Plan, in 2025 we will expand Startup Crawl to a multiple-
day event and add professional development and educational offerings to continue to grow its
reach and impact.
Interaction with the City of Fayetteville. Startup Junkie and Startup Junkie will work closely
with the City on the logistics of presenting the event downtown as well as promotion to local
leaders and community members.
Relevance to Economic Vitality Master Plan. Through this component of the proposed
contract, Startup Junkie will help the City implement Strategies 2, 4, and 5 of its Economic
Vitality Master Plan. In response to Strategy 5 of the Plan, we will expand Startup Crawl to a
multiple-day event.
Table 8: Collaboration Space and Programming
Task Method Timeline Metric
Host entrepreneurs at
CenterSpace
Provide no-cost co-
working and
conference space
Continuously
throughout contract
period
# entrepreneurs
reserving conference
space (target: 1,540)
Develop and present
Startup Crawl
Startup Junkie plans
and presents multi-day
event in coordination
with City
Annually in the fall # of participating
startups (target: 80)
# attendees (target:
3,300 in 2024)
III. Focused Support for Members of the Creative Economy, Women, People of Color,
and Other Historically Underrepresented Groups
As a small business owned and led by service-disabled veterans, women, and minorities, Startup
Junkie is focused on democratizing entrepreneurship through support for historically
underrepresented groups, including women, people of color, and creative economy
entrepreneurs. Our Head of Underserved Entrepreneurship manages our Kiva loan program (see
below) and organizes our efforts around our DEI work. She is fluent in Spanish and English, and
also has Tourette Syndrome.
Approach. Our support of underrepresented entrepreneurs consists of three approaches: 1) one-
on-one no-cost consulting and counseling, 2) tailored events, and 3) accessible capital. Of our
one-on-one consulting clients, 59.8% are women and 35.3% are minorities, which greatly
exceeds their saturation rates (please see Table 2 on page 4). For the proposed contract, we will
maintain a 50%/35% concentration of women and minorities among our consulting clients.
Every year, we provide events and programs designed specifically to address disproportionate
barriers that female and minority entrepreneurs face. For example, our “HER Entrepreneur
Journey” series offers regular events led by and for female entrepreneurs (see 2023 events
schedule on pages 7-8). In the last 2 years alone, we developed and hosted 39 events specific to
Startup Junkie Proposal - page 13 of 25
underserved entrepreneurs, with a total attendance of 1,606. We served as facilitators or panelists
for an additional 19 events in partnership with community-led organizations such as Conexión de
Negocios Latinos and Canopy Northwest Arkansas. Finally, we also participated in 6 events led
by underrepresented communities, including the 2023 Black Business Expo which was attended
by 2,000 people. Demand for these events is on the rise - total attendance at our events
specific to underrepresented entrepreneurs increased by 26% last year (894 in 2023
compared to 712 in 2022). We will build on this success in the contract period, aiming for at
least a 10% increase year over year at these events.
Our Head of Underserved Entrepreneurship oversees our Kiva program, which we base in
Fayetteville and which provides female founders and entrepreneurs of color access to crowd-
funded, zero-interest, no-fee microloans. Since launching in December 2019, Kiva has facilitated
fully funded loans collectively totaling $1.1 million. 95% of these businesses were women- or
minority-owned; 25% of all of our loans go to African American business owners,16% to
Hispanic business owners, and 8% to Pacific Islander business owners. More than 70% of our
loans go to women-owned businesses. Since the inception of Kiva, Fayetteville has been our top
city for loans. For the proposed contract, we aim to make at least 20 loans in Fayetteville
annually, with $150,000 in total annual distribution.
Startup Junkie also supports the creative economy by
providing one-on-one ongoing, intensive and
customized consulting, advisory support, counseling,
and technical assistance to creative economy
entrepreneurs. In addition to providing our own
expertise, we hire fractional consultants to help niche
clients, such as helping a band form an LLC. We also
work with Art Ventures to showcase their artists’ work
for sale at CenterSpace and host maker fairs that
promote creative entrepreneurs. We incorporate artists and creative economy leaders into Startup
Crawl and support the City’s systemic efforts to bolster the creative economy. Finally, we also
pursue special projects with creative partners. For example, in 2022, we partnered with the
Music Education Initiative to highlight local musicians. We also had a networking event for
“artpreneurs” at the gallery of a local artist and invited other artists to speak about their journey.
We will bring this event back in fall 2024.
For the proposed contract, we will continue our marketing and outreach efforts to attract and
serve female and minority entrepreneurs through one-on-one consulting and events. Our Head of
Underserved Entrepreneurship will work with the Department of Economic Vitality to identify
and implement specific efforts to remove barriers to entrepreneurship for women and people of
color. We will continue to pursue partnerships and special opportunities to support artpreneurs.
For the proposed contract, we will host 6 events focused on artists and the creative economy.
Interaction with the City of Fayetteville. Startup Junkie staff will work with the Department of
Economic Vitality to identify and deliver strategies for supporting underrepresented
entrepreneurs. Our Head of Metrics, Systems, and Reporting will communicate with the City on
metrics specific to this effort and work one-on-one with the Dept. of Economic Vitality.
“I know I can always go back to
them to get new advice, new
suggestions and know that I’m
going to feel confident in every
interaction with their team.” –
Cedric Fonville, NICE NWA
Startup Junkie Proposal - page 14 of 25
Relevance to the Economic Vitality Master Plan. Through this component of the proposed
contract, Startup Junkie will help the City implement Strategies 1, 2, 3, and 8 of its Economic
Vitality Master Plan. For example, through one-on-one consulting and events, Startup Junkie
will communicate educational opportunities and resources with accessibility to artists in mind.
Table 9: Focused Support for Historically Underrepresented Groups
Task Method Timeline Metric
Provide one-on-one
consulting to women
entrepreneurs
Outreach to female
entrepreneurs;
address barriers and
challenges
Continuously
throughout contract
period
% of one-on-one
consulting clients that
are women (target:
50%+)
Provide one-on-one
consulting to minority
entrepreneurs
Outreach to minority
entrepreneurs;
address barriers and
challenges
Continuously
throughout contract
period
% of one-on-one
consulting clients that
are minority
entrepreneurs (target:
35%+)
Provide one-on-one
consulting to creative
economy
entrepreneurs
Outreach to creative
economy
entrepreneurs;
address barriers
Continuously
throughout contract
period
# creative economy
entrepreneurs (target:
25 annually)
Present events
tailored to needs of
women, minority
entrepreneurs
Develop, schedule,
and host in-person
and virtual events
Regularly
throughout contract
period (Startup
Junkie hosts avg 4
events/month)
# of events per year
(target: 6)
# event attendees
Present events
tailored to needs of
creative economy
entrepreneurs
Develop, schedule,
and host in-person
and virtual events
Regularly
throughout contract
period (Startup
Junkie hosts avg 4
events/month)
# of events per year
(target: 6)
# event attendees
Provide access to
zero-interest, no-fee
microloans for female
and minority
entrepreneurs
Operate Kiva NWA
program which
leverages crowd
funding for loans
Continuously
throughout contract
period
# loans (target: 20
annually)
#$ loans (target:
$150,000 annually)
Scope of Work: Provide Technical Assistance and Support to the Dept of Economic Vitality
For the proposed project, Startup Junkie will work as an extension of the Department of
Economic Vitality team to implement the Economic Vitality Master Plan, identify opportunities
Startup Junkie Proposal - page 15 of 25
and challenges, and measure success. Please see below for a description of Startup Junkie’s
approach and planned coordination with the City under this contract, followed by tables outlining
our proposed tasks, methods, timelines, and metrics.
I. Technical Assistance and Support to the Department of Economic Vitality
Startup Junkie is the “go-to” source for Fayetteville entrepreneurs and the City’s strong
relationships with them. Currently, our support for the City includes:
● 1 FTE equivalent provided to Department of Economic Vitality
● Monthly one-on-one meeting with Director of Economic Vitality
● Monthly meeting with Mayor on entrepreneurship within Economic Vitality
● Monthly report to Director of Economic Vitality
● Annual report that includes outputs, outcomes, and success stories presented to Director of
Economic Vitality and City
● Open lines of communication with the Director of Economic Vitality
Approach. To accomplish the ambitious goals of the Master Plan, we are proposing an increased
commitment to the City from Startup Junkie moving forward. We will continue our meeting and
reporting structure as outlined above. However, we would like to (at the discretion of the
Department of Economic Vitality) include our project Head of Underserved Entrepreneurship
and Head of Events and Marketing in these meetings as well, so that we can bring even more
expertise to the table.
To increase commitment, we will also increase the FTE equivalents dedicated to the City, from
1.0 to 1.84. Ten (10) different Startup Junkie team members will engage with the City, providing
a wider range of expertise and community relationships. This team will provide technical
assistance to the City in the following ways.
Serve as Extension of the Department of Economic Vitality Team. We will provide expertise
and integrate technical assistance as needed to support the City’s efforts in relation to
entrepreneurship and innovation.
Master Plan Implementation. We will work closely with the Department of Economic Vitality
to assist with implementation of the strategies and action items that relate to small business and
entrepreneurship in the Master Plan, once the Plan is adopted by the Fayetteville City Council.
Please see our “List of Project Personnel” section for details about the contributions of our Team.
Analyze current strategies. During our monthly meetings and regular communication with the
Department of Economic Vitality and City Team, we will discuss and analyze the City’s current
range of economic strategies (especially those focused on entrepreneurship and innovation),
along with the current status and progress of action items.
24/7 Support. Startup Junkie will increase communication to 24:7 communication between all
members of the Department of Economic Vitality (at the Department’s discretion) and our
project team. We believe this will nurture a lock-step partnership that will enable successful
achievement of the City’s goals.
Startup Junkie Proposal - page 16 of 25
Interaction with the City of Fayetteville. We will dedicate 1.84 FTE equivalents to the City
under the proposed contract. In addition to 24/7 support, we will have monthly meetings with the
Director of Economic Vitality and the Mayor. We will submit monthly and annual reports to the
City to track metrics and success of the Economic Vitality Plan. Please see Table 9 below for an
outline of the increase in commitment to the City we are proposing.
Relevance to the Economic Vitality Master Plan. Regular communication and coordination
will be key to accomplishing the City’s goals as outlined in the Plan. Please see the following
section for discussion of the ways in which Startup Junkie is fully aligned with Plan
implementation.
Table 10: Increased Technical Assistance / Support to the Dept. of Economic Vitality
SJ Current Commitment SJ Proposed Increased Commitment
1.0 FTE equivalents dedicated to Dept. of
Economic Vitality
1.84 FTE equivalents dedicated to Dept. of
Economic Vitality
Open communication between Dept. of
Economic Vitality and Project Team leaders
24/7 communication between Dept. of
Economic Vitality and all members of
Startup Junkie’s Project Team
Monthly meetings between one member of
SJ team and Director of Dept. of Economic
Vitality
Monthly meetings between three members
of SJ team and Director of Dept. of
Economic Vitality
Monthly meetings between one member of
SJ team and Mayor
Monthly meetings between three members
of SJ team and Mayor
Monthly reports to Director of Dept. of
Economic Vitality
Monthly reports to Director of Dept. of
Economic Vitality including increased
metrics aligned with Master Plan
Annual report and presentation to City Annual report and presentation to City
including extensive evaluation of progress
toward Master Plan strategies
II. Economic Vitality Master Plan Implementation
Startup Junkie is fully aligned with the City’s Economic Vitality Master Plan. Having assisted in
its creation and supported the City through the planning process, we are uniquely positioned to
assist the City with its successful implementation. Please see below for a description of Startup
Junkie’s approach and planned coordination with the City under this contract, followed by tables
outlining our proposed tasks, methods, timelines, and metrics.
Startup Junkie Proposal - page 17 of 25
Approach. Startup Junkie will dedicate 1.84 FTE equivalents to the proposed contract and
implementation of the Master Plan. While we are proposing a contract which would assist the
City in implementing all strategies of the Master Plan, we have structured our project team to
delve deeply into the following strategies.
Streamlining pathways to entrepreneurship and eliminating barriers to entry. Claudia Scott
will serve as our Head of Underserved Entrepreneurship for the proposed project. Scott is a
leader in our community with a strong track record of success in her career and at Startup Junkie.
As a woman, minority, and professional with Tourette Syndrome, she understands how to
eliminate barriers to entry for entrepreneurs. There is simply no one better to lead addressing the
needs of historically disadvantaged entrepreneurs than Claudia.
Claudia assists historically underserved communities at the highest level. At Startup Junkie, she
leads capital access programs focused on the underserved in Fayetteville, such as the Kiva
Program. She also provides intensive one-on-one no-cost counseling, consulting, and advisory
support for historically underserved entrepreneurs. An expert in launching and deploying events,
workshops, and programs focused on assisting underserved entrepreneurs, Claudia ensures that
our entire team weaves diversity, equity and inclusion work into everything we do. Our Project
Head of Events, Workshops, and Programs will work with Claudia to ensure that we provide a
world class offering of support for our underserved community members.
Targeting technical assistance and resources for historically disadvantaged small business
owners and entrepreneurs. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are interwoven into all the work that
Startup Junkie does. For the proposed contract, our Project Director of Events and Marketing,
Victoria Dickerson, will launch regular events aimed specifically at underserved entrepreneurs.
Please see a discussion of our support on pages 12-14.
Startup Junkie also has a specific focus on serving veterans who help our small business
community thrive. Startup Junkie itself is a veteran owned small business, with three veterans on
our team, including two service-disabled veterans. Our large and often overlooked population of
veterans will receive much needed support from our expert team for the proposed project,
including intensive no-cost and on-going one-on-one advisory support and counseling, as well as
events, workshops and programs such as Veteran Venture Leaders (sample event here:
https://www.nwahomepage.com/lifestyle/good-day-nwa-veteran-venture-leaders/).
Facilitating and Supporting the Expansion and Retention of Fayetteville’s Small Businesses.
Startup Junkie will support expansion and retention through monthly, weekly, and daily one-on-
one BRE checks with Fayetteville businesses. Through these regular checks and status updates,
we will provide maximum support to Fayetteville small businesses, ensuring they stay in
business, continue building strong roots in Fayetteville, and grow at a robust rate. Our checks are
supported by our large network of SME mentors that can assist one-on-one on a variety of topics
ranging from human resources to branding and Internet Protocol.
Building a robust culture of customer service for small businesses in Fayetteville & and
prioritizing economic growth and resiliency of restaurants, bars, and hotels as well the arts
and entertainment industry. To accomplish this, Startup Junkie will build upon the successful
Startup Junkie Proposal - page 18 of 25
model of growth and expansion of multinational franchise operations such as Slim Chickens, for
which the principals of Startup Junkie have been advisors and investors for nearly ten years. By
engaging experts in franchise growth, we will help identify and bolster restaurant, bar, arts, and
entertainment businesses originated in Fayetteville to achieve regional and national expansion.
The same approach, for example, grew Buff City Soap to more than 1,000 locations in less than
two years. Fayetteville-based concepts with the right operating model can grow to significance
while maintaining high-wage-rate and high salary headquarters locations in Fayetteville. Startup
Junkie will bring the expertise to the proposed project to drive this type of success for the City.
Interaction with the City of Fayetteville & Relevance to Master Plan. Please see Table 9 for
the logistics of planned interaction with the City. We will work with the Department of
Economic Vitality to identify outcomes for this contract that align closely with the Master Plan
and help achieve its goals.
Timeline. We will be available to the City 24/7 for implementation of this project and fulfillment
of the Master Plan. Please see the “Methods and Approach” section for timeline of specific tasks
relevant to the Master Plan.
Scope of Work/Deliverables
Startup Junkie will continue to track and analyze detailed metrics to measure success and report
regularly to the City. For the proposed contract, we will track the following deliverables for year
one of the contract. In addition to these, we will work with the Department of Economic Vitality
to establish other data points the City would like Startup Junkie to add to our evaluation.
Support a Collaborative Entrepreneurial and Startup Environment
● # entrepreneurs served through one-on-one high-quality no-cost consulting, mentoring,
counseling, training, support, and assistance engagements (target: 520+)
○ #/% women-owned ventures
○ #/% minority-owned ventures
○ #/% veteran-owned ventures
○ #/% creative economy entrepreneurs
● # Fayetteville businesses contacted through the BRE program to ensure growth and address
challenges (target: 50)
Create Programming and Spaces for Entrepreneurship to Flourish
● # visible, accessible, high-quality events, workshops, networking, and program engagements
for Fayetteville entrepreneurs (target: 70+)
● # attendees of events, workshops, networking, and program engagements (target: 7,972)
● # events specifically for underrepresented entrepreneurs (target: 6)
● # events specifically for the creative economy (target: 6)
● # entrepreneurs reserving CenterSpace conference space downtown (target: 1,540)
● # of participating startups in annual Startup Crawl event (target: 80+)
● # attendees of annual Startup Crawl event (target: 3,300 in 2024)
● # zero-interest, no-fee microloans for female and minority entrepreneurs issued through Kiva
Northwest Arkansas annually (20)
● #$ of loans issued through Kiva Northwest Arkansas annually ($150,000)
Startup Junkie Proposal - page 19 of 25
Maintaining a rigorous and innovative schedule of consultations and events is critical to helping
the City achieve its Master Plan goals. However, the true value of Startup Junkie’s work shines
through our outcomes. These measure the results of the services that we provide and demonstrate
the growth of local startups and our small business economy. Below are the outcomes we will
measure through the proposed contract. In year one of the contract, we will work with the City to
establish accurate baselines for these metrics. Thereafter, we will aspire to increase outcome
measurements by 10% year over year.
Outcomes
● # net new jobs created on average per Fayetteville venture annually
● $# in private capital raised
● $# in public capital (grants, state and federal) secured
● # new products, services, and solutions brought to market
● # patents and patent applications
● # SBIR and STTR awards
● # unique Fayetteville retail, restaurant, and accommodation ventures assisted through
multiple ongoing and in-depth engagements
● 1 year and 5 year survival rates for new businesses
Success Stories
Finally, our deliverables under the proposed contract will include success stories which highlight
the impact of our work on individual businesses and entrepreneurs. Below is a sampling of
success stories from our work in Fayetteville. We will track these types of successes to report to
the City in the proposed contract.
● B-Unlimited, an advanced manufacturing company, grew from $2M in revenue and 10
employees to $12M in revenue and 100+ employees.
● Phigenics, a water quality and safety company, went from idea stage to $50M valuation and
$36M in revenue. It grew to have 140 high-wage employees serving major Fortune 100
companies, hospital systems, and the federal government.
● OurPharma, a pharmaceutical manufacturing company, started with a University business
plan and no employees and grew to a major manufacturing facility and company valued at
$25M with more than 50 employees.
● Ozark Integrated Circuits, a semiconductor company, had 20 highly educated high-wage
engineers and is now a world leader in harsh environment electronics with solutions for
space, hypersonic jet engineer controls, and deep-well geothermal. The company has a 90%
SBIR win rate from multiple agencies and is fully transitioning to production.
● Lapovations, a medical device company, began with University research to recently raising
a $14M investment round. The device has already been approved by the FDA and has been
performing well in clinical trials.
● Slim Chickens, a tech enabled scalable food venture, went from 12 locations to more than
220 locations and 1,100 store commitments worldwide.
● Natural Way Food Group, a CPG food manufacturing and e-commerce company, moved
from the idea stage to raising more than $1M in capital and achieving distribution in over
1,000 storefronts nationwide.
● The Shops at Brick City, a brick & mortar and omnichannel tech enabled retail venture,
grew from one original struggling location to two massive tech-enabled thriving locations
Startup Junkie Proposal - page 20 of 25
with more than 200 small businesses incubated and hosted within. The company provides a
key bridge for Arkansas small businesses between idea and scale.
● AcreTrader, a farming and investment software company, moved from idea stage to
commercialization and through a $50M Series B at a $400M valuation with more than 100
high-wage employees. The company brings liquidity to family farms and investment access
to an overlooked asset class.
Qualifications and Experience
Startup Junkie is Fayetteville’s trusted leader in the development of viable, lasting, and inclusive
startup and venture ecosystems. For more than 15 years, we have been providing entrepreneur
support, promoting innovation, commercializing technology, and building entrepreneurial
ecosystems in underserved communities across Fayetteville.
Our world class team has 80 years of experience
helping entrepreneurs and innovators reach their
goals. Each year, we provide one-on-one
consulting to more than 1,000 small businesses,
present more than 200 events/workshops/
programming for entrepreneurs, award $150,000 -
$200,000 in Kiva microloan funding for
underrepresented entrepreneurs, host a fuel
accelerator program which attracts global
companies to our community, and produce a
podcast that ranks among the top 2.5% of
podcasts globally.
We help small businesses get results. Since 2008, our work has resulted in the creation and
acceleration of hundreds of new ventures, thousands of new jobs, and over $850M in private
capital and $40M in public capital (SBIR/STTR/etc.). We have helped clients secure more than
200 patents and 500 trademarks, as well as bring over 2,000 new products, services, and
solutions to market. We have helped entrepreneurs generate more than $1B in revenue. Support
for our efforts has come through funding and partnerships with Innovate Arkansas, the US
Department of Commerce, ARK Challenge startup accelerator, Ozarks Regional Innovation
Cluster, ScaleUp America, AEDC, Winrock International, the Walton Family Foundation, Small
Business Administration, Northwest Arkansas Council, and the US Department of Agriculture.
Experience with Similar Projects/Contracts
For the past 8 years, Startup Junkie has been the City of Fayetteville’s trusted partner in
nurturing innovative, resilient small businesses. As an example, our 2021 - 2022 contract with
Fayetteville resulted in 889 new jobs created, 15 SBIR/STTR awards secured by Fayetteville
ventures, facilitation of the Ark Angel Alliance investment group, 2,600 people accessing free
coworking space downtown, and 183 events attracting 12,579 attendees, among other successes.
Perhaps most impactful in Fayetteville is our one-on-one consulting. As an example, in 2021 -
2022, we served 881 Fayetteville entrepreneurs through 898 high quality free consulting,
mentoring, counseling, training, support, and assistance engagements. Of these, 326 were
“I like [Startup Junkie’s] multi-prong
approach to programming. They have a
lot of great resources, workshops, events,
networking events, programmatic
offerings. I think they’ve built out a really
nice network of service providers and
fellow founders to collaborative with.”
– Elizabeth Prenger, Prose Creative &
Ossicle
Startup Junkie Proposal - page 21 of 25
women-owned ventures, 188 were minority-owned ventures, and 39 were veteran-owned
ventures - demonstrating our commitment to removing barriers for underrepresented
entrepreneurs.
In the past 5 years, Startup Junkie has engaged with the US Small Business Administration
(SBA), the Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC), Arkansas Children’s
Hospital, Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, Arkansas
Small Business Technology & Development Center, Rural Local Initiatives Support Corporation,
North Forget, Walmart, ArcBest, Arvest Bank, the Korea International Trade Association, and
the United States Department of Agriculture (please see Attachment C for four references).
Please see below for some highlights from our current/recent contracts.
● US Small Business Administration (SBA): For nearly the past 10 years, we have led the
SBA funded Ozarks Regional Innovation Cluster. We have made Fayetteville the epicenter
of this effort, and the scope of this contract nicely matches the goals of the City of
Fayetteville Master Plan. Through this contract we are focused on building a robust
innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem in the Ozarks region, where we choose
Fayetteville as the epicenter. We have also executed a Prime Conductor Regional Innovation
Cluster contract to accelerate the entrepreneurial ecosystem and regional cluster across
Central Arkansas focused on healthcare, education, and data/decision science (2018-2024)
and a Rural LISC Community Navigator contract to expand outreach efforts and provide
technical assistance to entrepreneurs and small business owners (2021-2023).
● Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC): Through the support of the
Arkansas Economic Development Commission, we have led the two most successful
accelerator programs in the state for the past 5 years: The Fuel Accelerator program and the
10x Accelerator Program. We have deployed multiple accelerator cohorts with the overall
goal of driving economic development in the community (2018-present).
● Arkansas Small Business Technology & Development Center (ASBTDC): Through the
LEAF (Latinx Entrepreneurs and Families) program, we created a program specifically
aimed at Latinx small business owners with technical assistance programming in both
English and Spanish (2021).
● Walton Family Foundation: The Walton Family Foundation has supported Startup Junkie
by funding programmatic efforts. WFF has helped the Fuel Accelerator program succeed
through continuous support; Fuel has added more than 100 jobs to the regional economy as a
result. WFF also supports the NWA Kiva program which provides access to capital for
underserved and underbanked entrepreneurs.
Company’s primary business interest and/or operations including any affiliations
Startup Junkie Consulting, a veteran owned small business led by women, minorities, and
service-disabled veterans, marked its beginnings in 2008 and formally organized as an LLC in
2011 by offering consulting services at no-cost to entrepreneurs. In order to expand the reach,
impact, and depth of services, Startup Junkie Foundation was born in 2015 as a 501(c)3
nonprofit. As the two organizations share the same purpose, mission, vision, and values, the team
is jointly building the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Startup Junkie's mission is to inspire and
empower existing and aspiring entrepreneurs, innovators, and small business leaders.
Startup Junkie Proposal - page 22 of 25
Our organization offers a broad array of services, including but not limited to:
● One-on-one Consulting & Counseling: Individualized consulting services for
entrepreneurs, startups, and growth-oriented small businesses. This includes assistance
through various stages of the entrepreneurial journey, from idea creation and validation to
scaling and exiting. Thanks to funding from the City of Fayetteville, we are able to offer this
at no charge to the entrepreneur.
● Inclusive Events, Workshops, and Programs: A world class portfolio of events,
workshops, and programs designed for a diverse and equitable entrepreneurial ecosystem.
● Outreach: Outreach efforts aimed at educating key community stakeholders on the value of
an inclusive, diverse, and equitable entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem.
● Accessible Coworking Space: Thanks to funding from the City of Fayetteville, we offer no-
cost coworking at CenterSpace, located in the Pryor Center. This space costs roughly
$65,000/year to operate. If we win this contract, we will commit to keeping this space in
Fayetteville and on the Fayetteville square.
● Event Hosting and Meeting Spaces: Spaces for meetings, workshops, and other offsite
gatherings, emphasizing community building and networking among entrepreneurs.
Startup Junkie's operations are deeply rooted in the entrepreneurial community, aiming to
eliminate barriers to entrepreneurship and make resources and support accessible to everyone
interested in starting or growing their businesses. The organization has established a reputation
for its outcome-focused approach, working with thousands of businesses and reaching an
expansive audience through consulting, events, digital media, and an arsenal of other resources.
Startup Junkie's efforts are supported by a variety of partners, including the Walton Family
Foundation, the USDA, the EDA, the University of Arkansas, the U.S. Small Business
Administration, the City of Fayetteville, KAIST, KOTRA, and the Arkansas Economic
Development Commission.
List of Project Personnel
Startup Junkie brings to the City of Fayetteville a talented team with deep expertise in every
stage of small business development. Since 2011, our consultants have provided Northwest
Arkansas and surrounding communities with key business/startup support and have spurred
economic development through one-on-one engagements, events, workshops, and programming.
In tandem with that effort, Startup Junkie Foundation was formed in 2015 to provide additional
support to new business owners, expanding our reach, impact, and depth of services.
