A new accelerator-style program from the nonprofit Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center will offer NWA startups free coaching and then pair them with paid student interns.

Why it matters: The two-year pilot backed by the Walton Family Foundation is designed to help young companies grow while giving college students a clearer path into the region's startup economy.

• The program is meant to strengthen Northwest Arkansas' innovation pipeline and help diversify the local economy beyond its largest employers, Yee-Lin Lai, a senior program officer with the Walton Family Foundation, told Axios.

State of play: Two Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center efforts are combined in the pilot project: Milestone Circles, a 12-week peer-based program for startup founders, and Startup Intern Match, which places students from the University of Arkansas or NorthWest Arkansas Community College with early-stage companies.

• Founders will get help identifying a key business milestone before moving to the intern placement phase.

Matt Waller, former dean of the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas, will help the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center review applications and select cohorts.

• Companies do not have to be headquartered in NWA, but founders should live or do business in the region.
• Founder cohorts will meet in person in Bentonville. The program is free for those selected and does not require founders to supply any equity.

What's next: Applications open today for founders. The first cohort will include 16–20 companies, and the program is expected to begin Aug. 3.

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Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said yesterday her administration verified $118 million in savings and efficiencies through Arkansas Forward and announced a public dashboard to track the initiative.

Why it matters: The website is the administration's attempt to show the public its progress toward the $300 million in savings or avoided spending by 2030 that was projected when the effort was detailed in a December 2024 report.

Flashback: Arkansas Forward was the result of a plan the state developed with consultant McKinsey & Co. that includes more than 300 different initiatives in 15 of the state's departments to cut government spending.

• Key areas included information technology, procurement, vehicle fleets, government buildings and renegotiating contracts for better pricing.

State of play: Sanders said savings included items like cutting unused phone and fax lines, moving Department of Corrections community supervision payments away from money orders and renegotiating a Department of Human Services child welfare information support contract.

• The site offers more examples, explanations for how the savings are calculated and a downloadable spreadsheet detailing more than 80 items the state says have been cut or optimized.
• The announcement follows a February executive order, also framed as part of Arkansas Forward, aimed at speeding state permitting and licensing reviews.

The bottom line: Sanders said the dashboard includes both direct savings and cost avoidance, such as added services at no additional cost.

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🗳️ U.S. District Judge Timothy Brooks struck down a set of Arkansas laws governing ballot petition signatures, ruling the restrictions violated First Amendment protections for core political speech. (KNWA)

💻 John Brown University received Walton Family Foundation grants totaling more than $441,000 to expand computer science and career exploration programs for high school students in Benton and Washington counties, with a focus on rural and low-income students. (Northwest Arkansas Business Journal)

🚧 Fayetteville will close part of North West Avenue downtown for two days as the city hosts its America250 celebration and BITE at the Ramble tomorrow night. (Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)

America's food loyalties run deep — right down to the chips at your Independence Day barbecue.

State of play: New Instacart data shows the most uniquely popular potato chip brands by state, based on last year's July Fourth orders.

What they found: Utz over-indexes across the Mid-Atlantic, Cape Cod is big in New England and Kettle Brand pops in the Pacific Northwest.

• Meanwhile, Siete, Better Made and Zapp's each claim their home states.

How it works: Instacart analyzed orders placed on the platform from June 30 to July 6, 2025, to find which potato chip brands stood out most in each state compared with their national share.

The bottom line: Consider this your reminder to hit the chip aisle before the long weekend.