innovate arkansas

The Arkansas Small Business Development Center at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock will soon sponsor the first Advanced Invention to Venture (AI2V) workshop in Arkansas.

The ASBDC is offering the National Collegiate Inventors & Innovators Alliance program to area small business and university communities from Sept. 29 to Oct. 2 at UALR. It characterizes the program as a unique opportunity for Arkansas technology ventures.

"AI2V is a highly-acclaimed, four-day intensive workshop for intellectual property--based venture teams," ASBDC Director Mildred Holley said in a news release. "It provides instruction, exercises, venture pitching and coaching, complete with real-time feedback from coaches and investors."

The center is co-sponsoring the event with Arkansas Capital Corp. Group and Arkansas Science & Technology Authority.

Click here to register. Teams must register in advance and may represent startup companies, existing small businesses, corporate ventures and university teams preparing to participate in the Donald W. Reynolds Governor's Cup Competition. Call (501) 683-7700 for more information.

The in-class time will be followed by six to eight weeks of homework and exercises, monitored by an assigned coach. The end result is a 15-minute investor pitch and commercialization plan fundamentals to back it up. Qualifying teams will have a panel of investors, mentors and advisors assembled for an investor pitch.

"Startup teams often get caught up in hectic, day-to-day activities and don't stop to analyze business opportunities or develop breakthrough strategies," Holley said. "Working alongside qualified venture development instructors and coaches, teams will be amazed at how their respective visions for their venture will align.

Craig Pair, president of Control Technologies Inc. of Fort Smith, attended AI2V last November in New Mexico and attested to its value.