Texas Venture Fest: Kerrville Edition

​The Lone Star State shouldn’t have lone star founders.

​​​The Texas Venture Fest is the only truly "Texas-sized" day highlighting the ecosystem of startup support. More than 10 cities simultaneously host this statewide phenomenon, co-creating what is a record-breaking event for the country and proud moment for the state. Across our nation's biggest metropolis as well as small towns, 3,000+ Texans gather to see innovation flourish.

​KERRVILLE EDITION:

1. Event Overview:

• ​Title: Lone Star Founders Unite!

• ​Date & Time: Thursday Oct 3, 2024 // 3:00 PM – 8:00 PM

• ​Location: Schreiner U CCAC / Trailhead

• ​Objective: To bring together Kerrville’s entrepreneurial community for an evening of networking, learning, and collaboration, aimed at strengthening the local entrepreneurship ecosystem and connecting founders with resources across Texas.

​2. Schedule & Activities:

​3:00 PM – 3:30 PM: Registration & Networking

• ​Overview: Guests arrive, check in, and have the opportunity to meet and greet fellow entrepreneurs, investors, and ecosystem partners.

• ​Features:

  • ​Welcome drinks and light snacks

  • ​Name tags color-coded by category (e.g., entrepreneur, investor, mentor)

  • ​Networking space with icebreaker questions on tables

​3:30 PM – 4:00 PM: Welcome & Opening Remarks

• ​Speakers:

  • ​Introduction by a local government representative or EDO leader

  • ​Brief remarks by a prominent local entrepreneur or startup founder

• ​Key Messages:

  • ​The importance of collaboration in the entrepreneurial journey

  • ​Overview of the event agenda and goals for the evening

​4:00 PM – 4:30 PM: KEYNOTE, Bob Jones: The Four Questions Successful New Businesses Always Ask

​4:30 PM – 5:00 PM: Ecosystem Showcase

• ​Overview: A presentation session featuring local startups, entrepreneurial support organizations, and innovation hubs.

• ​Format:

  • ​Quick pitches (5 minutes each) from 5-6 local startups

  • ​Presentations from 2-3 support organizations or innovation hubs

• ​Objective: To highlight available resources and inspire new connections.

​5:00 PM – 6:00 PM: Breakout Sessions/Workshops

• ​Overview: Interactive sessions designed to provide practical advice and facilitate knowledge sharing.

• ​Topics:

  • ​“Building a Scalable Startup in a Small Town”

  • ​“Accessing Funding and Resources in Texas”

  • ​“Creating a Strong Founder Network”

• ​Format:

  • ​Small group discussions or workshops led by industry experts and seasoned entrepreneurs

  • ​Facilitated Q&A to engage the audience

​6:00 PM – 7:00 PM: Founder & Investor Roundtable

• ​Overview: A moderated discussion bringing together local founders and investors to discuss opportunities and challenges in the region.

• ​Topics:

  • ​The unique challenges of entrepreneurship in rural Texas

  • ​How investors can support startups outside major metro areas

  • ​Success stories and lessons learned from the local community

• ​Format:

  • ​Panel discussion with 4-5 participants (founders, investors, support organization leaders)

  • ​Audience Q&A segment

​7:00 PM – 8:00 PM: Networking Reception :: Trailhead at Schreiner University

• ​Overview: An informal reception to close the event, giving attendees another chance to connect and discuss collaboration opportunities.

• ​Features:

  • ​Local food and beverage offerings

  • ​Dedicated spaces for specific types of networking (e.g., funding, mentorship, partnerships)

  • ​A “meet the speaker” area for one-on-one conversations

​The most up-to-date details are kept on the Kerr EDC site here: https://kerredc.com/tvf/

​BONUS: Attendees get 30% off with our Official Boot of the Texas Venture Fest, Alvies Boots with the code “TXVentureFest” until Nov 3rd. Request invite to their Investor Boot Party in Dripping Springs on Oct 5th here.

​TEXAN'S CHOICE AWARDS: This year's event registration asks for your favorite investor, startup, and community leader for the Texan's Choice Awards— the "People's Choice Awards" for our statewide innovation community. Learn more about this here. Alternatively, if you need additional time to thoughtfully make suggestions, proceed with registration and upon submission we automatically email a form to complete at your convenience.

ALL TEXAS VENTURE FESTS HERE:
Austin, Buda, East Texas, El Paso, Houston, Kerrville, North Texas, Pflugerville, Rio Grande Valley, Round Rock, San Antonio... Mexico City, Mexico 🤠 & Mars 🚀