By Edmond Ortiz
Organizers behind a yearly, multiday event meant to buoy San Antonio’s entrepreneurial landscape say the happening is mainly about connecting those business owners with each other and with investors, and providing them with more resources.
The 10th annual San Antonio Startup Week formally began Oct. 13 with a kickoff gathering at Geekdom, which is a hub of SASW conference programming.
What is happening
David Ramirez, conference director, said he sought to invite a wide variety of stakeholders when it comes to local entrepreneurship, economic development, and community-building.
“We know so many people who live in Boerne and drive in, and who live in Helotes and drive in,” Ramirez told the crowd gathered at the Geekdom Event Centre. “We’re really opening the door for everyone. That’s why we have over 225 sessions over six days, which is a record amount of content. So, I would say, compared with previous years, we have a lot of intentionality with your schedule.”
According to Ramirez, Startup Week includes events that focus on economic development and entrepreneurial success in specific communities, such as San Antonio’s traditional East, West and South sides, as well as Boerne.
“There’s a lot of gains on the economic development side that I would encourage you to stretch those muscles and experience,” Ramirez said.
Some perspectives
Charles Woodin, Geekdom’s CEO, said when Geekdom opened its doors in 2011 and offered collaborative workspaces for local startups, the intent was to help boost all kinds of fledgling entrepreneurs. The beginning of San Antonio Startup Week in 2015 was, too, a milestone for San Antonio’s entrepreneurial landscape, Woodin said.
“You can finally start to feel the spark starting to just flicker a little bit. You can start to see founders coming out and mentors guiding them, and you can see partners starting to lean in,” Woodin said, reflecting on the past 10-15 years. “It was something that started to build up excitement and get people together. That’s really what is the core of this week –the core of everything we do.”
Woodin encouraged SASW attendees to network with one another, and to get out of their own comfort zones. Networking, Woodin added, is the key toward enhancing San Antonio’s startup economy and building it up.
According to Woodin, events such as Startup Week offer opportunities to entrepreneurs, funders and other stakeholders to connect and move the needle in terms of launching a venture.
“We have to acknowledge the progress that has been made. There have been several hundred startups that have come from right here in this space,” Woodin said. “Additionally, we’ve seen thousands of entrepreneurs get connected to their tribes within our community, and we have seen funders come to this space.”
What you can do
Event organizers urged SASW attendees to register for SASW events, nearly all of which are free.
Activities are slated to take place among the Geekdom Event Center and various floors at Geekdom, both based at the Rand Building, the adjacent Embassy Suites by Hilton, and the Central Public Library, where Launch SA is accommodating some Startup Week happenings and services.
SASW badge-holders may hail a free, quick electric vehicular ride between Geekdom, Embassy Suites by Hilton and Launch SA/Central Public Library courtesy of The Local SATX during SASW event hours.
