Blog - Sparkyard

September 25By Guest AuthorComments OffRead more...

Interview with Caroline McKnight from Create Fort Worth

Fort Worth's newest addition to the entrepreneurial ecosystem, Create Fort Worth, is officially open and welcoming small businesses and entrepreneurs to take advantage of its resources and coworking space. We interviewed one of the powerhouses behind this space's success, Caroline Mcknight, Create Fort Worth's Community Coordinator. The Abilene Christian University alumna is bringing her classroom experience with non-profit and corporate communications to Fort Worth's small business owners and entrepreneurs as the "house mom" of the new space. McKnight will be leading tours, directing onboarding and offboarding, meeting with community members, and everything in between to make sure that Create Fort Worth...

September 18By Guest AuthorComments OffRead more...

Scaling Your Sales

The dream of many entrepreneurs is to get their product on the shelves of big-box merchandise retailers. But how do you take your product from the R&D stage to stores such as Walmart and Target? We’ve compiled a list of steps needed to make your goal a reality. If you’re new to the entrepreneurial world, this cluster of words may seem overwhelming. Here’s what you need to know about creating a product: Product Validation is a process that decides whether there is a demand for your product. Do consumers really want or need this solution you're providing? Once you’ve decided that your product...

September 11By Cameron CushmanComments OffRead more...

Meet the Companies of Techstars Physical Health Fort Worth Accelerator 2023

Get to know the startups in the Techstars Physical Health Fort Worth second year's accelerator cohort. Check out the companies and their innovative solutions for addressing the challenges and opportunities that exist in the world of Physical Health. Brilliantly: The flagship product, Brilliantly Warm provides flexible and safe warmth for your entire body, all from your bra. Our wearable warms up your whole body invisibly under your clothes and effectively at your core. Comeback Mobility: The ComeBack Mobility Smart Crutch Tips are an IoT biofeedback device & mobile app to guide patients on how to apply the right amount of force to the...

September 7By Guest AuthorComments OffRead more...

The 5 Things I Learned on the HSC Next Team This Summer

As a Fort Worth native, the opportunity to work in our entrepreneurial ecosystem and startup scene has been very fulfilling. But when I started this internship, I didn’t know how much I would learn about my hometown, myself, and the business world beyond our city limits. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to work for Sparkyard and HSC Next as my first internship. Regarding introductions to professional life, I would say that mine was pretty stellar. Writing about what I learned this summer without launching into a full novel is challenging because the amount of experience and understanding I've gained...

September 4By Kendel RogersComments OffRead more...

11 Free Entrepreneurial Training Courses (That You Should Take)

Entrepreneurship training is a type of educational program or course that is designed to teach people the skills and knowledge they need to start and run their own businesses. These programs can be offered by educational institutions, business organizations, or independent trainers, and can take a variety of forms, including in-person classes, online courses, workshops, and seminars. Entrepreneurship training programs typically cover a wide range of topics, including business planning, market research, financial management, sales and marketing, and leadership and management. They may also include practical exercises, case studies, and real-world examples to help participants apply what they have learned. There are...

August 31By Guest AuthorComments OffRead more...

Emerald City vs. Cowtown Entrepreneurial Ecosystem

From 2015-2020, 16 cities raised over one billion dollars in early-stage capital. Of those cities, nine of them have less than one million people, similar to Fort Worth. Removing the well-established startup cities from the equation, we are left with Seattle, Atlanta, Denver, Oakland, Washington, DC, and Nashville. However, these six cities have an average population of 604,706 (about half the population of Hawaii): roughly 350,000 less than the estimated population of Fort Worth in 2023. If Fort Worth is the 13th most populated US City, why is our entrepreneurial ecosystem not reflecting its size? Last summer, we analyzed what makes...

August 24By Guest AuthorComments OffRead more...

5 Unexpected Lessons From This Summer

Last summer, I dove headfirst into the workforce a few weeks following my high school graduation. And I guess you could say I had an okay experience because I ended up coming back for a second summer—and better yet, I was able to work with them full-time.  As I enter the last week of my internship, I can’t help but feel somewhat perplexed as to where I should start my end-of-summer blog. Since this is my second summer with HSC Next, (you can see my takeaways from last summer here) I’m forced to be a little more creative with my points...

August 22By Guest AuthorComments OffRead more...

Atlanta as an Entrepreneurial City

From 2015-2020, 16 cities raised over one billion dollars in early-stage capital. Of those cities, nine have less than one million people, like Fort Worth. Removing the well-established startup cities from the equation, we are left with Seattle, Atlanta, Denver, Oakland, Washington, DC, and Nashville. However, these six cities have an average population of 604,706: roughly 350,000 less than the estimated population of Fort Worth in 2023. If Fort Worth is the 13th most populated US City, why is our entrepreneurial ecosystem not reflecting its size? Last summer, we analyzed what makes Nashville a great entrepreneurial city, and the aspects of...

August 9By Cameron CushmanComments OffRead more...

Training an Innovation Workforce

Workforce development. It seems like everywhere I look someone is talking about developing our local workforce to meet the demands of today’s employers. But what does this really mean and more importantly, how do we actually develop our local innovation workforce? If you ask just about any local entrepreneur or CEO, they will tell you that hiring the right kinds of employees is one of their biggest challenges. It’s a challenge for BNSF and Lockheed Martin to hire qualified rail line and manufacturing workers. It’s a struggle for retail establishments to hire front line workers and restaurants to hire cooks. But...

August 2By Kendel RogersComments OffRead more...