Sarah Goforth
Executive Director, Office of Entrepreneurship & Innovation, University of Arkansas
Adjunct Faculty, UA Sam M. Walton College of Business
About me: A former nonprofit executive and experienced entrepreneurship educator, I lead a team responsible for serving idea-to-launch stage innovators and entrepreneurs at the University of Arkansas and across the state. I also lead UA’s nationally ranked graduate entrepreneurship program, whose alumni have formed ventures across the software, biotech, fintech, agriculture and education tech sectors.
I hold an M.A. in science journalism from the University of Wisconsin – Madison and a B.A. in biology from Hendrix College. My research has been published in the Journal of Neuroscience, and my writing has been published in the Dallas Morning News, Times of Entrepreneurship, The Scientist, Popular Science, Discovery.com and Smithsonian magazine. From 2000-2017, I owned and operated a science communication consultancy in Washington, D.C.
Lives/Works in: Fayetteville
Best Career Advice: A trusted mentor once advised me never to delay my family goals for the sake of my career. If not for her, I might not have my beautiful second child.
Lesson Learned the Hard Way: Growth can come too quickly, and when it does, it can really hurt your team. Pace your growth not based on what is achievable, but based on the speed at which you can support, resource and promote your people.
Call to Action: Starting a new business is often too risky to attract a bank loan, so entrepreneurs seek private capital in the form of angel investment. Angel investing is a financially and intellectually rewarding asset class, and Arkansas badly needs more angel investors, especially to support women and minority founders. Look into the Ark Angels Network and 412 Angels for two welcoming communities.
TOP 100 WOMEN OF IMPACT IN ARKANSAS 2023
A Women’s Foundation of Arkansas Initiative