Both Startup Junkie Consulting, LLC and our partner organization Startup Junkie Foundation
(through subcontract) will provide residents of the City with tailored business support and
consultant services under the proposed contract, with Startup Junkie Consulting’s executive and
senior consultant team providing senior level strategic input for the project.
Ten (10) members of the Startup Junkie team will facilitate the requirements of this project. All
are permanent, full-time employees who will dedicate various portions of their 1.0 FTE
equivalents to the project. Combined, our budget includes 1.84 FTE equivalents to the
Department of Economic Vitality.
Please see the following organizational chart for the proposed project. Following this chart is a
list of project personnel. Resumes for each team member are attached to this proposal.
Startup Junkie Proposal - page 23 of 25
Startup Junkie Consulting, LLC
JEFF AMERINE- Project Director and Senior Consultant
BRETT AMERINE- Deputy Project Director and Senior Consultant
DR. JEFF STANDRIDGE- Senior Consultant & SME
PHYL AMERINE- Consultant
Startup Junkie Foundation
CALEB TALLEY- Deputy Project Director and Senior Consultant
MATTHEW WARD- Head of Metrics, Systems, and Reporting
VICTORIA DICKERSON- Head of Events & Marketing
GRACE GILL- Consultant
CLAUDIA SCOTT- Head of Underserved Entrepreneurship
HARRISON KITSON- Project Associate (Kiva) & Consultant
Availability
For the past 8 years, Startup Junkie has prioritized the City of Fayetteville’s contract among
other commitments. Though we have global impact and reach, we are firmly committed to
supporting startups and small businesses in our own backyard. As a contributor to the City of
Fayetteville’s Economic Vitality Master Plan, we are eager to see the City’s strategies come to
fruition. Since our staff have already been engaged with this work with the City, we are available
to continue our contracted services. Startup Junkie Foundation has the capacity to contribute
Startup Junkie Proposal - page 24 of 25
through the expanded personnel commitment we are proposing. The work their team will do as a
subcontractor aligns with their strategic plans, and they have structured their team and their time
commitments accordingly.
Financial support from the City for this project would allow our consultants to continue to
provide no-cost services to Fayetteville entrepreneurs. Contracted services would also strengthen
our ongoing efforts to reach small business owners from our underserved communities who face
additional barriers to founding successful ventures. Finally, in partnering with the City, Startup
Junkie would have the resources necessary to improve our ability to measure and communicate
the impact of our coaching and programs.
Listing of All Fees
All fees and allocations associated with this project are itemized below. Startup Junkie is
proposing a total annual fee of $250,024.32 which includes only direct labor from Startup Junkie
Consulting, LLC, labor by subcontractor Startup Junkie Foundation, and a small overhead fee.
We do not propose an annual increase each year due to inflation. Should the contract be renewed
for additional two-year periods, the annual fee will remain the same.
Payment schedule will be monthly payments of $20,835.36 for 12 months each contract year, for
which Startup Junkie will submit monthly invoices to the City. At the direction of the
Department of Economic Vitality, level quarterly payments would be acceptable as well;
however, we will still provide monthly updates to the City.
In order to maximize impact and serve as good stewards of Fayetteville tax dollars, Startup
Junkie will leverage other funding sources that we take the initiative to secure to cover all other
program materials, supplies, and facilities necessary to successfully execute this project. The
$65,000 annual cost of our free-to-the-public CenterSpace on the Fayetteville square – which
hosts our no-cost events, workshops, and coworking programming – will also be covered
through secured sponsorships and non-City funding we take the initiative to identify. We view
this as an opportunity to act as good stewards of Fayetteville tax dollars and direct City funding
entirely towards our staff expertise in supporting entrepreneurs.
Table 11: Listing of All Fees
Year 1 Year 2
Direct Labor $161,054.40 $161,054.40
Subcontract (Startup Junkie)
Subtotal $77,064.00 $77,064.00
Subtotal $238,118.40 $238,118.40
Fee (Includes overhead) 5% 5%
Firm Fixed Price Total $250,024.32 $250,024.32
Startup Junkie Proposal - page 25 of 25
Startup Junkie estimates that it will take 3,827 total staff hours to complete the proposed scope of
services, contributed by 10 Startup Junkie staff leaders with broad and complimentary expertise.
Table 12: Project Team Member Estimated Fee & Estimated Hourly Rate Breakdown
Employee Hourly
Rate
Hours Per
Year to Project
% of Total
1.0 FTE Time
Total
Startup Junkie Consulting, LLC
Project Director & Senior Consultant $87 728 35% $63,336.00
Project Director and Sr Consultant 2 $87 707 34% $61,526.40
Consultant 2 $87 208 10% $18,096.00
Senior Consultant and SME $87 208 10% $18,096.00
Direct Labor Subtotal $161,054.40
Startup Junkie Foundation (Subcontractor)
Project Director and Senior
Consultant $39
707
34% $27,580.80
Head of Metrics, Systems, and
Reporting $39
208
10% $8,112.00
Head of Events and Marketing $39 333 16% $12,979.20
Head of Underserved
Entrepreneurship $39
333
16% $12,979.20
Consultant $39 208 10% $8,112.00
Project Associate and Consultant $39 187 9% $7,300.80
Subcontractor Subtotal $77,064.00
Total 3,827 1.84 FTE $238,118.40
Startup Junkie Resumes - page 1 of 7
Section D: Resumes & Experience of Project Personnel - In Response To RFP 24-06
Jeff Amerine, Project Director & Senior Consultant
Full Resume & Bio: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffamerine/
1. Title: Project Director & Senior Consultant
2. Tenure with Proposer: 15 years
3. Education: Masters of Science in Operations Management & Project Management Institute Certified
Project Management Professional
4. Experience: A key local and national leader, Jeff is involved with the creation of lasting regional
venture ecosystems and co-authored in 2021 the Amazon bestselling book, Creating Startup Junkies –
Building Sustainable Venture Ecosystems in Unexpected Places. Jeff has held senior leadership
positions in 9 small business ventures and 3 Fortune 500 companies. He has made more than 90 angel
investments in small businesses. Jeff now leads Startup Junkie Consulting. He is also a General Partner
in Cadron Capital Partners, a Managing Director for Innovation Junkie, and a Board Member for the
Supporting Lifelong Success (SLS) project in Fayetteville which aims to provide entrepreneurship and
innovation pathways to neurodivergent adults.
Jeff served as Associate Vice Provost, Research and Economic Development, and Director of
Technology Ventures at the University of Arkansas until leaving to pursue Startup Junkie Consulting
full-time in 2015. In addition, Jeff is an Adjunct Professor for the Sam M. Walton College of Business at
the University of Arkansas. Jeff was also a retained advisor for Innovate Arkansas, a Winrock
International program chartered with the creation of a knowledge-based economy in Arkansas. This
program has accounted for $300+ million in financing for Arkansas-based small businesses.
Prior to this, Jeff served 6 years as a United States Air Force Officer, working in the Strategic
Air Command as a missile launch officer and later in research and development acquisition. Jeff
graduated from United States Naval Academy in 1984 and holds a Master of Science in Operations
Management from the University of Arkansas. He is a certified Project Management Institute Project
Management Professional (PMP). Jeff’s experience has fostered a comprehensive knowledge of the
challenges facing growth-oriented small businesses and entrepreneurs, underrepresented/underserved
demographics, operational performance, project management, and community development.
5. Estimated number of hours towards this project: 728
6. Total billable hourly rate: $87 (see Direct Labor Rate)
Startup Junkie Resumes - page 2 of 7
Brett Amerine, Deputy Project Director & Senior Consultant
Full Resume & Bio: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brett-amerine-a9865810/
1. Title: Deputy Project Director & Senior Consultant
2. Tenure with Proposer: 11 years
3. Education: Masters of Science in Operations Management & Project Management Institute Certified
Project Management Professional
4. Experience: Brett, former AF Officer, and service-disabled veteran, is a Managing Director at Startup
Junkie. He is a strategic leader in the development and execution of entrepreneurial programs and events
within startup ecosystems in emerging regions worldwide, with an emphasis on Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Brett administers the Tonic Funds and helps facilitate Cadron Capital, another venture fund that
provides capital access to the City. Prior to this, Brett served nearly 5 years in Honolulu, Hawaii, and
Los Angeles, California, as a United States Air Force Officer specializing in project management and
contract management. Brett led high-visibility, multimillion- and billion-dollar service, construction and
aerospace contracts and project teams. At his final assignment in the United States Air Force, he bought
the Atlas and Delta space rockets, specializing in the procurement of the liquid upper-stage rocket
engines.
Brett graduated from the University of Arkansas College of Engineering with a Master’s degree
in Operations Management. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the
University of Arkansas Sam M. Walton College of Business. Brett was named as one of Arkansas’s Fast
15 by the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal. Brett is a certified Project Management Institute Project
Management Professional (PMP). His expertise and skills span the following areas: entrepreneurial
ecosystem management and leadership, program and project management, government acquisition,
organizational management, entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial ecosystem development, operations, the
lean methodology, digital marketing, venture finance, six sigma, mentorship, and leadership.
5. Estimated number of hours towards this project: 707
6. Total billable hourly rate: $87 (see Direct Labor Rate)
Jeff Standridge, Senior Consultant & SME
Full Resume & Bio: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffstandridge/
1. Title: Senior Consultant & SME
2. Tenure with Proposer: 7 years
3. Education: Doctor of Education
4. Experience: Dr. Jeff D. Standridge, service-disabled veteran, will serve as Senior Consultant and
SME for this project. Jeff helps organizations and their leaders generate sustained results in the areas of
innovation, strategy, profit growth, organizational effectiveness, and leadership. Formerly a Vice
President for Acxiom Corporation, he has led established and startup businesses in North & South
America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Jeff serves as Managing Director for the Conductor, Co-
founder of Cadron Capital Partners, and teaches Entrepreneurial Finance & Innovation Leadership in the
College of Business at the University of Central Arkansas.
Startup Junkie Resumes - page 3 of 7
Dr. Standridge has been an invited speaker, trainer, and consultant for numerous companies,
institutions, and organizations across five continents. He is also a three-time best-selling author of
Creating Startup Junkies, Building Sustainable Venture Ecosystems in Unexpected Places, The
Innovator’s Field Guide: Accelerators for Entrepreneurs, Innovators & Change Agents, and The Top
Performer’s Field Guide: Catalysts for Leaders, Innovators & All Who Aspire to Be.
Prior to his business career, Jeff spent more than a decade in healthcare, serving as an Assistant
Professor at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and as a member of the Angel Flight
Helicopter Transport Team at Arkansas Children’s Hospital. He is also retired from the U.S. Army –
Arkansas Army National Guard. Jeff holds a Doctor of Education with special work in Leadership &
Organizational Development, as well as a Master of Education with special work in Human Resource
Development. Jeff is also the founding Chairman for BioArkansas.
5. Estimated number of hours towards this project: 208
6. Total billable hourly rate: $87 (see Direct Labor Rate)
Phyl Amerine, Consultant
Full Resume & Bio: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phyl-s-amerine-60037390/
1. Title: Consultant
2. Tenure with Proposer: 15 years
3. Education: Bachelor of Arts (WiP)
4. Experience: Phyl has ten years of experience managing and leading entrepreneurial support
organizations. She is a founding member of Startup Junkie Consulting and has been involved in the
creation of eight startups. In her first startup, Amerine developed market strategies for international
licensing and partner selection with significant emphasis in Korea, China, Spain, Dominican Republic,
Vietnam, Singapore and India. She defined market opportunity and strategy for one of the initial Internet
Service Providers (ISPs) in India. In another startup, she formed a strategic relationship with a Korean-
based international telecommunications carrier, successfully gained FCC 214 licensing for U.S.
operations, and served as general manager of marketing.
Phyl has worked as a volunteer and advisor in nonprofit marketing for more than 12 years. Her
volunteer efforts have even been recognized by former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee. She is also
currently active in the local investment community. She attended Bowie State University, where she
majored in communications. Phyl’s expertise and skills are in the following areas: entrepreneurial
support organization management and leadership, coaching, mentoring, marketing, strategy, assumption
testing, social ventures, entrepreneurship, and entrepreneurial ecosystem development.
5. Estimated number of hours towards this project: 208
6. Total billable hourly rate: $87 (see Direct Labor Rate)
Startup Junkie Resumes - page 4 of 7
Caleb Talley, Deputy Project Director & Senior Consultant
Full Resume & Bio: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caleb-talley-25189211b/
1. Title: Deputy Project Director & Senior Consultant
2. Tenure with Proposer: 5 years
3. Education: Bachelors of Arts
4. Experience: Caleb Talley, serving Startup Junkie Foundation as Executive Director, helps drive the
organization's mission of entrepreneurial ecosystem building with a diverse set of skills and experience
and strategic vision. An alumnus of the University of Arkansas, where he studied journalism and
political science, Caleb began his professional career at the Times-Herald in Forrest City, Arkansas,
where his proactive reporting and editorial commentary, as well as editorial photography, earned him
national recognition with several Associated Press Managing Editors Awards.
Caleb transitioned from daily reporting to publishing, taking a role at Vowell Inc. where he led
as editor of AY Magazine and spearheaded the re-launch of Arkansas Money & Politics—elevating both
publications to prominent positions in Arkansas’s media landscape. Having covered the rise of the
entrepreneurial community in Northwest Arkansas, Caleb's interest in the ecosystem led him to
transition from the media world altogether. He joined Startup Junkie in 2019 as Marketing and Events
Director, where he was responsible for planning and carrying out the Foundation's portfolio of events
and workshops geared to serve the local entrepreneurial community.
Caleb was promoted to Executive Director of Startup Junkie Foundation in November of 2021.
Under his leadership, Startup Junkie Foundation has continued to surge, both in impact and reach—
nearly tripling one-on-one entrepreneur consulting services to over 2,000 consults in 2023 and
orchestrating upwards of 250 community-centric events annually. More tangibly, his proactive approach
to diversifying funding sources has seen Startup Junkie secure in excess of $3 million in grants, ensuring
sustained support for the entrepreneurs and small business owners. Caleb has served on several
nonprofit boards, having served as Chair on a number of occasions, and offered time and support to
diverse community and civic organizations throughout Arkansas.
5. Estimated number of hours towards this project: 707
6. Total billable hourly rate: $39 (See Subcontractor (SJF) Labor Rate)
Matthew Ward, Head of Metrics, Systems, and Reporting
Full Resume & Bio: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewward725/
1. Title: Head of Metrics, Systems, and Reporting
2. Tenure with Proposer: 3 years
3. Education: Masters of Business Administration
4. Experience: Serving Startup Junkie Foundation as Senior Executive Consultant, Matthew Ward helps
clients quantify their ideas and develop a roadmap to achieve their goals. Along with aiding clients,
Matthew leads collecting, cleaning, and organizing consulting and event data to ensure accurate
reporting of outputs and outcomes. He is an expert in entrepreneurial metrics, systems, tracking, and
reporting. He also aids in sourcing and due diligence with Cadron Capital Partners.
Startup Junkie Resumes - page 5 of 7
Previous to this role, Matthew was the Director of the Fuel Accelerator, an enterprise ready
accelerator that matches seed and growth-stage tech startups with key enterprise partners to accelerate
the adoption of tangible technology solutions. During his tenure as Director, he secured $900,000 in
grant funds resulting in an additional healthtech cohort, tripled the amount of meaningful mentor
relationships from the previous cohort, and doubled the number of pilot contracts signed by the entire
program from one cohort.
Prior to joining Startup Junkie Foundation, Matthew worked as an Equity Research Associate at
Stephens Inc, one of the largest privately owned investment banks in the US. With his time at Stephens
Inc, he benchmarked competitors for an internal C-suite strategic initiative, liaised between buy-side
clients and external management teams, valued companies through various methodologies, and
published notes on earnings and industry previews.
He graduated from the University of Arkansas with his MBA in Finance and Ouachita Baptist
University with an undergraduate degree in Accounting and a degree in Finance.
5. Estimated number of hours towards this project: 208
6. Total billable hourly rate: $39 (See Subcontractor (SJF) Labor Rate)
Victoria Dickerson, Head of Events & Marketing
Full Resume & Bio: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vdickerson/
1. Title: Head of Events & Marketing
2. Tenure with Proposer: 2 years
3. Education: Bachelor of Arts
4. Experience: Victoria Dickerson serves as the Director of Marketing and Events at the Startup Junkie
Foundation. Victoria has been instrumental in orchestrating and delivering events designed to bolster the
success and visibility of regional entrepreneurs. With her pivotal role in the planning and execution of
Startup Junkie's robust slate of events—including the highly successful annual Startup Crawl—Victoria
has made a significant impact on the organization's mission to stimulate local economic growth.
With a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from the University of Arkansas, Victoria's
educational foundation lies in Persuasion and Social Media Marketing, arms that have been extended
throughout her career path. Before her tenure at Startup Junkie Foundation, Victoria honed her skills as
the Creative Director at Camp War Eagle in Rogers, Arkansas. There, she crafted and instituted their
brand strategy, while also leading as their primary content producer across various media.
Victoria excels at leading workshops, programs, and events, attracting attendees in large
numbers to each gathering she orchestrates. Victoria’s professional repertoire extends to expert social
media account management and advising business owners on best practices in the digital realm. Her co-
hosting and production work on the Startup Junkies podcast showcases her grasp of media trends and
content creation. The podcast has 359 episodes over 8 years, is ranked in the top 2.5% of all podcasts in
the world by Listener Score, and has been downloaded in over 100 countries.
Strengths in event planning, execution, social media management, and comprehensive marketing
strategies are matched by Victoria’s proficiency in graphic design, videography, and photography,
forming the bedrock of her multifaceted skill set. Whether speaking publicly, developing brand identity,
Startup Junkie Resumes - page 6 of 7
or leading projects, Victoria's passion for mentoring, as evidenced through her service as a mentor with
other local entrepreneur support organizations, underscores her commitment to empowering others
within the entrepreneurial community of Northwest Arkansas.
5. Estimated number of hours towards this project: 333
6. Total billable hourly rate: $39 (See Subcontractor (SJF) Labor Rate)
Claudia Scott, Head of Underserved Entrepreneurship
Full Resume & Bio: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claudiapscott/
1. Title: Head of Underserved Entrepreneurship
2. Tenure with Proposer: 1 year
3. Education: Masters of Human Resources and Workforce Development
4. Experience: Claudia has over half a decade of experience working with underserved communities
across the state of Arkansas. Claudia is a dynamic and accomplished professional with substantial
experience in capital access management, member engagement, and advocacy As the NWA Kiva Hub
Capital Access Manager (CAM) at Startup Junkie, she assists entrepreneurs with the Kiva microloan
program process. Claudia is a native English and Spanish speaker who brings an acute understanding of
language and culture to her work, which has proven invaluable in building relationships and connecting
with diverse communities.
Scott most recently served as Director of Member Engagement at the Greater Bentonville Area
Chamber of Commerce. Prior to that, she served as a programs assistant for the Downtown Springdale
Alliance, and as a migrant recruiter and advocate for the Northwest Arkansas Education Service
Cooperative. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration & Strategic Communication
from the University of the Ozarks and a Master's degree in Human Resources and Workforce
Development from the University of Arkansas.
5. Estimated number of hours towards this project: 333
6. Total billable hourly rate: $39 (See Subcontractor (SJF) Labor Rate)
Grace Gill, Consultant
Full Resume & Bio: https://www.linkedin.com/in/grace-gill-058186205/
1. Title: Consultant
2. Tenure with Proposer: 2 years
3. Education: Bachelor of Business Administration
4. Experience: Grace Gill serves Startup Junkie as a consultant for small business and entrepreneur
clients. Grace helps clients with steps to establishing a business, building roadmaps for getting
businesses off the ground, and addressing small business and startup challenges with direction to
additional resources in the local area. In addition to 1:1 consulting, Grace aids and executes marketing
and events for Startup Junkie.
Grace has led small business workshops, co-hosted over 40 Startup Junkies podcast episodes,
and acted as lead organizer for more than 20 events, including Startup Crawl 2022 with more than 1,500
attendees and 65 participating startups. Prior to her role at Startup Junkie, Grace worked in non-profit
Startup Junkie Resumes - page 7 of 7
marketing and events working at Mary R. Koch Arts Center in Wichita, Kansas. Grace is a University of
Arkansas alumni and has a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Strategy, Entrepreneurship,
and Venture Innovation, graduating with Honors designation from the Walton College of Business.
5. Estimated number of hours towards this project: 208
6. Total billable hourly rate: $39 (See Subcontractor (SJF) Labor Rate)
Harrison Kitson, Project Associate & Consultant
Full Resume & Bio: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harrison-kitson-758110191/
1. Title: Project Associate & Consultant
2. Tenure with Proposer: 1 year
3. Education: Bachelors of Science
4. Experience: Harrison Kitson serves Startup Junkie Foundation as Kiva Program Associate &
Consultant. Previously a Marketing and Events Intern focused on content creation, he now leads brand
strategy for Kiva NWA and boosts listenership for our English and Spanish podcasts. He brings
expertise in web design, video editing, expository writing, and social media strategy to his role. Harrison
has a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from the University of Alabama, where he focused
on political philosophy and race and gender politics.
5. Estimated number of hours towards this project: 187
6. Total billable hourly rate: $39 (See Subcontractor (SJF) Labor Rate)
City of Fayetteville
RFP 24-06, Economic Development Services - Entrepreneurship &
SECTION C: Vendor References
The following information is required from all firms so all statements of qualification may be reviewed and properly evaluated:
COMPANY NAME: Startup Junkie Consulting
NUMBER OF YEARS IN BUSINESS: 13 HOW LONG IN PRESENT LOCATION: 10
TOTAL NUMBER OF CURRENT EMPLOYEES: 8 FULL TIME 6 PART TIME __2___
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES PLANNED FOR THIS CONTRACT: 17 FULL TIME 13 PART TIME ___4____
PLEASE LIST FOUR (4) REFERENCES THAT YOU HAVE PREVIOUSLY PERFORMED CONTRACT SERVICES FOR WITHIN THE PAST FIVE (5)
YEARS (All fields must be completed):
1. Arkansas Secretary of Commerce 2. Arkansas Economic Development Commission
COMPANY NAME COMPANY NAME
Little Rock, AR 72202 Little Rock, AR, 72202___________________________
CITY, STATE, ZIP CITY, STATE, ZIP
Hugh McDonald, The Secretary of Commerce Clint O’Neal, Executive Director___________________
CONTACT PERSON CONTACT PERSON
501-682-7351 501-682-7350________________________________
TELEPHONE TELEPHONE
N/A__________________________________________ N/A_________________________________________
FAX NUMBER FAX NUMBER
Hugh.mcdonald@arkansas.gov coneal@arkansasedc.com
E-MAIL ADDRESS E-MAIL ADDRESS
3. U.S. Small Business Administration 4. University of Central Arkansas
COMPANY NAME COMPANY NAME
Washington, DC, 20416 Conway, AR, 727035
CITY, STATE, ZIP CITY, STATE, ZIP
Alison Evans, US SBA HQ Office of Innovation Dr. Houston Davis, President___________________
CONTACT PERSON CONTACT PERSON
City of Fayetteville
RFP 24-06, Economic Development Services - Entrepreneurship &
202-856-7386 501-269-9009_______________________________
TELEPHONE TELEPHONE
N/A N/A__________________________________________
FAX NUMBER FAX NUMBER
Alison.evans@sba.gov HDavis@uca.edu
E-MAIL ADDRESS E-MAIL ADDRESS
City of Fayetteville
RFP 24-06, Economic Development Services - Entrepreneurship &
SECTION D: Signature Submittal
1. DISCLOSURE INFORMATION
Proposer must disclose any possible conflict of interest with the City of Fayetteville, including, but not limited
to, any relationship with any City of Fayetteville employee. Proposer response must disclose if a known
relationship exists between any principal or employee of your firm and any City of Fayetteville employee or
elected City of Fayetteville official.
If, to your knowledge, no relationship exists, this should also be stated in your response. Failure to disclose such
a relationship may result in cancellation of a purchase and/or contract as a result of your response. This form
must be completed and returned in order for your bid/proposal to be eligible for consideration.
PLEASE CHECK ONE OF THE FOLLOWING TWO OPTIONS, AS IT APPROPRIATELY APPLIES TO YOUR FIRM:
X 1) NO KNOWN RELATIONSHIP EXISTS
2) RELATIONSHIP EXISTS (Please explain):
I certify that; as an officer of this organization, or per the attached letter of authorization, am duly authorized
to certify the information provided herein is accurate and true; and my organization shall comply with all State
and Federal Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination requirements and conditions of employment.
Pursuant Arkansas Code Annotated §25-1-503, the Contractor agrees and certifies that they do not currently
boycott Israel and will not boycott Israel during any time in which they are entering into, or while in contract,
with any public entity as defined in §25-1-503. If at any time during contract the contractor decides to boycott
Israel, the contractor must notify the contracted public entity in writing.
Pursuant Arkansas Code Annotated §25-1-1002, the Contractor agrees and certifies that they do not currently
boycott Energy, Fossil Fuel, Firearms, and Ammunition Industries during any time in which they are entering
into, or while in contract, with any public entity as defined in §25-1-1002. If at any time during the contract the
contractor decides to boycott Energy, Fossil Fuel, Firearms, and/or Ammunition Industries, the contractor
must notify the contracted public entity in writing.
2. PRIMARY CONTACT INFORMATION
At the discretion of the City, one or more firms may be asked for more detailed information before final ranking
of the firms, which may also include oral interviews. NOTE: Each Proposer shall submit to the City a primary
contact name, e-mail address, and phone number (preferably a cell phone number) where the City selection
committee can call for clarification or interview via telephone.
Corporate Name of Firm: Startup Junkie Consulting LLC
Primary Contact: Jeff Amerine Title of Primary Contact: Managing Director
Phone#1 (cell preferred): 870-577-0759 Phone#2: 479-225-7550
E-Mail Address: jeff@startupjunkieconsulting.com, brett@startupjunkieconsulting.com
3. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF ADDENDA
Acknowledge receipt of addenda for this invitation to bid, request for proposal, or request for qualification by
signing and dating below. All addendums are hereby made a part of the bid or RFP documents to the same
extent as though it were originally included therein. Proposers/Bidders should indicate their receipt of same in
the appropriate blank listed herein. Failure to do so may subject Contractor to disqualification.
ADDENDUM NO. SIGNATURE AND PRINTED NAME DATE ACKNOWLEDGED
4. DEBARMENT CERTIFICATION:
As an interested party on this project, you are required to provide debarment/suspension certification indicating
compliance with the below Federal Executive Order. Certification can be done by completing and signing this
form.
Federal Executive Order (E.O.) 12549 “Debarment and Suspension“ requires that all contractors receiving
individual awards, using federal funds, and all sub-recipients certify that the organization and its principals are
not debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded by any Federal
department or agency from doing business with the Federal Government.
Signature certifies that neither you nor your principal is presently debarred, suspended, proposed for
debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from participation in this transaction by any federal
department or agency.
Questions regarding this form should be directed to the City of Fayetteville Purchasing Division.
