Entrepreneurship and innovation come in many different forms,
and so entrepreneur communities are diverse and varied. Seth Godin once likened an entrepreneur
community to a tribal society. The
participants find their tribe of like-minded people and then rarely wander far
from it. The Austin entrepreneur
community is often referred to as one entity but in fact it consists of twelve
tribes and perhaps more. Each one has
their own unique version of entrepreneurship with their own de facto leaders,
groups, and mantras. Here’s a list of
those groups to help you find your tribe.
Technology
This is one of the largest tribes in Austin. They believe cutting edge technology provides
the opportunity for innovation and entrepreneurship. There are many groups and leaders within the
technology tribe. They include Julie
Huls leads the Austin Technology Council, Josh Baer leads the Capital Factory and Kevin Koym leads Tech Ranch . Their mantra is technology is a great
disruptive force which brings entrepreneurial opportunity.
Consumer Package
Goods
The presence of Whole Foods and HEB, in Central Texas has
fostered this tribe which focuses on bringing innovative packaged goods to the
consumer. This includes food and
beverage, health and wellness, and more. Clayton Christopher is the de factor leader of
this tribe. Shari Wynne of the
Incubation Station is another leader for this group. Their
mantra is all natural, organic, and healthy products provide opportunity for
entrepreneurs.
Entertainment—Film/Music
Whether it is supporting the making of entertainment
vehicles such as film and music, or building better tools for the industry,
this tribe focuses on using their entrepreneurial skills to create a better,
richer industry for filmmakers and musicians.
Leaders in this tribe include Greg Vendetti of GV Music Enterprises and Colin
Kendrick of the Austin Music Foundation. The AMA
was created ten years ago to help artists build businesses and create a
sustainable living. The music industry has been transformed by the digital
media world providing entrepreneurial opportunities for artists who are trying
to find innovative ways to make money with their art. Other groups include the blackfret.org providing grants to new artists. The tribe’s mantra is to capitalize on the rapid
change in the way music and film are captured and distributed.
Independent
Businesses
The local independent business is the foundation of the
economy. Those who seek to start their
own business find a passion in owning their own business and serving the local
community. Leaders of this tribe include
Rebecca Melancon of the Austin Independent Business Alliance . In short, their mantra is – Be local, buy
local, and sell local.
The Foodies (Slow
Money and Food Trailers)
The Slow Money movement focuses on building businesses that foster sustainable living as it
directly impacts the quality of our livelihoods. Leaders in this tribe include Wayne
LaChapelle, Jarred Maxwell, and Scott Price.
Their mantra is sustainable living is the driving force behind
entrepreneurship. Also in this group are
the food trailer entrepreneurs. There
are over 1200 food trailers in Central Texas providing innovative foods and
drinks.
Bootstrap
The Bootstrappers are entrepreneurs who seek to identify
their core expertise and then build a business around it without outside
investment. Bootstrap Austin led
by Bijoy Goswami champions this approach to starting your own business. Their
mantra is know yourself, find your passion, then start your business.
Social
Social entrepreneurship is alive
and well in Austin. This group is led by
de facto leader Susi Soza and John Mackey.
One
of the main events for this tribe is the Dell Social Innovation Challenge which
seeks to identify and support promising young social innovators who dedicate
themselves to solving the world's most pressing problems with transformative ideas.
Their mantra is triple bottom line businesses not only make money but improve
the world.
University of Texas Austin
The University of
Texas in Austin sees hundreds of students each year with ideas for starting and
growing companies. Since many students
will find their first job in the business they start rather than in working for
someone else, UT has created a system for fostering and nurturing those ideas. Leaders
in this tribe include Rob Adams of Texas Venture Labs,
Bob Metcalfe who leads the One Semester Startup, Cam Houser who leads the 3 Day Startup, and Idea to IP class) and Kyle Cox and Sriram Vishwanath who organize the Idea to IP class. Their mantra is the next great idea comes
from the next generation and the university teaching them.
Entrepreneur Organization
The Entrepreneurs Organization or
EO as it is called is a global organization but it has a strong local
chapter. Companies with $1M in revenue
are invited to join EO which highlights successful entrepreneurs and fosters mentoring through a
networking program in which each entrepreneur shares their experience with
others. Leaders in this tribe are numerous but to name a few would include Eric
Hennenhoefer, Alan Blake, and Corey Bell.
Their mantra for business is let’s come together to learn from one
another.
Life science
Life science is the number one funded segment in the state
of Texas and includes both healthcare and biotechnology. This group fosters the development of medical
devices, healthcare IT, and biotech solutions.
De facto leaders here include Matt Winkler of Asuragen, Jack Hart who
leads the Texas Medical Device Alliance and Cindy Walker Peach who leads the life science
initiative at the Austin Technology Incubator. With the creation of a medical school, this
tribe will certainly grow in the coming years.
Their mantra is this is the age of Healthcare and Biotechnology which
brings many entrepreneurial opportunities.
The Geeks
Opportunity for new solutions lies in the exploding world of
technology and those who understand and master it are in a prime position to
take advantage of the next big thing. The leaders of this tribe are Lynn Bender of
Geek Austin and Matt Genovese of Door64 . Their mantra is that new computer
languages, platforms, and information technology drive innovation.
Gaming
Austin is the third largest gaming community in the country.
Most of the major studios hold a
presence in Austin and continue to invest in the gaming community. Gaming (not the gambling kind) generates more
annual revenue than movies. The de facto
leader of this tribe is Richard Garriott. The International Game Developers Association is the main group here. Their mantra is gaming provides technologies
and talent that will drive innovation in many industries for the next
generation.
There are numerous groups that provide access to these
communities through umbrella events catering to several tribes at once. These groups include RISE run by Claire England. The SxSWStartup Village run by Chris Valentine and Austin Startup Week run
by Jacqueline Hughes. No matter what your entrepreneurial passion, there’s
probably a tribe in Austin that fits you.
Best regards,
Hall T.
