Cureate Courses - NW Arkansas

At Cureate, we often say: you may know how to make jam, but may not know how to run a jam business.

Complex steps are required to start and grow a small business — from branding and marketing strategy to exploring new growth channels. And, while as a small business owner, you may offer products and services that meet customer needs, you may not have the systems in place to take advantage of meaningful sales opportunities.

That’s where Cureate Courses comes in — join us!

Is My Business a Fit for
Cureate Courses - Northwest Arkansas?

Cureate Courses – NWA Spring 2025 Business Locations

Are you a farm, food, or beverage business looking to grow in or expand to NW Arkansas?

Applications for our Cureate Courses - NWA Spring 2025 program are now open! New & small businesses from Arkansas and surrounding counties in Oklahoma and Missouri are encouraged to apply. The program will be limited to 20 businesses in the following sectors:

  • Farmers

  • Value-Add Producers

  • Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG)

  • Beverages

  • Bakers

  • Caterers/Prepared Foods

  • Restaurateurs/Food Trucks

Our Spring programming will begin March 2025, and includes weekly sessions with industry experts, as well as a capstone event to showcase your business growth — plus two businesses will walk away with a $5,000 cash prize!

Impact Video: Cureate Eclipse Food Festival Spring 2024

Farm-to-Table Capstone Event

Cureate Courses Pitch Showcase

Business-to-Business Vendor Fair

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FORGE, Inc. presents Cureate Courses - Northwest Arkansas

FORGE is the oldest revolving community loan fund in Arkansas. FORGE's mission is to promote community development and economic sustainability by linking investors with borrowers, urban and rural communities, consumers with producers, and low income groups with basic affordable credit.

FORGE, Inc. is supported by:


Meet Some of Our Recent Graduates!

Nutrish by NQ
John's Backyard Holl'r
Rosie’s Bakery
El Trompo Loco
Cura Culinary Group
JAML Jams
Chicken Lai Lai
Porch Swing Farms
Siloam Syrups
Doña Rosa
MUSA Chocolatier
Pleasant Counter
Blooming Hope Mushrooms
Grow NWA
Ferm
Ozark Pepper Company
Ozark Charcuterie
Montay Coffee
Fennel and Fire
JSW Farms
 

Are You Ready for Cureate Courses?

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Cureate Courses is for food and farm entrepreneurs looking to diversify their revenue streams and grow into new sales channels. Are you a farmer looking to develop value-add products or grow into wholesale? Or perhaps you’re a caterer, restaurateur or food truck owner who is looking to diversify their revenue streams? You are a food, beverage, and/or farm entrepreneur, in our local food supply chain, who has been building a business — and now you’re ready to take it to the next level. We have a focus on supporting underrepresented founders, which includes women and BIPOC-owned businesses.

Classes will meet once per week starting the week of March 10, 2025 for 1.5 hours virtually from March-April. We will have an end of program event in May where we will showcase your business growth. At this event, two businesses will walk away with a $5,000 cash prize.

Applications are open until Friday, January 24 at 11:59pm CT.

 
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Sample Cureate Courses Curriculum

  • Kick-Off Class: Defining Your Why (in-person)

  • Executive Leadership Coaching (virtual)

  • Establishing Your Unique Value Proposition (virtual)

  • Developing Your Brand and its Positioning (virtual)

  • Identifying Growth Opportunities, B2B & B2C (virtual)

  • Tips On Winning Over Retail Buyers & Cash Flow Management (virtual)

  • Pitching & Financing Your Small Business (virtual)

  • 2 Week Dress Rehearsal (virtual/in-person)

  • Graduation Pitch Competition & End of Program Showcase (in-person)

Your Commitment:

Enrolled businesses are to complete online video modules and worksheets prior to each workshop. All virtual workshops will be held via Zoom, and peer learning & resource sharing via Slack. Each business will receive a total time of instruction between online courses and virtual workshops between 2-3 hours per week, plus an additional 2 hours over the course of the program dedicated to executive leadership coaching. With work to be completed pre- and post- workshops, the worksheets and peer review over Slack, an additional 4 hours is suggested. This totals to approximately 6-8 hours per week commitment by each business.

 

The Perks

This program is FREE of cost to selected entrepreneurs — 10 businesses per cohort

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At the end of each cohort, there will be a pitch competition with a $5,000 cash prize!

  • At the end of both cohorts, all businesses will have the opportunity to participate in a Vendor Fair where we will invite area Buyers to taste, sip & sample goods produced by the graduates in order to hopefully land more sales! Each business receives a $100 stipend to offset product & marketing costs.

  • Graduates of Cureate Courses will have a direct pipeline and potential access to funding via FORGE. Our program is designed to pinpoint how you're looking to grow and what you may need in order to get there.

  • FREE registration on Cureate Connect's procurement platform to connect with larger buyer opportunities

  • Both cohorts will have the opportunity to stay engaged with one another through our Cureate Collective channel

 

MEET YOUR TEAM

  • KIM BRYDEN

    FOUNDER, CEO CUREATE

  • Amanda Arafat

    AMANDA ARAFAT

    FACILITATOR + ARKANSAS CUREATOR

  • SANDRA CARRASCO-QUEZADA

    DIRECTOR OF LATINX BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, FORGE

  • TESSA VELAZQUEZ

    FACILITATOR + COACH, CUREATE

  • STACEY SIMMONS

    CREATIVE DIRECTOR, CUREATE

  • JULIA RAYMOND

    REGIONAL DIRECTOR, CUREATE