A Rogers-based business, founded by Brittnie Simon, called Collab Design Co. has gone beyond offering its strategy, marketing, and web design services to creating a unique workspace in downtown Rogers.

• Downtown: Rogers downtown has seen a constant inflow of new, fun spaces and events over the past few years, including the Onyx HQ, the Railyard Park and Amphitheater, Art on the Bricks, and now this cool, new workspace by Collab.
• What is it? Collab's workspace offers private offices and a shared lobby on the ground floor of the 211 W Walnut building. The workspace provides an opportunity for small businesses in the professional service industry to team up with one another and share ideas, resources and best practices based on individual experience, education and real world examples.

Read more about Collab and keep up with what's happening at this new workspace HERE.

Ozark IC, a Fayetteville-based company founded in 2011, was awarded $199,935 from the U.S. Department of Energy as part of a clean energy initiative focused on nuclear reactors.

• Going nuclear: Ozark IC has been tasked with creating electronics that can withstand the harsh, corrosive environment of molten salt reactors, which are more space efficient than conventional nuclear reactors.
• Worth your salt: This award is specifically for phase 1 of this project and will essentially be a proof of concept along with a feasibility study, using molten salt simulations at the University of Wisconsin. If the electronics pass the test in this first phase, Ozark IC could be up for another award for development of electronics that would be tested in a real reactor.

If you want to learn more about IC or about this specific development, you can let your inner nerd loose HERE.

4 Northwest Arkansas startups were selected to participate in the Greenhouse Outdoor Recreation Program (GORP), a business incubator for outdoor-focused startups, spring cohort.

• Refresher: The GORP incubator is part of the University of Arkansas Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation and aims to develop businesses that are focused on the outdoor recreation industry both in NWA and the broader heartland region.
• The cohort: This innovative group consists of American Hunt, a startup we've written about before; Encore Bike Rentals, a concierge rental service for high-end mountain bikes; Lacaida Ropes, a business focused on making sport climbing ropes locally; and Trail Tours, an innovative app that audibly guides mountain bikers through trails.

Read more about the incubator and the companies participating HERE.

It's that time again - registration for the spring Square 2 Square Bike Ride, a Northwest Arkansas biannual classic, is now open. As has been the case for the last couple of rides, there will also be a virtual participation option.

• Showcase: The Square 2 Square Bike Ride, the "Official Ride of the Razorback Greenway" is now in its 7th year. The ride is meant to showcase the local communities connected by the amazing trail system we have here in NWA and displays why the region is such a great place to live, work and play.
• Where to where? The spring ride, taking place on May 7, will start at the Fayetteville Square and follow the Razorback Regional Greenway all the way to the finish line at the Bentonville Square, making for a 30-mile ride that is great for all ages and abilities.

Registration is also open for the fall ride, starting in Bentonville and ending in Fayetteville, now too, so if you're interested in either or both rides, you can find registration details HERE.

After a great turnout and a host of fun events last year, Bentonville Bike Fest is returning for its 2nd year in 2022 on June 17 - 19, and it's going to be even bigger.

• Something for everyone: Entrance to the event will be free, and there will be a whole suite of entertaining bike shows, live bands and DJs, and of course delicious food and beverages from both the festival's sponsors and a special beer garden.
• Groundbreaking: The Bentonville Bike Fest is all about going big, and this year it's definitely doing that with a live world record attempt for highest upward jump on a bicycle. Contenders will try to jump an obstacle of almost 6' live and on stage without any ramps or kickers. Kenny Belaey, the festival's director, hopes to make world record attempts a signature of the festival each year moving forward.

It's still a ways off, but we wanted you to mark your calendars so you don't miss this great event. Interested in learning more about the event? You can check it out HERE.