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BioVentures recently took part in the 2025 Arkansas Commercialization Retreat, held June 2–4 at the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute. Organized by the University of Arkansas’ Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, this annual event brings together faculty and graduate students from across the state—including UAMS, U of A, UALR, ASU, and UAPB—to explore how research can be […]

Summary In this engaging episode of Startup Junkies, hosts Daniel Koonce and Caleb Talley welcomed back Leo Orpin, co-founder of Black Apple, as the cidery approaches its tenth anniversary. Leo shared the remarkable journey of building Arkansas’s first (and still only) cidery, revealing how the brand’s steady, strategic growth and willingness to “fail fast” have

Every breakthrough at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) starts the same way: a question, an experiment, a spark of insight. Yet fewer than 10% of academic discoveries are ever licensed, and even fewer become commercial products, because the gap between lab work and real-world adoption is wider than it looks.  That’s where

You’re the agile underdog in a world of behemoths. But being small is not a weakness—it’s your secret weapon. Here’s how to play your size to win: 1. Embrace Personalization & Culture Big companies struggle with authenticity. You don’t. Tell your brand story in ways that resonate—connect on values, spotlight your team, and treat every

Summary In this engaging episode of Startup Junkies, hosts Daniel Koonce and Harrison Kitson sit down with Gopi Chandran and Shannon Williams from AssistNow, a rapidly growing IT services and consulting firm specializing in Workday, ERP systems, and AI integration. Gopi shares the story of founding AssistNow four years ago, bootstrapping the company from its

BioVentures LLC has adopted Tradespace, an AI-driven platform built specifically for technology-transfer offices, to streamline invention disclosures and commercialization efforts across UAMS. Beginning this month, all UAMS inventors will submit new inventions through BioVentures’ new portal, powered by Tradespace, via UAMS Single Sign-On at app.tradespace.io.  Tradespace replaces the old portal with a transparent, user-friendly experience

Summary In this engaging episode of Startup Junkies, host Daniel Koonce sits down with artist and entrepreneur Susan Edgmon and curator Allen Paulose to explore the intersection of art, business, and community in Northwest Arkansas. Susan shares her remarkable journey—how a life-changing car accident led her from being a business owner to becoming a professional

Startup Junkie Announces Startup Crawl 2025: Built to Launch GRAB YOUR TICKETS BEFORE PRICES RISE! Startup Crawl is back — and this year, we’re headed for orbit. Join us on Friday, September 26, 2025, as Startup Junkie brings the community together once again in the heart of downtown Fayetteville for the seventh annual NWA Startup

BioVentures hosted its first annual Innovation Week from May 12–15, 2025, bringing together researchers, startups, industry partners, and investors to explore the future of biomedical innovation at UAMS. The event featured a dynamic lineup of panels, presentations, and networking opportunities across campus, designed to strengthen the bridge between academic research and real-world impact. Over 50 attendees registered

Summary In this engaging episode of Startup Junkies, hosts Daniel Koonce and Caleb Talley sit down with Daniel Marques, the dynamic CEO and co-founder of Skin Check, to discuss his unique entrepreneurial journey and the innovative technology his team is bringing to digital healthcare. The episode opens with Daniel’s refreshingly candid take on entering the