Projects
Advancing Organic Agriculture in the Mid-South
Winrock’s Advancing Organic Agriculture in the Mid-South project takes a research- and evidence-based approach to generate and share practical information to farmers who are interested in transitioning to, and/or becoming certified organic producers. Focusing on the three mid-Southern states of Arkansas, Missouri, and Tennessee ─ where organic production lags behind much of the rest of…
Readying Small Businesses for Capital Access
The COVID-19 crisis and associated economic downturn disproportionately impact Black and other minority-owned businesses across the U.S., in part because they have more difficulty securing business loans than non-minority-owned enterprises. Minority-owned businesses can also lack the cash flow buffer needed to remain liquid during downturns, as well as lacking access to traditional sources of capital…
Small Business E-commerce Local Learning (SELL)
The COVID-19 pandemic has created significant challenges for small businesses, particularly those without an online presence. The Small Business E-commerce Local Learning (SELL) project addresses these challenges by supporting small businesses in Northwest Arkansas. SELL leverages Winrock’s proven entrepreneurial programming support, coaching and mentorship to provide websites, e-commerce platforms, training and long-term consultation to 150…
Southern Opportunity and Resilience Fund
The SOAR Fund is a partnership of local and national community finance organizations created to address the capital needs of historically disenfranchised communities across the South and Southeast U.S. as they attempt to rebuild after the COVID-19 health and economic crisis.
Opportunity Arkansas
Opportunity Arkansas builds the capacity of local officials to develop projects, review potential investment opportunities, and develop a marketplace to promote Opportunity Zones in the State of Arkansas. The project assists local leaders in developing investable projects that bolster small businesses and revitalize communities, while providing an online avenue for citizens, community leaders, venture capitalists…
Delta I-Fund II
With a mission to positively impact communities throughout the eight-state, 252-county territory of the Delta Regional Authority (DRA), the Delta I-Fund II provides a platform for the creation and launch of high-growth companies, spurring economic development and job creation. The I-Fund is a proof-of-concept business accelerator training program designed to assist teams and potential start-up…
Innovation Fund Seed Support
Access to capital is critical to small business, especially in the Mississippi River Delta region. The Innovation Fund Seed Support project seeks investments to grow the resources of the Arkansas Innovation Investment Fund, which, along with ancillary entrepreneurial projects, provides free training, mentoring and funding for early-stage Arkansas startups. Together with the Delta Innovation Fund…
Delta Understanding and Preventing Substance and Opioid Use Disorder in Rurality (Delta UPSOAR)
The opioid crisis in the United States threatens health and prosperity in communities of all sizes and families of all socio-economic backgrounds. Like much of rural America, north-central and northeast Arkansas suffers high rates of opioid misuse and limited access to preventative education and recovery resources. Delta UPSOAR is an innovative and local response specifically designed to […]
Health InnovatAR
What sets Winrock’s Health InnovatAR program apart from similar healthcare accelerators? It’s the unfettered access to world-class clinicians from the Arkansas Heart Hospital and the University of Arkansas for Medical Science. The partnership lures world-class companies to Arkansas, creates high paying jobs, and gives local institutions first access to groundbreaking new technologies.