The Bentonville Beacon

Summary

On this episode of The Bentonville Beacon, host James Bell is joined by Toby Teeter, Director of the University of Arkansas Bentonville Collaborative. The Collaborative is an impetus for innovation in Bentonville, where the University of Arkansas’ presence focuses on outdoor recreation, bio-design, whole health, advanced mobility, and technologies for retail, supply chain, logistics, and corporate enablement. Additionally, Toby is a serial entrepreneur and investor, with his most current venture being Omni Brands, a company that designs, builds and scales ecommerce businesses with its product studio, third-party logistics and ad agency services. Toby also serves on the Greater Bentonville Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. Throughout the episode, James and Toby discuss modernization in Bentonville and The Collaborative’s mission and vision for the future.

Thanks for tuning in!

Show Notes:

(0:51) Introduction to Toby

(4:08) About Omni Brands

(6:58) Goals of The Collaborative

(11:23) The Collaborative Initiatives

(17:26) Future Plans for The Collaborative

(22:17) Toby’s Experience and Background

(25:28) Having a Presence in Bentonville

(29:11) Bentonville Favorites

(32:21) #BecauseBentonville Story

(35:03) Advice to Entrepreneurs

(37:54) Closing Questions

‍Links

James Bell

Bentonville Economic Development 

Toby Teeter

The UofA Bentonville Collaborative

Omni Brands, LLC

Quotes

“We’re more centered on economic development than applied research. It’s a little more pragmatic, but really the framing question is, ‘How can the University of Arkansas be a catalyst for innovation in Bentonville?’” - Toby Teeter, (8:17)

“One of the sectors of interest for us in Bentonville is smart mobility, and that in essence is the movements of both product and people by electric means, whether it be in the air or on the ground…That program is considering what degree offerings, facilities, equipment, faculty and research would put us on the map.” - Toby Teeter, (13:28)

“I love Bentonville. It’s a draw to people like us. This is a city on the move. Dynamic people are moving here by the day from all over the world, and they’re bringing such diverse talents.” - Toby Teeter, (22:20)

“The concept of innovation is simply thinking in a new way. And, often that requires a diversity of thought, is often inspired by art, good beer, coffee and good music. The leaders of this community understand that, and that is why [Bentonville] is essentially a theme park for innovators.”

“You don’t have to have everything figured out…Just get it out there, and you learn so much more stumbling your way through the early years until you figure it out. Sometimes it hurts, but so many entrepreneurs just sit on the startline and are afraid to actually launch the product.” - Toby Teeter, (35:19)

Summary

On this episode of The Bentonville Beacon, host James Bell is joined by Josh Stanley, CEO and Managing Partner of Cartwheel, a startup studio that creates B2B SaaS companies. Cartwheel ideates, validates, co-founds and funds B2B SaaS and Web3 businesses that accelerate capabilities. In addition to Cartwheel, Josh is also the Co-Founder of PushKin and Hashku. PushKin is a B2B SaaS communication platform for franchise operators who need a better way to communicate with their deskless employees, and Hashku is a newly established company that provides brands and agencies with software to plan, launch and maintain their new digital assets. Throughout the episode, James and Josh discuss the difference between venture and startup studios, the success of Cartwheel and Bentonville’s entrepreneurship community. 

Thanks for tuning in!

Show Notes:

(0:52) Introduction to Josh

(12:46) About Cartwheel

(19:19) Cartwheel’s Methodology

(26:17) Cartwheel’s Successes So Far

(34:01) Bentonville’s Startup Community

(39:59) Entrepreneurship in the Next Five Years

(43:00) Living Your Best Life in Bentonville

(46:36) #BecauseBentonville Story

(51:51) Closing Question

‍Links

James Bell

Bentonville Economic Development 

Josh Stanley

Cartwheel

PushKin

Hashku

Quotes

“I quickly picked up that there’s a great entrepreneurial ecosystem here. There’s a lot of support in that system. It’s a very flat community in the sense that you can access anybody here. There isn’t this hierarchy or barrier to entry into having a meaningful impact in the community.” - Josh Stanley, (14:19)

“We’re all working towards making something special here, making things happen, helping each other out…but it feels like we have a good mix of the right kind of leadership and talent.” - Josh Stanley, (36:24)

