U of A Company Incubator Assists Northwest Arkansas Transplants Launch Startup

BELLA VISTA, Ark. – An impromptu check out past 12 months to Northwest Arkansas for an enterprising youthful few led to the formation of Encore Bicycle Rentals, a burgeoning startup concentrated on encouraging residents “trip like a local” on the region’s trails. 

Morgan and Tyler Baumgardner ended up traveling the place in an RV when Morgan’s mom sent her a backlink about the sprawling trails procedure in Benton and Washington counties. 

They arrived in July 2021 and “did not want to leave,” Morgan Baumgardner stated. 

But when spouse and children came to visit, they experienced issue renting a bicycle for the trails. Obtaining founded a advertising and marketing firm two yrs before, the Baumgarnders assumed they may well have a answer to improving upon entry to the trails. 

Enter GORP, or the Greenhouse Outdoor Recreation Method. Led by the U of A Place of work of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, GORP supports startups with workshop schooling, workforce mentoring and committed products/support improvement to help them scale globally. The program also delivers up to $15,000 in “non-dilutive seed funding” for each organization — funding that will not have to have the operator to give up equity in the company.    

The Baumgardners joined the initial GORP cohort in January with their startup in the start phase. The organization had a web-site but hadn’t rented a solitary bicycle. 

Now, just months soon after graduating from the 12-week study course, superior-top quality mountain bikes are accessible for hire in three metropolitan areas via concierge support. Encore Bike Rentals will supply (and pickup) their bikes for totally free to the trail head, motels, trip rentals and…