# Lee Watson

> Lee Watson is the Little Rock-based founder, chairman and CEO of Forge Institute, a nonprofit formed in 2018 that combines cyber workforce training, defense startup development and research partnerships. Previously the founding CEO of the Venture Center, he helped develop its FIS-backed fintech accelerator and co-founded VC FinTech Investment Funds.

- **Role:** Founder, Chairman and CEO at Forge Institute
- **Organizations:** Forge Institute, The Venture Center, VC FinTech Investment Funds, Clarovista, LLC, Startup Arkansas, Southern Coding, American Cyber Alliance, Arkansas Cybersecurity Advisory Council
- **Education:** Business administration, University of Central Arkansas
- **Known for:** Helped establish the Venture Center and develop its fintech accelerator partnership with FIS., Founded Forge Institute in 2018., Served on Arkansas state cyber and computer science advisory initiatives.

## Career timeline

- **2012** — Became a founding champion of Startup Arkansas, according to his personal biography.
- **2013** — Co-founded the Venture Center; served as founding CEO and later board member through 2018. The center publicly launched in May 2014.
- **2013** — Co-founded Southern Coding, an investment group of senior engineers.
- **2016** — Helped develop the FIS-backed VC FinTech Accelerator; his personal site dates his investment-fund administration role to 2016.
- **2018** — Founded Forge Institute.
- **2019** — Championed the Arkansas Cyber Initiative, enacted as Act 1085.
- **2021** — Appointed to the Arkansas Cyber Advisory Council by Governor Asa Hutchinson.
- **2022** — Recognized as Emerging Innovator of the Year by the Northwest Arkansas Technology Summit.
- **2025** — Forge launched Atomic Anvil and its inaugural Phoenix Xcelerator cohort.
- **2026** — Forge announced the Secure Energy Defenders Program for participating Arkansas electric utilities.

## Achievements

- Helped establish the Venture Center and develop its fintech accelerator partnership with FIS.
- Founded Forge Institute in 2018.
- Served on Arkansas state cyber and computer science advisory initiatives.
- Received the 2022 Emerging Innovator of the Year recognition from the Northwest Arkansas Technology Summit.
- Eagle Scout and Order of the Arrow member.

## Latest updates

- **2026-10** — On October 13, Forge announced the $2 million Secure Energy Defenders Program with Idaho National Laboratory, providing support to participating Arkansas rural and municipal electric utilities over August 2026-August 2028.
- **2026-10** — On October 2, Forge announced Project Phoenix Demo Day for October 14 alongside its 2026 Summit; the announcement describes founder support, customer validation and defense-market preparation.
- **2025-06** — In a June 18 ASBTDC interview, Watson discussed startup cybersecurity, government market access and workforce development.

## Links

- Website: https://www.rleewatson.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rleewatson
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/rleewatson

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/lee-watson
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-26