2024 title sponsor
Arkansas Capital launched the Governor’s Cup over two decades ago to encourage college students to be innovative and think like entrepreneurs. It’s a perfect opportunity for students who are interested in becoming entrepreneurs and small business owners; who may just want to learn about entrepreneurship; or who already have a business idea, and they don’t want to wait until after college to launch!
The competition doesn’t require students to start their businesses, although nearly 30 companies operating in Arkansas today have their roots in the competition. C-Suite executives from several of them report their companies would not have launched if it hadn’t been for the Governor’s Cup.
Ultimately, students get a true entrepreneur education experience. They are fully immersed into what it takes to launch a startup from the ground up. The rigor of the work leads them to gain a much greater appreciation of the challenges real-world entrepreneurs face in the business model and customer development process.
Students also get constructive and meaningful feedback throughout the process from nearly 40 volunteer judges – most of whom are Arkansas-based entrepreneurs, small business owners, and current or former large corporation executives. Many competition alumni say they continue to benefit from the networking opportunities and relationships created through their Governor’s Cup experiences.
University of Central Arkansas, Philander Smith University, and the University of Arkansas take first place at the 2024 Governor's Cup!
High Growth/Tech Graduate | High Growth/Tech Undergrad | Small Business | |||||||||
Place | Team | Institution | Prize | Place | Team | Institution | Prize | Place | Team | Institution | Prize |
First | ProPika | University of Arkansas | $20,000 | First | Thinking CAPZ | Philander Smith University | $20,000 | First | Arkansas REM | University of Central Arkansas | $10,000 |
Second | Samtracs, LLC | Oklahoma State University | $10,000 | Second | DevelopIQ | University of Arkansas | $10,000 | Second | Wanderist Wines | University of Arkansas | $7,500 |
Third | Hidalga Technologies | University of Arkansas | $7,500 | Third | DataDroid | University of Arkansas | $7,500 | Third | Arkansas Love Kombucha Co. | University of Arkansas Fort Smith | $5,000 |
Elevator Pitch | Hidalga Technologies | University of Arkansas | $1,000 | Elevator Pitch | DevelopIQ | University of Arkansas | $1,000 | Elevator Pitch | Sapien Financial | University of Arkansas Pine Bluff | $1,000 |
This year, we received over 65% more applications from a seven-state area, making the judges' decision a challenging task. Congratulations to the selected 20 teams! We are excited to meet you in April.
High Growth/Tech Graduate | High Growth/Tech Undergrad | Small Business | |||
ProPika | University of Arkansas | TokenWhiz | University of Arkansas - Fort Smith | Allez Armure | Ouachita Baptist University |
Samtracs, LLC | Oklahoma State University | DataDroid | University of Arkansas | Blue's House of Guns | Lyon College |
Hidalga Technologies | University of Arkansas | TrekAR | John Brown University | Wanderist Wines | University of Arkansas |
AnimalHealth Innovator | University of Arkansas | DevelopIQ | University of Arkansas | Arkansas REM (Arkansas Real Estate Media, LLC) | University of Central Arkansas |
Burgess Aerospace Innovations™ | Oklahoma State University | Money Launch | Southern Arkansas University | Global Gourmet Market LLC. | University of Arkansas |
Biomedical Think-Tank | University of Mississippi | Thinking CAPZ | Philander Smith University | Arkansas Love Kombucha Co. | University of Arkansas -Fort Smith |
DormDeals Inc. | Philander Smith University | Sapien Financial | University of Arkansas - Pine Bluff | ||
The Arkansas Governor’s Cup is excited to share a major update for the 2024 competition. The Graduate track in the High Growth/Technology division is now open to students from the following states: Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas!
