The Bentonville Beacon

Summary

On this episode of The Bentonville Beacon, host James Bell is joined by Josh Duntz, President of Metova, a full-service technology mobile software and user experience agency that builds products, services and custom experiences for early-stage companies and global brands. Metova recently relocated to Bentonville, where its new headquarters is located in the Ledger building. Josh is also the Co-founder of Stasis, a digital health company that researches, designs and delivers therapies for autonomic nervous system reconditioning. Throughout the episode, James and Josh discuss Metova’s mission, how Metova differs from other custom software firms and what prompted Metova’s move to Northwest Arkansas.

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Show Notes

(0:52) Introduction to Josh

(2:32) About Stasis

(4:32) About Metova

(9:37) Emerging Technologies

(12:29) Metova’s Relocation to Bentonville

(19:09) Metova’s Workplace Culture

(21:13) The Evolution of Metova

(23:41) Why Companies Should Be Present in Bentonville

(26:25) Learning from Different Career Paths

(32:25) #BecauseBentonville Story

(37:50) Breaking into the Tech World

(41:34) Closing Thoughts

‍Links

James Bell

Bentonville Economic Development 

Josh Duntz

Metova

Stasis

Quotes

“We do everything digital transformation. Basically, if a startup or company has an idea, we can build that idea and put it into production and life, and then maintain that for however long they see fit.” - Josh Duntz, (4:33)

“I think the atmosphere and the people have been amazing since my time here. It’s cool to see such a diverse group of people that have relocated here from all over the country. I think that’s what you need to build really cool, interesting companies, diverse thoughts and people from different places.” - Josh Duntz, (23:41)

“I think a lot of people, when they’re on their deathbed, regret a lot of the things that they didn’t do, and I don’t want to be that person. So I’ve always followed my dreams and gone down the path of doing things that I wanted to do, even if they were risky or had a large likelihood of failing.” - Josh Duntz, (36:35)

Summary

This Bentonville Beacon episode is part two of a bonus series that highlights the third cohort of the Greenhouse Outdoor Recreation Program (GORP). James Bell is joined by Brent Robinson, Founder of Greenway Bike Co., Alex Huesing from Cloud Pad, Marley Blonsky, Co-founder of All Bodies on Bikes and Eliot Jackson with Reggy. GORP is a Bentonville-based business incubator focused on the development of innovative solutions within the outdoor recreation industry. Its third cohort features a mountain climbing startup and five cycling companies that have access to team mentoring, workshop training and dedicated product/service development to help them launch, build and scale globally. Throughout the episode, James, Brent, Alex, Marley and Eliot discuss the intent behind each of their companies, how they’ve benefited from participating in GORP’s third cohort and how the Bentonville community is helping them build and expand their businesses.

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Show Notes

(0:59) Introduction to Brent

(3:42) Building Greenway Bike Co.

(6:18) The Benefits of GORP

(7:03) What’s Next for Greenway Bike Co.

(8:40) Brent’s #BecauseBentonville Story 

(10:40) Introduction to Alex

(13:38) About Cloud Pad

(17:02) Alex’s Experience with GORP

(19:31) Challenges Building Cloud Pad

(21:00) Advice for Finding Clarity

(22:12) Alex’s #BecauseBentonville Story

(24:32) Introduction to Marley Blonsky

(27:24) Transitioning from Seattle to Bentonville

(29:04) About All Bodies on Bikes

(34:02) How GORP Helps Founders

(38:30) Marley’s #BecauseBentonville Story

(42:13) Introduction to Eliot

(45:57) About Reggy

(47:11) Partaking in the GORP Cohort 

(49:31) How Bentonville Helps Build Businesses

(51:37) Eliot’s #BecauseBentonville Story

(56:47) Closing Thoughts 

‍Links

James Bell

Bentonville Economic Development 

Greenhouse Outdoor Recreation Program

Brent Robinson

Greenway Bike Co.

