A group of students have created a new network, the Northwest Arkansas Entrepreneurship Alliance,  that will connect young and old entrepreneurs alike.

The idea came about when seniors Kamiar Duck and Mo Elliot, and recent graduate Josh Clemence, all young entrepreneurs, began bouncing ideas off of each other for their respective businesses. Duck and Clemence operate a website, Crav, which connects people with local businesses who are “craving” a certain product. Elliot is the president and owner of Fayettechill Clothing Company.

“Together we were inspired, and we said if can have a group of ten more guys that were dedicated and really had a passion for this entrepreneurship, then there’s no telling what could happen,” Duck said.

The alliance will be a great resource for those who might not know where to turn with questions about their business, Duck said.They refer to it as the “pinball effect.”

“You might have an idea or a component of your business that you need help with, but you don’t know where to go,” Duck said. “Being a student in college, you only know so much. Through our experiences, we kind of got thrown around like a pinball, and we were pushed from one resource to another to another.”

All of these resources have been invaluable for Duck and his partners from a networking standpoint, Duck said.

“If we could bring all of these resources into one organization with one goal we can begin to inject these local entrepreneurs into this organization and in turn we can help give them advice to turn their dream into a reality,” Duck said.

The group is still new, but Duck said the feedback from community leaders who want to be involved has been encouraging. They are currently helping four start ups, and about 20 students will participate in two events the group has planned.

One is a contest, where the group is split into teams who are tasked with coming up with a solution to a problem a local business has. The winning team will win discounts to the participating small business. The other event will immerse the group into the inner-workings of a local business. Experience is the real reward in these events, Duck said.

For more information, visit the group’s website at nwaea.net.