Award | Undergraduate | Graduate | Faculty Advisor |
1st Place High-Growth/Technology | $20,000 | $20,000 | $1,500 |
2nd Place High-Growth/Technology | $10,000 | $10,000 | $1,500 |
3rd Place High-Growth/Technology | $7,500 | $7,500 | $1,500 |
Award | Four-Year | Advisor |
1st Place Small Business | $10,000 | $1,500 |
2nd Place Small Business | $7,500 | $1,500 |
3rd Place Small Business | $5,000 | $1,500 |
ELEVATOR PITCH | AWARD |
Small Business | $1,000 |
High-Growth/Technology- Undergrad | $1,000 |
High-Growth/Technology- Grad | $1,000 |
Note: In addition to the above awards, all 20 finalists teams receive a $1500 stipend.
title sponsor:
2024 Venture Sponsor:
2024 Calendar
- January 8: Team Application Window Opens in YouNoodle
- February 2, 11:59 PM CST: Deadline to submit Round 1 Business Plan in YouNoodle
- February 23: Finalist Teams are notified
- March 1, 11:59 PM CST: Finalists confirm commitment to compete
- March 11: Finalist teams are publicly announced
- April 1, 11:59 PM CST: Deadline to submit Round 2 Business Plan
- April 15 – 17, Little Rock, AR: Governor’s Cup Oral Competition
- April 17, Little Rock: Awards Luncheon. Open to the public.
2024 High-Growth/Technology Sponsor:
2024 Small Business Sponsor:
2024 Competition Event Schedule
Monday, April 15 | Tuesday, April 16 | Wednesday, April 17 |
6PM - 8PM Welcome Dinner at Innovation Hub in North Little Rock | 8:30AM - 5PM Oral Competition at Statehouse Convention Center | 11:30AM - 1:00PM Awards Luncheon at Statehouse Convention Center |
| 5PM - 6PM Happy Hour at Club27 |
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| 6PM - 8PM Preliminary Elevator Pitch Competition with dinner |
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Support our Students. Become a 2024 Governor’s Cup Sponsor.
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2024 Governor’s Cup | Sponsorship Description | Benefit: 8 top table at awards banquet | Benefit: Judging role(s) | Award Presentation by Representative | Benefit: General Print/Digital Media Recognition | Benefit: Half Page Ad in Program |
Title Sponsor | Overall Governor's Cup Sponsor | x | x | x | x | x |
Venture Sponsor | Awards Banquet Sponsor | x | x | x | x | x |
Elevator Pitch Sponsor | Back the thrilling 90-second elevator pitch competition at the final awards banquet. | x | x | x | x | x |
Division Sponsor | Support the leading teams in the following divisions: High Growth/Tech Grad, High Growth/Tech Undergrad, Small Business 4 year, Small Business 2 year | x | x | x | x | |
Investor Circle Sponsor | Invest in the future of our communities by supporting the 2024 Arkansas Governor's Cup | x | x | x | x | |
Table Sponsor | Support the student teams at the 2024 Arkansas Governor's Cup Awards Banquet | x | x |
2024 ARKANSAS GOVERNOR’S CUP SPONSORS:
2024 Awards Luncheon Table Sponsors
Arkansas Community Bankers
Delta Solar
First Security Bank
Forvis
John Brown University Soderquist College of Business
Lyon College
Ouachita Baptist University Hickingbotham School of Business
Pulaski Tech Business & Information Technology
Regions Bank
Simmons Bank
Southern Bancorp
University of Arkansas Fort Smith College of Business & Industry
University of Arkansas Walton College of Business
Tiffany
Henry
Vice President
Education to Develop & Grow Entrepreneurs (EDGE)
479-692-1043
200 River Market Ave., Suite 400 | Little Rock, AR 72201
thenry@arcapital.com
Arkansas Capital created the Arkansas Economic Acceleration Foundation (AEAF) in 1999 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
The mission of AEAF is to be a catalyst in an environment focused on ideas and initiatives that nurture Arkansas’s future entrepreneurs, especially young Arkansans living in the state’s underserved communities.
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