NAME OF COMPANY: Startup Junkie Consulting
PHYSICAL ADDRESS: 1 E Center St, Suite 270, Fayetteville, AR, 72701
MAILING ADDRESS: 1 E Center St, Suite 270, Fayetteville, AR, 72701
TAX ID #: 45-2126409 AR. SECRETARY OF STATE FILING #: 800199309
PHONE: 870-577-0759 FAX:
E-MAIL: jeff@startupjunkieconsulting.com, brett@startupjunkieconsulting.com
SIGNATURE: Jeff Amerine
PRINTED NAME: Jeff Amerine
TITLE: Managing Director DATE: 4/8/24
END OF RFP DOCUMENT
RFP 24-06
Economic Development Services -
Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Startup Junkie Executive Summary - page 1 of 3
Proposal to the City of Fayetteville: RFP 24-06
Executive Summary
Introduction
Startup Junkie Consulting is pleased to submit this proposal to the City of Fayetteville for providing
consulting services in the areas of business support, entrepreneurship, and innovation. A veteran-owned
small business and globally recognized social venture led by serial entrepreneurs, service-disabled
veterans, women, and minorities, Startup Junkie is a trusted partner of the City of Fayetteville with deep
expertise and a track record of success. We are proposing a robust contract to broaden our reach and
partnership with the City to address all Strategies of the Economic Vitality Master Plan.
Methods and Approach
Startup Junkie will provide the following consulting services to Fayetteville residents, entrepreneurs,
and business owners, in accordance with the City’s RFP:
a. Support a collaborative entrepreneurial and startup environment;
b. Create programming and spaces for entrepreneurship to flourish, including dedicated
programming to support women, people of color, and other historically underrepresented
populations; and
c. Provide technical assistance and support to the Department of Economic Vitality.
Through the proposed contract, we will build upon our successful partnership with the City to serve
more entrepreneurs/businesses; deepen our
outreach to women, people of color, and
historically underrepresented populations; and
strengthen our ability to provide data and
analysis to the Department of Economic Vitality.
Startup Junkie will continue our high-quality
work that has proven so successful for
Fayetteville’s small business and startup
community. We will also subcontract with our
sister organization, Community Venture
Foundation (DBA Startup Junkie Foundation), to
provide the City with their deep community
engagement and relationships which will expand
our collective impact.
Startup Junkie Executive Summary - page 2 of 3
Scope of Work/Deliverables
Startup Junkie commits to the following deliverables under the proposed contract, for each of the City’s
focus areas (targets are for year one). In addition, we will work with the Department of Economic
Vitality to establish other data points the City would like Startup Junkie to add to our evaluation.
Support a Collaborative Entrepreneurial and Startup Environment
● # entrepreneurs served through 1:1 high quality no-cost consulting, mentoring, counseling, training,
support, and assistance engagements (target: 520) (note: this figure does not include the thousands of
Fayetteville residents we will reach through events, workshops, and programs)
○ #/% women-owned ventures
○ #/% minority-owned ventures
○ #/% veteran-owned ventures
○ #/% creative economy entrepreneurs
● # Fayetteville businesses contacted through the BRE program to ensure growth and address
challenges (target: 50+ during contract period)
Create Programming and Spaces for Entrepreneurship to Flourish
● # visible, accessible, high-quality events, workshops, networking, and program engagements for
Fayetteville entrepreneurs (target: 70)
● # attendees of events, workshops, networking, and program engagements (target: 8000+)
● # events specifically for underrepresented entrepreneurs (target: 6)
● # events specifically for the creative economy (target: 6)
● # entrepreneurs reserving CenterSpace conference space downtown (target: 1,540)
● # of participating startups in annual Startup Crawl event (target: 80+)
● # attendees of annual Startup Crawl event (target: 3,300 in 2024)
● # zero-interest, no-fee microloans for female and minority entrepreneurs issued through Kiva
Northwest Arkansas annually (20)
● #$ of loans issued through Kiva Program annually to Fayetteville entrepreneurs ($150,000)
The true value of Startup Junkie’s work shines through
our outcomes (impact). These measure the results of our
services and demonstrate the growth of local startups and
our small business economy. Our outcomes for the
proposed contract will include # of net new jobs created
on average per Fayetteville venture annually, $# in private
capital raised, $# in public capital (grants, state and
federal) secured, # new products, services, and solutions
brought to market, # patents and patent applications, #
SBIR and STTR awards, and # unique Fayetteville retail,
restaurant, accommodation ventures assisted through
multiple ongoing and in-depth engagements, and the one-
year and five-year survival rates for new ventures.
Qualifications and Experience
Startup Junkie is uniquely qualified for this work. We are Fayetteville’s trusted leader in the
development of viable, lasting, and inclusive startup and venture ecosystems. For more than 15 years,
we have been providing entrepreneur support, promoting innovation, commercializing technology, and
Startup Junkie Executive Summary - page 3 of 3
building entrepreneurial ecosystems in underserved communities across Fayetteville. The end result is
continued accelerated economic growth and increased quality of life for our community members.
Our world class team has 80 years of experience helping entrepreneurs and innovators reach their goals.
Each year, we provide 1:1 consulting to more than 1,000 small businesses, present more than 200
events/workshops/ programming for entrepreneurs, award $150,000 - $200,000 in Kiva microloan
funding for underrepresented entrepreneurs, and host a Fuel Accelerator program which attracts global
companies to our community. Support for our
efforts has come through funding and partnerships
with Innovate Arkansas, the US Department of
Commerce, ARK Challenge startup accelerator,
Ozarks Regional Innovation Cluster, ScaleUp
America, AEDC, Winrock International, the
Walton Family Foundation, Small Business
Administration, and Northwest Arkansas Council.
Under the proposed contract, ten (10) members of
the Startup Junkie team will facilitate the
requirements of this project. Our budget includes a
total of 1.84 FTE equivalents to the Department of
Economic Vitality (nearly double our prior contract). This is necessary in order to satisfy the exciting
and ambitious goals of the Master Plan. Please see the resumes attached to this proposal.
Listing of All Fees
Startup Junkie is proposing a total annual fee of $250,024.32 which includes only direct labor from
Startup Junkie Consulting, LLC, labor by subcontractor Startup Junkie Foundation, and a small
overhead fee. We do not propose an annual increase each year due to inflation. Should the contract be
renewed for additional two-year periods, the annual fee will remain the same. Startup Junkie estimates
that it will take 3,827 annual total staff hours to complete the proposed scope of services.
To maximize impact, Startup Junkie will leverage other funding sources that we take the initiative to
secure to cover all other program materials, supplies, and facilities necessary to execute this project. We
view this as an opportunity to act as good stewards of Fayetteville tax dollars and direct City funding
entirely towards our staff expertise in supporting entrepreneurs.
Listing of All Fees
Year 1 Year 2
Direct Labor $161,054.40 $161,054.40
Subcontract (Startup Junkie) Subtotal $77,064.00 $77,064.00
Subtotal $238,118.40 $238,118.40
Fee (Includes overhead) 5% 5%
Firm Fixed Price Total $250,024.32 $250,024.32
Startup Junkie Proposal - page 1 of 25
Proposal to the City of Fayetteville
RFP 24-06, Economic Development Services – Entrepreneurship & Innovation
Introduction
Startup Junkie Consulting is pleased to submit this proposal to the City of Fayetteville for
providing consulting services in the areas of business support, entrepreneurship, and innovation.
A veteran-owned small business and globally recognized social venture led by service-disabled
veterans, women, and minorities, Startup Junkie is an established, trusted partner of the City of
Fayetteville with deep expertise and a track record of success. Along with our subcontracted
partner organization, Startup Junkie Foundation (together known as “Startup Junkie”), we will
provide the following consulting services in accordance with the City’s RFP and in service of the
City’s Economic Vitality Master Plan. We are proposing a robust contract that will broaden our
reach and partnership with the City to address all Strategies of the Master Plan.
Methods and Approach
Startup Junkie will provide the following consulting services to Fayetteville residents,
entrepreneurs, and business owners, in accordance with the City’s RFP:
a. Support a collaborative entrepreneurial and startup environment;
b. Create programming and spaces for entrepreneurship to flourish, including dedicated
programming to support women, people of color, and other historically underrepresented
populations; and
c. Provide technical assistance and support to the Department of Economic Vitality.
These services are already the core of Startup Junkie’s work. For the past eight years, Startup
Junkie has worked with the City of Fayetteville to provide these services, with great success. For
example, in 2021 – 2022 alone, Startup Junkie’s work enabled the creation of 889 high-tech jobs,
procurement of 15 SBIR/STTR awards, delivery
of 183 virtual events/workshops reaching 12,579
attendees, no-cost working space for 2,600
community members, and much more. In 2023
alone, Startup Junkie clients saw a net growth of
173 jobs and secured more than $11.5 million in
investment capital and loans. We are
Fayetteville’s inclusive “go-to” resource for
consulting and counseling services that help
startups and small businesses thrive. Thanks to
our partnership with the City of Fayetteville, we
are able to provide these world class services at no
cost to Fayetteville residents and business owners,
democratizing innovation and making entrepreneurship accessible to all in our community.
Startup Junkie Proposal - page 2 of 25
Through the proposed contract, we will build upon this successful partnership with the City to
serve more entrepreneurs/businesses; deepen our outreach to women, people of color, and
historically underrepresented populations; and strengthen our ability to provide data and analysis
to the Department of Economic Vitality. Startup Junkie will continue our high-quality work that
has proven so successful for Fayetteville’s small business and startup community. We will also
subcontract with our sister organization, Community Venture Foundation (DBA Startup Junkie
Foundation), to provide the City with their deep community engagement and relationships which
will expand our collective impact. Please see below for our Methods and Approach for each of
the City’s three focus areas, including our approach, tasks, interaction with the City, methods,
and timeline/schedule.
Scope of Work: Support a Collaborative Entrepreneurial and Startup Environment
A collaborative entrepreneurial and startup environment requires easy access to deep expertise,
close coordination between a City and its business leaders, and strategic evaluation of metrics to
measure growth and vibrancy. Please see below for a description of Startup Junkie’s approach
and planned coordination with the City under this contract, followed by tables outlining our
proposed tasks, methods, timelines, and metrics.
I. Primary point of contact for entrepreneurship, innovation, and small business
support in the City of Fayetteville.
Headquartered in downtown Fayetteville, Startup Junkie has been at the heart of the City’s
thriving startup community for 15 years. We have deep expertise and extensive inroads into the
Fayetteville business community, including key partnerships with the City of Fayetteville,
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville Public Library, Arkansas Economic Development
Commission, United States Small Business Administration, and a long list of community non-
profits such as Art Ventures. We are active participants in the City of Fayetteville’s Economic
Recovery and Vitality Steering Committee and the Regional Entrepreneurial Support
Organization Task Force. We also helped the City develop its Economic Vitality Master Plan.
This uniquely positions Startup Junkie to work with the City to further develop our small business
ecosystem and accomplish the goals of the Economic Vitality Master Plan.
Approach. Startup Junkie will work intensively with the City through committees/task forces and
individual coordination to implement the strategies of the Economic Vitality Master Plan. Our
staff will participate in this collaborative work to ensure we are making progress together.
Additionally, we will continue our successful Startup Business Retention and Expansion (BRE)
Program, which provides regular health checks on Fayetteville ventures to ensure growth and
address challenges. We will continue to connect ventures to the Director and Mayor for them to
personally visit. Finally, we will facilitate special projects and opportunities that will benefit the
City and its small business community, such as the highly impactful annual Startup Crawl which
we choose to hold in Fayetteville, CenterSpace coworking facility which we maintain on the
Fayetteville Square at no cost to the public (and will commit to keep there should we win this
contract), and the Kiva Loan Program based in Fayetteville which provides no-interest loans to
underserved entrepreneurs.
Interaction with the City of Fayetteville. Startup Junkie’s communication with the City will be
prompt, regular, and effective. We will serve on committees and task forces with City leaders as
Startup Junkie Proposal - page 3 of 25
advised by the Department of Economic Vitality, be available 24/7 for the City’s needs and
questions, and work with City personnel to identify opportunities and challenges in the
implementation of the Economic Vitality Master Plan.
We have a proven track record of close collaboration. For example, when COVID-19 arrived,
Startup Junkie was the City's responsive go-to partner for rapidly serving entrepreneurs and small
business owners. We conducted the region’s first impact survey; provided 100% support of the
City’s Small Business Resiliency Task Force and Entrepreneurial Support Organization Task
Force; hosted a high cadence of virtual events; and provided near-daily guidance on the latest
federal and state aid updates for small businesses during the pandemic crisis. We also provide
significant leadership to the Supporting Lifelong Success (SLS) Community, a key project for the
Department of Economic Vitality in creating entrepreneurship and innovation pathways to
neurodivergent adults. When it comes to responsiveness and partnership, the City can rely on us
like no other. Through the proposed contract, Startup Junkie will continue to be the City’s go-to
partner for quick response to the changing needs of Fayetteville and its business community.
Relevance to Economic Vitality Master Plan. Through this component of the proposed
contract, Startup Junkie will help the City implement Strategies 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, and 9 of its
Economic Vitality Master Plan. For example, Startup Junkie will provide our expertise to the City
to identify regulatory and marketing barriers for small businesses, contact businesses to assess
their life cycle stages and offer support, and coordinate with employers in targeted industry
sectors. We will help the City facilitate a woman-owned business mentorship program and host
events and trainings for women- and minority-owned business owners, through expansion of our
current offerings in this area.
Table 1: Serve as City’s Point of Contact
Task Method Timeline Metric
Serve on relevant City
committees and task
forces
Startup Junkie will attend
all meetings; provide
expertise and support
Continuously
throughout
contract period
Completed
committee work
Conduct health checks
on Fayetteville ventures
through BRE program
Startup Junkie staff will
contact 50 ventures
Throughout 2-year
contract period
Businesses
contacted
Facilitate special
projects
Startup Junkie staff will
identify opportunities and
coordinate City efforts
Continuously
throughout
contract period
Opportunities
identified, pursued
Coordinate efforts for
Fayetteville’s
entrepreneurial
ecosystem
Startup Junkie will
cultivate and maintain
working relationships
with all relevant parties
Continuously
throughout
contract period
Community
partnerships
established and
cultivated
Startup Junkie Proposal - page 4 of 25
II. Consulting, technical assistance, and support for Fayetteville residents.
Through our team’s combined 80 years of working one-on-one with more than 3,400
entrepreneurs and innovators, we are intimately familiar with the challenges of starting a business,
from securing capital to attracting a qualified workforce to reaching customers through effective
marketing. Small businesses and entrepreneurs attest to the value of our services. Across nearly a
thousand engagements, we have a Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 96. According to Qualtrics, an
NPS above 80 is considered world-class. Our NPS of 96 puts us in the top percentile of
organizations across the globe.
Approach. At Startup Junkie, we are not just experts at challenges facing small businesses - we
are also experts at helping business owners overcome them. Our approach is to provide one-on-
one consulting to business owners and entrepreneurs. We offer guidance, advice, technical
support, and connection to resources. We meet business owners where they are and help them
with the stage they are in. For an entrepreneur in an idea stage, this may be testing concepts or
business plan development. For an existing business looking to scale, we can help with market
research, financial management, or customer discovery. Our team’s expertise is both broad and
deep, enabling us to meet the needs of a huge array of businesses and markets.
With the financial backing of the City of Fayetteville, we
provide this one-on-one consultation at no charge to
Fayetteville small business owners and entrepreneurs.
People can schedule a consultation with us directly
through our website, phone, or through a referral from the
City. We meet with people either virtually or in-person
and conduct follow-up consultations as needed.
Startup Junkie has a specific focus on reaching
underserved entrepreneurs. Since our inception, our team
has provided 5,000 consultations with 3,400 unique entrepreneurs. In 2022, our one-on-one
consultation clients were 59.8% women entrepreneurs and 35.3% racial minority entrepreneurs -
greatly exceeding both the national and state saturation of women- and minority-owned
businesses, as Table 2 below shows.
Table 2: Underserved Businesses / Entrepreneurs
Task Method Timeline
United States1 22% 21%
Arkansas 2 43.5% 13%
Startup Junkie one-on-one
Consulting Clients
59.8% 35.3%
1 US Census Annual Business Survey, 2022
2 SBA Arkansas Small Business Economic Profile, 2022
Startup Junkie Proposal - page 5 of 25
For the proposed contract, we seek to expand our audience of underserved entrepreneurs through
dedicated outreach efforts and an expanded FTE commitment (from 1.0 FTE to 1.84 FTE). We
expect that subcontracting with Startup Junkie Foundation will enable us to reach more women
and minority business owners and entrepreneurs with one-on-one consulting opportunities.
Interaction with the City of Fayetteville. Startup
Junkie will work closely with the City of Fayetteville to
accept referrals for one-on-one consultations from the
City, and to identify trends in challenges or opportunities
that we deduce from our ongoing one-on-one
consultations. We will report our metrics to the City
regularly.
Relevance to Economic Vitality Master Plan. Through this component of the proposed
contract, Startup Junkie will help the City implement Strategies 2 and 4 of its Economic Vitality
Master Plan. For example, Startup Junkie will provide targeted awareness of the City’s small
business resources through one-on-one consultations. Startup Junkie will host events and trainings
for women- and minority-owned businesses and raise awareness of micro-financing and small
dollar loan options for women and minority residents through our program Kiva NWA.
Table 3: Consulting, Technical Assistance, and Support for Fayetteville Residents
Task Method Timeline Metrics (Outputs)
Provide consultations
to Fayetteville
residents and business
owners
Meet one-on-one with
residents and business
owners; provide
assistance and
connect to resources
Continuously
throughout contract
period
# consultations
# entrepreneurs
# women-owned
ventures
# minority-owned
ventures
# veteran-owned
Ventures
III. Data Analysis and Tracking
Startup Junkie has long been dedicated to effective evaluation of small business growth and
vitality. We keep careful records of our own work as it relates to the success of our clients, and
we work closely with the City of Fayetteville to track and report both outputs (productivity) and
outcomes (impact). We have effective internal procedures for tracking data, and our staff are
adept at data analysis and communication.
“Everyone is very friendly. If you
want to get connected with the
startup scene, it’s the place to be.”
– Andrew Beers (consulting client)
Startup Junkie Proposal - page 6 of 25
Approach. We currently track and analyze the following data, specific to Fayetteville.
Outputs
● # entrepreneurs served through one-on-one high quality no-cost consulting, mentoring,
counseling, training, support, and assistance engagements
● # women-owned ventures
● # minority-owned ventures
● # veteran-owned ventures
● # events, workshops, and program engagements
● # attendees of events, workshops, and program engagements
Outcomes
● # net new jobs created on average per Fayetteville venture over the year.
● $# in private capital raised
● $# in public capital (grants, state and federal) secured
● # new products, services, and solutions brought to market
● # patents and patent applications
● # SBIR and STTR awards
● # unique Fayetteville retail, restaurant, and accommodation ventures assisted through
multiple ongoing and in-depth engagements
● 1 year and 5 year survival rates for new businesses
For the proposed contract, we aim to do more. We will continue to track the above outputs and
outcomes. However, we will work with the City to expand and refine this list of metrics, in
accordance with the City’s priorities and the Economic Vitality Master Plan. In the first year of
the contract, we will work with the City to establish accurate baselines for our outcomes. Then,
in each subsequent year of the contract, we will aim to increase our outcome metrics by 10%
year over year. To do this, we will collaborate with Startup Junkie Foundation’s Head of
Metrics, Systems, and Reporting to expand our capacity for data collection and analysis.
Interaction with the City of Fayetteville. Evaluating the health and growth of Fayetteville’s
small business and startup community will be a collaborative effort between Startup Junkie and
the City. Startup Junkie will work closely with the Department of Economic Vitality to identify
additional metrics (beyond those listed above) that will best illuminate progress toward the
City’s goals as outlined in the Economic Vitality Master Plan. We will report progress regularly
to the City and work together to address any challenges that arise.
Relevance to Economic Vitality Master Plan. Through this component of the proposed
contract, Startup Junkie will help the City evaluate progress toward all Strategies of its Economic
Vitality Master Plan. For example, Startup Junkie will provide engagement opportunities for
minority-, woman-, veteran-, and neurodiverse-owned businesses and track participation to
measure reach. We can also analyze the participation rates in one-on-one consulting and events
for members of the creative economy and for entrepreneurs in the arts, entertainment, and
recreation.
Startup Junkie Proposal - page 7 of 25
Table 4: Data Analysis and Tracking
Task Method Timeline Metric
Track outputs and
outcomes specific to
Fayetteville and to
this contract
Collect and analyze
additional outputs and
outcomes
Continuously
throughout contract
period
See list above; will
expand on this list
with City input
Report outputs and
outcomes to the City
of Fayetteville
Provide regular
updates to the Dept.
of Economic Vitality
Annually and as
requested by the
Dept. of Economic
Vitality
See list above; will
expand on this list
with City input
Scope of Work: Create Programming and Space for Entrepreneurship to Flourish
Rigorous outreach, networking, and entrepreneurial opportunities support a successful small
business ecosystem and ensure equitable access to historically underrepresented entrepreneurs.
Please see below for a description of Startup Junkie’s approach and planned coordination with
the City under this contract, followed by tables with our proposed tasks, timeline, and metrics.
I. Events and Education
Startup Junkie is committed to providing visible, accessible, high-quality events and networking
opportunities for Fayetteville entrepreneurs and small business owners. In 2023, we executed 67
events, workshops, and program engagements in Fayetteville alone, serving 7,247 attendees.
Please see Table 5 below for a sampling of the events Startup Junkie held in Fayetteville in 2023.
.
Table 5: Startup Junkie Fayetteville Sample Events, 2023
Event Date
HER Entrepreneur Journey Workshop* 1/10/23
Networking Happy Hour with Urban Cellar Winery 1/13/23
Startup Stories Aura Launch Party 2/3/23
Lunch & Learn: SEO: Drive Traffic to Your Website 2/10/23
Lunch & Learn: How to Develop Inclusive Leadership 2/16/23
Ederlee Lean Canvas Workshop 2/21/23
Meeting of The Minds Q1 2/21/23
HER Entrepreneur Journey Artpreneurs and Creatives Networking* 3/7/23
Lunch & Learn: Optimize Your Marketing Strategies 4/6/23
Perfecting the Pitch Workshop 4/20/23
Startup Junkie Proposal - page 8 of 25
Startup Stories with Boulders & Brews 4/28/23
Social Media and Photography Presentation* 5/3/23
Personal Values Lunch & Learn 5/17/23
Startup Stories with Boulders & Brews 5/25/23
Branding Workshop with Norris Design 6/7/23
Startup Junkie/H.I.R.E.D! Teacher Externship 6/14/23
Startup Stories with Andy Green 6/22/23
SLS Ground Breaking* 6/27/23
Lunch & Learn with My HR Pros 7/26/23
Lunch & Learn with US Patent & Trademark Office 8/11/23
Professional Development with United Bank 8/28/23
Startup Crawl 9/8/23
Lunch & Learn with the Organizer Chicks 9/12/23
Train the Teacher: Lean Canvas Workshop 9/28/23
Student Entrepreneurship Day at CenterSpace 9/29/23
Lunch & Learn with the Organizer Chicks 10/3/23
Lunch & Learn with Throughline 10/12/23
Lunch & Learn with Black Diamond Capital Advisory Firm 10/18/23
Lunch & Learn with Human Interest 10/24/23
Learn to Fund Your Business with Retirement Accounts! 11/3/23
Lunch & Learn: Misconceptions with Social Media Marketing 11/7/23
Government Certifications for Women, Minority, and Underserved Businesses* 11/9/23
Enspire Conference 2023 11/10/23
Productivity & Workflow Workshop 11/13/23
Networking: Coffee Crawl at Arsaga’s Mill District 11/14/23
Student Entrepreneurship Expo 11/15/23
Cybersecurity Lunch & Learn with Discerning Security 12/7/23
GameChangers: Live Podcasting with TheatreSquared* 12/11/23
Lunch & Learn with Friday Firm 12/14/23
* Events designed specifically for underrepresented and/or creative economy entrepreneurs
Startup Junkie Proposal - page 9 of 25
Approach. Startup Junkie will provide a regular schedule of no-cost in-person entrepreneurial
educational opportunities to educate, inspire, support, and connect the regional startup
community and entrepreneurial ecosystem. For the proposed contract, we will execute the
following cadence of 50 high impact no-cost events in Fayetteville annually. In addition to these
regular events, we will work with the Department of Economic Vitality to identify and deliver 20
additional tailored desired event engagements for Fayetteville entrepreneurs.
Table 6: Proposed Year One Schedule of Events by Startup Junkie
Type of Event* Description Sample Past
Event
Frequency in 12-
month period
Workshop Any topic addressing local
needs of entrepreneurs
Sample past event Monthly
Networking Event providing networking
opportunities in Fayetteville
Sample past event Monthly
Entrepreneurship /
Innovation Event
Event presented in partnership
with another relevant
organization
(Hosted by partner
organization)
Monthly
IdeaFame Pitch competition Sample past event Quarterly
Startup Stories Feature event at local startup Sample past event Quarterly
Gamechangers Live podcast Sample past event Quarterly
Startup weekend Weekend of education,
facilitation, and pitching of
ideas for entrepreneurs
Sample past event Annually
Startup Crawl Large-scale event celebrating
entrepreneurship and
highlighting local resources
Sample past event Annually
*A minimum of 6 of our total events will be focused on an underserved entrepreneurial group. In
addition, a minimum of 6 of our total events will be focused on the creative economy.
All in-person events will be held in Fayetteville. Presenters for events will include Startup Junkie
staff as well as partner organizations, individuals, and contracted professionals with deep
expertise in relevant areas. Startup Junkie’s Head of Events and Marketing will oversee this
project component. We aim to achieve 70 events and 8,000 attendees as a benchmark in year
one, with a goal of increasing audience participation by 10% year over year thereafter.
Startup Junkie Proposal - page 10 of 25
Interaction with the City of
Fayetteville. Startup Junkie will work
with the City to promote events and
ensure that the event schedule is ideal
for Fayetteville residents and other
City activities. We will seek input
from the City to help us identify,
develop, and deliver events on
additional topics needed by
Fayetteville’s current and aspiring
entrepreneurs.
Relevance to Economic Vitality Master Plan. Through this component of the proposed
contract, Startup Junkie will help the City implement Strategies 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, and 8 of its
Economic Vitality Master Plan. For example, Startup Junkie will create and promote a woman-
and minority-owned business education program with structured curriculum on intellectual
property, product development, marketing, commercialization, SBIR/STTR grants, negotiation,
contractual agreements, finance and capital opportunities, and platform-based retail. Every year,
Startup Junkie presents programming specific to women- and minority-owned businesses, so this
is already a focus. In accordance with the Master Plan, we will present 6 events, workshops, and
program engagements per year focused on underserved entrepreneurs, and 6 events focused on
artists and the creative economy.
