The Venture Center

Chad Brown is Managing Partner at Venture Center Arkansas Fund, where he invests in early-stage and growth businesses based in Arkansas. His investment focus includes B2B services, digital transformation, enterprise software, IT services, and telecommunications.

Daniel Schutte is Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at The Venture Center, where he collaborates with corporations and government entities on large-scale initiatives and leads accelerator programs for startups. His background includes founding and exiting multiple companies in music advocacy and early-stage fintech, as well as managing operations and teams across various sectors. He holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Psychology from Cleveland State University and an MBA from the University of Southern Indiana.

Josh Nguyen is a Program Manager at The Venture Center who works with small businesses and the entrepreneurship ecosystem. He has interests in photography and martial arts.

Lindsey LaBarba is Director of Marketing at The Venture Center. She has marketing experience in the food and beverage industry, with skills in sales, event management, and social media. She holds a marketing degree from the University of Mississippi.

Michelle Royal serves as Membership Engagement Manager at The Venture Center and works as a fractional AI operating partner advising organizations on AI adoption, operational strategy, and business growth. With over 20 years of experience across startup, nonprofit, healthcare, corporate, and public-sector environments, she has founded companies, led innovation initiatives, designed programs, and supported entrepreneurial ecosystems. Her work focuses on operational excellence, community building, service design, and helping organizations implement technology and process improvements while maintaining human-centered approaches.

Viktoria Capek is co-founder and executive director of Hairpins, a queer-led events and programming platform that produces pop-up nightlife, public programs, and cultural gatherings for lesbian, queer, and gender-diverse communities. She also serves as communications and community engagement manager at The Venture Center, where she develops storytelling, media, and program strategy for entrepreneurship and economic development initiatives.