“We really do try and make time to offer feedback and offer help where we can…that’s our favorite way to give back. I don’t see this as just us building our own companies, but also about can we raise the other boards with the tide alongside us?” - Josh Stanley, (50:17)

Summary

On this episode of The Bentonville Beacon, host James Bell is joined by Vance Reavie, Founder and CEO of Junction AI, a SaaS platform offering scalable "no code" artificial intelligence. Junction AI is driving big change with its “AI-as-a-service” solutions that power affordable, accessible and impactful data-driven insights for brands, agencies and marketing organizations. In addition to Junction Ai, Vance is also a member of the Forbes Agency Council and an experienced IT consultant who helps companies benefit from using AI by delivering exceptional customer experience and gaining a competitive advantage. Throughout the episode, James and Vance discuss artificial intelligence’s impact on the world, the problem Junction AI solves and Vance’s participation in Fuel Accelerator. 

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Show Notes:

(0:53) Introduction to Vance

(2:28) The Basics of Artificial Intelligence

(4:43) About Junction AI

(10:34) The Evolution of Junction AI

(17:18) Junction AI’s Ideal Customer

(21:28) The Fuel Accelerator Experience

(30:44) Vance’s Move to Bentonville

(33:55) Bentonville’s Startup Community

(37:55) Entrepreneurial Resources

(40:30) Vance’s Bentonville Favorites

(45:43) Uses of Artificial Intelligence

(51:21) Closing Questions

‍Links

James Bell

Bentonville Economic Development 

Vance Reavie

Junction AI

Fuel Accelerator

Quotes

“We’re at a point now where the cost has come down so intensely that it makes so many things that we have thought about or tried in the past, but couldn’t get done, be done quickly now, can be done affordably now and can be done in a mass way.” - Vance Reavie, (2:44)

“I always want to find a way to solve complex problems simply…So we thought, ‘How can we automate so many pieces of this puzzle?’ We can take an interesting use case, we can run it through our platform, and then we can deliver something that’s useful.” - Vance Reavie, (7:17)

“All the big tech companies are here because they have a specialization in the logistics part, supply chain part, human management part, retail part and ecommerce part. They’re here with the decision makers because they have that opportunity to be here. They’re not just selling to the giant here, they’re selling that experience internationally but from right here in Bentonville.” - Vance Reavie, (16:25)

“I was really impressed by the commitment to innovation here and by a lot of the companies and what they were doing with their visions of where they saw the future and how they use these different technologies.” - Vance Reavie, (34:33) 

Summary

On this episode of The Bentonville Beacon, host James Bell is joined by Jon Cadieux, President of NWA Workplaces, a company that offers private spaces, meeting rooms and virtual offices to businesses and organizations. NWA Workplaces’ mission is to make their client’s office lives comfortable, easy and fun in an effort to encourage increased productivity. In addition to NWA Workplaces, Jon also founded the Northwest Arkansas Tech Council as well as the Northwest Arkansas Technology Summit, and he previously served as the President of the Rotary Club of Bentonville. Throughout the episode, James and Jon discuss the intricacies of NWA Workplaces, the Northwest Arkansas Technology Summit and the growth Bentonville has experienced. 

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Show Notes:

(0:51) Introduction to Jon

(2:11) About NWA Workplaces

(6:11) NWA Workplaces Clients

(8:38) NWA Workplaces Services and Amenities

(11:42) NWA Workplaces Locations

(16:22) Challenges Jon Experienced

(20:28) Jon’s Accomplishments

(22:52) Founding the NWA Tech Summit

(32:40) The Rotary Club of Bentonville

(38:18) Why Jon Came to Bentonville

(41:13) Bentonville’s Growth

(46:59) Advice to Business Leaders

(56:00) #Bentonville Story

(58:48) Closing Questions

‍Links

James Bell

Bentonville Economic Development 

Jon Cadieux

NWA Workplaces

Northwest Arkansas Tech Council

Northwest Arkansas Technology Summit

Quotes

“We have various other services that we offer, but mainly it’s all based around providing an office environment for people to get more work done.” - Jon Cadieux, (10:59)

“I'd say the biggest challenge I’ve had is myself. Sometimes you become the bottleneck for your company to overcome. So many entrepreneurs when they start out say ‘I’m going to do everything’…don’t put the tool belt on. You have to get other people to work in your business and then you work on your business.” - Jon Cadieux, (16:56)

