Amy Hopper

As Program Manager for the Arkansas Research Alliance (ARA), Amy coordinates activities that expand collaboration and innovation among research leaders and institutions in the state. Amy is developing and administering the ARA Core Facilities Exchange (CFE), a virtual clearinghouse of research instrumentation and scientific equipment to enhance grant competitiveness, foster collaboration, reduce redundancy in capital expenditures, increase utilization, and ultimately incentivize a thriving, well-networked research enterprise.

Prior to joining ARA, Amy directed an accelerator for scalable, early-stage entrepreneurs located throughout Arkansas and the Delta Regional Authority territory. She is a graduate of the Lean LaunchPad® Educators Program and has led lean startup training locally and internationally. She sits on the board of the Ark Angel Alliance, a statewide angel investor network.

She is a 2022 EMBA candidate at the University of Arkansas and is launching a SaaS company out of the University’s New Venture Development program. She is a certified associate in project management (CAPM), a 2021 graduate of the Community Development Institute, and a 2019 graduate of the Delta Leadership Institute’s Executive Academy.