Accelerating Outdoor Industry Startups with the Greenhouse Outdoor Recreation Program - Part 1

Summary

This Bentonville Beacon episode is part one of a bonus series that highlights the third cohort of the Greenhouse Outdoor Recreation Program (GORP). First, host James Bell is joined by Phil Shellhammer, who was recently appointed by Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders to the Natural State Advisory Council. Phil is Director of Business Incubation for the Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Arkansas, and he is responsible for GORP. GORP is a Bentonville-based business incubator focused on the development of innovative solutions within the outdoor recreation industry. After speaking with Phil, James sits down with co-founders of two companies in GORP’s third cohort, including Michael Burton and Clayton Woodruff, CEO and COO of UNCL Co, and Tracy Byrd from Best Ride of Your Life, b-royl. Throughout the episode, James, Phil, Michael, Clayton and Tracy discuss these companies, how the GORP experience is advantageous to founders and why the diversity of GORP's mentors is important.

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Show Notes

(0:58) Introduction to Phil

(2:22) How GORP Has Evolved

(3:45) What’s New with GORP

(5:02) About GORP’s Past Cohorts

(6:56) About the Natural State Advisory Council

(8:19) Phil’s #BecauseBentonville Story

(10:04) Introduction to Michael and Clayton

(10:24) About UNCL Co

(11:21) The University of Arkansas's New Venture Development Program

(12:20) Michael and Clayton’s Pitch Competition Success

(14:57) The Benefits of GORP

(17:38) Michael and Clayton’s #BecauseBentonville Stories

(20:41) Introduction to Tracy

(21:56) The Solution b-royl Offers

(24:45) Tracy’s Experience with GORP

(29:18) Tracy’s #BecauseBentonville Story

(31:39) Closing Thoughts

‍Links

James Bell

Bentonville Economic Development 

Phil Shellhammer

Greenhouse Outdoor Recreation Program (GORP)

Michael Burton

Clayton Woodruff

UNCL Co

Tracy Byrd

Quotes

“One of the biggest evolutions is we’ve had more companies come in. We’ve been able to fund and get more companies into the program itself, which has allowed us to expand the cohort model.” - Phil Shellhammer, (2:25)

“Where we found a lot of the value are the other founders that are in the program. It gives you the opportunity for people to vet your ideas that are in different industries, but also those that are closely related.” - Michael Burton, (15:33)

“We have some really great mentors we’re working with and they’ve helped us along. They’re from various backgrounds, which helps make sure we’re headed down the right path, and honestly just thinking about things we wouldn’t normally think about.” - Clayton Woodruff, (16:00)

“The program has been exceptional. It’s not only a place where you’re getting to learn new things that you simply don’t know…it’s been very helpful in being able to connect us to the right people. We have three mentors and mine are exceptional. They have different backgrounds, which adds to the puzzle.” - Tracy Byrd, (25:29)