“I wanted to have the Tech Summit be a thing for people who were working for big corporations, but also there be strands that small businesses owners could come and benefit from.” - Jon Cadieux, (29:46) 

“If you want to compromise and live in a nice community or the new stuff that’s going to be coming online over the next couple of years, you still cannot beat [Bentonville]...I think it’s fantastic that people who are not high income earners can still live here and enjoy so much.” - Jon Cadieux, (45:50)

Summary

On this episode of The Bentonville Beacon, host James Bell is joined by Derrick Reives and Venki Mandapati, Co-Founders of UpSquad, an on-demand engagement platform that helps organizations connect, communicate and collaborate. With over twenty-four years of experience working for Fortune 100 companies, Derrick serves as the CEO of UpSquad, and Venki is UpSquad’s CTO with over a decade of experience as a technology and data science leader. UpSquad’s custom, peer-to-peer platform assists nonprofits, schools and businesses in efficiently managing skill building, work-readiness, mentoring and more with shared equity that encourages support. Throughout the episode, James, Derrick and Venki discuss how UpSquad is advantageous to organizations, the startup path that led to UpSquad and how Bentonville is a positive place to work and live. 

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Show Notes:

(0:54) Introduction to Derrick and Venki

(1:25) About Derrick

(2:53) About Venki

(4:21) The Ideation of UpSquad

(6:42) What UpSquad Provides and Who They Serve

(12:33) UpSquad’s Success

(16:38) From Corporate to Startup

(23:52) UpSquad’s Experience with Delta I-Fund

(33:22) UpSquad’s Participation in 1 Million Cups

(39:02) How Living in Bentonville Has Changed 

(46:19) #Bentonville Story

(50:15) Closing Questions

‍Links

James Bell

Bentonville Economic Development 

Derrick Reives

Venki Mandapati

UpSquad

Quotes

“What we do is take programs from nonprofits, schools, government agencies and businesses, and we put them in a virtual space. Virtual is the need of the hour, specifically hybrid where they can have both in-person and virtual activities going at the same time. We make it very easy for their members to collaborate in this innovative space.” - Derrick Reives, (6:55)

“That’s another milestone. As entrepreneurs we’ve had to learn to communicate what we’re doing and how it’s helping people. That’s priceless.” - Derrick Reives, (15:26)

“One of the main reasons we decided to open offices here in Northwest Arkansas and Bentonville is because we saw the entrepreneurial support for organizations like us. Not only that, but there’s this ecosystem across the entire state trying to pull in those that are out-of-state.” - Derrick Reives, (29:52)

“Entrepreneurship is difficult, and sometimes we need that environment to really succeed because it’s not going to be a day, it’s not going to be a month, it’s going to be years. We need to work together in order to really create something out of nothing.” - Venki Mandapati, (49:17)

Summary

On this episode of The Bentonville Beacon, host James Bell is joined by Edwin Ortiz, Co-Founder and CEO of Rejoicy, a platform designed to help local shoppers support small businesses through digital storefronts. Rejoicy makes local goods available everywhere and to everyone by facilitating sellers and shoppers through an easy-to-use online marketplace. With over fourteen years of experience, Edwin is also the founder of Luncher, a company dedicated to delivering food from your favorite restaurants to your workplace. Throughout the episode, James and Edwin discuss Bentonville's entrepreneurial resources for founders and how Rejoicy helps businesses go from brick and mortar to click and order.

Thanks for tuning in!

Show Notes:

(0:53) Introduction to Edwin

(1:33) About Edwin

(4:00) About Luncher

(10:38) Pivots in the Startup World

(12:19) About Rejoicy

(16:39) Rejoicy’s Recent Work

(20:00) Edwin’s Experience with Techstars

(23:01) Advantages of Being Located in Bentonville

(26:53) Local Resources for Entrepreneurs

(31:44) Why Founders Should Have a Presence in Bentonville

(37:06) Bentonville Favorites

(42:07) Bentonville’s Contributions

(44:53) Closing Questions

‍Links

James Bell

Bentonville Economic Development 

Edwin Ortiz

Rejoicy

Quotes

“When you look at what we’re doing with Rejoicy, it’s ‘What would people do if we make it easy to pursue their passion?’ The reality is that’s its core. The goal is to help people do what they love.” - Edwin Ortiz, (8:53)