Table 7: Events and Education
Task Method Timeline Metric
Solicit input from
City on education
topics relevant to
entrepreneurs and in
alignment with Plan
Startup Junkie staff
works with Dept. of
Economic Vitality
to gather input
Beginning of
contract period
Compiled list of topics for
events
Develop, promote,
and present regular
no-cost in-person and
virtual events
Startup Junkie staff
uses current
procedures to
schedule, promote,
and present events
Continuously
throughout
contract period
(approx. 4
events per
month)
# events (target: 70)
# attendees (target: 8,000*)
# events for underrepresented
entrepreneurs (target: 6)
# events for the creative
economy (target: 6)
*For year 1 of the contract period. We will aspire to 10% year-over-year growth thereafter.
Startup Junkie Proposal - page 11 of 25
II. Collaboration Space and Programming
Located in the heart of downtown Fayetteville in the Pryor Center, Startup Junkie is a visible
leader for the City’s small business and startup community. We are focused on bringing people
together downtown in support of our small businesses and startups. Please see below for a
description of Startup Junkie’s approach and planned coordination with the City under this
contract, followed by tables outlining our proposed tasks, timeline, and metrics.
Approach. Should this new contract be awarded, Startup Junkie will commit to continue to
occupy and maintain CenterSpace, a collaborative free working space for use by the
entrepreneurial community for the purposes of learning, co-working, and convening. This space
includes no-cost day use co-working space (including complimentary Wi-Fi) for entrepreneurs.
We also provide a no-cost conference room that entrepreneurs can book online for daytime use.
CenterSpace also serves as Startup Junkie’s primary location for leading virtual and in-person
one-on-one consulting engagements with Fayetteville entrepreneurs. Our CenterSpace is in
demand in the Fayetteville community. As an example, in 2023, 2,600 community members used
the conference room at no charge for their offsite meetings. CenterSpace costs Startup Junkie
$65,000 annually to operate.
To celebrate entrepreneurship and highlight small
businesses, Startup Junkie will present our signature large-
scale event, Startup Crawl. Presented annually, Startup
Crawl is the largest entrepreneurship- and innovation-
focused event in Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma.
Despite active interest from other Northwest Arkansas
cities such as Bentonville, thanks to support from the City
of Fayetteville, Startup Junkie has hosted this event in
Fayetteville, where it has become a title event for the City
(this event cost approximately $50,000/year to execute).
Should this contract be awarded, Startup Junkie will
continue to lead this fabric of the community event that's
loved by all, in Fayetteville. Startup Crawl draws 3,000
attendees from across the country who sample beer from
local craft breweries and listen to live music while visiting
local startups’ booths in the Pryor Center and around the
downtown square. Young companies and innovative
thinkers promote their businesses and ideas to a large
audience. Startup Crawl celebrates Fayetteville’s vibrant entrepreneurial community and
showcases the resources available in Fayetteville. In 2023, we hosted more than 3,000 attendees,
70 participating ventures, and 14 breweries, along with music by Sister Hazel.
In 2024, should we be awarded this contract, we will keep the Startup Crawl in Fayetteville, and
continue to make it the largest entrepreneurship- and innovation-focused event in the region and
ensure that inclusion and diversity are centered at the event. We aim to attract 3,300 attendees
and increase our audience by at least 10% year over year thereafter. We will also continue to
engage with our local arts, music, and food scene and key community partners. In alignment with
Startup Junkie Proposal - page 12 of 25
the City’s Economic Vitality Master Plan, in 2025 we will expand Startup Crawl to a multiple-
day event and add professional development and educational offerings to continue to grow its
reach and impact.
Interaction with the City of Fayetteville. Startup Junkie and Startup Junkie will work closely
with the City on the logistics of presenting the event downtown as well as promotion to local
leaders and community members.
Relevance to Economic Vitality Master Plan. Through this component of the proposed
contract, Startup Junkie will help the City implement Strategies 2, 4, and 5 of its Economic
Vitality Master Plan. In response to Strategy 5 of the Plan, we will expand Startup Crawl to a
multiple-day event.
Table 8: Collaboration Space and Programming
Task Method Timeline Metric
Host entrepreneurs at
CenterSpace
Provide no-cost co-
working and
conference space
Continuously
throughout contract
period
# entrepreneurs
reserving conference
space (target: 1,540)
Develop and present
Startup Crawl
Startup Junkie plans
and presents multi-day
event in coordination
with City
Annually in the fall # of participating
startups (target: 80)
# attendees (target:
3,300 in 2024)
III. Focused Support for Members of the Creative Economy, Women, People of Color,
and Other Historically Underrepresented Groups
As a small business owned and led by service-disabled veterans, women, and minorities, Startup
Junkie is focused on democratizing entrepreneurship through support for historically
underrepresented groups, including women, people of color, and creative economy
entrepreneurs. Our Head of Underserved Entrepreneurship manages our Kiva loan program (see
below) and organizes our efforts around our DEI work. She is fluent in Spanish and English, and
also has Tourette Syndrome.
Approach. Our support of underrepresented entrepreneurs consists of three approaches: 1) one-
on-one no-cost consulting and counseling, 2) tailored events, and 3) accessible capital. Of our
one-on-one consulting clients, 59.8% are women and 35.3% are minorities, which greatly
exceeds their saturation rates (please see Table 2 on page 4). For the proposed contract, we will
maintain a 50%/35% concentration of women and minorities among our consulting clients.
Every year, we provide events and programs designed specifically to address disproportionate
barriers that female and minority entrepreneurs face. For example, our “HER Entrepreneur
Journey” series offers regular events led by and for female entrepreneurs (see 2023 events
schedule on pages 7-8). In the last 2 years alone, we developed and hosted 39 events specific to
Startup Junkie Proposal - page 13 of 25
underserved entrepreneurs, with a total attendance of 1,606. We served as facilitators or panelists
for an additional 19 events in partnership with community-led organizations such as Conexión de
Negocios Latinos and Canopy Northwest Arkansas. Finally, we also participated in 6 events led
by underrepresented communities, including the 2023 Black Business Expo which was attended
by 2,000 people. Demand for these events is on the rise - total attendance at our events
specific to underrepresented entrepreneurs increased by 26% last year (894 in 2023
compared to 712 in 2022). We will build on this success in the contract period, aiming for at
least a 10% increase year over year at these events.
Our Head of Underserved Entrepreneurship oversees our Kiva program, which we base in
Fayetteville and which provides female founders and entrepreneurs of color access to crowd-
funded, zero-interest, no-fee microloans. Since launching in December 2019, Kiva has facilitated
fully funded loans collectively totaling $1.1 million. 95% of these businesses were women- or
minority-owned; 25% of all of our loans go to African American business owners,16% to
Hispanic business owners, and 8% to Pacific Islander business owners. More than 70% of our
loans go to women-owned businesses. Since the inception of Kiva, Fayetteville has been our top
city for loans. For the proposed contract, we aim to make at least 20 loans in Fayetteville
annually, with $150,000 in total annual distribution.
Startup Junkie also supports the creative economy by
providing one-on-one ongoing, intensive and
customized consulting, advisory support, counseling,
and technical assistance to creative economy
entrepreneurs. In addition to providing our own
expertise, we hire fractional consultants to help niche
clients, such as helping a band form an LLC. We also
work with Art Ventures to showcase their artists’ work
for sale at CenterSpace and host maker fairs that
promote creative entrepreneurs. We incorporate artists and creative economy leaders into Startup
Crawl and support the City’s systemic efforts to bolster the creative economy. Finally, we also
pursue special projects with creative partners. For example, in 2022, we partnered with the
Music Education Initiative to highlight local musicians. We also had a networking event for
“artpreneurs” at the gallery of a local artist and invited other artists to speak about their journey.
We will bring this event back in fall 2024.
For the proposed contract, we will continue our marketing and outreach efforts to attract and
serve female and minority entrepreneurs through one-on-one consulting and events. Our Head of
Underserved Entrepreneurship will work with the Department of Economic Vitality to identify
and implement specific efforts to remove barriers to entrepreneurship for women and people of
color. We will continue to pursue partnerships and special opportunities to support artpreneurs.
For the proposed contract, we will host 6 events focused on artists and the creative economy.
Interaction with the City of Fayetteville. Startup Junkie staff will work with the Department of
Economic Vitality to identify and deliver strategies for supporting underrepresented
entrepreneurs. Our Head of Metrics, Systems, and Reporting will communicate with the City on
metrics specific to this effort and work one-on-one with the Dept. of Economic Vitality.
“I know I can always go back to
them to get new advice, new
suggestions and know that I’m
going to feel confident in every
interaction with their team.” –
Cedric Fonville, NICE NWA
Startup Junkie Proposal - page 14 of 25
Relevance to the Economic Vitality Master Plan. Through this component of the proposed
contract, Startup Junkie will help the City implement Strategies 1, 2, 3, and 8 of its Economic
Vitality Master Plan. For example, through one-on-one consulting and events, Startup Junkie
will communicate educational opportunities and resources with accessibility to artists in mind.
Table 9: Focused Support for Historically Underrepresented Groups
Task Method Timeline Metric
Provide one-on-one
consulting to women
entrepreneurs
Outreach to female
entrepreneurs;
address barriers and
challenges
Continuously
throughout contract
period
% of one-on-one
consulting clients that
are women (target:
50%+)
Provide one-on-one
consulting to minority
entrepreneurs
Outreach to minority
entrepreneurs;
address barriers and
challenges
Continuously
throughout contract
period
% of one-on-one
consulting clients that
are minority
entrepreneurs (target:
35%+)
Provide one-on-one
consulting to creative
economy
entrepreneurs
Outreach to creative
economy
entrepreneurs;
address barriers
Continuously
throughout contract
period
# creative economy
entrepreneurs (target:
25 annually)
Present events
tailored to needs of
women, minority
entrepreneurs
Develop, schedule,
and host in-person
and virtual events
Regularly
throughout contract
period (Startup
Junkie hosts avg 4
events/month)
# of events per year
(target: 6)
# event attendees
Present events
tailored to needs of
creative economy
entrepreneurs
Develop, schedule,
and host in-person
and virtual events
Regularly
throughout contract
period (Startup
Junkie hosts avg 4
events/month)
# of events per year
(target: 6)
# event attendees
Provide access to
zero-interest, no-fee
microloans for female
and minority
entrepreneurs
Operate Kiva NWA
program which
leverages crowd
funding for loans
Continuously
throughout contract
period
# loans (target: 20
annually)
#$ loans (target:
$150,000 annually)
Scope of Work: Provide Technical Assistance and Support to the Dept of Economic Vitality
For the proposed project, Startup Junkie will work as an extension of the Department of
Economic Vitality team to implement the Economic Vitality Master Plan, identify opportunities
Startup Junkie Proposal - page 15 of 25
and challenges, and measure success. Please see below for a description of Startup Junkie’s
approach and planned coordination with the City under this contract, followed by tables outlining
our proposed tasks, methods, timelines, and metrics.
I. Technical Assistance and Support to the Department of Economic Vitality
Startup Junkie is the “go-to” source for Fayetteville entrepreneurs and the City’s strong
relationships with them. Currently, our support for the City includes:
● 1 FTE equivalent provided to Department of Economic Vitality
● Monthly one-on-one meeting with Director of Economic Vitality
● Monthly meeting with Mayor on entrepreneurship within Economic Vitality
● Monthly report to Director of Economic Vitality
● Annual report that includes outputs, outcomes, and success stories presented to Director of
Economic Vitality and City
● Open lines of communication with the Director of Economic Vitality
Approach. To accomplish the ambitious goals of the Master Plan, we are proposing an increased
commitment to the City from Startup Junkie moving forward. We will continue our meeting and
reporting structure as outlined above. However, we would like to (at the discretion of the
Department of Economic Vitality) include our project Head of Underserved Entrepreneurship
and Head of Events and Marketing in these meetings as well, so that we can bring even more
expertise to the table.
To increase commitment, we will also increase the FTE equivalents dedicated to the City, from
1.0 to 1.84. Ten (10) different Startup Junkie team members will engage with the City, providing
a wider range of expertise and community relationships. This team will provide technical
assistance to the City in the following ways.
Serve as Extension of the Department of Economic Vitality Team. We will provide expertise
and integrate technical assistance as needed to support the City’s efforts in relation to
entrepreneurship and innovation.
Master Plan Implementation. We will work closely with the Department of Economic Vitality
to assist with implementation of the strategies and action items that relate to small business and
entrepreneurship in the Master Plan, once the Plan is adopted by the Fayetteville City Council.
Please see our “List of Project Personnel” section for details about the contributions of our Team.
Analyze current strategies. During our monthly meetings and regular communication with the
Department of Economic Vitality and City Team, we will discuss and analyze the City’s current
range of economic strategies (especially those focused on entrepreneurship and innovation),
along with the current status and progress of action items.
24/7 Support. Startup Junkie will increase communication to 24:7 communication between all
members of the Department of Economic Vitality (at the Department’s discretion) and our
project team. We believe this will nurture a lock-step partnership that will enable successful
achievement of the City’s goals.
Startup Junkie Proposal - page 16 of 25
Interaction with the City of Fayetteville. We will dedicate 1.84 FTE equivalents to the City
under the proposed contract. In addition to 24/7 support, we will have monthly meetings with the
Director of Economic Vitality and the Mayor. We will submit monthly and annual reports to the
City to track metrics and success of the Economic Vitality Plan. Please see Table 9 below for an
outline of the increase in commitment to the City we are proposing.
Relevance to the Economic Vitality Master Plan. Regular communication and coordination
will be key to accomplishing the City’s goals as outlined in the Plan. Please see the following
section for discussion of the ways in which Startup Junkie is fully aligned with Plan
implementation.
Table 10: Increased Technical Assistance / Support to the Dept. of Economic Vitality
SJ Current Commitment SJ Proposed Increased Commitment
1.0 FTE equivalents dedicated to Dept. of
Economic Vitality
1.84 FTE equivalents dedicated to Dept. of
Economic Vitality
Open communication between Dept. of
Economic Vitality and Project Team leaders
24/7 communication between Dept. of
Economic Vitality and all members of
Startup Junkie’s Project Team
Monthly meetings between one member of
SJ team and Director of Dept. of Economic
Vitality
Monthly meetings between three members
of SJ team and Director of Dept. of
Economic Vitality
Monthly meetings between one member of
SJ team and Mayor
Monthly meetings between three members
of SJ team and Mayor
Monthly reports to Director of Dept. of
Economic Vitality
Monthly reports to Director of Dept. of
Economic Vitality including increased
metrics aligned with Master Plan
Annual report and presentation to City Annual report and presentation to City
including extensive evaluation of progress
toward Master Plan strategies
II. Economic Vitality Master Plan Implementation
Startup Junkie is fully aligned with the City’s Economic Vitality Master Plan. Having assisted in
its creation and supported the City through the planning process, we are uniquely positioned to
assist the City with its successful implementation. Please see below for a description of Startup
Junkie’s approach and planned coordination with the City under this contract, followed by tables
outlining our proposed tasks, methods, timelines, and metrics.
Startup Junkie Proposal - page 17 of 25
Approach. Startup Junkie will dedicate 1.84 FTE equivalents to the proposed contract and
implementation of the Master Plan. While we are proposing a contract which would assist the
City in implementing all strategies of the Master Plan, we have structured our project team to
delve deeply into the following strategies.
Streamlining pathways to entrepreneurship and eliminating barriers to entry. Claudia Scott
will serve as our Head of Underserved Entrepreneurship for the proposed project. Scott is a
leader in our community with a strong track record of success in her career and at Startup Junkie.
As a woman, minority, and professional with Tourette Syndrome, she understands how to
eliminate barriers to entry for entrepreneurs. There is simply no one better to lead addressing the
needs of historically disadvantaged entrepreneurs than Claudia.
Claudia assists historically underserved communities at the highest level. At Startup Junkie, she
leads capital access programs focused on the underserved in Fayetteville, such as the Kiva
Program. She also provides intensive one-on-one no-cost counseling, consulting, and advisory
support for historically underserved entrepreneurs. An expert in launching and deploying events,
workshops, and programs focused on assisting underserved entrepreneurs, Claudia ensures that
our entire team weaves diversity, equity and inclusion work into everything we do. Our Project
Head of Events, Workshops, and Programs will work with Claudia to ensure that we provide a
world class offering of support for our underserved community members.
Targeting technical assistance and resources for historically disadvantaged small business
owners and entrepreneurs. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are interwoven into all the work that
Startup Junkie does. For the proposed contract, our Project Director of Events and Marketing,
Victoria Dickerson, will launch regular events aimed specifically at underserved entrepreneurs.
Please see a discussion of our support on pages 12-14.
Startup Junkie also has a specific focus on serving veterans who help our small business
community thrive. Startup Junkie itself is a veteran owned small business, with three veterans on
our team, including two service-disabled veterans. Our large and often overlooked population of
veterans will receive much needed support from our expert team for the proposed project,
including intensive no-cost and on-going one-on-one advisory support and counseling, as well as
events, workshops and programs such as Veteran Venture Leaders (sample event here:
https://www.nwahomepage.com/lifestyle/good-day-nwa-veteran-venture-leaders/).
Facilitating and Supporting the Expansion and Retention of Fayetteville’s Small Businesses.
Startup Junkie will support expansion and retention through monthly, weekly, and daily one-on-
one BRE checks with Fayetteville businesses. Through these regular checks and status updates,
we will provide maximum support to Fayetteville small businesses, ensuring they stay in
business, continue building strong roots in Fayetteville, and grow at a robust rate. Our checks are
supported by our large network of SME mentors that can assist one-on-one on a variety of topics
ranging from human resources to branding and Internet Protocol.
Building a robust culture of customer service for small businesses in Fayetteville & and
prioritizing economic growth and resiliency of restaurants, bars, and hotels as well the arts
and entertainment industry. To accomplish this, Startup Junkie will build upon the successful
Startup Junkie Proposal - page 18 of 25
model of growth and expansion of multinational franchise operations such as Slim Chickens, for
which the principals of Startup Junkie have been advisors and investors for nearly ten years. By
engaging experts in franchise growth, we will help identify and bolster restaurant, bar, arts, and
entertainment businesses originated in Fayetteville to achieve regional and national expansion.
The same approach, for example, grew Buff City Soap to more than 1,000 locations in less than
two years. Fayetteville-based concepts with the right operating model can grow to significance
while maintaining high-wage-rate and high salary headquarters locations in Fayetteville. Startup
Junkie will bring the expertise to the proposed project to drive this type of success for the City.
Interaction with the City of Fayetteville & Relevance to Master Plan. Please see Table 9 for
the logistics of planned interaction with the City. We will work with the Department of
Economic Vitality to identify outcomes for this contract that align closely with the Master Plan
and help achieve its goals.
Timeline. We will be available to the City 24/7 for implementation of this project and fulfillment
of the Master Plan. Please see the “Methods and Approach” section for timeline of specific tasks
relevant to the Master Plan.
Scope of Work/Deliverables
Startup Junkie will continue to track and analyze detailed metrics to measure success and report
regularly to the City. For the proposed contract, we will track the following deliverables for year
one of the contract. In addition to these, we will work with the Department of Economic Vitality
to establish other data points the City would like Startup Junkie to add to our evaluation.
Support a Collaborative Entrepreneurial and Startup Environment
● # entrepreneurs served through one-on-one high-quality no-cost consulting, mentoring,
counseling, training, support, and assistance engagements (target: 520+)
○ #/% women-owned ventures
○ #/% minority-owned ventures
○ #/% veteran-owned ventures
○ #/% creative economy entrepreneurs
● # Fayetteville businesses contacted through the BRE program to ensure growth and address
challenges (target: 50)
Create Programming and Spaces for Entrepreneurship to Flourish
● # visible, accessible, high-quality events, workshops, networking, and program engagements
for Fayetteville entrepreneurs (target: 70+)
● # attendees of events, workshops, networking, and program engagements (target: 7,972)
● # events specifically for underrepresented entrepreneurs (target: 6)
● # events specifically for the creative economy (target: 6)
● # entrepreneurs reserving CenterSpace conference space downtown (target: 1,540)
● # of participating startups in annual Startup Crawl event (target: 80+)
● # attendees of annual Startup Crawl event (target: 3,300 in 2024)
● # zero-interest, no-fee microloans for female and minority entrepreneurs issued through Kiva
Northwest Arkansas annually (20)
● #$ of loans issued through Kiva Northwest Arkansas annually ($150,000)
Startup Junkie Proposal - page 19 of 25
Maintaining a rigorous and innovative schedule of consultations and events is critical to helping
the City achieve its Master Plan goals. However, the true value of Startup Junkie’s work shines
through our outcomes. These measure the results of the services that we provide and demonstrate
the growth of local startups and our small business economy. Below are the outcomes we will
measure through the proposed contract. In year one of the contract, we will work with the City to
establish accurate baselines for these metrics. Thereafter, we will aspire to increase outcome
measurements by 10% year over year.
Outcomes
● # net new jobs created on average per Fayetteville venture annually
● $# in private capital raised
● $# in public capital (grants, state and federal) secured
● # new products, services, and solutions brought to market
● # patents and patent applications
● # SBIR and STTR awards
● # unique Fayetteville retail, restaurant, and accommodation ventures assisted through
multiple ongoing and in-depth engagements
● 1 year and 5 year survival rates for new businesses
Success Stories
Finally, our deliverables under the proposed contract will include success stories which highlight
the impact of our work on individual businesses and entrepreneurs. Below is a sampling of
success stories from our work in Fayetteville. We will track these types of successes to report to
the City in the proposed contract.
● B-Unlimited, an advanced manufacturing company, grew from $2M in revenue and 10
employees to $12M in revenue and 100+ employees.
● Phigenics, a water quality and safety company, went from idea stage to $50M valuation and
$36M in revenue. It grew to have 140 high-wage employees serving major Fortune 100
companies, hospital systems, and the federal government.
● OurPharma, a pharmaceutical manufacturing company, started with a University business
plan and no employees and grew to a major manufacturing facility and company valued at
$25M with more than 50 employees.
● Ozark Integrated Circuits, a semiconductor company, had 20 highly educated high-wage
engineers and is now a world leader in harsh environment electronics with solutions for
space, hypersonic jet engineer controls, and deep-well geothermal. The company has a 90%
SBIR win rate from multiple agencies and is fully transitioning to production.
● Lapovations, a medical device company, began with University research to recently raising
a $14M investment round. The device has already been approved by the FDA and has been
performing well in clinical trials.
● Slim Chickens, a tech enabled scalable food venture, went from 12 locations to more than
220 locations and 1,100 store commitments worldwide.
● Natural Way Food Group, a CPG food manufacturing and e-commerce company, moved
from the idea stage to raising more than $1M in capital and achieving distribution in over
1,000 storefronts nationwide.
● The Shops at Brick City, a brick & mortar and omnichannel tech enabled retail venture,
grew from one original struggling location to two massive tech-enabled thriving locations
Startup Junkie Proposal - page 20 of 25
with more than 200 small businesses incubated and hosted within. The company provides a
key bridge for Arkansas small businesses between idea and scale.
● AcreTrader, a farming and investment software company, moved from idea stage to
commercialization and through a $50M Series B at a $400M valuation with more than 100
high-wage employees. The company brings liquidity to family farms and investment access
to an overlooked asset class.
Qualifications and Experience
Startup Junkie is Fayetteville’s trusted leader in the development of viable, lasting, and inclusive
startup and venture ecosystems. For more than 15 years, we have been providing entrepreneur
support, promoting innovation, commercializing technology, and building entrepreneurial
ecosystems in underserved communities across Fayetteville.
Our world class team has 80 years of experience
helping entrepreneurs and innovators reach their
goals. Each year, we provide one-on-one
consulting to more than 1,000 small businesses,
present more than 200 events/workshops/
programming for entrepreneurs, award $150,000 -
$200,000 in Kiva microloan funding for
underrepresented entrepreneurs, host a fuel
accelerator program which attracts global
companies to our community, and produce a
podcast that ranks among the top 2.5% of
podcasts globally.
We help small businesses get results. Since 2008, our work has resulted in the creation and
acceleration of hundreds of new ventures, thousands of new jobs, and over $850M in private
capital and $40M in public capital (SBIR/STTR/etc.). We have helped clients secure more than
200 patents and 500 trademarks, as well as bring over 2,000 new products, services, and
solutions to market. We have helped entrepreneurs generate more than $1B in revenue. Support
for our efforts has come through funding and partnerships with Innovate Arkansas, the US
Department of Commerce, ARK Challenge startup accelerator, Ozarks Regional Innovation
Cluster, ScaleUp America, AEDC, Winrock International, the Walton Family Foundation, Small
Business Administration, Northwest Arkansas Council, and the US Department of Agriculture.
Experience with Similar Projects/Contracts
For the past 8 years, Startup Junkie has been the City of Fayetteville’s trusted partner in
nurturing innovative, resilient small businesses. As an example, our 2021 - 2022 contract with
Fayetteville resulted in 889 new jobs created, 15 SBIR/STTR awards secured by Fayetteville
ventures, facilitation of the Ark Angel Alliance investment group, 2,600 people accessing free
coworking space downtown, and 183 events attracting 12,579 attendees, among other successes.
Perhaps most impactful in Fayetteville is our one-on-one consulting. As an example, in 2021 -
2022, we served 881 Fayetteville entrepreneurs through 898 high quality free consulting,
mentoring, counseling, training, support, and assistance engagements. Of these, 326 were
“I like [Startup Junkie’s] multi-prong
approach to programming. They have a
lot of great resources, workshops, events,
networking events, programmatic
offerings. I think they’ve built out a really
nice network of service providers and
fellow founders to collaborative with.”
– Elizabeth Prenger, Prose Creative &
Ossicle
Startup Junkie Proposal - page 21 of 25
women-owned ventures, 188 were minority-owned ventures, and 39 were veteran-owned
ventures - demonstrating our commitment to removing barriers for underrepresented
entrepreneurs.
In the past 5 years, Startup Junkie has engaged with the US Small Business Administration
(SBA), the Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC), Arkansas Children’s
Hospital, Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, Arkansas
Small Business Technology & Development Center, Rural Local Initiatives Support Corporation,
North Forget, Walmart, ArcBest, Arvest Bank, the Korea International Trade Association, and
the United States Department of Agriculture (please see Attachment C for four references).
Please see below for some highlights from our current/recent contracts.
● US Small Business Administration (SBA): For nearly the past 10 years, we have led the
SBA funded Ozarks Regional Innovation Cluster. We have made Fayetteville the epicenter
of this effort, and the scope of this contract nicely matches the goals of the City of
Fayetteville Master Plan. Through this contract we are focused on building a robust
innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem in the Ozarks region, where we choose
Fayetteville as the epicenter. We have also executed a Prime Conductor Regional Innovation
Cluster contract to accelerate the entrepreneurial ecosystem and regional cluster across
Central Arkansas focused on healthcare, education, and data/decision science (2018-2024)
and a Rural LISC Community Navigator contract to expand outreach efforts and provide
technical assistance to entrepreneurs and small business owners (2021-2023).
● Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC): Through the support of the
Arkansas Economic Development Commission, we have led the two most successful
accelerator programs in the state for the past 5 years: The Fuel Accelerator program and the
10x Accelerator Program. We have deployed multiple accelerator cohorts with the overall
goal of driving economic development in the community (2018-present).
● Arkansas Small Business Technology & Development Center (ASBTDC): Through the
LEAF (Latinx Entrepreneurs and Families) program, we created a program specifically
aimed at Latinx small business owners with technical assistance programming in both
English and Spanish (2021).
