The Rock It! Lab (RIL) is a partnership between the Central Arkansas Library System (CALS) and Advancing Black Entrepreneurship (ABE) that offers a variety of programs and services, including the twelve-week incubator, a co-working space for both office workers and a maker’s space that includes easels, a screen printing machine, and a set of sewing machines, as well as the opportunity for one-on-one business coaching and access to capital.  

Eighteen individuals graduated, including Morgan Perry who gave the student commencement speech. Perry is the owner of Me.Marie Style, a clothing company that makes made to measure couture clothing with hopes to hire a seamstress and begin offering a ready to wear clothing line. Perry was the youngest participant of the night, at 16, she’s juggling creating a business while still finishing high school.  “From a young age, I have always known what I wanted to be, I began sewing at age 7. My mom enrolled me in a fashion school at age 9.” Perry already has 450 hours of fashion school under her belt, and now, she and her mother, April Phillips-Perry, have completed Rock It! Lab’s twelve-week intensive business incubator.  

Perry was one of five graduates that participated in the RIL Pitch Competition, where the entrepreneurs were tasked with giving an elevator pitch for their business and “sell” the panel of judges on their respective businesses in a Shark Tank-style competition. Each entrepreneur had 5 minutes to explain their business and convince the panel of judges to pick them. On the line? A $5,000 prize.  

The panel consisted of Monique Carswell, Director of the Walmart.org Center for Racial Equity, who also served as the keynote speaker; Bruce James, who teaches incubator classes at RIL; and Benito Lubazibwa, the Executive Director of ABE and Remix Ideas.  

Graduates that participated in the pitch competition included Jerald Mitchell, a new father who realized a need for safe TV mounting solutions to assist families, started TV Mounting Pro where he not only installs televisions, but is working to expand into his own line of television mounts. Next was Madison Pitts with Nina’s Touch, a business that offers medical-grade skin care products that range from daily use to items that are created for eczema and psoriasis. Prince Hollidy pitched his idea for his custom jewelry line, Coils, Crystals, and Culture, where he hand-makes sophisticated jewelry at an accessible price by working with a variety of materials. 

Whitney Easterling spoke passionately about her business, The Guideline by WhitneyE, that provides cranial prosthesis for women who have suffered hair loss, something that she has struggled with from a young age. She described the high-quality products she creates and announced a blossoming partnership with a local cancer institute. She capped off her pitch by pulling an individual from the crowd and revealing that the woman was wearing one of her pieces. After graduation, when it was announced that Easterly had won the pitch competition and the $5,000 prize, the crowd erupted in cheers and applause. In her parting speech, she told the group, “Don’t give up on yourself; hold on…I love my classmates, you’re beautiful, you’re amazing, keep going.” 

During the event, it was announced that the Rock It! Lab was awarded a $75,000 grant from Walmart to continue assisting aspiring entrepreneurs achieve their dreams of business ownership.  

When Benito Lubazibwa addressed the group, he told them that they needed three things, “Courage – you must have courage to imagine a different future. Curiosity – always be a part of your life. Be a student of the world, continue to learn. When you stop learning, you stop living. Compassion – be sure that it’s not all about the money, you need to make a difference in the community.” He went on to tell them that more than 200 people applied for a space in the cohort. He cited that many former students have moved from five figure businesses to six figure businesses, and one has moved into seven figure business. He spoke about his love of libraries and reiterated that all of the RIL services are free thanks to the Central Arkansas Library System. 

Eighteen new business owners left that evening with a sense of accomplishment and the tools to help them become the entrepreneurs they want to see in the world. Each of the pitch participants spoke not only of future desires for themselves but they all earmarked where they would like to create cultural impacts and give back to their respective causes. For the members of the Rock It! Lab, it’s about not just improving their own place in life, but also lifting up those around them.  

The graduates were gifted with parting advice from Monique, “The great thing about being part of a cohort is that you are not alone. You have people with you on your journey. Don’t let others place limitations on who you can be.”