Marley Blonsky

All Bodies on Bikes

Eliot Jackson

Reggy

Alex Huesing

Quotes

“These are kits that have been around for twenty years, but it’s sometimes hard for you to get in there and do it…So we’ve found a way that we can start to offer those services and present those kits to people in ways they can utilize them.” - Brent Robinson, (4:07)

“We want to build a smarter boulder pad because we know there’s a better way to do it. Our hope is that by making a product that’s both safer and more affordable, we can prevent injuries and get more people to be excited about going outside.” - Alex Huesing, (15:05)

“GORP is a phenomenal program that gives you a good structure for approaching and learning some of the challenges that are inevitable along the way of starting a company, but the most important thing it provides is this social support network of peers.” - Alex Huesing, (17:12)

“GORP has given me the framework, the language, the tools, but most importantly, the resources… it really just got me off on a good foot to go down this path and figure out if it’s a viable market opportunity.” - Marley Blonsky, (34:42) 

“To me, the intersection between entrepreneurship and cycling, and really the outdoors, is Bentonville. I’ve been to so many places and there’s nowhere that those two intersect as much as they do here.” - Eliot Jackson, (47:31)

Summary

On this episode of The Bentonville Beacon, host James Bell is joined by Aayush Thakur and Deme Yuan, a husband and wife team who co-founded FR8relay, where Aayush serves as the CEO and Deme is the COO. Aayush is also a board member for the Arkansas Association of Asian Businesses and a council member on the Forbes Business Council. FR8relay is a technology company working to create a more efficient and equitable trucking logistics ecosystem by introducing a collaborative model where multiple drivers work together to transport shipments. Throughout the episode, James, Aayush and Deme discuss how FR8relay is working to revolutionize the long-haul trucking industry, what entrepreneurial resources they have tapped into and their relocation to Bentonville.

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Show Notes

(0:51) Introduction to Aayush and Deme

(2:12) About FR8relay

(6:33) Inspiration behind FR8relay

(11:30) Grant Funding

(15:36) Northwest Arkansas Resources

(21:26) Why FR8relay Relocated to Bentonville

(24:55) Why Founders Should Partake in Fuel

(31:53) How Bentonville Has Helped Build FR8relay

(41:02) #BecauseBentonville Story

(45:37) What’s Next for FR8relay

(46:45) Closing Thoughts

‍Links

James Bell

Bentonville Economic Development 

Aayush Thakur

Deme Yuan

FR8relay

Arkansas Association of Asian Businesses (AAAB)

Fuel Accelerator

Quotes

“The objective is for our product, for our company, to increase efficiency in the way long haul trucking is done. Our beneficiaries would be everyone involved in the value chain.” - Aayush Thakur, (3:22)

“Electric vehicles are only used and marketed for short distances because it doesn’t make sense to have to stop and wait for them to charge in long haul. But with FR8relay, we could actually make it make sense.” - Deme Yuan, (13:48)

“The people in the community have been very helpful in getting connected to the right folks here…but in our personal life too, we are living in the community and that is also phenomenal. The people are just amazing.” - Aayush Thakur, (32:03)

Summary

This Bentonville Beacon episode is part one of a bonus series that highlights the third cohort of the Greenhouse Outdoor Recreation Program (GORP). First, host James Bell is joined by Phil Shellhammer, who was recently appointed by Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders to the Natural State Advisory Council. Phil is Director of Business Incubation for the Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Arkansas, and he is responsible for GORP. GORP is a Bentonville-based business incubator focused on the development of innovative solutions within the outdoor recreation industry. After speaking with Phil, James sits down with co-founders of two companies in GORP’s third cohort, including Michael Burton and Clayton Woodruff, CEO and COO of UNCL Co, and Tracy Byrd from Best Ride of Your Life, b-royl. Throughout the episode, James, Phil, Michael, Clayton and Tracy discuss these companies, how the GORP experience is advantageous to founders and why the diversity of GORP's mentors is important.

