# The Venture Center

> The Venture Center is a Little Rock nonprofit that supports entrepreneurs through mentorship, training, accelerator programs and introductions to customers and investors. Its work spans financial technology, lithium and battery supply chains, local small businesses and veteran-owned enterprises.

- **Founded:** 2013
- **Headquarters:** Little Rock, United States
- **Founders:** Lee Watson (Co-founder; former leader), James Hendren (Co-founder; former board chair; mentor and advisor)
- **Products:** FIS Fintech Accelerator, Spark!, Arkansas Banking Solutions Accelerator (ABSA), Arkansas Lithium Technology Accelerator (ALTA), Veteran-Owned Small Business Accelerator
- **Notable:** Established the FIS Fintech Accelerator in 2016., Launched ALTA in July 2025, described by the organization as the first U.S. lithium and battery-supply-chain accelerator., First veteran accelerator cohort supported nine businesses.

## Products & services

- **FIS Fintech Accelerator** — Established in 2016; mentorship and commercial validation with FIS and financial institutions. Historical program, with an alumni directory maintained by The Venture Center.
- **Spark!** — Central Arkansas small-business pre-accelerator co-founded with the Little Rock Regional Chamber; ten weekly sessions cover finance, branding, marketing and growth.
- **Arkansas Banking Solutions Accelerator (ABSA)** — Twelve-week bank-enabling technology accelerator with the Arkansas Bankers Association, targeting firms with existing customers and recurring revenue.
- **Arkansas Lithium Technology Accelerator (ALTA)** — Multi-week industry program linking lithium and battery-supply-chain companies with producers, researchers, policymakers and investors.
- **Veteran-Owned Small Business Accelerator** — Statewide education and mentorship with the SBA Arkansas District Office for veteran and veteran-spouse-owned businesses; 13 companies selected for 2026.
- **Membership** — Weekday second-floor Tech Park access, monthly one-to-one mentor appointments, member events, Slack and parking discounts.
- **Origin** — Introductory idea exploration and Lean Canvas work with a Venture Center representative.
- **JOLT Cyber Challenge** — Cybersecurity skills competition; its tenth annual event was announced for April 2026 at UA Little Rock.

## Achievements

- Established the FIS Fintech Accelerator in 2016.
- Launched ALTA in July 2025, described by the organization as the first U.S. lithium and battery-supply-chain accelerator.
- First veteran accelerator cohort supported nine businesses.
- ABSA participant Posh AI reported signing a contract with Farmers Bank and Trust at the inaugural kickoff.

## Latest updates

- **2026-09** — ALTA’s published fourth-cohort schedule ran September 8-23 across Southwest, Central and Northwest Arkansas; schedule is not confirmation of completion.
- **2026-04** — ALTA held its third-cohort Demo Day in El Dorado, featuring Western CAM, NewGenium and Entegris POCO Materials.
- **2026-02** — Announced 13 businesses for the 2026 veteran accelerator and rolling ALTA applications.
- **2026-01** — James Hendren stepped down as board chair; Ray Dillon was appointed interim chair.

## Links

- Website: https://www.venturecenter.co/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/arkansas-venture-center/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/VentureCenter
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/venturecenter/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheVentureCenter/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/the-venture-center
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-08