WACO, Texas — Startup Waco, a 501c3 nonprofit organization, is hosting Startup Week from April 5 through April 7.
The goal is to provide resources, networking events, workshops, conferences and more to the Central Texas community.
“We hope entrepreneurs around the city come to experience, its one of the only events of its kind put together for entrepreneurs looking to start or grow their business here," CEO Jon Passavant said.
Startup Waco has helped over 30 businesses raise more than $160,000 in investments that has poured back into the local community. They focus on growing businesses and giving life to big ideas.
“We hope that you just get some great new insight, we’re gonna be asking direct questions, poignant questions, what the city is doing, what other businesses have done to have success here and hopefully those stories will circulate and provide some insight for people," Passavant said.
This is the second annual Startup Week that the organization is hosting. Businesses from last year's event that worked with Startup Waco have already seen success, according to Jacob Kehoe, the company's Assistant Director of Development and Community Engagement.
“I think my favorite personal one would be Shamica Evans with Waffle Chic," he said. "She’s about to have her brand new food truck which is so sick and I'm super excited for it to be in the community and for people to start being able to go to it.”
More than 5.4 million new business applications were filed in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Many new local companies are popping up in Waco and Passavant says this could be the next big entrepreneurial hub.
"If you just walk around, you see that there is a lot of growth happening, a lot of expansion, a lot of people that are intent on watching this community grow and thrive.”
The three day event is free and you can register through this link.
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