Governor’s Cup Celebrates 2026 Winners at Awards Luncheon Attended by 650 Guests

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LITTLE ROCK, Ark., April 15, 2026 — The ACC Capital Foundation announced the winners of the 2026 Governor’s Cup during the Awards Luncheon held Wednesday, April 15, at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock. A total of 650 attendees gathered to celebrate student entrepreneurs, finalists, and university partners from across the region.

Now in its 26th year, Governor’s Cup continues to grow as one of Arkansas’s premier collegiate entrepreneurship competitions. This year’s competition saw a 179% increase in applications since 2023, with 18 final teams representing 11 unique institutions across 4 states. The competition also featured 54 judges, 31 sponsors, and a total cash prize pool of $141,000 provided by title sponsor Dhu Thompson. Since its inception, the Governor’s Cup has impacted 3,573 students, received 1,098 business plan submissions, and awarded $3,095,000 in prize money.

“The continued growth of Governor’s Cup reflects the strength of entrepreneurship across our campuses and the power of collegiality as more institutions join this effort,” said Sam Walls III, CEO of ACC Capital. “We are proud to celebrate these outstanding student teams and the faculty, mentors, and supporters who help make this program possible.”

The 2026 Governor’s Cup winners are:

  • Winrock Automotive Small Business Division
    • First Place ($10,000): Bond Box Pro., Central Baptist College
    • Second Place ($7,500): Gene-isis, Ouachita Baptist University
    • Third Place ($5,000): Clara Vision Clinic, University of Central Arkansas
    • Elevator Pitch ($1,000): Clara Vision Clinic, University of Central Arkansas
  • Startup Junkie Conductor High Growth Undergrad Division
    • First Place ($20,000): ROO Pouch, Harding University
    • Second Place ($10,000): Print Ease, University of Arkansas
    • Third Place ($7,500): SAM (Smart Assistant for Mobility), John Brown University
    • Elevator Pitch ($1,000): ROO Pouch, Harding University
  • High Growth Graduate Division
    • First Place ($20,000): Altaris MedTech, University of Arkansas
    • Second Place ($10,000): Bubby Band, University of Arkansas
    • Third Place ($7,500): Avid, University of Texas at Austin
    • Elevator Pitch ($1,000): Bubby Band, University of Arkansas

Governor’s Cup was established in 2001 and remains a flagship program for recognizing and advancing collegiate entrepreneurship in Arkansas and beyond. This year’s theme, collegiality, reflects the growing number of participating institutions and the collaborative spirit behind the competition. For more information, visit www.argovernorscup.org.

About ACC Capital:

ACC Capital is a private, nonprofit special project finance company formed in 1957 by Winthrop Rockefeller and other business leaders in Arkansas who saw the need to transform the state from an agricultural-dominated economy to a more diverse commercial economy. Through its affiliates and subsidiaries, ACC Capital partners with commercial banks, small businesses, and others from the private and public sectors to create and preserve employment opportunities and stimulate economic development in Arkansas and its bordering states.

Since its creation, ACC Capital and its partners have deployed more than $2.34 billion to small businesses and economic development projects. ACC Capital is certified by the U.S. Department of Treasury as a Community Development Financial Institution and by the Arkansas State Bank Department as an Economic Development Enterprise. These certifications affirm ACC Capital’s commitment to serving all communities, including unserved and underserved areas.

25th Annual ACC Capital Governor’s Cup Celebrates Southern Student Entrepreneurs, Awards Over $140,000 in Prizes

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LITTLE ROCK, ARK. – Undergraduate and graduate students from colleges and universities across the Southern United States gathered last week for the 25th annual ACC Capital Governor’s Cup Collegiate Business Plan Competition, one of the region’s premier collegiate entrepreneurship competitions. Powered by Title Sponsor Dhu Thompson and Supporting Sponsor the Walton Family Foundation, the Governor’s Cup challenges students to solve real-world problems through entrepreneurial business plan development and present their ventures to a panel of industry expert judges, competing for top honors across three divisions and a share of more than $140,000 in cash prizes.

This year’s first-place winners are:

● Small Business Division: Retra, Ouachita Baptist University (Arkadelphia, AR)

● High Growth/Technology Division – Undergraduate: TheraLink, Harding University (Searcy, AR)

● High Growth/Technology Division – Graduate: Image Devices, Inc., University of Texas at Austin (Austin, TX)

Participation in the 2025 competition surged, with applications increasing by 170% compared to 2023. The final round included student teams from four states, reflecting the growing regional impact and expansion of ACC Capital’s entrepreneurship initiatives.

More than 600 attendees gathered for the awards luncheon, which featured a fireside chat with John and Miles Stephens, the new co-CEOs of Stephens, moderated by ACC Capital CEO Sam Walls III. Their conversation highlighted the generational impact of entrepreneurship and discussed how capitalism continues to shape the economy and drive innovation across communities.

“As we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the ACC Capital Governor’s Cup Collegiate Business Plan Competition, we are proud to recognize its continued growth and impact,” said Walls. “The expansion of the competition to neighboring states reflects ACC Capital’s broader strategy to extend our products and services beyond Arkansas to support entrepreneurs across the nation. We congratulate all participating teams and are excited to support the next generation of innovators. As we look ahead, we are committed to building on this momentum and shaping the future of entrepreneurship for the next 25 years and beyond.”

