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 Tamaya Walker McClendon, founder of Sisters and Suitcases.
Founded in 2016, Sisters and Suitcases is a boutique travel company that provides a community for women of color and expands their horizons through travel. Tamaya Walker McClendon established the company, which is based in Little Rock, to empower women to travel and to support women-owned businesses through her company’s itineraries. She launched Sisters and Suitcases after a solo trip to Italy and realized that she was broadening her life with each activity and experience she had.
“Sisters and Suitcases was created as an effort to inspire and empower women through the essence of travel; from the journey to the curated experience that leads to self-discovery and new connections,” she said.
Read the full article introducing this year’s Spark! class from Arkansas Money & Politics: SPARKING INNOVATION: 2020 SPARK! CLASS FROM VENTURE CENTER GOES VIRTUAL.
Interested in Spark? Read more here.