Tech Bloc Bi-Weekly Newsletter🚀
📰 In this Issue:
1️⃣ Tech Bloc Announcements
2️⃣ San Antonio Tech News
3️⃣ DevSA Corner
4️⃣ Events
5️⃣ Stay Engaged
MEXICO TECH WEEK 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 RECAP
Our trip to Mexico Tech Week was a huge success! With over 120 events happening throughout the week, we had the incredible opportunity to host a happy hour on Thursday for 120 founders and investors.
We also led a bootcamp for entrepreneurs and business leaders interested in expanding into the U.S. market through San Antonio, sharing key insights on how to successfully establish themselves here. A special thank you to AEM and COPARMEX for their warm welcome and support!
We made countless valuable connections that we’ll be following up with, and we’re excited to send them our Softlanding Guide to the U.S. via San Antonio to help smooth their transition.
TECH DAY is NOVEMBER 15TH, 2024!
Join us for San Antonio Tech Day on November 15th at the Boeing Center at Port San Antonio! This full-day event will feature coworking space, networking opportunities, and expert-led sessions, bringing together the tech community to connect, and collaborate from leading tech & startup professionals from across the world 🌎
Check out each track’s details:
✨ VC Track: Engage with top venture capitalists and learn about trends in tech investing. Here's the agenda:
10 AM - State of the VC Industry and Outlook (US/Texas/LATAM)
Moderator:
Mariano Gonzalez (GP, MGV Capital)
Panelists:
Susana Espinosa (Partner, Dux Capital & ALMA FUND)
David Mandell (Managing Partner, Massive.vc)
Pat Matthews (GP, Active Capital)
Oksana Malysheva (Managing Partner, Sputnik ATX)
11:20 AM - Building a Strong Tech Ecosystem: Fostering Innovation and Growth
Moderator:
Ileana Gonzalez (CEO, Tech Bloc)
Panelists:
Will Conway (Exited CEO, Mailgun)
Beto Altamirano (CEO, Irys Technologies)
Michelle Williams (VP, MassChallenge)
Caleb Scott (CEO, Fabra)
12:30 - Cybersecurity: Protecting Your Business
Moderator:
Travis Runty (CTO, Rackspace)
Panelists:
Santiago Fuentes ( CEO, Delta Protect)
Will Garrett (VP Cybersecurity, Port San Antonio)
Amanda Lee Keammerer (Founder + CEO of Javilud)
1:40 PM - Artificial Intelligence: Harnessing Generative AI
Panelists:
Robert Tietzch (Senior, CSM Architect, IBM)
Martin 'Wally' Wallace (Broadwell Holdings, LLC)
Fernando Huerta (CEO, Seals AI)
Andrea Campos (CEO, Yana)
2:50 PM - Cultivating a Growth Mindset: Strategies for Startup Success
Moderator:
Alfonso Garcia (CTO, Parlevel)
Panelists:
Jose Alberto Diaz (CEO, Balam)
Paola Villarreal (Author, Creating Unicorns)
Rene Lomeli (Partner, 500 Startups)
4:00 PM - Fundraising Decoded: Preparing for Success
Moderator:
Sebastian Garzon (Executive Director, Alamo Angels)
Panelists:
Lala Elizondo (Co-Founder, Tule Capital)
Mario Garcia (Executive Director, Angel Hub)
Josh Sanchez (CEO, Float Me)
Justin Mckenzie (Executive Director, Boerne-Kendall Angel Network)
🚀 Tech Startups/Companies Track: Hear success stories, challenges, and future trends from leading tech founders and companies. Here's the agenda:
10 AM - Leveraging Funding and Support from Hyperscalers
Speakers:
Zach Symm (Product Manager for Managed Public Cloud, Rackspace)
Matt Parker (Director, Rackspace)
Justin Pelletier (Global Enterprise Discount Program Manager, Rackspace)
Mitch Howie (Account Executive, Rackspace)
11:20 AM - Security Best Practices in the Cloud
Speakers:
Dennis George (Sr. Partner Solutions Architect, AWS)
Adam Brown (Security Analyst, Rackspace)
12:30 - Balancing Simplicity and Complexity in Cloud Architecture
Speakers:
Jonathan Loefller (Senior Manager, Rackspace)
Stephen McCracken (Senior Cloud Engineer, Rackspace)
Tom Prather (Manager, AWS Support Rackspace)
1:40 PM - Building Scalable Architectures to Support Business Growth
Speakers:
Chris Clark (Chief Engineer, Rackspace)
Adrian Ellington (Azure Solution Architect, Rackspace)
Eddie Dennis (Lead Cloud Practice Architect, Rackspace)
Itari Ighoroje (Chief Architect, Rackspace)
2:50 PM - Avoiding and Managing Technical Debt in the Cloud
Speakers:
Josh Prewitt (SVP, Rackspace)
Travis Runty (CTO, Rackspace)
4:00 PM - Forks in the Road: Navigating the Best Funding Paths for Your Technology Company
Moderator:
Heidi Leach (VP of Startup Banking, JP Morgan)
Panelists:
Sebastian Garzon (Executive Director, Alamo Angels)
Aman Sohail (Director of Partnerships, MassChallenge)
David Mandell (General Partner, Massive.VC)
🌐 Tech Community Track: Discover how community collaboration drives San Antonio’s tech ecosystem forward.