● Walton Family Foundation: The Walton Family Foundation has supported Startup Junkie
by funding programmatic efforts. WFF has helped the Fuel Accelerator program succeed
through continuous support; Fuel has added more than 100 jobs to the regional economy as a
result. WFF also supports the NWA Kiva program which provides access to capital for
underserved and underbanked entrepreneurs.
Company’s primary business interest and/or operations including any affiliations
Startup Junkie Consulting, a veteran owned small business led by women, minorities, and
service-disabled veterans, marked its beginnings in 2008 and formally organized as an LLC in
2011 by offering consulting services at no-cost to entrepreneurs. In order to expand the reach,
impact, and depth of services, Startup Junkie Foundation was born in 2015 as a 501(c)3
nonprofit. As the two organizations share the same purpose, mission, vision, and values, the team
is jointly building the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Startup Junkie's mission is to inspire and
empower existing and aspiring entrepreneurs, innovators, and small business leaders.
Startup Junkie Proposal - page 22 of 25
Our organization offers a broad array of services, including but not limited to:
● One-on-one Consulting & Counseling: Individualized consulting services for
entrepreneurs, startups, and growth-oriented small businesses. This includes assistance
through various stages of the entrepreneurial journey, from idea creation and validation to
scaling and exiting. Thanks to funding from the City of Fayetteville, we are able to offer this
at no charge to the entrepreneur.
● Inclusive Events, Workshops, and Programs: A world class portfolio of events,
workshops, and programs designed for a diverse and equitable entrepreneurial ecosystem.
● Outreach: Outreach efforts aimed at educating key community stakeholders on the value of
an inclusive, diverse, and equitable entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem.
● Accessible Coworking Space: Thanks to funding from the City of Fayetteville, we offer no-
cost coworking at CenterSpace, located in the Pryor Center. This space costs roughly
$65,000/year to operate. If we win this contract, we will commit to keeping this space in
Fayetteville and on the Fayetteville square.
● Event Hosting and Meeting Spaces: Spaces for meetings, workshops, and other offsite
gatherings, emphasizing community building and networking among entrepreneurs.
Startup Junkie's operations are deeply rooted in the entrepreneurial community, aiming to
eliminate barriers to entrepreneurship and make resources and support accessible to everyone
interested in starting or growing their businesses. The organization has established a reputation
for its outcome-focused approach, working with thousands of businesses and reaching an
expansive audience through consulting, events, digital media, and an arsenal of other resources.
Startup Junkie's efforts are supported by a variety of partners, including the Walton Family
Foundation, the USDA, the EDA, the University of Arkansas, the U.S. Small Business
Administration, the City of Fayetteville, KAIST, KOTRA, and the Arkansas Economic
Development Commission.
List of Project Personnel
Startup Junkie brings to the City of Fayetteville a talented team with deep expertise in every
stage of small business development. Since 2011, our consultants have provided Northwest
Arkansas and surrounding communities with key business/startup support and have spurred
economic development through one-on-one engagements, events, workshops, and programming.
In tandem with that effort, Startup Junkie Foundation was formed in 2015 to provide additional
support to new business owners, expanding our reach, impact, and depth of services.
Both Startup Junkie Consulting, LLC and our partner organization Startup Junkie Foundation
(through subcontract) will provide residents of the City with tailored business support and
consultant services under the proposed contract, with Startup Junkie Consulting’s executive and
senior consultant team providing senior level strategic input for the project.
Ten (10) members of the Startup Junkie team will facilitate the requirements of this project. All
are permanent, full-time employees who will dedicate various portions of their 1.0 FTE
equivalents to the project. Combined, our budget includes 1.84 FTE equivalents to the
Department of Economic Vitality.
Please see the following organizational chart for the proposed project. Following this chart is a
list of project personnel. Resumes for each team member are attached to this proposal.
Startup Junkie Proposal - page 23 of 25
Startup Junkie Consulting, LLC
JEFF AMERINE- Project Director and Senior Consultant
BRETT AMERINE- Deputy Project Director and Senior Consultant
DR. JEFF STANDRIDGE- Senior Consultant & SME
PHYL AMERINE- Consultant
Startup Junkie Foundation
CALEB TALLEY- Deputy Project Director and Senior Consultant
MATTHEW WARD- Head of Metrics, Systems, and Reporting
VICTORIA DICKERSON- Head of Events & Marketing
GRACE GILL- Consultant
CLAUDIA SCOTT- Head of Underserved Entrepreneurship
HARRISON KITSON- Program Assistant (Kiva) & Consultant
Availability
For the past 8 years, Startup Junkie has prioritized the City of Fayetteville’s contract among
other commitments. Though we have global impact and reach, we are firmly committed to
supporting startups and small businesses in our own backyard. As a contributor to the City of
Fayetteville’s Economic Vitality Master Plan, we are eager to see the City’s strategies come to
fruition. Since our staff have already been engaged with this work with the City, we are available
to continue our contracted services. Startup Junkie Foundation has the capacity to contribute
Startup Junkie Proposal - page 24 of 25
through the expanded personnel commitment we are proposing. The work their team will do as a
subcontractor aligns with their strategic plans, and they have structured their team and their time
commitments accordingly.
Financial support from the City for this project would allow our consultants to continue to
provide no-cost services to Fayetteville entrepreneurs. Contracted services would also strengthen
our ongoing efforts to reach small business owners from our underserved communities who face
additional barriers to founding successful ventures. Finally, in partnering with the City, Startup
Junkie would have the resources necessary to improve our ability to measure and communicate
the impact of our coaching and programs.
Listing of All Fees
All fees and allocations associated with this project are itemized below. Startup Junkie is
proposing a total annual fee of $250,024.32 which includes only direct labor from Startup Junkie
Consulting, LLC, labor by subcontractor Startup Junkie Foundation, and a small overhead fee.
We do not propose an annual increase each year due to inflation. Should the contract be renewed
for additional two-year periods, the annual fee will remain the same.
Payment schedule will be monthly payments of $20,835.36 for 12 months each contract year, for
which Startup Junkie will submit monthly invoices to the City. At the direction of the
Department of Economic Vitality, level quarterly payments would be acceptable as well;
however, we will still provide monthly updates to the City.
In order to maximize impact and serve as good stewards of Fayetteville tax dollars, Startup
Junkie will leverage other funding sources that we take the initiative to secure to cover all other
program materials, supplies, and facilities necessary to successfully execute this project. The
$65,000 annual cost of our free-to-the-public CenterSpace on the Fayetteville square – which
hosts our no-cost events, workshops, and coworking programming – will also be covered
through secured sponsorships and non-City funding we take the initiative to identify. We view
this as an opportunity to act as good stewards of Fayetteville tax dollars and direct City funding
entirely towards our staff expertise in supporting entrepreneurs.
Table 11: Listing of All Fees
Year 1 Year 2
Direct Labor $161,054.40 $161,054.40
Subcontract (Startup Junkie)
Subtotal $77,064.00 $77,064.00
Subtotal $238,118.40 $238,118.40
Fee (Includes overhead) 5% 5%
Firm Fixed Price Total $250,024.32 $250,024.32
Startup Junkie Proposal - page 25 of 25
Startup Junkie estimates that it will take 3,827 total staff hours to complete the proposed scope of
services, contributed by 10 Startup Junkie staff leaders with broad and complimentary expertise.
Table 12: Project Team Member Estimated Fee & Estimated Hourly Rate Breakdown
Employee Hourly
Rate
Hours Per
Year to Project
% of Total
1.0 FTE Time
Total
Startup Junkie Consulting, LLC
Project Director & Senior Consultant $87 728 35% $63,336.00
Project Director and Sr Consultant 2 $87 707 34% $61,526.40
Consultant 2 $87 208 10% $18,096.00
Senior Consultant and SME $87 208 10% $18,096.00
Direct Labor Subtotal $161,054.40
Startup Junkie Foundation (Subcontractor)
Project Director and Senior
Consultant $39
707
34% $27,580.80
Head of Metrics, Systems, and
Reporting $39
208
10% $8,112.00
Head of Events and Marketing $39 333 16% $12,979.20
Head of Underserved
Entrepreneurship $39
333
16% $12,979.20
Consultant $39 208 10% $8,112.00
Project Associate and Consultant $39 187 9% $7,300.80
Subcontractor Subtotal $77,064.00
Total 3,827 1.84 FTE $238,118.40
Startup Junkie Resumes - page 1 of 7
Section D: Resumes & Experience of Project Personnel - In Response To RFP 24-06
Jeff Amerine, Project Director & Senior Consultant
Full Resume & Bio: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffamerine/
1. Title: Project Director & Senior Consultant
2. Tenure with Proposer: 15 years
3. Education: Masters of Science in Operations Management & Project Management Institute Certified
Project Management Professional
4. Experience: A key local and national leader, Jeff is involved with the creation of lasting regional
venture ecosystems and co-authored in 2021 the Amazon bestselling book, Creating Startup Junkies –
Building Sustainable Venture Ecosystems in Unexpected Places. Jeff has held senior leadership
positions in 9 small business ventures and 3 Fortune 500 companies. He has made more than 90 angel
investments in small businesses. Jeff now leads Startup Junkie Consulting. He is also a General Partner
in Cadron Capital Partners, a Managing Director for Innovation Junkie, and a Board Member for the
Supporting Lifelong Success (SLS) project in Fayetteville which aims to provide entrepreneurship and
innovation pathways to neurodivergent adults.
Jeff served as Associate Vice Provost, Research and Economic Development, and Director of
Technology Ventures at the University of Arkansas until leaving to pursue Startup Junkie Consulting
full-time in 2015. In addition, Jeff is an Adjunct Professor for the Sam M. Walton College of Business at
the University of Arkansas. Jeff was also a retained advisor for Innovate Arkansas, a Winrock
International program chartered with the creation of a knowledge-based economy in Arkansas. This
program has accounted for $300+ million in financing for Arkansas-based small businesses.
Prior to this, Jeff served 6 years as a United States Air Force Officer, working in the Strategic
Air Command as a missile launch officer and later in research and development acquisition. Jeff
graduated from United States Naval Academy in 1984 and holds a Master of Science in Operations
Management from the University of Arkansas. He is a certified Project Management Institute Project
Management Professional (PMP). Jeff’s experience has fostered a comprehensive knowledge of the
challenges facing growth-oriented small businesses and entrepreneurs, underrepresented/underserved
demographics, operational performance, project management, and community development.
5. Estimated number of hours towards this project: 728
6. Total billable hourly rate: $87 (see Direct Labor Rate)
Startup Junkie Resumes - page 2 of 7
Brett Amerine, Deputy Project Director & Senior Consultant
Full Resume & Bio: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brett-amerine-a9865810/
1. Title: Deputy Project Director & Senior Consultant
2. Tenure with Proposer: 11 years
3. Education: Masters of Science in Operations Management & Project Management Institute Certified
Project Management Professional
4. Experience: Brett, former AF Officer, and service-disabled veteran, is a Managing Director at Startup
Junkie. He is a strategic leader in the development and execution of entrepreneurial programs and events
within startup ecosystems in emerging regions worldwide, with an emphasis on Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Brett administers the Tonic Funds and helps facilitate Cadron Capital, another venture fund that
provides capital access to the City. Prior to this, Brett served nearly 5 years in Honolulu, Hawaii, and
Los Angeles, California, as a United States Air Force Officer specializing in project management and
contract management. Brett led high-visibility, multimillion- and billion-dollar service, construction and
aerospace contracts and project teams. At his final assignment in the United States Air Force, he bought
the Atlas and Delta space rockets, specializing in the procurement of the liquid upper-stage rocket
engines.
Brett graduated from the University of Arkansas College of Engineering with a Master’s degree
in Operations Management. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the
University of Arkansas Sam M. Walton College of Business. Brett was named as one of Arkansas’s Fast
15 by the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal. Brett is a certified Project Management Institute Project
Management Professional (PMP). His expertise and skills span the following areas: entrepreneurial
ecosystem management and leadership, program and project management, government acquisition,
organizational management, entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial ecosystem development, operations, the
lean methodology, digital marketing, venture finance, six sigma, mentorship, and leadership.
5. Estimated number of hours towards this project: 707
6. Total billable hourly rate: $87 (see Direct Labor Rate)
Jeff Standridge, Senior Consultant & SME
Full Resume & Bio: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffstandridge/
1. Title: Senior Consultant & SME
2. Tenure with Proposer: 7 years
3. Education: Doctor of Education
4. Experience: Dr. Jeff D. Standridge, service-disabled veteran, will serve as Senior Consultant and
SME for this project. Jeff helps organizations and their leaders generate sustained results in the areas of
innovation, strategy, profit growth, organizational effectiveness, and leadership. Formerly a Vice
President for Acxiom Corporation, he has led established and startup businesses in North & South
America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Jeff serves as Managing Director for the Conductor, Co-
founder of Cadron Capital Partners, and teaches Entrepreneurial Finance & Innovation Leadership in the
College of Business at the University of Central Arkansas.
Startup Junkie Resumes - page 3 of 7
Dr. Standridge has been an invited speaker, trainer, and consultant for numerous companies,
institutions, and organizations across five continents. He is also a three-time best-selling author of
Creating Startup Junkies, Building Sustainable Venture Ecosystems in Unexpected Places, The
Innovator’s Field Guide: Accelerators for Entrepreneurs, Innovators & Change Agents, and The Top
Performer’s Field Guide: Catalysts for Leaders, Innovators & All Who Aspire to Be.
Prior to his business career, Jeff spent more than a decade in healthcare, serving as an Assistant
Professor at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and as a member of the Angel Flight
Helicopter Transport Team at Arkansas Children’s Hospital. He is also retired from the U.S. Army –
Arkansas Army National Guard. Jeff holds a Doctor of Education with special work in Leadership &
Organizational Development, as well as a Master of Education with special work in Human Resource
Development. Jeff is also the founding Chairman for BioArkansas.
5. Estimated number of hours towards this project: 208
6. Total billable hourly rate: $87 (see Direct Labor Rate)
Phyl Amerine, Consultant
Full Resume & Bio: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phyl-s-amerine-60037390/
1. Title: Consultant
2. Tenure with Proposer: 15 years
3. Education: Bachelor of Arts (WiP)
4. Experience: Phyl has ten years of experience managing and leading entrepreneurial support
organizations. She is a founding member of Startup Junkie Consulting and has been involved in the
creation of eight startups. In her first startup, Amerine developed market strategies for international
licensing and partner selection with significant emphasis in Korea, China, Spain, Dominican Republic,
Vietnam, Singapore and India. She defined market opportunity and strategy for one of the initial Internet
Service Providers (ISPs) in India. In another startup, she formed a strategic relationship with a Korean-
based international telecommunications carrier, successfully gained FCC 214 licensing for U.S.
operations, and served as general manager of marketing.
Phyl has worked as a volunteer and advisor in nonprofit marketing for more than 12 years. Her
volunteer efforts have even been recognized by former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee. She is also
currently active in the local investment community. She attended Bowie State University, where she
majored in communications. Phyl’s expertise and skills are in the following areas: entrepreneurial
support organization management and leadership, coaching, mentoring, marketing, strategy, assumption
testing, social ventures, entrepreneurship, and entrepreneurial ecosystem development.
5. Estimated number of hours towards this project: 208
6. Total billable hourly rate: $87 (see Direct Labor Rate)
Startup Junkie Resumes - page 4 of 7
Caleb Talley, Deputy Project Director & Senior Consultant
Full Resume & Bio: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caleb-talley-25189211b/
1. Title: Deputy Project Director & Senior Consultant
2. Tenure with Proposer: 5 years
3. Education: Bachelors of Arts
4. Experience: Caleb Talley, serving Startup Junkie Foundation as Executive Director, helps drive the
organization's mission of entrepreneurial ecosystem building with a diverse set of skills and experience
and strategic vision. An alumnus of the University of Arkansas, where he studied journalism and
political science, Caleb began his professional career at the Times-Herald in Forrest City, Arkansas,
where his proactive reporting and editorial commentary, as well as editorial photography, earned him
national recognition with several Associated Press Managing Editors Awards.
Caleb transitioned from daily reporting to publishing, taking a role at Vowell Inc. where he led
as editor of AY Magazine and spearheaded the re-launch of Arkansas Money & Politics—elevating both
publications to prominent positions in Arkansas’s media landscape. Having covered the rise of the
entrepreneurial community in Northwest Arkansas, Caleb's interest in the ecosystem led him to
transition from the media world altogether. He joined Startup Junkie in 2019 as Marketing and Events
Director, where he was responsible for planning and carrying out the Foundation's portfolio of events
and workshops geared to serve the local entrepreneurial community.
Caleb was promoted to Executive Director of Startup Junkie Foundation in November of 2021.
Under his leadership, Startup Junkie Foundation has continued to surge, both in impact and reach—
nearly tripling one-on-one entrepreneur consulting services to over 2,000 consults in 2023 and
orchestrating upwards of 250 community-centric events annually. More tangibly, his proactive approach
to diversifying funding sources has seen Startup Junkie secure in excess of $3 million in grants, ensuring
sustained support for the entrepreneurs and small business owners. Caleb has served on several
nonprofit boards, having served as Chair on a number of occasions, and offered time and support to
diverse community and civic organizations throughout Arkansas.
5. Estimated number of hours towards this project: 707
6. Total billable hourly rate: $39 (See Subcontractor (SJF) Labor Rate)
Matthew Ward, Head of Metrics, Systems, and Reporting
Full Resume & Bio: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewward725/
1. Title: Head of Metrics, Systems, and Reporting
2. Tenure with Proposer: 3 years
3. Education: Masters of Business Administration
4. Experience: Serving Startup Junkie Foundation as Senior Executive Consultant, Matthew Ward helps
clients quantify their ideas and develop a roadmap to achieve their goals. Along with aiding clients,
Matthew leads collecting, cleaning, and organizing consulting and event data to ensure accurate
reporting of outputs and outcomes. He is an expert in entrepreneurial metrics, systems, tracking, and
reporting. He also aids in sourcing and due diligence with Cadron Capital Partners.
Startup Junkie Resumes - page 5 of 7
Previous to this role, Matthew was the Director of the Fuel Accelerator, an enterprise ready
accelerator that matches seed and growth-stage tech startups with key enterprise partners to accelerate
the adoption of tangible technology solutions. During his tenure as Director, he secured $900,000 in
grant funds resulting in an additional healthtech cohort, tripled the amount of meaningful mentor
relationships from the previous cohort, and doubled the number of pilot contracts signed by the entire
program from one cohort.
Prior to joining Startup Junkie Foundation, Matthew worked as an Equity Research Associate at
Stephens Inc, one of the largest privately owned investment banks in the US. With his time at Stephens
Inc, he benchmarked competitors for an internal C-suite strategic initiative, liaised between buy-side
clients and external management teams, valued companies through various methodologies, and
published notes on earnings and industry previews.
He graduated from the University of Arkansas with his MBA in Finance and Ouachita Baptist
University with an undergraduate degree in Accounting and a degree in Finance.
5. Estimated number of hours towards this project: 208
6. Total billable hourly rate: $39 (See Subcontractor (SJF) Labor Rate)
Victoria Dickerson, Head of Events & Marketing
Full Resume & Bio: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vdickerson/
1. Title: Head of Events & Marketing
2. Tenure with Proposer: 2 years
3. Education: Bachelor of Arts
4. Experience: Victoria Dickerson serves as the Director of Marketing and Events at the Startup Junkie
Foundation. Victoria has been instrumental in orchestrating and delivering events designed to bolster the
success and visibility of regional entrepreneurs. With her pivotal role in the planning and execution of
Startup Junkie's robust slate of events—including the highly successful annual Startup Crawl—Victoria
has made a significant impact on the organization's mission to stimulate local economic growth.
With a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from the University of Arkansas, Victoria's
educational foundation lies in Persuasion and Social Media Marketing, arms that have been extended
throughout her career path. Before her tenure at Startup Junkie Foundation, Victoria honed her skills as
the Creative Director at Camp War Eagle in Rogers, Arkansas. There, she crafted and instituted their
brand strategy, while also leading as their primary content producer across various media.
Victoria excels at leading workshops, programs, and events, attracting attendees in large
numbers to each gathering she orchestrates. Victoria’s professional repertoire extends to expert social
media account management and advising business owners on best practices in the digital realm. Her co-
hosting and production work on the Startup Junkies podcast showcases her grasp of media trends and
content creation. The podcast has 359 episodes over 8 years, is ranked in the top 2.5% of all podcasts in
the world by Listener Score, and has been downloaded in over 100 countries.
Strengths in event planning, execution, social media management, and comprehensive marketing
strategies are matched by Victoria’s proficiency in graphic design, videography, and photography,
forming the bedrock of her multifaceted skill set. Whether speaking publicly, developing brand identity,
Startup Junkie Resumes - page 6 of 7
or leading projects, Victoria's passion for mentoring, as evidenced through her service as a mentor with
other local entrepreneur support organizations, underscores her commitment to empowering others
within the entrepreneurial community of Northwest Arkansas.
5. Estimated number of hours towards this project: 333
6. Total billable hourly rate: $39 (See Subcontractor (SJF) Labor Rate)
Claudia Scott, Head of Underserved Entrepreneurship
Full Resume & Bio: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claudiapscott/
1. Title: Head of Underserved Entrepreneurship
2. Tenure with Proposer: 1 year
3. Education: Masters of Human Resources and Workforce Development
4. Experience: Claudia has over half a decade of experience working with underserved communities
across the state of Arkansas. Claudia is a dynamic and accomplished professional with substantial
experience in capital access management, member engagement, and advocacy As the NWA Kiva Hub
Capital Access Manager (CAM) at Startup Junkie, she assists entrepreneurs with the Kiva microloan
program process. Claudia is a native English and Spanish speaker who brings an acute understanding of
language and culture to her work, which has proven invaluable in building relationships and connecting
with diverse communities.
Scott most recently served as Director of Member Engagement at the Greater Bentonville Area
Chamber of Commerce. Prior to that, she served as a programs assistant for the Downtown Springdale
Alliance, and as a migrant recruiter and advocate for the Northwest Arkansas Education Service
Cooperative. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration & Strategic Communication
from the University of the Ozarks and a Master's degree in Human Resources and Workforce
Development from the University of Arkansas.
5. Estimated number of hours towards this project: 333
6. Total billable hourly rate: $39 (See Subcontractor (SJF) Labor Rate)
Grace Gill, Consultant
Full Resume & Bio: https://www.linkedin.com/in/grace-gill-058186205/
1. Title: Consultant
2. Tenure with Proposer: 2 years
3. Education: Bachelor of Business Administration
4. Experience: Grace Gill serves Startup Junkie as a consultant for small business and entrepreneur
clients. Grace helps clients with steps to establishing a business, building roadmaps for getting
businesses off the ground, and addressing small business and startup challenges with direction to
additional resources in the local area. In addition to 1:1 consulting, Grace aids and executes marketing
and events for Startup Junkie.
Grace has led small business workshops, co-hosted over 40 Startup Junkies podcast episodes,
and acted as lead organizer for more than 20 events, including Startup Crawl 2022 with more than 1,500
attendees and 65 participating startups. Prior to her role at Startup Junkie, Grace worked in non-profit
Startup Junkie Resumes - page 7 of 7
marketing and events working at Mary R. Koch Arts Center in Wichita, Kansas. Grace is a University of
Arkansas alumni and has a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Strategy, Entrepreneurship,
and Venture Innovation, graduating with Honors designation from the Walton College of Business.
5. Estimated number of hours towards this project: 208
6. Total billable hourly rate: $39 (See Subcontractor (SJF) Labor Rate)
Harrison Kitson, Project Associate & Consultant
Full Resume & Bio: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harrison-kitson-758110191/
1. Title: Project Associate & Consultant
2. Tenure with Proposer: 1 year
3. Education: Bachelors of Science
4. Experience: Harrison Kitson serves Startup Junkie Foundation as Kiva Program Associate &
Consultant. Previously a Marketing and Events Intern focused on content creation, he now leads brand
strategy for Kiva NWA and boosts listenership for our English and Spanish podcasts. He brings
expertise in web design, video editing, expository writing, and social media strategy to his role. Harrison
has a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from the University of Alabama, where he focused
on political philosophy and race and gender politics.
5. Estimated number of hours towards this project: 187
6. Total billable hourly rate: $39 (See Subcontractor (SJF) Labor Rate)
City of Fayetteville
RFP 24-06, Economic Development Services - Entrepreneurship &
SECTION C: Vendor References
The following information is required from all firms so all statements of qualification may be reviewed and properly evaluated:
COMPANY NAME: Startup Junkie Consulting
NUMBER OF YEARS IN BUSINESS: 13 HOW LONG IN PRESENT LOCATION: 10
TOTAL NUMBER OF CURRENT EMPLOYEES: 8 FULL TIME 6 PART TIME __2___
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES PLANNED FOR THIS CONTRACT: 17 FULL TIME 13 PART TIME ___4____
PLEASE LIST FOUR (4) REFERENCES THAT YOU HAVE PREVIOUSLY PERFORMED CONTRACT SERVICES FOR WITHIN THE PAST FIVE (5)
YEARS (All fields must be completed):
1. Arkansas Secretary of Commerce 2. Arkansas Economic Development Commission
COMPANY NAME COMPANY NAME
Little Rock, AR 72202 Little Rock, AR, 72202___________________________
CITY, STATE, ZIP CITY, STATE, ZIP
Hugh McDonald, The Secretary of Commerce Clint O’Neal, Executive Director___________________
CONTACT PERSON CONTACT PERSON
501-682-7351 501-682-7350________________________________
TELEPHONE TELEPHONE
N/A__________________________________________ N/A_________________________________________
FAX NUMBER FAX NUMBER
Hugh.mcdonald@arkansas.gov coneal@arkansasedc.com
E-MAIL ADDRESS E-MAIL ADDRESS
3. U.S. Small Business Administration 4. University of Central Arkansas
COMPANY NAME COMPANY NAME
Washington, DC, 20416 Conway, AR, 727035
CITY, STATE, ZIP CITY, STATE, ZIP
Alison Evans, US SBA HQ Office of Innovation Dr. Houston Davis, President___________________
CONTACT PERSON CONTACT PERSON
City of Fayetteville
RFP 24-06, Economic Development Services - Entrepreneurship &
202-856-7386 501-269-9009_______________________________
TELEPHONE TELEPHONE
N/A N/A__________________________________________
FAX NUMBER FAX NUMBER
Alison.evans@sba.gov HDavis@uca.edu
E-MAIL ADDRESS E-MAIL ADDRESS
City of Fayetteville
RFP 24-06, Economic Development Services - Entrepreneurship &
SECTION D: Signature Submittal
1. DISCLOSURE INFORMATION
Proposer must disclose any possible conflict of interest with the City of Fayetteville, including, but not limited
to, any relationship with any City of Fayetteville employee. Proposer response must disclose if a known
relationship exists between any principal or employee of your firm and any City of Fayetteville employee or
elected City of Fayetteville official.
If, to your knowledge, no relationship exists, this should also be stated in your response. Failure to disclose such
a relationship may result in cancellation of a purchase and/or contract as a result of your response. This form
must be completed and returned in order for your bid/proposal to be eligible for consideration.