The post Pitches and Dreams at the Rock It Lab appeared first on Rock It! Lab.

“I want to thank the Rock It Lab and Benito for the opportunity, and thank the people coming out to support the grand opening. I’m ready to serve the community with great authentic Chicago style food.” – Corey Nelson

One of these services is an intensive 12-week program where participants learn how to write a business proposal, apply for grants and loans and learn about the ins and outs of their potential businesses. These incubator classes have produced businesses like Keith Tucker Jr. with Truth Sauce, Serreta Boson with Sarge’s Famous Pickles, and Sergio Vildivia with Sergio Vildivia Art.

Corey Nelson graduated from the first Incubator class and opened Chicago Flamin’ Grill Express in his hometown of Beebe. The new location can be found at 1523 Dr. MLK Jr. Drive, in the Arkansas Baptist College Student Union building. His business is right at home among other businesses that have worked with the RIL, including H.O.M.E. Vegan and soon to join the building – Grind Bistro.

“I love the food. It’s so good! I was happy to see they offered a substitute for french fries. The onion rings were delicious.” Sheila Singleton told us while she enjoyed her lunch during the grand opening. The eatery offers a variety of Chicago dogs, chicken tenders, wings, fish, sandwiches, nachos, and assorted desserts.

The post Rock It Lab sparks Flamin’ Grill appeared first on Rock It! Lab.

The post Sylvia Brown of Thought Leaders & Action Partners Ltd. appeared first on Rock It! Lab.

The post Tiffany Thomas of TMT’s Sweet n’ Treats appeared first on Rock It! Lab.

The post Whitney Easterling of Guidelines By WhitneyE appeared first on Rock It! Lab.

The post Denisha Cotton of The Vegan Hero appeared first on Rock It! Lab.

The post Kristin Stroh of Long Dog Art appeared first on Rock It! Lab.

A call to book a lawn appointment with Hezekiah Pierce is more than yard service. For Pierce, being amidst fresh air is conducive to doing God’s work. Tending to nature, God’s gift to humans, is a work that Pierce finds ultra-satisfying and noble.

Being free in nature has not always been the story behind this man, whose reputation as a master lawn technician precedes him. Decades ago, Pierce made decisions that cost him time and freedom, landing him in prison. An optimist, he used this time for quiet reflection and study of small business concepts. This inspired him to become a self-taught entrepreneur and upon his release, his path eventually led him to the Rock It! Lab.

Determined to create a new narrative for himself, Pierce gathered the necessary knowledge and formed a lawn maintenance business. Wanting to further his understanding and probability of success as a business owner, Pierce joined the inaugural cohort of the Rock It! Lab Business Incubator program in 2021.

Steadily over the 6-month program, the Rock It! Lab team noted Pierce’s fierce dedication and tenacity – he ended with 100% attendance and full participation, sometimes against all odds. Pierce stated that the Rock It! Lab’s engaging content and commitment to meeting participants where they are powered his belief of what was and is possible.

His lawn care business has gone on to generated repeat residential and commercial clients throughout central Arkansas since graduating from the Business Incubator program as the winner of the student pitch competition, landing him over $7000 worth of prizes and awards.

Pierce cites perfection as being a hallmark and lynchpin to his success. “I don’t know what it is, but when I begin to work, I just feel like I can work all day to get every job right – and perfect. I never get tired.”

This infectious energy is felt when sitting to visit with Mr. Pierce. One can’t help but feel immediate adoration for his positive stance and strength of purpose towards cultivating his small business and encouraging other young men to make wise choices. As he has proven to himself and others, time has been redeeming and this servant is being rewarded.

(Also, one can’t help but to wonder what local, state, and national policy officials are doing to abolish and revise antiquated mandates and laws that drastically limit Americans who’ve paid their debts to society and who have proven – and continue to prove – the fallacy in the outdated notion that once an offender always an offender.)

