The University of Arkansas’ flagship business incubator, the Greenhouse Outdoor Recreation Program, or GORP, announced its spring 2024 cohort of businesses earlier this week. The small business startup incubator is led by the Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
The program takes place over 12 weeks, offering companies hands-on mentorship from outdoor industry leaders and $15,000 of non-dilutive seed funding. That initial grant funding is the owners’ to do with as they wish and does not require them to relinquish equity in their business.
The spring 2024 GORP cohort includes eight companies, all of which are located within northwest Arkansas.
The new group brings the total number of GORP-sponsored companies to 33.
The new startups encompass many different facets of outdoor recreation like hunting, on-demand gear rental, fly fishing and cycling.
Phil Shellhammer is the Senior Director of Business Incubation for the Greenhouse program and said he is always excited by GORP’s consistently diverse groups of founders. This spring’s cohort is no different.
One of those founders who is an owner of a previously established company is Rick Spicer.
Spicer is one of the founders of Pack Rat Outdoor Center in Fayetteville. He is also the founder of Backcountry Quiver, which is incorporated in GORP’s new cohort. Through the small business, he creates handcrafted accessories for backcountry bow hunters.
Shellhammer said Backcountry Quiver started as an Etsy side hustle for Spicer, but through GORP, he will be able to grow into a larger brand.
Another unique business leader in the new cohort is professional gravel cyclist Paige Onweller. She’s building a company called Rosie Up, which aims to quote b create a supportive and safe environment for female cyclists to foster confidence, skill development and community. Therefore, women feel empowered and safe while riding or racing on gravel roads, which are usually located in rural, isolated spaces.
Though the businesses in this cohort are all establishing themselves within northwest Arkansas, Shellhammer says that wasn’t purposeful. In fact, the Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation received applications from all across the country.
Ozarks at Large previously reported on GORP’s fall 2023 cohort, which demonstrated their brands last November. Shellhammer says that even though their work within the incubator ended, last year’s business leaders still have their hands full of work, which is a good thing.
Visit their website for more information about GORPand all happenings at the Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
