Greenhouse Outdoor Recreation Program

Each semester, the Greenhouse Outdoor Recreation Program recruits a cohort of early-stage small businesses that undergo a 12-week program. Earlier this month, Ozarks at Large’s Jack Travis spoke with Sam Beckford, founder of the chemical research company Surftec, to learn about their new product, Triboflux, and how GORP influenced his business' development.

Zink Lake Recreation aims to provide outfitter services to the Tulsa area, specifically for the Arkansas River and the recently rehabilitated Zink Lake. Ozarks at Large's Jack Travis spoke to Creed Henrickson, founder of the startup, who said the idea for the service stemmed from his own experience after he and his wife moved to the region.

The Arkansas Global Cycling Accelerator, or AGCA, is officially launched in Bentonville. The initiative, a co-effort of the Greenhouse Outdoor Recreation Program (GORP) and Startup Junkie, aims to attract a cohort of 10 startups from North America, Europe and Asia.

The University of Arkansas’ Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation’s Greenhouse Outdoor Recreation Program is back for the fall semester. Zoe Buonaiuto, the former associate director, is now overseeing the program. She recently spoke with Ozarks at Large’s Jack Travis about her new role and this semester’s GORP cohort.

The University of Arkansas is continuing to sponsor the future of the outdoor recreation industry here in northwest Arkansas. The program's fifth cohort is as diverse as ever, from a company renting high-quality, affordable outdoor gear to another working on an AI-powered hunting scope.

The UofA’s outdoor recreation incubator, better known as GORP, is due for a growth spurt. Soon, small businesses across the state will have better access to the program thanks to federal and state funding. Ozarks at Large’s Jack Travis has more.

Since 2022, the University of Arkansas' Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship has fostered growth in the region's outdoor recreation industry through its startup incubator, the Greenhouse Outdoor Recreation Program. Leaders from this semester's group of startups, or cohort, discuss their inclusion in the program.