Perfection and perseverance pay off – figuratively and literally. What’s next for Mr. Pierce? “I am researching finance options to buy a new truck and advanced leaf blowing equipment that I read about. It will increase my speed and allow me to get more clients so that I can do more work. I love to work.”

Spoken like a true small business owner.

The post Tenacity is the name of the game for Hezekiah Pierce appeared first on Rock It! Lab.

Vivian Brittenum is a small business owner by accident. Although her path to entrepreneurship was never planned, it is certain, solid, and real. Brittenum never imagined she would one day call herself an entrepreneur, yet while engaging in visioning exercises through the Rock It! Lab, a notion became her reality.

Today, Brittenum, owns and operates Rock City Staffing Agency, a boutique placement firm that secures temporary, full-time, and contractual roles for out-of-work individuals across Little Rock and central Arkansas. Her unexpected expertise in human resources afforded her opportunities to partner with businesses of all sizes and industry.

Vivian admitted she often felt fear and intimidation because she never thought of herself as an entrepreneur, but the village of the Rock It! Lab surrounded and supported her during times of self-doubt. She was a student in the very first Business Incubator Cohort, the Rock It! Lab signature 12-week business program that provides participants with the necessary skills to create a viable business model and sets them on the path to success. Together, fellow cohort members inspired, pushed, and challenged each other to put in the necessary hours of hard work, exhaustive thought, and refinement to create a plan that would meet the standard of her team – and herself.

Much like the companies Brittenum now calls paid clients, one lesson that Vivian has learned from the Rock It! Lab team is that no one business is the same and starting a business has no standard blueprint – a one size fits all model is nonexistent.

“I often doubted myself. I didn’t know if I had the skills or resources to begin my entrepreneurial journey. (However), I continued to work towards my dreams of opening Rock City Staffing Agency! Failure was not an option, and with the support of the Rock It! Lab, I know I and my business will continue to be a success!”

The post Entrepreneurship, the unlikely path that Vivian Brittenum found herself on. appeared first on Rock It! Lab.

The River Shop serves for some as a soft entry into retail and direct to consumer markets. Housed inside of the former Cox Building in The River Market district, The Rock It! Lab, cohort participants benefit by understanding the true retailer experience.  Using nationally recognized curriculum and ultra-valuable, first-hand experiences from Rock It! Lab team members, participants study and eventually master the entire retail process – ordering, accounts payable, budgeting, accounting, merchandising, and all else. Participants have six months to merchandise their wares and obtain retail experience.

This was especially true for Nicole Janae, creator of Natural Joy by NJ. After a successful career in corporate America, Nicole began to experiment with wellness and personal care items – luxe moisturizing products for hair and skin. It began as a whim; Nicole participated in an outdoor marketing event hosted by the Rock It! Lab June 19, 2021. She was completely unprepared for what happened that day; a chance meeting with a Rock It! Lab team member led to a challenge that would double her financials earnings in a 1:1 match.

“At the end of the event, I was completely sold out of every product I brought. Every container of skin crème, slice of herb-infused soap, and bottle of hair product sold. I was so amazed and surprised that people would want to buy from me! And the unexpected challenge motivated me to work harder because I felt it was issued because of the belief in me as a new entrepreneur. I am so thankful.”

Through 1:1 business coaching, networking with other start-ups, and taking meetings in the co-working space, Nicole has expanded her presence by merchandising at The Green Corner Store, a local natural mainstay in the SOMA district of Little Rock and by using an e-commerce platform, www.naturaljoybynicolejanae.com. Yet she still calls The River Shops home.

To qualify for residence in the River Shop, retailers must be enrolled in or have successfully completed the 12-week intensive incubator program. During the 12 weeks, participants incubate, meaning they are introduced to and actively practice proven, tested, tweaked, and perfected business strategies. Each strategy is tailored so that each business owners’ products and services make their way into the minds and hearts of consumers.

The River Shop is open to the public every Saturday from 10:00 until 2:00 or by appointment.

The post The River Shop is home for Nicole Janae appeared first on Rock It! Lab.