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Show Notes

(0:58) Introduction to Phil

(2:22) How GORP Has Evolved

(3:45) What’s New with GORP

(5:02) About GORP’s Past Cohorts

(6:56) About the Natural State Advisory Council

(8:19) Phil’s #BecauseBentonville Story

(10:04) Introduction to Michael and Clayton

(10:24) About UNCL Co

(11:21) The University of Arkansas's New Venture Development Program

(12:20) Michael and Clayton’s Pitch Competition Success

(14:57) The Benefits of GORP

(17:38) Michael and Clayton’s #BecauseBentonville Stories

(20:41) Introduction to Tracy

(21:56) The Solution b-royl Offers

(24:45) Tracy’s Experience with GORP

(29:18) Tracy’s #BecauseBentonville Story

(31:39) Closing Thoughts

‍Links

James Bell

Bentonville Economic Development 

Phil Shellhammer

Greenhouse Outdoor Recreation Program (GORP)

Michael Burton

Clayton Woodruff

UNCL Co

Tracy Byrd

Quotes

“One of the biggest evolutions is we’ve had more companies come in. We’ve been able to fund and get more companies into the program itself, which has allowed us to expand the cohort model.” - Phil Shellhammer, (2:25)

“Where we found a lot of the value are the other founders that are in the program. It gives you the opportunity for people to vet your ideas that are in different industries, but also those that are closely related.” - Michael Burton, (15:33)

“We have some really great mentors we’re working with and they’ve helped us along. They’re from various backgrounds, which helps make sure we’re headed down the right path, and honestly just thinking about things we wouldn’t normally think about.” - Clayton Woodruff, (16:00)

“The program has been exceptional. It’s not only a place where you’re getting to learn new things that you simply don’t know…it’s been very helpful in being able to connect us to the right people. We have three mentors and mine are exceptional. They have different backgrounds, which adds to the puzzle.” - Tracy Byrd, (25:29)

Summary

On this episode of The Bentonville Beacon, host James Bell is joined by Angie Bailey, the Co-founder and CEO of Best In Class Suppliers, a team of retail experts dedicated to helping businesses navigate the processes and challenges of working with major retailers. Angie also serves on the City of Bentonville Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Community Task Force as well as the Bentonville Library Foundation Board of Directors. Throughout the episode, James and Angie discuss challenges facing the retail industry, how Best In Class Suppliers helps its partners overcome those challenges and Bentonville’s influence on the world of retail.

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Show Notes

(0:52) Introduction to Angie

(3:21) Angie’s Passion for Retail

(6:00) About Best In Class Suppliers

(9:10) Overcoming Challenges

(12:23) COVID’s Impact on the Retail Industry

(17:13) Emerging Retail Trends

(19:41) How Technology Affects Retail

(21:01) Remaining Competitive

(24:03) What’s Next for Best In Class 

(26:18) Bentonville’s Role in Retail

(33:37) Angie’s Work with the DEI Task Force

(40:49) Advice to Young Professionals

(42:48) Closing Questions

‍Links

James Bell

Bentonville Economic Development 

Angie Bailey, 479-657-0671

Best In Class Suppliers

Quotes

“We are the type of people who will work with you from A to Z. We’ll be with you through the good and the bad of working in retail, and we’re very curious. We like to learn new things. We think anything we can learn and share with our company partners will help us be better and help them be better.” - Angie Bailey, (2:00)

“We’re still seeing the effects of what we went through with the pandemic and the shutdown. The supply chain has gotten easier, but it has caused all of us to rethink the way we manage a supply chain.” - Angie Bailey, (14:34)

“The thing that is most important for us to keep central is to know who our customer is and what they need from us…The best thing we can do to help the companies we work for is understand the technology that’s impacting them that they don’t have the time to learn about.” - Angie Bailey, (21:02)

“I do think there’s an increased level of competition here…Competition makes us think outside of our comfort zone, makes us do things or take chances we might not otherwise take. So I think that’s amazing about living in a community like the one we have. I think it affords people the opportunity to better themselves.” - Angie Bailey, (27:18)