“We make it super easy for them to get started. They can start their store in one minute, and they can be selling in less than ten minutes. That is the core of what we want to do.” - Edwin Ortiz, (13:34)

“There’s this feeling, this energy happening in Northwest Arkansas. It almost feels like the Renaissance. You have big companies, but you also have this growing number of startups.” - Edwin Ortiz, (23:51)

“I think for people who are interested in ecommerce, retail, products, the future of work, medtech (and more). Northwest Arkansas is the right place. Northwest Arkansas is the place that will attract all those things because it has the right ingredients to help those businesses succeed.” - Edwin Ortiz, (32:01)

Summary

On this episode of The Bentonville Beacon, host James Bell is joined by Andy Martin, Owner and CEO of Moonlight Games, a video game company dedicated to developing mobile apps. Moonlight Games’ extensive list of applications includes Wishfluence, the first branded wishlist app to provide luxury jewelry stores with the means to connect every customer with their dream product. Andy founded Wishfluence with his wife to streamline how jewelry stores manage their customer’s favorite pieces. Throughout the episode, James and Andy discuss Andy’s entrepreneurial journey, the pros of being located in Bentonville and what it’s like to build a company with your spouse. 

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Show Notes:

(0:52) Introduction to Andy

(26:07) Gauging Competition

(30:33) Andy’s Experience with Innovate Arkansas

(39:04) Benefits of Establishing in Bentonville

(49:21) How Families Thrive in Bentonville

(58:00) Advice to Couples Starting a Business

(1:01:12) Future Plans for Wishfluence

‍Links

James Bell

Bentonville Economic Development 

Andy Martin

Wishfluence

Moonlight Games, LLC

Carin Martin

Northwest Arkansas Technology Summit

Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC)

Jeanette Collins

Northwest Arkansas Council

Yee-Lin Lai

Walton Family Foundation

Sarah Goforth
University of Arkansas Office of Entrepreneurship & Innovation

Innovate Arkansas

Arkansas I-Fund

1 Million Cups - Bentonville

Exchange Bentonville

Joe Saumweber

RevUnit

Edwin Ortiz

NWA User Unity Group

Dr. David Fredrick

University of Arkansas Tesseract Center for Immersive Environments and Game Design

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art

Catherine Corley

David Sanders

USC Cycling: Bentonville Becomes Home for U.S. National Mountain Bike Team

Slaughter Pen - Oz Trails Northwest Arkansas

8th Street Market

28th Street Park - Cricket Pitch

Helen R. Walton Children’s Enrichment Center

Book: Sam Walton, Made In America

Quotes

“I said, ‘I’m going to do this wishlist thing, and I’m going to do it right.’ Because I’m passionate about startups and I really like how this is solving a problem.” - Andy Martin, (21:30)

“I realized I was in the same position I’d been in building the technology based on what I think the people need without a real avenue to get it to them. And the thought that it will just be good enough and they’ll sign up is not how it works.” - Andy Martin, (30:42)

“..another thing about LA is how cutthroat it is. Why would someone tell me about an opportunity that could help me if it in any way diminished their chances of being helped by that thing? Where I don’t think we have that mentality here at all…the thought is there’s plenty for all to share and we can grow it all together.” - Andy Martin, (39:23)

“I received this advice a lot, and hopefully one day I can take it, which is to leave the work at work.” - Andy Martin, (59:44)

Summary

On this episode of The Bentonville Beacon, host James Bell is joined by Stan Zylowski, CEO and Co-founder of Movista, a software development company that provides an all-in-one platform for retail execution and workforce management. Movista integrates a multitude of disparate systems into a single user-friendly interface where everyone can manage, review, and approve work. With more than fifteen years of experience in sales, marketing, and general business, Stan has had great success in brand and account management, sports marketing, and operations. Throughout the episode, James and Stan discuss how Movista’s core values are the foundation for its success and best practices for developing a future workforce.

Thanks for tuning in!

Show Notes:

(0:54) Introduction to Stan

(7:09) About Movista

(12:59) Local Entrepreneurial Restaurants 

(19:45) Movista’s History

(26:37) Movista’s Success

(33:42) Movista’s Core Values

(36:51) Cultivating a Future Workforce

(42:36) Bentonville’s Development

(47:06) #Bentonville Story

(49:53) Bentonville Favorites

(53:10) Closing Questions

‍Links

James Bell

Bentonville Economic Development 

Stan Zylowski, [email protected]

Movista

Daniel Hintz

Downtown Bentonville Inc.

