Arkansas APEX Accelerator, Startup Junkie to host entrepreneur panel in Bentonville
Aug. 5, 2026
By Rebekah Hall
University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture
Fast Facts
- Panel discussion scheduled for Aug. 13 at Shewmaker Center for Global Business Development
- Event will take place 10-11:30 a.m.; no cost to attend
- Register online
(541 words)
Download Arkansas APEX Accelerator logo
BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas APEX Accelerator and Startup Junkie are teaming up to host a panel focusing on entrepreneurship on Aug. 13 at the Shewmaker Center for Global Business Development on the Northwest Arkansas Community College campus.
The event will take place from 10-11:30 a.m. at 900 Southeast Eagle Way in Bentonville, Arkansas. There is no cost to attend, but participants are encouraged to reserve a spot on the Startup Junkie Eventbrite website.
The APEX Accelerators program, managed by the U.S. Department of Defense Office of Small Business Programs, provides technical training and assistance to help businesses contract with the federal government. Arkansas APEX Accelerator is a part of the Cooperative Extension Service, the outreach and teaching arm of the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture. Arkansas APEX Accelerator is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the Department of Defense. Services and training offered by the Arkansas APEX Accelerator are available at no cost for businesses.
Kimberly Randle, Arkansas APEX Accelerator procurement counselor for the Division of Agriculture, said the target audience for the panel is “anyone who has their own business or dreams of starting one in the future.”
“Attendees can expect to learn from our panelists as they share their insights, first-hand experiences and valuable guidance,” Randle said.
Panelists will include Joel Gordon, manager of client technologies for Arkansas Manufacturing Solutions, and Rusty Rainbolt, founder of Blackburn Springs Creation.
“Joel is a maker, entrepreneur, designer, engineer and workforce development advocate who has spent his career helping people turn ideas into tangible products,” Randle said. “Rusty is a serial entrepreneur whose experience stems from building and commercializing manufacturing technologies.”
A Q&A session with the audience will follow the panel discussions.
Randle said the panel will help spread awareness of Arkansas APEX Accelerator’s no-cost services, which support entrepreneurs and connect them to programs available through federal agencies.
“These programs are intended to spur innovative solutions to our country’s most vexing challenges and to broaden business participation in the government marketplace,” Randle said.
Serving Arkansas entrepreneurs
Randle said Arkansas APEX Accelerator and Startup Junkie, a northwest Arkansas-based organization serving entrepreneurs, have been working together for years “because we saw overlap in our work.”
“Startup Junkie and Arkansas APEX Accelerator both work closely with all types of entrepreneurs,” Randle said. “Startup Junkie serves as a springboard helping businesses to launch, while Arkansas APEX Accelerator helps Arkansas-based businesses position, pursue and perform government contracts at the local, state and federal levels.”
Randle said Startup Junkie is one of several resource partners that Arkansas APEX Accelerator has in-kind agreements with to “best serve the interests of Arkansas business owners and entrepreneurs.”
“Beyond this panel, Arkansas APEX Accelerator and Startup Junkie jointly host quarterly trainings across the northwest Arkansas region on topics of interest to business owners, converging the expertise of our organizations,” Randle said.
Randle said both organizations are part of the “hotbed of innovation and entrepreneurial pursuits” that is growing in northwest Arkansas, where companies like Walmart, J.B. Hunt and Tyson Foods are based.
“People are choosing to move to northwest Arkansas in record numbers because there is a vibrant network of support for their endeavors,” Randle said.
Contact Randle at krandle@uada.edu for more information about the event and visit the Arkansas APEX Accelerator website to learn more about the organization.
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit uada.edu. To learn more about ag and food research in Arkansas, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station at aaes.uada.edu.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 22 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on three campuses.
The University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture is an equal opportunity institution. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate or need materials in another format, please contact Kimberly Randle at 501-671-2305 as soon as possible. Dial 711 for Arkansas Relay.
# # #
Media Contact:
Rebekah Hall
rkhall@uada.edu
501-671-2061