PLEASE CHECK ONE OF THE FOLLOWING TWO OPTIONS, AS IT APPROPRIATELY APPLIES TO YOUR FIRM:
X 1) NO KNOWN RELATIONSHIP EXISTS
2) RELATIONSHIP EXISTS (Please explain):
I certify that; as an officer of this organization, or per the attached letter of authorization, am duly authorized
to certify the information provided herein is accurate and true; and my organization shall comply with all State
and Federal Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination requirements and conditions of employment.
Pursuant Arkansas Code Annotated §25-1-503, the Contractor agrees and certifies that they do not currently
boycott Israel and will not boycott Israel during any time in which they are entering into, or while in contract,
with any public entity as defined in §25-1-503. If at any time during contract the contractor decides to boycott
Israel, the contractor must notify the contracted public entity in writing.
Pursuant Arkansas Code Annotated §25-1-1002, the Contractor agrees and certifies that they do not currently
boycott Energy, Fossil Fuel, Firearms, and Ammunition Industries during any time in which they are entering
into, or while in contract, with any public entity as defined in §25-1-1002. If at any time during the contract the
contractor decides to boycott Energy, Fossil Fuel, Firearms, and/or Ammunition Industries, the contractor
must notify the contracted public entity in writing.
2. PRIMARY CONTACT INFORMATION
At the discretion of the City, one or more firms may be asked for more detailed information before final ranking
of the firms, which may also include oral interviews. NOTE: Each Proposer shall submit to the City a primary
contact name, e-mail address, and phone number (preferably a cell phone number) where the City selection
committee can call for clarification or interview via telephone.
Corporate Name of Firm: Startup Junkie Consulting LLC
Primary Contact: Jeff Amerine Title of Primary Contact: Managing Director
Phone#1 (cell preferred): 870-577-0759 Phone#2: 479-225-7550
E-Mail Address: jeff@startupjunkieconsulting.com, brett@startupjunkieconsulting.com
3. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF ADDENDA
Acknowledge receipt of addenda for this invitation to bid, request for proposal, or request for qualification by
signing and dating below. All addendums are hereby made a part of the bid or RFP documents to the same
extent as though it were originally included therein. Proposers/Bidders should indicate their receipt of same in
the appropriate blank listed herein. Failure to do so may subject Contractor to disqualification.
ADDENDUM NO. SIGNATURE AND PRINTED NAME DATE ACKNOWLEDGED
4. DEBARMENT CERTIFICATION:
As an interested party on this project, you are required to provide debarment/suspension certification indicating
compliance with the below Federal Executive Order. Certification can be done by completing and signing this
form.
Federal Executive Order (E.O.) 12549 “Debarment and Suspension“ requires that all contractors receiving
individual awards, using federal funds, and all sub-recipients certify that the organization and its principals are
not debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded by any Federal
department or agency from doing business with the Federal Government.
Signature certifies that neither you nor your principal is presently debarred, suspended, proposed for
debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from participation in this transaction by any federal
department or agency.
Questions regarding this form should be directed to the City of Fayetteville Purchasing Division.
NAME OF COMPANY: Startup Junkie Consulting
PHYSICAL ADDRESS: 1 E Center St, Suite 270, Fayetteville, AR, 72701
MAILING ADDRESS: 1 E Center St, Suite 270, Fayetteville, AR, 72701
TAX ID #: 45-2126409 AR. SECRETARY OF STATE FILING #: 800199309
PHONE: 870-577-0759 FAX:
E-MAIL: jeff@startupjunkieconsulting.com, brett@startupjunkieconsulting.com
SIGNATURE: Jeff Amerine
PRINTED NAME: Jeff Amerine
TITLE: Managing Director DATE: 4/8/24
END OF RFP DOCUMENT
City of Fayetteville, AR
RFP 24-06, Economic Development Services - Entrepreneurship & Innovation
Page 1 of 21
City of Fayetteville, Arkansas
Purchasing Division – Room 306
113 W. Mountain
Fayetteville, AR 72701
Phone: 479.575.8256
TDD (Telecommunication Device for the Deaf): 479.521.1316
Request for Proposal: RFP 24-06, Economic Development Services -
Entrepreneurship & Innovation
DEADLINE: Wednesday, April 10, 2024 before 2:00 PM, local time
SR. PURCHASING AGENT: Amanda Beilfuss, abeilfuss@fayetteville-ar.gov
DATE OF ISSUE AND ADVERTISEMENT: 03/17/2024
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
RFP 24-06, Economic Development Services - Entrepreneurship &
Innovation
No late proposals shall be accepted. RFP’s shall be submitted through the City’s third-party
electronic bidding platform or by submitting a sealed physical proposal to the City of Fayetteville,
Purchasing Division at the below location.
City of Fayetteville
Purchasing Division – Room 306
113 West Mountain Street
Fayetteville, AR 72701
All proposals shall be submitted in accordance with the attached City of Fayetteville specifications
and documents attached hereto. Each Proposer is required to fill in every blank and shall supply
all information requested; failure to do so may be used as basis of rejection.
The undersigned hereby offers to furnish & deliver the articles or services as specified, at the prices & terms
stated herein, and in strict accordance with the specifications and general conditions of bidding, all of which are
made a part of this offer. This offer is not subject to withdrawal unless upon mutual written agreement by the
Proposer/Bidder and City Purchasing Director.
RFP (REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL)
)
City of Fayetteville, AR
RFP 24-06, Economic Development Services - Entrepreneurship & Innovation
Page 2 of 21
City of Fayetteville
RFP 24-06, Economic Development - Entrepreneurship & Innovation
Advertisement
City of Fayetteville, AR
Request for Proposal
RFP 24-06, Economic Development Services - Entrepreneurship & Innovation
The City of Fayetteville, Arkansas, is now accepting proposals for providing contract services in the areas of small
business support, entrepreneurship, and innovation. Any questions regarding this RFP shall be directed to
Amanda Beilfuss, City of Fayetteville Sr. Purchasing Agent at abeilfuss@fayetteville-ar.gov or (479) 575-8220.
Solicitation documents and addenda shall be obtained at the City of Fayetteville Purchasing Division’s electronic
bidding platform at www.fayetteville-ar.gov/bids. All proposals shall be received by Wednesday, April 10, 2024
before 2:00 PM, Local Time utilizing the electronic bidding software or by submitting a sealed physical proposal
to the City of Fayetteville, Purchasing Division. All proposals are due before the time stated. No late proposals
shall be accepted. Submitting electronically is strongly encouraged. The City of Fayetteville shall not be
responsible for lost or misdirected proposals, or for failure of proposer’s technical equipment.
All interested parties shall be qualified to do business and licensed in accordance with all applicable laws of the
state and local governments where the project is located. Proposers shall have a current, valid registration with
the Arkansas Secretary of State at time of RFP deadline.
The City of Fayetteville reserves the right to reject any or all Proposals and to waive irregularities therein, and all
parties agree that such rejection shall be without liability on the part of the City of Fayetteville for any damage or
claim brought by any interested party because of such rejections, nor shall any interested party seek any recourse
of any kind against the City of Fayetteville because of such rejections. The filing of any Statement in response to
this invitation shall constitute an agreement of the interested party to these conditions.
City of Fayetteville
By: Amanda Beilfuss, Sr. Purchasing Agent
P: 479.575.8220 abeilfuss@fayetteville-ar.gov
TDD (Telecommunications Device for the Deaf): (479) 521-1316
Date of advertisement: 03/17/2024
This publication was paid for by the Purchasing Division of the City of Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Amount paid: $164.85
City of Fayetteville, AR
RFP 24-06, Economic Development Services - Entrepreneurship & Innovation
Page 3 of 21
City of Fayetteville
RFP 24-06, Economic Development Services - Entrepreneurship & Innovation
SECTION A: General Terms & Conditions
1. SUBMISSION OF A PROPOSAL SHALL INCLUDE:
Each proposal shall contain the following at a minimum. Proposer must also address detailed requirements
as specified in the Scope of Work.
a. A written narrative describing the method or manner in which the Proposer proposes to satisfy
requirements of this RFP in the most cost-effective manner. The term Proposer shall be in reference
to a firm or individual responding to this solicitation.
b. A description of the Proposer’s experience in providing the same or similar services as outlined in the
RFP. This description should include the names of the person(s) who will provide the services, their
qualifications, and the years of experience in performing this type of work. Also, include the reference
information requested in this RFP.
c. The complete fee and cost to the City for all services outlined in this RFP.
d. Statement should be no more than twenty-five (25) pages; single sided, standard, readable, print on
standard 8.5x11 documents. Proposers shall also submit a three (3) page (maximum) executive
summary. The following items will not count toward the twenty-five-page limitation: appendix, cover
sheet, 3-page executive summary, resumes (resumes shall be no more than 1 page per person), and
forms provided by the City for completion.
i. Submitting and responding to this RFP: Proposals shall be prepared simply and economically,
providing a straightforward, concise description of its ability to meet the requirements for the
project. Fancy bindings, colored displays, and promotional material are not required. Emphasis
should be on completeness and clarity of content. All documents physically submitted should
be typewritten on standard 8 ½” x 11” white papers and bound in one volume. Exceptions
would be schematics, exhibits, one-page resumes, and City required forms. Limit proposal to
twenty-five (25) pages or less, excluding one-page team resumes, references, and forms
required by the City for completion. All proposals shall be sealed upon delivery to the City of
Fayetteville.
1. Option 1 –Electronic Submittal (strongly encouraged): Proposers can go to
www.fayetteville-ar.gov/bids and follow the prompts to submit a proposal within the
electronic bidding platform. If a proposal is submitted electronically, a physical
submission is not necessary. All Proposers must register in order to be able to submit.
There is no fee for registration.
2. Option 2 – Physical Submittal: All Proposers shall submit one (1) original copy of their
proposal as well as one (1) electronic copy on a properly labeled USB or other electronic
media device. The electronic copy submitted shall be contained into one single
electronic file and shall be identical to the hard copies provided. The use of Adobe PDF
documents is strongly recommended. Files contained on an USB or electronic media
City of Fayetteville, AR
RFP 24-06, Economic Development Services - Entrepreneurship & Innovation
Page 4 of 21
shall not be restricted against saving or printing. Electronic copies shall not be submitted
via e-mail to City employees by the Proposer and shall be provided to the City in a sealed
manner. FedEx, UPS, USPS, or other packages should be clearly marked with the RFP
number on the outside of the mailing package.
e. Proposals will be reviewed following the stated deadline, as shown on the cover sheet of this
document. Only the names of Proposer’s will be available after the deadline until a contract has been
awarded by the Fayetteville City Council. All interested parties understand proposal documents will
not be available until after a valid contract has been executed.
f. Proposers shall submit a proposal based on documentation published by the Fayetteville Purchasing
Division.
g. Proposals must follow the format of the RFP. Proposers should structure their responses to follow
the sequence of the RFP.
h. Proposers shall have experience in work of the same or similar nature and must provide references
that will satisfy the City of Fayetteville. Proposer shall furnish a reference list of clients for whom they
have performed similar services and must provide information as requested in this document.
i. Proposer is advised that exceptions to any of the terms contained in this RFP or the attached service
agreement must be identified in its response to the RFP. Failure to do so may lead the City to declare
any such term non-negotiable. Proposer’s desire to take exception to a non-negotiable term will not
disqualify it from consideration for award.
j. Local time shall be defined as the time in Fayetteville, Arkansas on the due date of the deadline.
Documents shall be received before the deadline time as shown by the atomic clock located in the
Purchasing Division Office or electronic clock located in the City’s third-party bidding software.
2. WRITTEN REQUESTS FOR INTERPRETATIONS OR CLARIFICATION:
No oral interpretations will be made to any firms as to the meaning of specifications or any other contract
documents. All questions pertaining to the terms and conditions or scope of work of this proposal must be
sent in writing via e-mail to the Purchasing Department. Responses to questions may be handled as an
addendum if the response would provide clarification to the requirements of the proposal. All such addenda
shall become part of the contract documents. The City will not be responsible for any other explanation or
interpretation of the proposed RFP made or given prior to the award of the contract.
3. DESCRIPTION OF SUPPLIES AND SERVICES:
Any manufacturer’s names, trade name, brand name, catalog number, etc. used in specifications are for the
purpose of describing and establishing general quality levels. Such references are NOT intended to be
restrictive. Proposals shall be considered for all brands that meet the quality of the specifications listed for
any items.
4. RIGHTS OF CITY OF FAYETTEVILLE IN REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL PROCESS:
In addition to all other rights of the City of Fayetteville, under state law, the City specifically reserves the right
to the following:
City of Fayetteville, AR
RFP 24-06, Economic Development Services - Entrepreneurship & Innovation
Page 5 of 21
a. The City of Fayetteville reserves the right to rank firms and negotiate with the highest-ranking firm.
Negotiation with an individual Proposer does not require negotiation with others.
b. The City of Fayetteville reserves the right to select the proposal it believes will serve the best interest
of the City.
c. The City of Fayetteville reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals.
d. The City of Fayetteville reserves the right to cancel the entire request for proposal.
e. The City of Fayetteville reserves the right to remedy or waive technical or immaterial errors in the
request for proposal or in proposals submitted.
f. The City of Fayetteville reserves the right to request any necessary clarifications, additional
information or proposal data without changing the terms of the proposal.
g. The City of Fayetteville reserves the right to make selection of the Proposer to perform the services
required on the basis of the original proposals without negotiation.
h. The City reserves the right to ask for a best and final offer from one or more Proposers. The best and
final offer process is not guaranteed; therefore, Proposers shall submit and respond to this RFP on the
most favorable terms available.
5. EVALUATION CRITERIA:
The evaluation criterion defines the factors that will be used by the selection committee to evaluate and score
responsive, responsible and qualified proposals. Proposers shall include sufficient information to allow the
selection committee to thoroughly evaluate and score proposals. Each proposal submitted shall be evaluated
and ranked by a selection committee. The contract will be awarded to the most qualified Proposer, per the
evaluation criteria listed in this RFP. Proposers are not guaranteed to be ranked.
6. COSTS INCURRED BY PROPOSERS:
All expenses involved with the preparation and submission of proposals to the City, or any work performed in
connection therewith, shall be borne solely by the Proposer(s). No payment will be made for any responses
received, or for any other effort required of, or made by, the Proposer(s) prior to contract commencement.
7. ORAL PRESENTATION:
An oral presentation and/or interview may be requested of any firm, at the selection committee’s discretion.
8. CONFLICT OF INTEREST:
a. The Proposer represents that it presently has no interest and shall acquire no interest, either direct or
indirect, which would conflict in any manner with the performance or services required hereunder, as
provided in City of Fayetteville Code Section 34.26 titled “Limited Authority of City Employee to
Provide Services to the City”.
b. The Proposer shall promptly notify Amanda Beilfuss, City Sr. Purchasing Agent, in writing, of all
potential conflicts of interest for any prospective business association, interest, or other circumstance
City of Fayetteville, AR
RFP 24-06, Economic Development Services - Entrepreneurship & Innovation
Page 6 of 21
which may influence or appear to influence the Proposer’s judgment or quality of services being
provided. Such written notification shall identify the prospective business association, interest or
circumstance, the nature of which the Proposer may undertake and request an opinion to the City as
to whether the association, interest or circumstance would, in the opinion of the City, constitute a
conflict of interest if entered into by the Proposer. The City agrees to communicate with the Proposer
its opinion via e-mail or first-class mail within thirty days of receipt of notification.
9. WITHDRAWAL OF PROPOSAL:
A proposal may be withdrawn prior to the time set for the proposal submittal based on a written request
from an authorized representative of the firm; however, a proposal shall not be withdrawn after the time set
for the proposal.
10. LATE PROPOSAL OR MODIFICATIONS:
a. Proposal and modifications received after the time set for the proposal submittal shall not be
considered. Modifications in writing received prior to the deadline will be accepted. The City will not
be responsible for misdirected bids. Proposers refer to their submission status in the online bidding
portal or call the Purchasing Division at (479) 575-8220 to ensure receipt of their submittal documents
prior to opening time and date listed.
b. The time set for the deadline shall be local time for Fayetteville, AR on the date listed. All proposals
shall be received in the Purchasing Division BEFORE the deadline stated. The official clock to determine
local time shall be the atomic clock located in the Purchasing Division, Room 306 of City Hall, 113 W.
Mountain, Fayetteville, AR.
11. CONSTITUTIONAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS:
The laws of the State of Arkansas apply to any purchase made under this request for proposal. Proposers
shall comply with all constitutional, state, and federal directives, orders and laws as applicable to this proposal
and subsequent contract(s) including but not limited to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), Disadvantaged
Business Enterprises (DBE), & OSHA as applicable to this contract.
12. PROVISION FOR OTHER AGENCIES:
Unless otherwise stipulated by the Proposer, the Proposer agrees to make available to all Government
agencies, departments, municipalities, and counties, the proposal prices submitted in accordance with said
proposal terms and conditions therein, should any said governmental entity desire to buy under this proposal.
Eligible users shall mean all state of Arkansas agencies, the legislative and judicial branches, political
subdivisions (counties, local district school boards, community colleges, municipalities, counties, or other
public agencies or authorities), which may desire to purchase under the terms and conditions of the contract.
13. COLLUSION:
The Proposer, by affixing his or her signature to this proposal, agrees to the following: “Proposer certifies that
their proposal is made without previous understanding, agreement, or connection with any person, firm or
corporation making a proposal for the same item(s) and/or services and is in all respects fair, without outside
control, collusion, fraud, or otherwise illegal action.”
City of Fayetteville, AR
RFP 24-06, Economic Development Services - Entrepreneurship & Innovation
Page 7 of 21
14. RIGHT TO AUDIT, FOIA, AND JURISDICITON:
a. The City of Fayetteville reserves the privilege of auditing a Contractor’s records as such records relate
to purchases between the City and said Contractor.
b. Freedom of Information Act: City contracts and documents prepared while performing City
contractual work are subject to the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act. If a Freedom of Information
Act request is presented to the City of Fayetteville, the (contractor) will do everything possible to
provide the documents in a prompt and timely manner as prescribed in the Arkansas Freedom of
Information Act (A.C.A. §25-19-101 et. seq.). Only legally authorized photocopying costs pursuant to
the FOIA may be assessed for this compliance.
c. Legal jurisdiction to resolve any disputes shall be Arkansas with Arkansas law applying to the case.
15. CITY INDEMNIFICATION:
The successful Proposer(s) agrees to indemnify the City and hold it harmless from and against all claims,
liability, loss, damage or expense, including but not limited to counsel fees, arising from or by reaso n of any
actual or claimed trademark, patent or copyright infringement or litigation based thereon, with respect to the
services or any part thereof covered by this order, and such obligation shall survive acceptance of the services
and payment thereof by the City.
16. VARIANCE FROM STANDARD TERMS & CONDITIONS:
All standard terms and conditions stated in this request for proposal apply to this contract except as
specifically stated in the subsequent sections of this document, which take precedence, and should be fully
understood by Proposers prior to submitting a proposal on this requirement.
17. ADA REQUIREMENT FOR PUBLIC NOTICES & TRANSLATION:
Persons with disabilities requiring reasonable accommodation to participate in this proceeding/event, should
call 479.521.1316 (telecommunications device for the deaf), no later than seven days prior to the deadline.
Persons needing translation of this document shall contact the City of Fayetteville, Purchasing Division,
immediately.
18. CERTIFICATE OF INSURANCE:
The successful Proposer shall provide a Certificate of Insurance of professional liability insurance in the
amount of $1 million US dollars, at minimum. Such Certificate of Insurance shall list the City as an additional
insured and not be required unless firm is selected.
19. PAYMENTS AND INVOICING:
The Proposer must specify in their proposal the exact company name and address which must be the same
as invoices submitted for payment as a result of award of this RFP. Further, the successful Proposer is
responsible for immediately notifying the Purchasing Division of any company name change, which would
cause invoicing to change from the name used at the time of the original RFP. Payment will be made within
thirty days of invoice received. The City of Fayetteville is very credit worthy and will not pay any interest or
penalty for untimely payments. Payments can be processed through Proposer’s acceptance of Visa at no
additional costs to the City for expedited payment processing. The City will not agree to allow any increase
in hourly rates by the contract without PRIOR Fayetteville City Council approval.
City of Fayetteville, AR
RFP 24-06, Economic Development Services - Entrepreneurship & Innovation
Page 8 of 21
20. CANCELLATION:
a. The City reserves the right to cancel this contract without cause by giving thirty (30) days prior notice
to the Contractor in writing of the intention to cancel or with cause if at any time the Contractor fails
to fulfill or abide by any of the terms or conditions specified.
b. Failure of the contractor to comply with any of the provisions of the contract shall be considered a
material breach of contract and shall be cause for immediate termination of the contract at the
discretion of the City of Fayetteville.
c. In addition to all other legal remedies available to the City of Fayetteville, the City reserves the right
to cancel and obtain from another source, any items and/or services which have not been delivered
within the period of time from the date of order as determined by the City of Fayetteville.
d. In the event sufficient budgeted funds are not available for a new fiscal period, the City shall notify
the Contractor of such occurrence and contract shall terminate of the last day of the current fiscal
period without penalty or expense to the City.
21. ASSIGNMENT, SUBCONTRACTING, CORPORATE ACQUISITIONS AND/OR MERGERS:
a. The Contractor shall perform this contract. No assignment of subcontracting shall be allowed without
prior written consent of the City. If a Proposer intends to subcontract a portion of this work, the
Proposer shall disclose such intent in the proposal submitted as a result of this RFP.
b. In the event of a corporate acquisition and/or merger, the Contractor shall provide written notice to
the City within thirty (30) calendar days of Contractor’s notice of such action or upon the occurrence
of said action, whichever occurs first.
22. NON-EXCLUSIVE CONTRACT:
Award of this RFP shall impose no obligation on the City to utilize the Contractor for all work of this type,
which may develop during the contract period. This is not an exclusive contract. The City specifically reserves
the right to concurrently contract with other companies for similar work if it deems such an action to be in
the City’s best interest. In the case of multiple-phase contracts, this provision shall apply separately to each
item.
23. LOBBYING:
Lobbying of selection committee members, City of Fayetteville employees, or elected officials regarding
request for proposals, request for qualifications, bids or contracts, during the pendency of bid protest, by the
bidder/proposer/protestor or any member of the bidder’s/proposer’s/protestor’s staff, and agent of the
bidder/proposer/protestor, or any person employed by any legal entity affiliated with or representing an
organization that is responding to the request for proposal, request for qualification, bid or contract, or has a
pending bid protest is strictly prohibited either upon advertisement or on a date established by the City of
Fayetteville and shall be prohibited until either an award is final or the protest is finally resolved by the City
of Fayetteville; provided, however, nothing herein shall prohibit a prospective/bidder/proposer from
contacting the Purchasing Division to address situations such as clarification and/or questions related to the
procurement process. For purposes of this provision lobbying activities shall include but not be limited to,
influencing or attempting to influence action or non-action in connection with any request for proposal,
City of Fayetteville, AR
RFP 24-06, Economic Development Services - Entrepreneurship & Innovation
Page 9 of 21
request for qualification, bid or contract through direct or indirect oral or written communication or an
attempt to obtain goodwill of persons and/or entities specified in this provision. Such actions may cause any
request for proposal, request for qualification, bid or contract to be rejected.
24. ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
The City reserves the right to request additional services relating to this RFP from the Proposer. When
approved by the City as an amendment to the contract and authorized in writing prior to work, the Contractor
shall provide such additional requirements as may become necessary.
25. SERVICES AGREEMENT:
A written agreement, in substantially the form attached, incorporating the RFP and the successful proposal
will be prepared by the City, signed by the successful Proposer and presented to the City of Fayetteville for
approval and signature of the Mayor.
26. INTEGRITY OF REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) DOCUMENTS:
Proposers shall use the original RFP form(s) provided by the Purchasing Division and enter information only
in the spaces where a response is requested. Proposers may use an attachment as an addendum to the RFP
form(s) if sufficient space is not available on the original form for the Proposer to enter a complete response.
Any modifications or alterations to the original RFP documents by the Proposer, whether intentional or
otherwise, will constitute grounds for rejection of such RFP response. Any such modifications or alterations
a Proposer wishes to propose shall be clearly stated in the Proposer’s RFP response and presented in the form
of an addendum to the original RFP documents.
27. OTHER GENERAL CONDITIONS:
a. Proposers must provide the City with their proposals signed by an employee having legal authority to
submit proposals on behalf of the Proposer. The entire cost of preparing and providing responses
shall be borne by the Proposer.
b. The City reserves the right to request any additional information it deems necessary from any or all
Proposers after the submission deadline.
c. This solicitation is not to be construed as an offer, a contract, or a commitment of any kind; nor do es
it commit the City to pay for any costs incurred by Proposer in preparation. It shall be clearly
understood that any costs incurred by the Proposer in responding to this request for proposal is at the
Proposer's own risk and expense as a cost of doing business. The City of Fayetteville shall not be liable
for reimbursement to the Proposer for any expense so incurred, regardless of whether or not the
proposal is accepted.
d. If products, components, or services other than those described in this bid document are proposed,
the Proposer must include complete descriptive literature for each. All requests for additional
information must be received within five working days following the request.
e. Any uncertainties shall be brought to the attention to Amanda Beilfuss immediately via telephone
(479.575.8220) or e-mail (abeilfuss@fayetteville-ar.gov). It is the intent and goal of the City of
Fayetteville Purchasing Division to provide documents providing a clear and accurate understanding
City of Fayetteville, AR
RFP 24-06, Economic Development Services - Entrepreneurship & Innovation
Page 10 of 21
of the scope of work to be completed and/or goods to be provided. We encourage all interested
parties to ask questions to enable all Proposers to be on equal terms.
f. Any inquiries or requests for explanation in regard to the City's requirements should be made
promptly to Amanda Beilfuss, City of Fayetteville, Sr. Purchasing Agent via e-mail
(abeilfuss@fayetteville-ar.gov) or telephone (479.575.8220). No oral interpretation or clarifications
will be given as to the meaning of any part of this request for proposal. All questions, clarifications,
and requests, together with answers, if any, will be provided to all firms via written addendum. Names
of firms submitting any questions, clarifications, or requests will not be disclosed until after a contract
is in place.
g. At the discretion of the City, one or more firms may be asked for more detailed information before
final ranking of the firms, which may also include oral interviews.
h. Any information provided herein is intended to assist the Proposer in the preparation of proposals
necessary to properly respond to this RFP. The RFP is designed to provide qualified Proposers with
sufficient basic information to submit proposals meeting minimum specifications and/or test
requirements but is not intended to limit a RFP’s content or to exclude any relevant or essential data.
i. Proposers irrevocably consent that any legal action or proceeding against it under, arising out of or in
any manner relating to this Contract shall be controlled by Arkansas law. Proposer hereby expressly and
irrevocably waives any claim or defense in any said action or proceeding based on any alleged lack of
jurisdiction or improper venue or any similar basis.
j. The successful Proposer shall not assign the whole or any part of this Contract or any monies due or to
become due hereunder without written consent of City of Fayetteville. In case the successful Proposer
assigns all or any part of any monies due or to become due under this Contract, the Instrument of
assignment shall contain a clause substantially to the effect that it is agreed that the right of the assignee
in and to any monies due or to become due to the successful Proposer shall be subject to prior liens of
all persons, firms, and corporations for services rendered or materials supplied for the performance of
the services called for in this contract.
k. The successful Proposer's attention is directed to the fact that all applicable Federal and State laws,
municipal ordinances, and the rules and regulations of all authorities having jurisdiction over the services
shall apply to the contract throughout, and they will be deemed to be included in the contract as though
written out in full herein. The successful Proposer shall keep himself/herself fully informed of all laws,
ordinances and regulations of the Federal, State, and municipal governments or authorities in any
manner affecting those engaged or employed in providing these services or in any way affecting the
conduct of the services and of all orders and decrees of bodies or tribunals having any jurisdiction or
authority over same. If any discrepancy or inconsistency should be discovered in these Contract
Documents or in the specifications herein referred to, in relation to any such law, ordinance, regulation,
order or decree, s/he shall herewith report the same in writing to the City of Fayetteville.