Tusk & Trotter

Chef Rob Nelson

Trash Creamery

Butcher & Pint

High South Catering

The Bend

Burg der Gustropub

Carol Reeves

Sarah Goforth

University of Arkansas Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Brewer Family Entrepreneurship Hub

University of Arkansas

Ignite Professional Studies | Bentonville Schools

Jon Cadieux

Carl Garrett

Table Mesa Bistro

Tavola Trattoria

21c Museum Hotel

Pedlar’s Pub

“Stella” Sculpture

8th Street Market

Hillfolk

Markham & Fitz

Bentonville Christmas Parade

Mayor Stephanie Orman

Quotes

“Our secret sauce at Movista is that we were the first to market on mobile and we give a single user interface to field teams.” - Stan Zylowski, (8:52)

“I sometimes say we took the dirt road so others can take the superhighway, and that’s great. That’s totally fine. We learned a lot of lessons along the way, but hopefully, we left a lot of breadcrumbs to help people follow the path.” - Stan Zylowski, (12:21)

“It’s about giving back, and the last anchor, the bedrock of the whole thing, is let’s have fun. We have to be here. We have to work. Let’s make it fun. So yeah we’ve lost some deals, but we’ve never lost a party.” - Stan Zylowski, (35:25)

“What I love about Northwest Arkansas is that any company you can think of would be able to be started here. Everyone that has products signed to Walmart, when they send people here, they don’t send the drags, they send the best and brightest…It’s this crazy combination of wealth gained in a conservative way.” - Stan Zylowski, (39:30)

Summary

On this episode of The Bentonville Beacon, host James Bell is joined by Mike Steely, Commercialization Officer at Veriphix. Veriphix is a behavioral dynamics platform that leverages behavioral science and machine intelligence to empower individuals to turn chaos into creativity. Along with his role at Veriphix, Mike is an Arkansas startup champion and angel investor focused on identifying innovative ideas that can be molded into investable companies. Throughout the episode, James and Mike discuss Veriphix’s experience with Fuel Accelerator, why Bentonville is an optimal place to establish startups and how to prepare startups to become enterprises. 

Thanks for tuning in!

Show Notes:

(0:53) Introduction to Mike

(3:05) History of Veriphix

(6:11) Veriphix’s Experience with Fuel Accelerator

(8:54) Getting Enterprise-Ready

(13:39) A Day in the Life at Fuel

(15:56) Bentonville’s Entrepreneurial Environment

(22:52) #Bentonville Story

(30:25) Bentonville Favorites

(36:19) Why People Should Visit Bentonville

(40:43) Advice to Entrepreneurs

(47:20) Most Memorable Moment

(50:22) Closing Questions

‍Links

James Bell

Bentonville Economic Development 

Mike Steely, [email protected], (501) 410-3394

Veriphix

John Fuisz

Mark Walsh

Adam Hesch

Jeff Amerine

Startup Junkie

Fuel Accelerator*

Toby Teeter

Steve Case

University of Arkansas Bentonville Collaborative

The Momentary

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art

House of Songs

Black Fret

21c Museum Hotel

Plug And Play Tech Center Northwest Arkansas

Osage Park

Thaden Field

Bentonville Brewing Co.

Zipline

DroneUp

1 Million Cups - Bentonville

*Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning

Quotes

“I would tell a founder, ‘If you don’t have a lot of enterprise experience, there’s nowhere better you can come to learn than Fuel because you’re living and breathing it everyday.’ Because of all the mentors that are brought into the program, you’re living and breathing how a major corporation makes decisions” - Mike Steely, (9:36)

“If you want me to give you a secret sauce to why we’re positioning ourselves here, we can talk about lifestyle and other things, but number one is I can get business done here more efficiently.” - Mike Steely, (18:22)

“...from a business standpoint, and even from a personal one, what people don’t understand about this area is that there is a mentality in this city that is ‘rising tides lift all boats.’ That means everyone you bump into and have a meeting with is truly interested in what you’re doing.” - Mike Steely, (32:46) 

“You’re not going to leave [Bentonville] thinking you have wasted your time because there’s not a person I know that has come to the area that hasn’t enjoyed the experience.” - Mike Steely, (37:46)