Summary

On this episode of The Bentonville Beacon, host James Bell is joined by Martha Londagin, the inaugural Capital Access Manager for the Northwest Arkansas Kiva Hub, a non-profit that increases access to capital for entrepreneurs. Additionally, Martha is a Business Consultant at Startup Junkie, an organization that offers consulting services to entrepreneurs at no cost, and she is the creator of HER Entrepreneur Journey, a yearly series to encourage the development of woman-owned businesses in NWA. Throughout the episode, James and Martha discuss how Kiva provides funding opportunities for entrepreneurs when conventional lenders can’t, ways Startup Junkie and HER Entrepreneur Journey positively impact founders, and why Bentonville’s culture is ideal for small business owners. 

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Show Notes

(0:52) Introduction to Martha

(3:18) About HER Entrepreneur Journey

(8:31) Startup Junkie’s Mission

(10:38) About the Northwest Arkansas Kiva Hub

(14:48) Ideal Micro-Borrowers

(18:33) Northwest Arkansas Success Stories

(22:28) The Kiva Loan Process

(28:17) Ideal Micro-Lenders

(33:43) Spreading the Word about Kiva 

(38:24) What Makes Bentonville Great

(45:07) How Bentonville Has Changed

(48:15) Bentonville in the Next Five Years

(51:29) Advice to Small Business Owners

(54:38) Closing Thoughts

‍Links

James Bell

Bentonville Economic Development 

Martha Londagin

Startup Junkie

Kiva Northwest Arkansas

Quotes

“The Startup Junkie Foundation is funded by multiple grants and resources and it’s to appoint a mission-driven organization that believes that entrepreneurship improves lives, families and communities. And so we are here to empower innovators and entrepreneurs at every level in the nine counties of Northwest Arkansas.” - Martha Londagin, (9:04)

“By having hubs, by having a partner like the Walton Family Foundation pay a local nonprofit like Startup Junkie to get someone trained to offer the program, to have classes, to sit beside them…they are eighty percent more likely to finish the application and get approved.” - Martha Londagin, (14:08)

“That’s the whole point of Kiva. We want to help you build your business credit and get used to having a business loan and paying it back.” - Martha Londagin, (25:41)

“Bentonville has always throughout its history been a hub of commerce, and all of that is small business. And so if you want to come to a place that has at least one-hundred-fifty years of history being a great birthplace, a great place to develop and grow a small business, this is it.” - Martha, Londagin, (39:45)

Summary

On this episode of The Bentonville Beacon, host James Bell is joined by Sam Dean, the Founding Executive Director of the Scott Family Amazeum, a hands-on museum for children and families. The Amazeum features approximately fifty thousand square feet of exhibits meant to enhance family involvement while bringing learning to life and evoking a sense of curiosity. Sam is passionate about creating opportunities that encourage the community to engage in arts and sciences in an effort to further explore the world around us. Throughout the episode, James and Sam discuss the goal of the Scott Family Amazeum, why Bentonville is the perfect location and how the Amazeum does its best to interact with the community.

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Show Notes

(0:51) Introduction to Sam

(1:38) Sam’s Background

(11:10) About the Scott Family Amazeum

(15:13) From Idea to Exhibit

(21:03) Connecting with the Community

(22:28) Why Bentonville Stands Out

(25:13) The Perfect Weekend in Northwest Arkansas

(28:18) #BecauseBentonville Story

(30:49) The Future of the Amazeum

(32:54) Closing Questions

‍Links

James Bell

Bentonville Economic Development 

Sam Dean

Scott Family Amazeum

Quotes

“We’re about sparking and nurturing the curious and creative spirit in all of us…it’s a place that’s about having questions and the opportunity and time to be able to explore those questions whether it’s hands on, hearts on, [or] minds on.” - Sam Dean, (11:28)

“The special sauce is that there are so many amazing folks in this community. I’ll say two things. One, this community wants to work together. You can feel it here that people are collectively trying to advance this whole region…and people are accessible. They answer the phone.” - Sam Dean, (22:30)

