501-918-3025
calsfoundation@cals.org
calsfoundation@cals.org
What is the Rock It! Lab?
Housed inside the historic Cox Building located at 120 River Market Ave in CALS Library Square, the Rock It! Lab (RIL) is a place where under-resourced entrepreneurs are given the tools, guidance, and training necessary to start, grow, and scale their businesses. A partnership of the Central Arkansas Library System (CALS) and Advancing Black Entrepreneurship (ABE), the Rock It! Lab provides resources and services, including technical assistance, mentorship, marketing and promotion, networking opportunities, business education, one-on-one instruction, and more to assist entrepreneurs in creating successful businesses.
Rock It! Lab blasts off at ribbon cutting
On Thursday, July 22, 2021, onlookers cheered as Benito Lubazibwa, Director of ABE (Advancing Black Entrepreneurship) cut the ribbon held by CALS Executive Director Nate Coulter, Mayor Frank Scott Jr., and Andre Webster. Guests were invited to tour the Cox Building, previously housing the bookstore, as the new home of the Rock It! Lab –
Coworking space
The Rock It! Lab is located at 120 River Market Avenue, Little Rock, in the historic Cox Building. The three floors are divided into spaces that can be used by all members of the different RIL programs. Individuals who are not members of the incubator program but need “office space” to operate their developing businesses can utilize The Village coworking space by becoming coworking members.
FAQ
Do I have to be in the incubator program to use the co-working space?
No. Individuals can take advantage of the co-working space and all the amenities it provides without being in the incubator program. Simply fill out the co-working application and complete an in-person screening interview.
Can I join the incubator program at any time?
The incubator program runs twice a year and is a six-month commitment. The program runs during the fall and spring. Participants are chosen the month prior to start of the program and must complete the full six months.
Come Shop with Local Vendors at the Rock It! Lab!
Saturday is for shopping and hanging out! Support some of the city’s newest small business owners and be the first of your friends to have the latest trends.
Located on the first floor of the Cox Building, the River Shop provides a co-retail space for local entrepreneurs, that are a part of the Rock It! Lab program, to showcase and sell a variety of creative works, goods and merchandise. In addition to being a retail shop for our entrepreneurs, the River Shop is also a training space for these business owners – teaching them the skills needed to distribute and market their products on a broader scale, as well as the keys to excelling at customer service.