City of Fayetteville, AR
RFP 24-06, Economic Development Services - Entrepreneurship & Innovation
Page 11 of 21
City of Fayetteville
RFP 24-06, Economic Development Services - Entrepreneurship & Innovation
SECTION B: Scope of Services and General Information
1. PURPOSE:
The City of Fayetteville began community discussions around its next economic development strategic plan
in 2020. During this time, the coronavirus pandemic was in full swing, and pressures from global economic
challenges were making their way into Fayetteville. When it seemed the only economic certainty was
uncertainty, a few constants remained during those hard times: our small businesses are loved by the
community, they are innovative, and they are very resilient in the face of unprecedented challenges. During
this time the City utilized its Entrepreneurship and Innovation contract to provide economic response and
recovery services. Fayetteville was the first municipality in Arkansas to contract with an entity solely for
entrepreneurial support, issuing its first contract in 2016 at the direction of the Fayetteville First economic
master plan.
Following a successful first utilization of the entrepreneurship and innovation contract, the City now seeks to
continue to provide residents, entrepreneurs, and business owners with the following services:
a. Support a collaborative entrepreneurial and startup environment
b. Create programming and spaces for entrepreneurship to flourish, including dedicated programming
to support women, people of color, and other historically underrepresented populations
c. Provide technical assistance and support to the Department of Economic Vitality
The City of Fayetteville intends to enter a two-year contract with a suitably qualified organization with an
option to renew for three (3) additional two (2) year terms.
2. BACKGROUND:
Nestled in the Ozark Mountains of Northwest Arkansas, Fayetteville is the county seat of Washington County,
the second largest city, and one of the fastest growing communities in the state. Home to the flagship
University of Arkansas campus with 32,000 students, Fayetteville is a diverse city of families, students, artists,
professionals, innovative entrepreneurs, and outdoor enthusiasts who value a strong sense of community
and place. As a result of a healthy regional economy and strong community identity, the Fayetteville MSA
continues to be named as one of the three best places to live in the country by U.S. News and World Report.
Fayetteville is known as a place for creativity, innovation, and culture. Continued support of an environment
for entrepreneurship and innovation is one of Fayetteville’s top economic vitality priorities. The City currently
hosts a large network of public, private, and nonprofit organizations that provide services to small business
owners. The support system has gained visibility over the past six years; however, intentional programming
and coordination is needed to ensure continued growth of this critical sector.
The City’s Economic Vitality Department is currently finalizing Fayetteville’s next economic development
strategic plan, which will document goals, supporting strategies, and action items for a wide range of
economic development activities, including several action items focused on services under the purview of the
entrepreneurship and innovation contract.
City of Fayetteville, AR
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Page 12 of 21
3. SCOPE OF WORK:
The selected economic development consultant will be the City of Fayetteville’s primary point of contact for
entrepreneurship and small business support. The City has a strong expectation to have a bright line of
communication between contracted services and the City of Fayetteville’s Economic Vitality leadership team.
Therefore, the selected contractor shall possess a strong communication skillset, ensuring the City is kept
knowledgeable about key decision points and receives information necessary to support tracking citywide
progress toward implementing the 2024 Economic Vitality Master Plan.
These deliverables will be defined through explicit performance metrics and are to be finalized during contract
negotiations. Finalized contract performance measures shall be used for consultant evaluation throughout
the term of the contract.
a. Support a Collaborative Entrepreneurial and Startup Environment
The City is home to nearly 4,000 existing businesses that contribute to Fayetteville’s economy. Despite
being home to numerous anchor institutions and major employers that provide a large volume of
employment opportunities, nearly 90% of private sector employment comes from small businesses (i.e.,
firms with less than 200 full-time employees). Fayetteville has long had a strong entrepreneurial spirit
within the community, and the City wants to ensure tomorrow’s innovators and job creators have the
resources they need for the best possible chance of success.
i. Serve as the City’s primary point of contact for entrepreneurship, innovation, and small business
support in the City of Fayetteville – The City is searching for an organization with a rich knowledge and
deep understanding of starting a business to serve as its one-stop-shop for residents seeking guidance,
advice, or technical support opening a business. The selected entity will also be responsible for
coordinating efforts with all entities involved in the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
ii. Consulting, technical assistance, and support for Fayetteville residents – The City seeks to ensure no-
cost access to quality one-on-one consulting is available for any Fayetteville resident looking to open
a business. The selected organization will need to have a strong understanding of all aspects of
opening a business, including but not limited to the regulatory compliance, access to capital, testing
of concepts, market research, commercialization or ideas or concepts, business plan development,
customer discovery, financial management, personnel, and marketing.
iii. Data analysis and tracking – The selected organization will need to demonstrate the capacity to
engage in tracking various outputs and outcomes of entrepreneurial activity in Fayetteville and private
sector activity stemming from work completed under this grant, including but not limited to new jobs
created, funding raised or secured, and State and Federal grant applications submitted and secured.
Further, the selected organization will be responsible for calculating the survival rate of small
businesses in Fayetteville on an annual basis.
b. Create Programming and Spaces for Entrepreneurship to Flourish
i. Events and education – The City is searching for an organization to provide a regular schedule of
in-person and virtual entrepreneurial educational opportunities, which would be available at no-
cost for Fayetteville residents to attend. The selected entity will be charged with developing and
delivering educational opportunities across a wide range of topics that are pertinent to current
City of Fayetteville, AR
RFP 24-06, Economic Development Services - Entrepreneurship & Innovation
Page 13 of 21
and aspiring entrepreneurs. Submissions should include an example annual programming and
educational event schedule as well as examples of the types and topics of educational
opportunities being proposed.
ii. Collaboration space and programming – To maintain a more active and visible entrepreneurial
scene in downtown Fayetteville, the City is also seeking an organization that will provide free,
regularly accessible space for use by the entrepreneurial community for the purposes of learning,
co-working, and convening.
Additionally, the City is also seeking a provider to develop and launch entrepreneurial
programming opportunities. Not to be confused with educational opportunities, the City wants to
ensure access to a diverse range of engagement opportunities for residents throughout the year,
including networking, mentoring, business showcases, competitions, tours, etc. As a part of this
programing, the City wishes to have one annual large-scale (1,500+ attendee) event that
celebrates entrepreneurship and highlights the resources available in Fayetteville.
iii. Focused support for members of the creative economy, women, people of color, and other
historically underrepresented groups – The City’s forthcoming Economic Vitality Master Plan calls
for intentional entrepreneurial efforts to be deployed to grow and support entrepreneurship
within the creative economy and for residents historically underrepresented in the
entrepreneurial ecosystem. Recognizing this unique industry and the disproportionate challenges
these communities face when it comes to launching a business, the City wants to ensure access to
equitable and diverse entrepreneurial programming, education, mentoring, and consulting.
c. Provide Technical Assistance and Support to the Department of Economic Vitality
i. Technical assistance and support to the Department of Economic Vitality – The City is seeking an
organization that will also serve as an extension of the Department of Economic Vitality team,
providing expertise and integrating technical assistance as needed to support the City’s efforts in
relation to entrepreneurship and innovation.
ii. Economic Vitality Master Plan implementation – The largest area of technical assistance and
support to the Department of Economic Vitality will be assisting with implementation of the
strategies and action items that relate to small business and entrepreneurship once the plan has
been adopted by the Fayetteville City Council. The City’s forthcoming Economic Vitality Plan is
organized around three key sections, the first of which emphasizes growing, retaining, and
supporting small businesses within Fayetteville. This is realized through a range of strategies, each
associated with numerous action items which the Department of Economic Vitality will be working
to implement over the coming years. Supporting strategies for entrepreneurship and small
businesses include: streamlining pathways to entrepreneurship and eliminating barriers to entry;
targeting technical assistance and resources for historically disadvantaged small business owners
and entrepreneurs; facilitating supporting the expansion and retention of Fayetteville small
businesses; and building a robust culture of customer service for small businesses in Fayetteville,
and prioritizing economic growth and resiliency of restaurants, bars, and hotels as well the arts
and entertainment industry.
City of Fayetteville, AR
RFP 24-06, Economic Development Services - Entrepreneurship & Innovation
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4. SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS:
The Proposer shall provide adequate information that will render it qualified and capable of effectively
accomplishing the scope of services. The proposal will be reviewed by a Selection Committee which could
include ranking. Since there is no assurance of the Proposer having any other opportunity to communicate
its ability, the proposal response shall negate any ambiguity with respect to the Proposer’s ability and
approach.
All respondents shall submit the following information with submittal, at a minimum:
a. Methods and Approach – Describe expected approach and identify each task. Describe the anticipated
interaction with the City and a description of the method(s) which will be used to successfully accomplish
the project. Provide a detailed timeline of the anticipated schedule for completing each task.
b. Scope of Work/Deliverables – Provide deliverables for the Scope of Work outlined by the City in this RFP.
c. Qualifications and Experience – Provide relevant information regarding previous experience related to
developing similar projects or contracts completed on behalf of cities or counties within the State of
Arkansas or for other public entities outside of Arkansas during the past five (5) years. References in relation
to similar projects is required. Proposals shall also provide information for all entities in which they are
presently or have been engaged with during the past five (5) years. All proposers shall submit a minimum
of three (3) governmental references, with work relationships within the past five (5) years.
i. Provide in this section, the company’s primary business interest and/or operations including any
affiliations.
d. List of Project Personnel – Proposer shall provide a description of its staff and work force that will be assigned
to effectively facilitate the requirements of this project. This description shall include, at a minimum, the
number of permanent employees, part time employees, and an organizational chart reflecting their
responsibilities. It is the desire of the City that senior level strategic input is provided at all stages of the
project.
i. Resumes shall be no more than two pages (a page being defined as a single sided document), and
shall include, at a minimum:
1. Position title for each person assigned to this project;
2. Tenure with Proposer for each person assigned to this project;
3. Education of each person;
4. Experience of each person;
5. Estimated number of hours for each person assigned to this project;
6. Total billable hourly rate for each person assigned to this project;
7. Any other pertinent information related to this project
e. Availability – Proposers shall describe the availability of project personnel and company to participate in
this project in the context of the Proposer’s other commitments.
f. Listing of all Fees – Proposer shall clearly itemize and provide a list of all fees to cover the requested scope
of work and deliverables. Proposer shall also provide an hourly rate for any additional work which is not
included in the scope of work.
City of Fayetteville, AR
RFP 24-06, Economic Development Services - Entrepreneurship & Innovation
Page 15 of 21
Fees proposed are extremely important; however, fees will not be the determining factor in the selection
process. It is not the intent of the City of Fayetteville to limit innovative solutions by dollar constraints, but
rather to determine which proposal has the potential of providing the best value for the services required.
Fee proposal shall clearly set forth the basis for the time and fees to be charged for the work proposed
and at a minimum should contain the following information:
i. Estimate of the number of hours to complete scope of services
ii. Hourly rates for performing such services as indicated above
iii. Any and all costs associated with this study including any tools to be used
1. This shall include any software fees as well as applicable annual maintenance fees.
Software pricing (initial fees and ongoing) shall include the City being able to stay on the
most up to date version of the software.
iv. Total firm fixed cost to complete this study, including a payment schedule
v. Annual pricing for market updates, if so desired for completion by the City
City of Fayetteville shall not be liable for any expense incurred in connection with preparation of a response
to this document. In addition, City of Fayetteville shall reserve the right to accept any part or the
Proposer’s entire fee schedule and to negotiate any charges contained therein, unless otherwise qualified
by the Proposer.
5. CONTRACT FORMATION:
If the negotiation produces mutual agreement, a contract will be considered for approval by the City of
Fayetteville City Council. If negotiations with the highest-ranking Proposer fail, negotiations may be initiated
with the next highest-ranking Proposer until an agreement is reached. The City reserves the right to reject all
offers and end the process without executing a contract.
6. CONTRACT TERMS:
The City of Fayetteville intends to enter a two-year contract with a suitably qualified organization with an
option to renew for three (3) additional two (2) year terms.
7. CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION:
The Contract Administrator for this Request for Proposal (RFP) shall be the City of Fayetteville’s assigned Project
Manager. The City’s selected Project Manager will:
a. Provide the successful Proposer direction and monitor the results within the limits of the contract’s terms
and conditions.
b. Manage issues which may arise as to quality and acceptability of services performed.
c. Shall judge as to the accuracy of quantities submitted by the successful Proposer in payment requests and
the acceptability of the services which these quantities represent.
City of Fayetteville, AR
RFP 24-06, Economic Development Services - Entrepreneurship & Innovation
Page 16 of 21
d. Serve as the point-of-contact for developing contract changes and amendments to be approved by City of
Fayetteville.
e. Shall act as City of Fayetteville’s Representative during the execution of any subsequent contract and related
amendments. All questions arising, subsequent to contract award, shall be addressed to the Purchasing
Division.
7. PROPOSAL CONTENT:
Proposals shall be prepared simply and economically, providing a straightforward, concise description its
ability to meet the requirements for the project. Fancy bindings, colored displays, and promotional material
are not required. Emphasis should be on completeness and clarity of content. All documents should be
typewritten on standard 8 ½” x 11” white pages and bound in one volume. Exceptions would be schematics,
exhibits, or other information necessary to facilitate the City of Fayetteville’s ability to accurately evaluate the
proposal. Limit proposal to twenty-five (25) pages or less, excluding one-page team resumes, references, and
forms required by the City for completion.
8. SELECTION CRITERIA:
The following criteria will be used by the City to evaluate and score responsive proposals. Proposers shall
include sufficient information to allow the City to thoroughly evaluate and score the proposal. Each proposal
submitted is not required to be ranked by the selection committee. The contract may be awarded to the
most qualified firm, per the evaluation criteria listed below, based on the evaluation of the selection
committee. Following the evaluation of the proposals, the Selection Committee may request that the top-
ranking firm(s) make an oral presentation or be interviewed. If presentations are necessary, they will take
place in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Notices will be sent by the Purchasing Division.
1) 20% Qualifications in Relation to Specific Project to be Performed: Information reflecting
qualifications of the consultant, partners, and project team. Indicated specialized
experience and technical competence of the firm in connection with the type and
complexity of the service required. Subcontractors, if used, shall be listed with information
on their organization.
2) 20% Experience, Competence, and Capacity for Performance: Information reflecting the
names, titles, and qualifications (including experience and technical competence) of the
major personnel assigned to this specific project.
3) 30% Proposed Method of Doing Work: A proposed work plan (description of how the project
would be conducted as well as other facts concerning approach to scope) indicating
methods and schedules for accomplishing scope of work. Include with this the amount of
work presently underway.
4) 10% Past Performance: Previous evaluations shall be considered a significant factor. If previous
evaluations with the City are not available, the professional firm's past performance
records with City and others will be used, including quality of work, timely performance,
diligence, and any other pertinent information. Firm will provide a list of similar jobs
performed and person whom the City can contact for information.
City of Fayetteville, AR
RFP 24-06, Economic Development Services - Entrepreneurship & Innovation
Page 17 of 21
5) 20% Cost/Fees: Complete costs and fees as described in this RFP and for delivery of the proposal
including fiscal feasibility and financial stability. All fees shall be clearly identified with RFP
response and be itemized as much as possible.
9. ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS AND INFORMATON: The following documents are included as additional
information for this RFP:
a. Attachment A – Draft of Section 1 Structure: Small Business Support, Retention, and Expansion,
Economic Vitality Master Plan
CONTINUES ON NEXT PAGE
City of Fayetteville, AR
RFP 24-06, Economic Development Services - Entrepreneurship & Innovation
Page 18 of 21
City of Fayetteville
RFP 24-06, Economic Development Services - Entrepreneurship & Innovation
SECTION C: Vendor References
The following information is required from all firms so all statements of qualification may be reviewed and properly evaluated:
COMPANY NAME: ________________________________________________________________________________
NUMBER OF YEARS IN BUSINESS: ___________________HOW LONG IN PRESENT LOCATION: _______________
TOTAL NUMBER OF CURRENT EMPLOYEES: _________________ FULL TIME _______________ PART TIME
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES PLANNED FOR THIS CONTRACT: _____ FULL TIME _____ PART TIME
PLEASE LIST FOUR (4) REFERENCES THAT YOU HAVE PREVIOUSLY PERFORMED CONTRACT SERVICES FOR WITHIN THE PAST FIVE (5)
YEARS (All fields must be completed):
1. ___________________________________________ 2. __________________________________________
COMPANY NAME COMPANY NAME
_____________________________________________ __________________________________________
CITY, STATE, ZIP CITY, STATE, ZIP
_____________________________________________ _____________________________________________
CONTACT PERSON CONTACT PERSON
_____________________________________________ _____________________________________________
TELEPHONE TELEPHONE
_____________________________________________ _____________________________________________
FAX NUMBER FAX NUMBER
_____________________________________________ _____________________________________________
E-MAIL ADDRESS E-MAIL ADDRESS
3. ___________________________________________ 4. __________________________________________
COMPANY NAME COMPANY NAME
_____________________________________________ __________________________________________
CITY, STATE, ZIP CITY, STATE, ZIP
_____________________________________________ _____________________________________________
CONTACT PERSON CONTACT PERSON
_____________________________________________ _____________________________________________
TELEPHONE TELEPHONE
_____________________________________________ _____________________________________________
FAX NUMBER FAX NUMBER
_____________________________________________ _____________________________________________
E-MAIL ADDRESS E-MAIL ADDRESS
City of Fayetteville, AR
RFP 24-06, Economic Development Services - Entrepreneurship & Innovation
Page 19 of 21
City of Fayetteville
RFP 24-06, Economic Development Services - Entrepreneurship & Innovation
SECTION D: Signature Submittal
1. DISCLOSURE INFORMATION
Proposer must disclose any possible conflict of interest with the City of Fayetteville, including, but not limited to,
any relationship with any City of Fayetteville employee. Proposer response must disclose if a known relationship
exists between any principal or employee of your firm and any City of Fayetteville employee or elected City of
Fayetteville official.
If, to your knowledge, no relationship exists, this should also be stated in your response. Failure to disclose such
a relationship may result in cancellation of a purchase and/or contract as a result of your response. This form
must be completed and returned in order for your bid/proposal to be eligible for consideration.
PLEASE CHECK ONE OF THE FOLLOWING TWO OPTIONS, AS IT APPROPRIATELY APPLIES TO YOUR FIRM:
___________1) NO KNOWN RELATIONSHIP EXISTS
___________2) RELATIONSHIP EXISTS (Please explain): __________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
I certify that; as an officer of this organization, or per the attached letter of authorization, am duly authorized to
certify the information provided herein is accurate and true; and my organization shall comply with all State and
Federal Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination requirements and conditions of employment.
Pursuant Arkansas Code Annotated §25-1-503, the Contractor agrees and certifies that they do not currently
boycott Israel and will not boycott Israel during any time in which they are entering into, or while in contract,
with any public entity as defined in §25-1-503. If at any time during contract the contractor decides to boycott
Israel, the contractor must notify the contracted public entity in writing.
Pursuant Arkansas Code Annotated §25-1-1002, the Contractor agrees and certifies that they do not currently
boycott Energy, Fossil Fuel, Firearms, and Ammunition Industries during any time in which they are entering
into, or while in contract, with any public entity as defined in §25-1-1002. If at any time during the contract the
contractor decides to boycott Energy, Fossil Fuel, Firearms, and/or Ammunition Industries, the contractor must
notify the contracted public entity in writing.
2. PRIMARY CONTACT INFORMATION
At the discretion of the City, one or more firms may be asked for more detailed information before final ranking
of the firms, which may also include oral interviews. NOTE: Each Proposer shall submit to the City a primary
contact name, e-mail address, and phone number (preferably a cell phone number) where the City selection
committee can call for clarification or interview via telephone.
City of Fayetteville, AR
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Corporate Name of Firm: ____________________________________________________________________
Primary Contact: _____________________________ Title of Primary Contact: __________________________
Phone#1 (cell preferred): _____________________________Phone#2: ________________________________
E-Mail Address: _____________________________________________________________________________
3. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF ADDENDA
Acknowledge receipt of addenda for this invitation to bid, request for proposal, or request for qualification by
signing and dating below. All addendums are hereby made a part of the bid or RFP documents to the same extent
as though it were originally included therein. Proposers/Bidders should indicate their receipt of same in the
appropriate blank listed herein. Failure to do so may subject Contractor to disqualification.
ADDENDUM NO. SIGNATURE AND PRINTED NAME DATE ACKNOWLEDGED
4. DEBARMENT CERTIFICATION:
As an interested party on this project, you are required to provide debarment/suspension certification indicating
compliance with the below Federal Executive Order. Certification can be done by completing and signing this
form.
Federal Executive Order (E.O.) 12549 “Debarment and Suspension“ requires that all contractors receiving
individual awards, using federal funds, and all sub-recipients certify that the organization and its principals are
not debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded by any Federal
department or agency from doing business with the Federal Government.
Signature certifies that neither you nor your principal is presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment,
declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from participation in this transaction by any federal department or
agency.
Questions regarding this form should be directed to the City of Fayetteville Purchasing Division.
NAME OF COMPANY: ________________________________________________________________________
PHYSICAL ADDRESS: _________________________________________________________________________
MAILING ADDRESS: _________________________________________________________________________
TAX ID #: ____________________________ AR. SECRETARY OF STATE FILING #: _________________________
City of Fayetteville, AR
RFP 24-06, Economic Development Services - Entrepreneurship & Innovation
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PHONE: __________________________________________ FAX: ____________________________________
E-MAIL: ___________________________________________________________________________________
SIGNATURE: _______________________________________________________________________________
PRINTED NAME: ____________________________________________________________________________
TITLE: ________________________________________ DATE: ______________________________________
END OF RFP DOCUMENT
Economic Vitality Master Plan Excerpt
Small Business, Entrepreneurship, and Industry
Draft as of March 4, 2024
Proposed action items have not yet been approved by the City of Fayetteville
Attachment A
Economic Vitality Master Plan: Structure
Strategic Focus Areas
Drawing on a strategic planning approach, the Master Plan is segmented into three strategic focus areas:
Framework
The Master Plan documents goals, supporting strategies, and action items for each of the strategic focus areas.
2
The Small Business, Entrepreneurship, and Industry strategic focus area has four overarching goals, nine supporting strategies, and 70+ action items.
Measurable, overarching, outcome-
oriented, and time-based objectives for
economic vitality work in Fayetteville
GOALS
Defined processes necessary to enact
desired goals
SUPPORTING
STRATEGIES
Activities and programs that City staff
and partners can begin implementing
immediately
ACTION
ITEMS
1 Small Business, Entrepreneurship, and Industry
2 Economic Mobility, Workforce Development, and
Employment
3 Growth Concept-Oriented Development
Goals
3
GOAL 1. Increase the one-year survival rate and five-year survival rate of
new small businesses
•1A. Increase the one-year and five-year survival rates of women-owned small businesses,
bringing them to parity with the overall small business population by 2034
•1B. Increase the one-year and five-year survival rates of minority-owned small businesses,
bringing them to parity with the overall small business population by 2034
•1C. Increase the one-year and five-year survival rates of small businesses owned by other
historically disadvantaged groups (e.g., individuals with disabilities, veterans), bringing them to
parity with the overall small business population by 2034
GOAL 2. Achieve a 70% positive customer service score on new business
license issuances and renewals
GOAL 3. Sustain a 20% annual growth rate for the accommodation and
food services sector through 2029
GOAL 4. Increase the number of jobs within Fayetteville’s targeted
industry sectors from 63% to 70% of private sector employment by 2034
GOAL 1. Increase the one-year survival rate and five-year survival rate of
new small businesses
$447.9M
Approximate Accommodation and
Food Services taxable sales in 2022
$23.1M
Approximate Arts, Entertainment, and
Recreation taxable sales in 2022
Small businesses, the creative economy, and the hospitality sector are three segments
integral to Fayetteville’s local economy. Continuing to grow and render these sectors more
resilient to economic change is a focal point of the Small Business, Entrepreneurship, and
Industry section of the Master Plan.
SUPPORTING STRATEGY 1. Streamline pathways to entrepreneurship and
eliminate barriers to entry for all residents
SUPPORTING STRATEGY 6. Focus on building a robust culture of
customer service for entrepreneurs and small businesses
SUPPORTING STRATEGY 4. Facilitate and support the expansion and
retention of Fayetteville’s small businesses
SUPPORTING STRATEGY 9. Deploy a proactive employer expansion and
attraction program to create high-quality jobs paying living wages
SUPPORTING STRATEGY 2. Target technical assistance and resources for
historically disadvantaged small businesses and entrepreneurs
SUPPORTING STRATEGY 7. Prioritize continued economic growth and
resiliency of restaurants, bars, and hotels
SUPPORTING STRATEGY 8. Prioritize continued economic growth and
resiliency of arts, entertainment, and recreation
SUPPORTING STRATEGY 3. Provide tailored entrepreneurial support to
artists and other members of the creative economy
Supporting Strategies
4
Action items for the Small Business, Entrepreneurship, and Industry strategic focus area are aligned to each supporting strategy and will be assigned to one or more stakeholders. While action items are intended to steer the implementation of supporting strategies to achieve the City’s economic development goals, this list is non-exhaustive and subject to change based on evolving community needs. Goals may be achieved without executing all action items detailed in this section, but action items represent an array of activities that can make our community more economically resilient.
SUPPORTING STRATEGY 5. Partner with local anchor institutions (e.g., the
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville Public Library) to accelerate the
growth of local entrepreneurs
Ongoing Action Items
Supporting Strategy 1. Streamline pathways
to entrepreneurship and eliminate barriers to entry for all residents
5
ACTION ITEM 1. Identify and mitigate regulatory and marketing barriers
for small businesses (e.g., changes to federal accredited investor
regulations, providing coverage for ordinary income tax credits for
investments in opportunity zones)
Short-Term Action Items
ACTION ITEM 2. Create an easily accessible, external one-pager posted
online in multiple languages to identify required steps for starting a
business in Fayetteville
ACTION ITEM 3. Streamline the business license approval process,
including same-week approval for all business license applications
ACTION ITEM 4. Explore exempting home-based businesses from
business license fees
Mid-Term Action Items
ACTION ITEM 5. Work toward same-week approval for all commerce
expansions in public right-of-way (e.g., sidewalk cafes, parklets)
ACTION ITEM 6. Audit the City’s Code to identify potential impacts or
barriers to entrepreneurship, removing and revising as needed
ACTION ITEM 7. Create an Entrepreneur in Residence program to apply
entrepreneurial problem solving to municipal departmental challenges
ACTION ITEM 8. Create a tailored small business mentorship program,
building on existing mentorship programs operated by local organizations
and educational institutions.