Since its founding in 2001, the Governor’s Cup has impacted more than 3,250 students, awarded over $2.9 million in cash prizes, and helped catalyze business ventures, product

commercialization, and entrepreneurial leadership throughout Arkansas and the broader region. As part of ACC Capital’s larger EDGE Initiative (Education to Develop and Grow Entrepreneurs), the Governor’s Cup remains a cornerstone program dedicated to empowering students through education, competition, mentorship, and real-world experience — preparing the next generation of innovators and business leaders for lasting success. For more information about the Arkansas Governor’s Cup, visit https://acccapital.com/.

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About ACC Capital

ACC Capital is a private, nonprofit lending corporation empowering entrepreneurs nationally. The organization offers flexible capital solutions to meet the unique needs of entrepreneurs, small businesses, and economic and community development projects. Since 1957, ACC Capital has partnered with commercial banks, government agencies, and others at local, state, regional, and national levels to deploy over $2.34 billion in capital financing. Learn more about us on our website at https://acccapital.com and follow us on Facebook and Instagram at @ACCcapitalcorp. You can also connect with us on LinkedIn. Se Habla Espanol.

5 Steps to Being a Great Boss

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The worst thing about being a bad boss is less obvious than you might think. No, it’s not the feeling of conversations abruptly ending when you walk in a room. It’s not even the fact that you’re the only one not invited to parties. It’s that you can be a bad boss, and not even know it. It doesn’t stop there. Bad bosses don’t keep their negativity contained– that poor leadership spreads through employees, often resulting in low morale and even lower productivity. To fight back, take a look at our list of tips and tricks to help you be the best leader you can be– for your employees and your business.

Communicate Your Vision

More often than not, your employees show up to work each day wanting to do a good job, so help them with that! Be certain that your employees understand why they do what they do, and what’s expected of them. This not only engages them, but it also makes them feel more involved and motivated each day at work.

Allow Your Employees to Communicate

That being said, communication is a two way street! Empower your employees by maintaining a work environment where honest communication is not only accepted, but expected. This allows your staff to not feel like they have to handle stresses alone, and it allows for improvement of products, processes and procedures.

Build Trust

Without trust, your staff is more cooperating instead of collaborating. Build this bond by setting an example. Be honest and fair, through both negative and positive situations, and show that you’re a team player who can be relied upon. This not only builds trust, but also team-comradery.

Provide Feedback

In any leadership position, you should never underestimate the power of feedback. In fact, according to Globoforce, 81% of employees showed greater job satisfaction following recognition from their superior. This earned praise helps employees feel valued, confident and accomplished. The return? A more efficient, motivated workplace.

Encourage Happiness

There’s a fine line that separates good employees from great employees. In that line, you’ll find happiness. Whether your employees are flipping burgers, stationed at a computer or interfacing with guests, there’s always opportunity for fun and productivity. Maybe that opportunity is something as simple as verbal encouragement, or maybe it’s something less obvious like a lunchtime desk chair race. Whatever that looks like for your office, don’t allow it to be overlooked. Sometimes the smallest activities or actions are what makes an employee excited to come in to work each day. As a bonus? Chair races are great-team building exercises!

We understand– being a boss is a tough job, and unfortunately, there’s no magic formula to make sure that you’re always being a good one. But with these tips, in combination with our 60 years of lending expertise to new and growing businesses, we’re confident that you don’t have anything to worry about. Contact us today!

New Leadership for AEAF

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Kathleen Lawson, executive director of Economics Arkansas; and Steve Rice, entrepreneurship instructor for the Arkansas School of Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts (ASMSA); have been elected as new members to the Arkansas Economic Acceleration Foundation (AEAF) Board of Directors.

AEAF was established in 1999 as a 501(c)(3) affiliate of Arkansas Capital Corporation. The mission of AEAF is to be a catalyst in an environment focused on ideas and initiatives that nurture Arkansas’s future entrepreneurs, especially young Arkansans living in underserved communities.

“The Delta Plastics Arkansas Governor’s Cup Collegiate Business Plan Competition and the Youth Entrepreneur Showcase for Arkansas are our most notable initiatives,” said Sam Walls, president of AEAF and president and COO of Arkansas Capital. “To date, more than 11,000 Arkansas youth and young adults will have competed, gaining a real-world entrepreneurial experience and a further development of the financial knowledge and skills they need after they leave school.

“Economics Arkansas and ASMSA have long supported AEAF and its mission,” Walls noted. “Through these organizations, Kathleen and Steve have a direct pulse on what teachers in our middle, junior high, and high schools say their students are hungry for when it comes to financial and entrepreneurial education. Their expertise will greatly help AEAF stay relevant and true to its mission in the exciting times ahead, especially given the ongoing advances of technology.”

In addition to his role at ASMSA, Rice is also the founder of “Start Here Little Rock,” a community-led initiative that seeks to close the gap in access to capital for underrepresented entrepreneurs. Lawson has more than 15 years of nonprofit management, including serving as the director of the Arkansas Discovery Network for six years before joining Economics Arkansas.