“We want to keep doubling down. You should have an amazing moment whenever and wherever you are. Whether you’re out around a square for a festival or whether you’re at home playing with rice and beans and want to learn how to count and sort. You should be able to have these amazing experiences.” - Sam Dean, (31:51)

Summary

On this episode of The Bentonville Beacon, host James Bell is joined by Madia Willis, Jasmine Hudson and J’Aaron Merchant, the Co-founders of Black Paper Party, where Madia fulfills the role of CEO, Jasmine serves as the Chief Merchant and J’Aaron completes the trio as the Chief Creative Officer. With a combined fifteen years of retail experience, this dream team started Black Paper Party to spread joy through culturally relevant products by combining award-winning illustrations with trendy prints and patterns to create unique wrapping paper designs. Throughout the episode, James, Madia, Jasmine and J’Aaron discuss Black Paper Party’s mission, the struggles they have faced as Black women entrepreneurs and how Bentonville’s culture has helped accelerate Black Paper Party’s growth.  

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Show Notes

(0:52) Introduction to Madia, Jasmine and J’Aaron 

(1:49) About Madia

(2:40) About Jasmine

(3:38) About J’Aaron

(4:31) Black Paper Party’s Backstory

(6:43) The Inspiration behind Black Paper Party

(9:40) Black Paper Party’s Journey So Far

(13:45) Challenges Building Black Paper Party

(17:37) The Value of Combined Experiences

(20:26) Challenges Faced as Black Entrepreneurs

(24:15) Obtaining Funding

(29:07) How Bentonville Can Help Women Entrepreneurs

(34:57) Bentonville’s Culture

(38:00) Advice to Entrepreneurs

(40:00) #BecauseBentonville Stories

(45:36) Closing Questions

‍Links

James Bell

Bentonville Economic Development 

Madia Willis

Jasmine Hudson

J’Aaron Merchant

Black Paper Party

Black Owned NWA

JazzyJaeNWA

Quotes

“...there was a real sadness, almost a palpable feeling of fed upness in the Black community, and it was really a catalyst for change. So we thought this is the perfect time for us to really cement what our idea is…and what we saw was a kind of white space opportunity, which was visual representation of Black families during the holidays.” - Madia Willis, (7:03)

“I would say it’s very easy to be underestimated as Black women entrepreneurs in this industry. And then of course we're leading with Black-focused characters, so everyone’s like, ‘Are you sure you want to do that?’ And we’re convincing people there’s a need for it. People want to see it, and it is truly accepted.” - J’Aaron Merchant, (13:45)

“It’s kind of pushing and standing on the integrity of why we were founded and what we’re here to do. So making sure that we’re still putting that most authentic foot forward when it comes to our brand is something the customer is really resonating with.” - Jasmine Hudson, (22:33)

“It’s crazy the amount of culture you’ve taken into this little place. I try to explain [Bentonville] to people and it almost feels like it’s not real. Some of the things that you do, some of the people that you meet and it’s just actually a very welcoming community.” - J’Aaron Merchant, (39:10)

Summary

On this episode of The Bentonville Beacon, host James Bell is joined by Jackie Roach, Executive Director of Best Friends Animal Society - Northwest Arkansas, a leading animal welfare organization pioneering the no-kill movement. Best Friends is working to end the killing of dogs and cats in America’s shelters by 2025, and has helped reduce the number of animals killed from an estimated seventeen million per year to around three-hundred-forty-seven thousand. In addition to building Best Friends’ presence in Northwest Arkansas, Jackie is also the Co-founder of Taysia Blue Rescue, a nonprofit organization that envisions a time where all adoptable Siberian huskies and Alaskan malamutes have a loving home. Throughout the episode, James and Jackie discuss the importance of fostering animals, what Best Friends hopes to achieve and how the community can get involved in working to make the world a kinder and more compassionate place with Best Friends' new Pet Resource Center in Northwest Arkansas.   

