Springdale Company Wins StartUp Cup

Amy Reeves Robinson, right, strategic partnerships for StartUp Cup, presents Rob Turner, of Turner Light Covers, with the Odyssey Ticket Thursday, Dec. 19, 2013, at the Bentonville Public Library during an awards ceremony for StartUp Cup. The Odyssey Tickets, presented to the winners of the local StartUp Cup competitions,  allows Turner to enter his business model into the World StartUp Cup competition held in March in Armenia.
Amy Reeves Robinson, right, strategic partnerships for StartUp Cup, presents Rob Turner, of Turner Light Covers, with the Odyssey Ticket Thursday, Dec. 19, 2013, at the Bentonville Public Library during an awards ceremony for StartUp Cup. The Odyssey Tickets, presented to the winners of the local StartUp Cup competitions, allows Turner to enter his business model into the World StartUp Cup competition held in March in Armenia.

BENTONVILLE — Rob Turner is one step closer to making his business a household name after winning the second annual NWA StartUp Cup.

The homebuilder, remodeler and inventor created a recessed can light cover designed to keep pests from nesting in fixtures. He created Turner Light Covers in Springdale and patented his idea in November 2012. Turner is already selling the covers made by Bentonville Plastics.

StartUp Cup organizers announced Turner was the 2013 winner during a ceremony Thursday at the Bentonville Public Library.

At A Glance

StartUp Cup Semifinalists

• Turner Light Covers: Rob Turner. Company offers a mounted recessed can light cover.

• Umoja Soul Publications: Leora Jackson. A publication company that produces the Black Business Directory of Northwest Arkansas and www.bbdnwa.com with stories and events related to the African-American community.

• Storage in Motion: Mike Gillespie. Idea to produce a product line for safely storing firearms in vehicles.

• Your Move Managers: Kathleen Thompson. Service-based business specializing in helping senior citizens downsize and move.

• Solgave Animal Solutions: Jared and Sunniva Ritter. Business offering pet-related services and community events.

• Wise Custom Realty: J. Grant Wise. Real estate firm specializing in residential sales.

Source: Staff Report

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Northwest Arkansas StartUp Cup

nwa.startupcup.com

Turner said participating in the StartUp Cup helped him move his business forward and showed him the importance of keeping a positive attitude.

“You don’t let anything keep you down,” he said. “This is just the beginning.”

He now gets the chance to compete for one of seven spots in the world competition Jan. 23-24 in Yerevan, Armenia. More than 60 StartUp Cups are held in 45 countries.

He was one of six semifinalists in the local competition that provides mentoring and support during a startup company’s first years. The program is open to all types of businesses.

Tonya Nkokheli, founder and chief executive officer of Innovative Markets and local StartUp Cup organizer, said the idea behind the competition is to generate jobs and enhance entrepreneurial networks.

This year’s program kicked off June 4 with 25 applicants. That group was narrowed to 12 before six semifinalists were selected. Those businesses worked with mentors and presented their plans to a panel of judges multiple times. The final presentations were two-minute pitches contestants gave last week.

Judges brought expertise from retail, consulting, manufacturing, investing and social media backgrounds. All judges and mentors are volunteers.

Nkokheli said judges evaluate a company’s progress through the competition, determining how sustainable its business plan is.

Turner gets $7,500 in products and services that will be tailored to his needs.

Solgave Animal Solutions, a pet-related service business owned by Jared and Sunniva Ritter, won second place and $5,000 in services.

Mike Gillespie won third place for his idea to create a firearm storage device for vehicles. Storage in Motion is still in the early planning stages, and Gillespie said he may use his $2,500 prize to build and test a prototype.

This is Nkokheli’s last year to run the local StartUp Cup. She said she’s looking for a new director.

“I am a startup person, and it’s time for someone else to come in and take this competition to the next level,” she said. “I will still be involved, but will be able to have more hands-on interaction by being a mentor and judge.”

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