Program Director

Position Type: Full time, at will grant-funded position through September 30, 2027
Location: Northwest Arkansas, hybrid (3 days per work week at Bentonville innovation center
Commitment: Full time, about 11 months (November 2026 - September 30, 2027) with potential renewal
Salary: $85,000 to $92,000 annualized, prorated from start date through September 30, 2027

SEED SPOT is seeking a Program Director to lead Land+Launch NWA, a collaborative initiative with Arkade and Spring Capital that connects Northwest Arkansas’ business community with a broader, more diverse pipeline of entrepreneurs, from homegrown founders to international companies choosing the region as their next home

The Program Director will lead the program across two connected tracks: early stage ideation and scale-ready companies in the retail value chain. This role owns program delivery, partner relationship management, and grant administration, supported by SEED SPOT’s national program team. It is ideal for a connector and builder who wants to shape what comes next for entrepreneurship in Northwest Arkansas.

Land+Launch NWA is built on a simple belief:
Northwest Arkansas should be a place where great companies take root, whether their founders grew up here or are discovering the region for the first time. Entrepreneurs are building with energy and ambition. What they need next is a clear path to the customers, partners, and investors who can help those businesses last.

Land+Launch NWA creates that path. By combining tailored venture support with direct access to industry leaders, the program helps homegrown founders turn early momentum into lasting companies, and gives founders from outside the region a reason to put down roots. The goal is to build an ecosystem where founders don’t just pass through or start here. They stay, grow, and build here.

The initiative is administered by SEED SPOT and delivered in partnership with Arkade.

• Ecosystem Immersion Weeks
  :
  Week-long experiences that introduce founders to the region’s anchor industry partners and the networks that power Northwest Arkansas’ business community.

• Launch Camps
  :
  Intensive workshops that help Northwest Arkansas founders and aspiring founders move their ideas toward launch.

• Industry and Connection Workshops
  :
  Recurring sessions that bring industry partners and investors into direct engagement with the region’s founders.

SEED SPOT was founded in 2012 to empower entrepreneurs to launch and scale ventures that positively impact lives through new services, products, or technologies. By equipping entrepreneurs with tactical education, expert networks, culturally responsive mentorship, and capital connections, SEED SPOT helps entrepreneurs start, grow, and scale.

Since 2012, SEED SPOT has served over 4,600 entrepreneurs, who have collectively generated $447 million in revenue, raised $229 million in capital, and created approximately 11,000 jobs. SEED SPOT’s national network includes locally delivered programming in Phoenix, Washington D.C., Chicago, New York, and Bentonville, with employees housed in Phoenix, Washington D.C., and Chicago.

• Plan and execute three Launch Camps (1 to 2 day bootcamps) supporting local small businesses and new entrepreneurs.

• Support delivery of Ecosystem Immersion Weeks and Industry Education Workshops, in partnership with local partners.

• Serve as the primary point of contact for Land+Launch NWA participants and alumni across both tracks.

• Coach early stage founders directly on customer discovery, go-to-market strategy, pitching, and fundraising, tailoring support to each founder’s stage.

• Recruit, train, and manage volunteers, including…