Long-Term Action Items
ACTION ITEM 9. Explore utilization of City-owned land in Downtown
Fayetteville to create a micro-business park to enable high-traffic
locations and infrastructure resource sharing
Ongoing Action Items
Supporting Strategy 2. Target technical
assistance for historically disadvantaged small businesses and entrepreneurs
6
ACTION ITEM 11. Advocate for municipalities to have the ability to award
a percentage of municipal purchasing contracts to historically
disadvantaged businesses, similar to that of the State of Arkansas
ACTION ITEM 12. Advocate for municipalities to have the ability to
dedicate a percentage of total purchasing contracts to businesses that
have been in operation for less than five years
ACTION ITEM 10. Advocate for a federal benefits portal allowing
individuals to view, choose, and pay for benefits (e.g., retirement, health
insurance, tax-advantaged savings accounts, disability insurance)
regardless of where the individual earns income
ACTION ITEM 15. Advocate for entrepreneurial ecosystem leaders to host
events and trainings in partnership with other local organizations and
companies for women- and minority-owned business owners
ACTION ITEM 14. Provide targeted awareness of the City’s small business
resources, including technical support, legal assistance, location analysis
and market research, broadband access, finance, and mentorship for
businesses owned by women, minorities, and other historically
disadvantaged groups
ACTION ITEM 13. Create a woman-owned business mentorship program,
tailoring to the needs of women entrepreneurs and ensuring mentors are
representative of the mentee population
Short-Term Action Items
Supporting Strategy 2. Target technical
assistance for historically disadvantaged small businesses and entrepreneurs (cont.)
ACTION ITEM 17. Create an accessible, inclusive resource distribution
center that provides customized support to underserved business groups
ACTION ITEM 18. Pursue Department of Labor grant funding
opportunities to establish an on-the-job training program with local Black-
owned businesses
ACTION ITEM 16. Provide minority-, woman-, veteran-, and neurodiverse-
owned businesses engagement opportunities (e.g., trade fairs, networking
opportunities) to increase social capital and expand networks
ACTION ITEM 22. Raise awareness about on-demand trainings provided
by the Arkansas Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) and
host in-person trainings in Fayetteville
ACTION ITEM 21. Promote and support SBIR/STTR workshop for women
and minority residents
ACTION ITEM 20. Create and promote a woman- and minority-owned
business education program with structured curriculum on intellectual
property, product development, marketing, commercialization, SBIR/STTR
grant, negotiation, contractual agreements, finance and capital
opportunities, and platform-based retail
ACTION ITEM 19. Raise awareness of micro-financing and small dollar
loan options for women and minority residents ACTION ITEM 23. Advocate for the creation of a Fayetteville Minority
Enterprise Development (MED) Week, bringing awareness to women and
minority entrepreneurs
7
Supporting Strategy 2. Target technical
assistance for historically disadvantaged small businesses and entrepreneurs (cont.)
8
Mid-Term Action Items
Long-Term Action Items
ACTION ITEM 24. Form a Small Business Advisory Committee composed
of diverse business owners, which will meet with the City’s Economic
Vitality Director to aid with implementation of the Economic Vitality
Master Plan
ACTION ITEM 26. Support development and operation of a small-batch
manufacturing facility
ACTION ITEM 25. Launch a public-private alliance of businesses,
nonprofits, entrepreneurial support organizations, and the City that are
committed to providing business support services to and fostering
business networks for women in Fayetteville
Supporting Strategy 3. Provide tailored
entrepreneurial support to artists and other members of the creative economy
9
Ongoing Action Items
ACTION ITEM 27. Host educational events on financial literacy and the
process for residents declaring themselves as artists on all applicable local,
state, and federal business and tax forms Short-Term Action Items
ACTION ITEM 30. Integrate the creative economy into existing and future
entrepreneurial programming funded by the City of Fayetteville
ACTION ITEM 28. Communicate educational opportunities and resources
proactively and with accessibility to artists in mind
ACTION ITEM 29. Pursue partnerships with artist-focused entrepreneurial
services organizations (e.g., Artists, Inc., Creative Capital)
Ongoing Action Items
Supporting Strategy 4. Facilitate the
expansion and retention of Fayetteville’s small businesses
10
ACTION ITEM 31. Contact at least 150 small businesses a year to assess
where the in the business life cycle they are operating and to provide
technical assistance
Mid-Term Action Items
ACTION ITEM 37. Create an evergreen funding source (e.g., revolving loan
fund, revenue-based investment fund) and other resources to support
businesses’ expansion plans, pursuing federal funding to establish the
program
ACTION ITEM 32. Consider expanding shovel-ready sites on City-owned
Commerce Park land, reserving properties for small businesses
ACTION ITEM 33. Include entrepreneurship and small business-related
development tools in workforce development training programs (e.g.,
customer discovery, digital marketing, Lean Canvas, risk management)
Short-Term Action Items
ACTION ITEM 36. Launch a marketing campaign encouraging small
businesses across industry sectors to engage in omni-channel sales (e.g.,
e-commerce)
Long-Term Action Items
ACTION ITEM 38. Establish an Evergreen Cooperative to promote the
expansion of employee-owned businesses and to retain legacy institutions
critical to the fabric of Fayetteville’s economy
ACTION ITEM 39. Leverage, expand, and strengthen a place-based
identity or brand for locally produced goods and services to support local
makers and entrepreneurs
ACTION ITEM 34. Pursue renewed federal grant funding to reestablish a
small business accelerator program
ACTION ITEM 35. Identify Fayetteville’s emerging and expanding industry
sectors and attract small- and medium-sized companies in complementary
industries from other states
Ongoing Action Items
Supporting Strategy 5. Partner with local
anchor institutions to accelerate the growth of local entrepreneurs
11
ACTION ITEM 40. Advocate for the placement of entrepreneurial assets
and programming in Downtown Fayetteville
Mid-Term Action Items
ACTION ITEM 45. Explore establishing an International Entrepreneurship
Retention program
ACTION ITEM 41. Assist with the full activation of and programming by
the Fayetteville Public Library’s Center for Innovation, including the maker
market program
Short-Term Action Items
ACTION ITEM 43. Create an entrepreneurial hub through the Urban
Libraries Council
ACTION ITEM 44. Create a standard hand-off mechanism to connect
student-run startups with local resource providers
ACTION ITEM 42. Grow the City’s annual startup event to a multiple-day
festival, adding professional development and educational offerings
Ongoing Action Items
Supporting Strategy 6. Focus on building a
robust culture of customer service for entrepreneurs and small businesses
12
ACTION ITEM 46. Convene the top ten fastest growing small businesses
on an annual basis to promote continuous customer service improvement
and startup ecosystem development
Mid-Term Action Items
ACTION ITEM 49. Enable the Department of Economic Vitality to provide
Entrepreneurship Impact Statements for ordinances and code changes
that impact small businesses
Short-Term Action Items
ACTION ITEM 47. Amend the City’s business license application to include
customer service-related questions upon initial issuance of a business
license as well as upon annual renewal and compare performance to a
2023 baseline moving forward
ACTION ITEM 48. Publish a request for proposal in 2024 to continue the
City’s Entrepreneurship and Innovation services contract
Ongoing Action Items
Supporting Strategy 7. Prioritize continued
economic growth and resiliency of restaurants, bars, and hotels
13
Mid-Term Action Items
ACTION ITEM 50. Expand Outdoor Refreshment Areas throughout
Fayetteville, focusing first on areas with high concentrations of
accommodation and food service businesses
ACTION ITEM 51. Launch a marketing and awareness campaign focused
on local hospitality workers’ contributions to the community Long-Term Action Items
ACTION ITEM 60. Partner with a coalition of municipalities to advocate
for revising Section 1.20, Subtitle C of the Alcoholic Beverage Control
regulations, which requires outdoor service areas to be defined by fencing
or barriers and include “no alcoholic beverages beyond this point” signs
and prevents serving alcohol at parklets and sidewalk cafes
ACTION ITEM 52. Leverage the City’s purchasing power to reduce the
cost of sustainable to-go containers (e.g., BPI-certified compostable) by
opening a request for proposal to lock in a price for five years
ACTION ITEM 53. Advocate for the revision of Section 5.62 and 5.63 of
Title 5, Subtitle F of Alcoholic Beverage Control regulations, which
prevents private clubs from purchasing alcohol from distributors
ACTION ITEM 54. Advocate for the repeal of Section 3-3-211 of Title 3 of
Alcoholic Beverage Control regulations, which prohibits the sale of
intoxicating liquors on Christmas Day
ACTION ITEM 55. Advocate to revise Section 5.47 of Title 5, Subtitle F of
Alcoholic Beverage Control regulations, which prevents private clubs from
advertising in a wet area without first saying “Notice to Members”
ACTION ITEM 57. Utilize Department of Labor apprenticeship programs to
expand workforce training options for accommodation and hospitality
businesses and to increase employee retention
ACTION ITEM 59. Explore creating a benefits cooperative for
accommodation and hospitality businesses, providing benefits including
affordable health, dental, and vision insurance
ACTION ITEM 58. Partnering with the University of Arkansas’s Division of
Food and Life Sciences, host human resources and professional
development opportunities for hospitality and accommodation workers,
including mental wellness resources
ACTION ITEM 56. Possible Item addressing third party delivery fees. Staff
currently researching.
Ongoing Action Items
Supporting Strategy 8. Prioritize continued
economic growth and resiliency of arts, entertainment, and recreation
14
Mid-Term Action Items
ACTION ITEM 61. Continue to implement the Parking Master Plan to
improve service, technology, availability, and convenience for residents
and businesses
ACTION ITEM 66. Explore developing a promotional campaign to bring
awareness to local business establishments, showcasing local art as a
means of increasing business traffic and providing exposure to the local
creative economy
ACTION ITEM 67. Explore developing an external live-work-play
marketing campaign through Experience Fayetteville to promote local art
and the creative economy as contributing factors to Fayetteville’s quality
of life
ACTION ITEM 62. Survey the creative economy (i.e., NAICS code 71 –
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation) as part of the City’s future business
retention and expansion services
ACTION ITEM 63. Continue to advocate for the expansion of state-level
film tax credits through the Arkansas Film Commission
Short-Term Action Items
ACTION ITEM 64. Explore the consolidation of the Entertainment District
and the Downtown Business District into one parking district to ensure
consistent application of programs and rate structures
ACTION ITEM 65. Explore the creation of a municipal level tax rebate
program, tax credit, or other incentive to supplement the State of
Arkansas’s existing programs to support grassroots and independent film
production, encourage local production hiring practices, and retain local
industry talent in Fayetteville
Ongoing Action Items
Supporting Strategy 9. Deploy a proactive
employer expansion and attraction program to create high-quality jobs paying living wages
ACTION ITEM 69. Develop and maintain a proactive employer recruitment
strategy, including, but not limited to, traveling to surrounding markets to
meet prospective industry employers at incumbent locations and
attending Site Selector conference
ACTION ITEM 70. Develop and maintain strong relationships with site
selection professionals by biannually attending Consultant Connect
Summits
ACTION ITEM 68. Survey the largest 50 employers and the 25 startups
with the highest growth potential through the City’s existing business
retention and expansion program
ACTION ITEM 73. Support local and state entities, working groups,
consortia, and companies pursuing federal funding opportunities to pilot
and scale programs creating jobs in Arkansas’s innovation economy and
advancing technology-based economic development
ACTION ITEM 72. Inventory active businesses within each of
Fayetteville’s targeted industry sectors to promote sustained collaboration
and job growth
ACTION ITEM 71. Pursue employers in targeted industry sectors (i.e.,
information technology, healthcare, research and development,
specialized manufacturing and packaging, professional services, the
circular economy, and the creative economy)
15Short-Term Action Items
ACTION ITEM 74. Conduct a workforce needs assessment to understand
the current labor-related opportunities and challenges facing target
industry sectors
ACTION ITEM 75. Explore partnerships with post-secondary institutions,
the local public school system, and regional employers to align K-12 career
and technical education and post-secondary offerings with local labor
demand within target industries
2020 Startup Junkie Metrics and ROI
ROI:
24 Month
Output
Metrics
9
●We served 1,042 Fayetteville entrepreneurs through 1,122 one-
on-one high quality free consulting, mentoring, counseling,
training, support, and assistance engagements (all of which went
virtual starting in March 2020 and beyond)
•289 women owned ventures
•154 minority owned ventures
•53 veteran owned ventures
•Companies ranging from Little Bird Systems to NLMG
●256 Event, Workshop, and Program engagements in Fayetteville
serving 19,560 attendees
ROI:
24 Month
Outcome
Metrics of
Fayetteville
Ventures
10
●685 net new jobs created
●$90,078,000 in capital raised
●$1,630,000 in grants (state and federal) secured
●261 new products, services, and solutions brought to market
●72 patents and patent applications
●19 SBIR and STTR awards
●51 unique Fayetteville retail, restaurant, and accommodation
ventures assisted through multiple on going and in depth
engagements
(Top 5 bullets based on survey data received from 98 Fayetteville venture
companies)
Pandemic
Response
Recap:
Improvise
Adapt
Overcome
11
●Increased the cadence of virtual no-cost consulting sessions with small business owners and startups dealing with the existential
issues due to COVID-19.
●Actively participated in the regional entrepreneurial support organization (ESO) COVID-19 task force to ensure regional coordination of
support for small business and startups.
●First to complete a region wide impact survey with over 400 local small business responses at the outset of the crisis to ens ure the
statewide emergency declaration happened in a timely fashion. This was a critical step in getting access to EIDL funding.
●First to provide near daily guidance relaying the latest federal and state aid updates for small businesses, (Cares Act, EIDL , and AEDC
programs and incentives –Guides in English and translated to Spanish in partnership with UA Social Innovation Team –1st Page of
Google Search on PPP).
●Increased the cadence, quality and reach of the Startup Junkies Podcasts (200+ episodes reach 100 countries). High profile g uests
included –Steve Case (AOL Founder, Rise of the Rest, Sam Parr, The Hustle, Sara Frey of Frey Farms ). Bringing greater visibility to
the City of Fayetteville, and providing Fayetteville entrepreneurs timely information, education, and inspiration.
●Active partnership with the City on COVID-19 task force and emergency management and disaster response regarding the small
business and startup community.
●Provided active support to the super-regional EcoPotential NGO task force to align supply and demand of PPE and to identify new US-
based sources.
●Actively participated in the statewide Maker task force aimed at creating new sources of PPE locally.
●Developed and launched a comprehensive digital library of small business, innovation, and entrepreneurial educational content on
the Startup Junkies YouTube Channel available for Fayetteville entrepreneurs.
●Provided key support of the City’s monumental Outdoor Refreshment Area (ORA) initiative, from inception to launch and executi on.
Critical to helping drive business to our local small businesses while helping mitigate COVID-19.
●Persistent advocacy to Federal and State authorities for key programs and incentives to support the small business and startu p
community during the entire pandemic.
●Developed and published specific bold policy initiatives to drive inclusive small business, startup, and employment growth th at build on
Kauffman Foundation recommendations for America’s New Business Plan.
●Along with deciphering massive amounts of legalese and Federal government jargon into a series of publications explaining PPP , EIDL,
and other government programs during the pandemic, we also produced a number of publications guiding small business through t he
pandemic. Examples like “Tips And Recommendations For Ventures and Small Businesses Amid COVID-19” can be found here.
What’s Next:
Accelerate
Recovery
12
●Continue high cadence of virtual events providing critical and timely education,
information, and inspiration for Fayetteville entrepreneurs.
●Continue virtual one-on-one no cost consulting sessions with Fayetteville entrepreneurs
facing the existential on going threat from COVID-19.
●Continue our events aimed to provide additional support for the underserved
communities (minority, women, and veteran entrepreneur focused) in Fayetteville.
●Continue to ensure our educational materials and key communications are in multiple
languages.
●Continue support of the vibrant and high impact Outdoor Refreshment Area (ORA)
program.
●Continue to work with the City’s Small Business Resiliency Task Force on strategic focus
areas going forward –Drive new innovative programs and outreach to increase impact
and accelerate recovery.
●Lead and grow the only active angel investment group in Arkansas –Ark Angel
Alliance. This will provide increased capital access to Fayetteville entrepreneurs.
●January 2021 release of the book –Creating Startup Junkies –Building Sustainable
Venture Ecosystems in Unexpected Places. Establishing Fayetteville as a thought
leader, and bringing incredible positive increased visibility to City.
2021 and 2022 Startup Junkie Metrics and ROI
Startup Junkie Update:
January 1, 2021-December 31, 2022
1
Deliverable 1: Support a collaborative entrepreneurial &
innovative environnent.
• We continue serve as the reliable direct point of contact for entrepreneurship,
innovation and startup efforts:
o 100% engagement for the City’s Economic Recovery and Vitality Steering
Committee planning work.
o Assistance developing the 2022 Economic Vitality Master Plan.
o 100% engagement of the Regional Entrepreneurial Support Organization
Task Force.
• Dedication of one FTE to the Department.
• Continue to execute our successful Startup BRE Program which entails regular
health checks on Fayetteville ventures to ensure both growth and to address
challenges. Connecting many ventures to the Director and the Mayor for them to
personally visit.
• Facilitation with the UA OEI and Arkansas Research Alliance, the exploration of a
National Science Foundation Regional Innovation Engine, of which significant
collaborative entrepreneurial activity will occur in Fayetteville, with partners from
across the state and beyond. In September we submitted to the NSF for the Type
1 award, and if awarded, will be of direct benefit to the City’s economic vitality
work.
Startup Junkie Update:
January 1, 2021-December 31, 2022
2
Startup Junkie Update:
January 1, 2021-December 31, 2022
3
Startup Junkie Update:
January 1, 2021-December 31, 2022
4
Deliverable 2: Increase high-tech job growth and University Partnerships.
• 889 new jobs created.
o Ex. AcreTrader still on track to grow to over 200 high wage jobs in
Downtown Fayetteville
• 15 SBIR/STTR awards secured by Fayetteville ventures over the past two years.
• Continued to maintain a close working relationship with the UA, and companies
that operate at the ARTP.
o Examples: BiologicsMD, Nanomatronix, CatalyzeH2O, Celludot,
OzarkIC and others that have secured millions in SBIR/STTR funding,
and/or employ high tech workers in Fayetteville.
• Facilitate and continue to grow one of the only active angel investment group in
Arkansas – Ark Angel Alliance. This provides increased capital access to
Fayetteville entrepreneurs.
Startup Junkie Update:
January 1, 2021-December 31, 2022
5
Deliverable 3: Create innovative spaces and programs to support entrepreneurs.
• Continue to operate CenterSpace on the Fayetteville square. CenterSpace
costs over $60,000 per year to keep open (this is the lease and utilities
cost). CenterSpace provides:
• No cost day use co-working for entrepreneurs.
• No cost reservation of the conference room for entrepreneurs needing to hold
offsite meetings.
• Primary location for leading virtual and in person no cost 1:1 consulting
engagements with Fayetteville entrepreneurs.
• In the past two years approximatly 2,600 community members have utilized the
CenterSpace conference room at no charge for their offsite meetings and other
various meetings for their small businesses.
• High cadence of events throughout the past two years:
o HER Entrepreneur Journey led by SJF’s Martha Londagin
o GameChangers
o Startup Stories
o In 2021 rather than Startup Crawl, we held a Vaccine Clinic at
CenterSpace in partnership with Community Clinic.
• WILDLY successful 2022 Startup Crawl:
o Approx. 2000 attendees
Startup Junkie Update:
January 1, 2021-December 31, 2022
6
o 13 breweries
o 4 bands
o 50 participating venture companies
• Packed Startup Weekend NWA held on the Fayetteville Square in the Pryor
Center.
o 100+ attendees
o 11 ventures created
• Led and facilitated 183 virtual and in-person world class entrepreneurship and
innovation focused event, workshop, and program engagements in Fayetteville
over the past two years serving 12,579 attendees.
Startup Junkie Update:
January 1, 2021-December 31, 2022
7
Startup Junkie Update:
January 1, 2021-December 31, 2022
8
Deliverable 4: Expand and enhance Workforce Development, Attraction, and
Retention through entrepreneurship education opportunities at all levels.
• Continued our targeted events that provide entrepreneurship education at all levels.
• Continued building a comprehensive digital library of small business, innovation, and
entrepreneurial educational content on the Startup Junkies YouTube Channel
available for Fayetteville entrepreneurs.
o 254 educational publications produced, availabe free to Fayetteville
entrepreneurs.
o Approximatly 127 hours of content, available at no cost to our
community members.
• Continued to deliver regular free webinars on a variety of marketing, finance, HR,
and leadership topics with subject matter experts from across the country.
• Continue the widely recognized Startup Junkies Podcast that delivers lessons
learned and education available to Fayetteville entrepreneurs at no cost. Many
instances featuring Fayetteville entrepreneurs, providing them increased national
and global visibility. This program brings significant positive visibility globally
to the City of Fayetteville. The podcast has Over 320 episodes downloaded in
100 countries and is ranked in the top 2.5% of all podcast globally out of
nearly 3,000,000.
Startup Junkie Update:
January 1, 2021-December 31, 2022
9
Deliverable 5: Support, Foster, and Expand entrepreneurship through retail and
restaurant development.
• Continue to serve new Fayetteville retail and restaurant ventures through high
quality no cost 1:1 consulting and mentoring. 108 of these ventures served
through high quality no-cost in-depth 1:1 consulting, counseling, and mentoring.
• Actively lead virtual and in person events on digital marketing and ecommerce to
help provide maximum information and education to Fayetteville entrepreneurs
looking to expand their business online. Led and facilitated 24 of these
engagements over the period serving community entrepreneurs.
• Provided high quality on-going assistance to NWA ventures looking to expand
their presence in Fayetteville.
• Continued partnership with the UA Food Innovation Center to ensure Fayetteville
food entrepreneurs have the support they need.
• In addition to new starts, continue to support existing and growing Fayetteville
retail and restaurant ventures.
Startup Junkie Update:
January 1, 2021-December 31, 2022
10
Startup Junkie Update:
January 1, 2021-December 31, 2022
11
Startup Junkie Update:
January 1, 2021-December 31, 2022
12
Additional notable project: Spectrum Living Solutions.
• Continued work on the SLS Community development project to advance the
progress and services for developmentally disabled adults which included a
substantial expansion of soft-surface trail connectivity from the City to Kessler
Park and a master plan that includes major state and national players in the SLS
Campus buildout. Sadly, the late Ashton McCombs passed away. We are
honored to have his son, Naval Academy Graduate, former Marine Officer, and
Duke MBA Ashton McCombs jr taking the lead of the organization.
ROI: Output and Outcome Metrics.
• We served 881 Fayetteville entrepreneurs through 898 one-on-one high quality
free consulting, mentoring, counseling, training, support, and assistance
engagements
o 326 women owned ventures
o 188 minority owned ventures
o 39 veteran owned ventures
• Success stories like AcreTrader. Based
on the Fayetteville square, on track to
create over 200+ high wage jobs here.
AcreTrader makes investing in farmland
more accessible and inclusive.
AcreTrader was referenced in Steve
Startup Junkie Update:
January 1, 2021-December 31, 2022
13
Case’s most recent book, The Rise of the Rest as being a shining example
of the sort of amazing, scalable businesses that are being created in the
Heartland. Steve Case was the founder and CEO of AOL.
• Success Stories like The Shops at Brick City that now provides affordable and
accessible space to over 100 Fayetteville small businesses. Brick City serves as
an amazing small footprint retail incubator.
• Success stories like Ozark IC. Ozark IC is a world-leading development and
manufacturing venture for harsh environment electronics. Their solutions solve
major operating environment problems in hypersonic engines, spacecraft, and
deep well geothermal. The company has been recognized as a
MassChallenge winner and has major Aerospace, Defense, and Energy
Sector customers.
Startup Junkie Update:
January 1, 2021-December 31, 2022
14
• Success stories like CatalyzeH20. CatalyzeH2O, https://catalyzeh2o.com/.
CatalyzeH2O’s proprietary water remediation solution addresses the root causes
of so many inefficiencies in the water treatment industry by offering a truly
destructive treatment technique instead of adsorbing the toxic compounds. What
makes CatalyzeH2O stand out as a possible company that could expand our
portfolio is that rather than choose between environmentally friendly tech and
high-performance solutions, Catalyze has proposed an innovation that does both.
We are excited about the company’s submission to the National Science
Foundation’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I Program, and
we look forward to seeing the company’s growth because of the project.
• 183 Event, Workshop, and Program engagements in Fayetteville serving 12,579
attendees
• Outcome Metrics
o 889 new jobs created
o $67,940,847 in private capital raised
o $22,636,918 in grants (state and federal) secured
o 3912 new products, services, and solutions brought to market
o 148 patents and patent applications
o 15 SBIR and STTR awards
o 108 unique Fayetteville retail, restaurant, and accommodation
ventures assisted through multiple on going and in depth
engagements
Top 5 bullets based on survey data received from 105
Fayetteville venture companies
2023 Startup Junkie Metrics and ROI
What
We
Do
Deliverable 1: Support a collaborative entrepreneurial & innovative
environment
Deliverable 2: Increase high-tech job growth and University Partnerships
Deliverable 3: Create innovative spaces and programs to support entrepreneurs
Deliverable 4: Expand and enhance Workforce Development, Attraction, and
Retention through entrepreneurship education opportunities at all levels
Deliverable 5: Support, Foster, and Expand entrepreneurship through retail and
restaurant development
Deliverable 6: Special Project Support
Startup Crawl:-2023 Startup Crawl was the largest entrepreneurship and innovation focused event in
Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. This has become a title event for the City of
Fayetteville and draws attendees from across the country.
--Over 3000 attendees
--Over 70 participating ventures
--14 breweries
--Sister Hazel
Impact
ROI
-We served 476 Fayetteville entrepreneurs through 454 one-on-one high quality no cost consulting,
mentoring, counseling, training, support, and assistance engagements
--147 women owned ventures
--84 minority owned ventures
--20 veteran owned ventures
--Companies ranging from OurPharma to Prelude
-Executed 67 Event, Workshop, and Program engagements in Fayetteville serving 7,247 attendees
-1.6 net new jobs created on average per Fayetteville venture over the year. Remarkable given
inflation at 30-year highs and interest rates at 20-year highs.
-$6,382,619 in private capital raised
-$6,124,785 in public capital (grants, state and federal) secured
-169 new products, services, and solutions brought to market
-28 patents and patent applications
-7 SBIR and STTR awards
-23 unique Fayetteville retail, restaurant, and accommodation ventures assisted through multiple
on going and in-depth engagements
-Incredible success stories ranging from CellUdot (winning $1M NSF Grant) to Shops At Brick City
(now offering easy to use ecommerce platform for their 100+ hosted Fayetteville small
businesses)