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hentry category-news"><header class="entry-header "><h1 class="entry-title">News & Announcements</h1></header><!-- .entry-header --><div class="container single-container"><div class="entry-content"><div class="post-thumbnail"> <img width="1200" height="600" alt="group of people standing behind a gong" decoding="async" fetchpriority="high" data-srcset="https://metrolittlerockalliance.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/spark_cohort_press_release.jpg 1200w, https://metrolittlerockalliance.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/spark_cohort_press_release-300x150.jpg 300w, https://metrolittlerockalliance.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/spark_cohort_press_release-1024x512.jpg 1024w, https://metrolittlerockalliance.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/spark_cohort_press_release-768x384.jpg 768w, https://metrolittlerockalliance.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/spark_cohort_press_release-50x25.jpg 50w, https://metrolittlerockalliance.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/spark_cohort_press_release-500x250.jpg 500w" data-src="https://metrolittlerockalliance.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/spark_cohort_press_release.jpg" data-sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" class="attachment- size- wp-post-image lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" /><noscript><img width="1200" height="600" src="https://metrolittlerockalliance.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/spark_cohort_press_release.jpg" class="attachment- size- wp-post-image" alt="group of people standing behind a gong" decoding="async" fetchpriority="high" srcset="https://metrolittlerockalliance.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/spark_cohort_press_release.jpg 1200w, https://metrolittlerockalliance.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/spark_cohort_press_release-300x150.jpg 300w, https://metrolittlerockalliance.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/spark_cohort_press_release-1024x512.jpg 1024w, https://metrolittlerockalliance.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/spark_cohort_press_release-768x384.jpg 768w, https://metrolittlerockalliance.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/spark_cohort_press_release-50x25.jpg 50w, https://metrolittlerockalliance.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/spark_cohort_press_release-500x250.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /></noscript></div><!-- .post-thumbnail --><p><strong>LITTLE ROCK, Ark. September 18, 2019</strong> – The Venture Center and the Little Rock Regional Chamber today announced the inaugural Spark! Pre-Accelerator cohort at a kickoff ceremony held at The Venture Center. Spark! is a pre-accelerator program offering free office space in The Venture Center, while providing mentorship and training to launch the cohort’s businesses to the next level of growth.</p><p>The Inaugural Spark! companies are:</p><div class="wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex"><div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link wp-element-button" href="https://www.littlerockchamber.com/love-little-rock-blog/posts/2019/september/the-venture-center-little-rock-regional-chamber-and-local-businesses-kickoff-inaugural-spark-pre-accelerator/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">read more</a></div></div><footer class="entry-footer default-max-width"></footer><!-- .entry-footer --></div><!-- .entry-content --></div></article><!-- #post-3369 --><nav class="navigation post-navigation" aria-label="Posts"><h2 class="screen-reader-text">Post navigation</h2><div class="nav-links"><div class="nav-previous"><a 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https://metrolittlerockalliance.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Jack-Thomas-300x300-1.jpg 300w" data-src="https://metrolittlerockalliance.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Jack-Thomas-300x300-1-150x150.jpg" data-sizes="(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" class="lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" /><noscript><img width="150" height="150" src="https://metrolittlerockalliance.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Jack-Thomas-300x300-1-150x150.jpg" alt="" decoding="async" srcset="https://metrolittlerockalliance.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Jack-Thomas-300x300-1-150x150.jpg 150w, https://metrolittlerockalliance.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Jack-Thomas-300x300-1-50x50.jpg 50w, https://metrolittlerockalliance.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Jack-Thomas-300x300-1.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /></noscript></div><div class="contact_profile__content"><h5>Jack Thomas</h5><p class="position">Vice President, Economic Development</p><p 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