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Show Notes

(0:51) Introduction to Jackie

(2:57) About Taysia Blue Rescue

(6:00) Why Breed-Specific Rescues Are Needed

(8:26) About Best Friends and Its Mission

(9:38) Bentonville’s Community-Based Resource Center

(12:13) The Benefits of Fostering Pets

(16:02) Community Pet Pantries

(18:20) Available Vet Services

(23:29) Bentonville’s Business Community and Culture

(25:52) #BecauseBentonville Story

(30:17) Closing Questions

‍Links

James Bell

Bentonville Economic Development 

Jackie Roach

Best Friends Animal Society

Taysia Blue Rescue

Best Friends Pet Resource Center Northwest Arkansas

Quotes

“We understand there are going to be some animals in shelters that are too sick or too not behaviorally sound to make it into the community or be adopted. So no kill is really just a benchmark. We look at a ninety percent save rate. We’re working with every shelter and community to try and help them achieve that.” - Jackie Roach, (8:50)

“An animal shelter is a very transactional place…What we want to do, the idea of the community supported shelter, is inviting the community to help be a part of the solution as we reach out to the community in need.” - Jackie Roach, (11:13)

“Foster care is really important. An animal shelter is a very dangerous, unhealthy place for a cat or dog to live for a lot of different reasons. Disease can be very prevalent, and just the environment of being in a cage and seeing other animals is very stressful.”  - Jackie Roach, (12:14)

“[Bentonville] is like no other place I’ve ever been. It’s really incredible. The community is so open and willing to listen and to help…It’s just a really unique thing.” - Jackie Roach, (23:29)

Summary

On this episode of The Bentonville Beacon, host James Bell is joined by Squires and Scott Smith, Founders of Altangle Cycling, where Squires serves as President and Scott is the CEO. 

Altangle Cycling makes high-quality, innovative products that help solve common problems associated with owning and maintaining a bicycle. After growing up in an entrepreneurial family and in the outdoors, both brothers journeyed down separate paths after college. Squires went into industrial construction, and Scott worked in corporate finance before they ventured into the startup world to bring Altangle Cycling to life. Throughout the episode, James, Squires and Scott discuss the intention behind Altangle Cycling, why it relocated to Bentonville and what it’s like being business partners as brothers. 

Thanks for tuning in!

Show Notes

(0:52) Introduction to Squires and Scott

(1:21) About Squires

(3:18) About Scott

(8:08) The History behind Altangle Cycling

(10:54) About Altangle Cycling

(13:43) From Idea to Reality

(26:27) Altangle’s Move to Bentonville

(30:38) Being Embraced by the Bentonville Community

(34:44) Benefits of Having Altangle Cycling in Bentonville

(41:25) #BecauseBentonville Story

(44:06) From Banker to Founder

(46:13) Being an Inventor

(50:02) What’s Next for Altangle Cycling

(53:05) Closing Questions

‍Links

James Bell

Bentonville Economic Development 

Squires Smith

Scott Smith

Altangle Cycling

Quotes

“Simply put, our mission is to make high-quality, innovative products that help solve common obstacles associated with owning and maintaining a bicycle. So we ultimately want to have a full product line that at its core helps people enjoy cycling, and all things cycling related, to their fullest extent.” - Scott Smith, (10:59)

“You can see it too, everything happening here is so incredibly intentional, you know? And when you see a city that’s growing really quickly and then the intention behind that growth inspires a lot of confidence, you’re coming into something where you can see the end goal and there's an opportunity to be a part of the end goal.” - Squires Smith, (29:03)

“It doesn’t matter what your job is, if it’s a startup or not, it may feel a little intensified at the moment, but it’s really easy to bury yourself in your work, but Bentonville has a really good way of keeping you focused but balanced.” - Squires Smith, (35:09)

“People ask me, ‘How do you work with your brother?’ I can work with him because we’re so different and I think we have a pretty good sense of what our lane is and staying in our lane…The most important thing we had to do was trust each other.” - Scott Smith, (48:10)