Startup Week - The little week that could. And did.

In case you didn’t know, last week was kind of a big deal. A five-day marathon termed “Startup Week” coursed through our city, leaving a slew of entrepreneurs, students, developers and dreamers inspired in its wake. The jam-packed celebration featured over 55 speakers and 68 free events, and ended up drawing in more than 270 attendees! Not too shabby, San Antonio.So, who’s behind all this magic, anyway?As the chief organizer of SA Startup Week, Vanessa Paige, Operations Manager at the 80/20 Foundation, worked behind the scenes to coordinate the madness and keep things sailing smoothly. For Vanessa, last week was about building San Antonio’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and breaking down its barriers to entry:

The entire week opened up the door to learn more about starting up a venture - or just learning about an industry or topic of your choice...It gave the public a taste of entrepreneurship and access to the movers and shakers that are directly impacting the ecosystem in downtown SATX.

Job well done, Vanessa!

Another key driver of last week’s success were the sponsors and venues that came alongside Vanessa’s efforts and provided a grounds for inspiration and collaboration by opening their doors to the community,. As one such sponsor, we were able to host five events in-house! One of our favorites was a dialogue between community leaders Pat Matthews and Lorenzo Gomez. Just two CEOs engaging in a casual conversation, but with a twist: there was an audience! Bright-eyed listeners came from far and wide, simply to be in the same room as these two passionate visionaries. It. Was. Awesome. And in case you missed it, we put it on YouTube. You can thank us later.Until next year, Startup Week!