Nine local entrepreneurs have been selected to participate in the second annual Spark! — a local small-business pre-accelerator program developed by the Venture Center and the Little Rock Regional Chamber to provide opportunities, exposure and company growth for local entrepreneurs.
Through mentorship, group sessions, expert-led workshops, feedback on pitches and the opportunity to win thousands of dollars in a pitch contest, Spark! helps entrepreneurs refine the tools they have and acquire the ones they need.
In this Spark! Spotlight series, we’re introducing you to the entrepreneurs in the second cohort and to their small businesses. Meet Joel Pumphrey, founder of Pumpfreeze Heat-N-Air LLC.
Joel Pumphrey is planning to shake up the heat and air industry in Central Arkansas. He launched Pumpfreeze Heat-N-Air LLC, which installs, maintains and repairs HVAC equipment, to provide a new alternative for homeowners. One of the biggest issues, he said, facing homeowners is the cost of repairs or replacing old equipment. To help grow his business, he signed up for the Spark! program, “to get a better view of the opportunities I have in my profession, to get a spark of how to better grow my business successfully, to get ideas [and] to broaden my horizon.”
Read the full article introducing this year’s Spark! class from Arkansas Money & Politics: SPARKING INNOVATION: 2020 SPARK! CLASS FROM VENTURE CENTER GOES VIRTUAL.
We hope you enjoy getting to know each of our entrepreneurs and encourage you to register for the GEW Pitch Competition, which takes place Nov. 17, to see their pitches!