10 AM - Navigating the Cloud-Native Landscape
Speaker:
Crystal Poenisch (GTM for Emerging Tech)
11:20 AM - Building a Data Science Toolchain with R and Python
Speaker:
Ryan Orsinger (ARDA | Director of Data Science at Haven for Hope)
12:30 - Team Comms That Don’t Suck: Just Lego
Speakers:
Rachel Davis (Workshop Experience Designer + Facilitator)
Wes Etheredge (Sr. Specialty Manager Software Engineering, Wells Fargo)
1:40 PM - Test Driven Development From Database to UI
Speaker:
Patrick Robinson (Software Consultant, Lean TECHniques)
2:50 PM - Implementing Guardrails: Teaching Your LLMs how to Drive
Speaker:
Samad Ahmed (PyTexas | Alamo Python | Chamoy.IO)
4:00 PM - The Power of Multi-Modal AI in Our Daily Lives
Speaker:
Sagar Kewalramani (Google Developer Groups)
6PM 💸 Tech Fuel Pitch Competition
Witness startups compete for $100K in funding! Here are the 5 finalists:
🎉 Closing Party: Wrap up the day with a celebration of our local innovators.
San Antonio Tech and Business News
From groundbreaking innovations to exciting developments, stay tuned for a tech-filled journey that promises to shape the future.
Here's who’s blocking Elon Musk’s bid to rename land around SpaceX in South Texas as Starbase
SpaceX’s South Texas rocket facility known as Starbase isn’t officially Starbase, Texas. Yet.
More than three and a half years after CEO Elon Musk pitched the idea of renaming the area around the commercial space company’s headquarters, Starship factory and launch site, the proposed title is still just a nickname while state and federal agencies review the case.
Earlier this year, after a flurry of support from area city governments, Cameron County applied to the U.S. Board on Geographic Names to officially rename the swath of coastal land currently known as Kopernik Shores.
Source: San Antonio Express News
San Antonio space startup teaming with Colorado firms on moon missions
A Port San Antonio-based space startup is joining forces with two Colorado companies to develop technologies for future NASA moon missions.
Astroport Space Technologies, a subsidiary of Exploration Architecture, or XArc, announced the new partnerships with Orbit Fab Inc. and ispace technologies U.S. Inc. during the 75th International Astronautical Congress taking place this week in Milan.
Sam Ximenes, founder and CEO of Astroport and XArc, called the collaborations “a significant step forward in our mission to establish a sustainable human presence on the moon.”
Source: San Antonio Express News
More organizations use AI when hiring. Why it’s important to proceed with caution.
Companies are expected to lean more heavily on artificial intelligence during the hiring process in 2025.
Source: San Antonio Business Journal
DEVSA: Your Hub for San Antonio's Techie Community
Join the DEVSA community for events focused on networking opportunities, and valuable learning experiences. Let's build a stronger tech community together.
Upcoming Events:
DEVSA Coworking Space is Now Open!
Located on the 6th floor of Geekdom (#608), this free downtown space offers a collaborative environment for tech enthusiasts. Stop by Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 7 PM to network, learn, and work on your projects. Join our Discord community for updates, announcements, and to connect with fellow members.
Supercharge Your Money with Sequence
Join us on Wednesday, October 30th to learn how Sequence can revolutionize your financial life. This powerful platform allows you to visualize your money flow, set smart rules, and automate your finances. Say goodbye to financial stress and hello to financial freedom. Sequence empowers you to take control of your money and achieve your financial goals. Don't miss this opportunity to discover the future of personal finance.
Indie Hacker Nights & ECHO210 Volume 2 Launch Party
Join us on November 1st at Zelifcam! Network with fellow tech enthusiasts, brainstorm ideas, and work on your projects. We'll also be celebrating the launch of ECHO210 Volume 2, San Antonio’s print-only tech zine. All skill levels are welcome, so come and be a part of the community.
What is an Indie Hacker? An indie hacker is an independent entrepreneur who builds and launches their own online business or project without relying on outside funding. They often focus on software or websites and prioritize control and sustainability over rapid growth or investor involvement
The Future of Exits in LATAM: Liquidity Options for Startups and VC
This event brings together industry experts to explore both current and emerging liquidity pathways, as well as the strategic opportunities available for startups and VC funds in an ever-evolving economic landscape.
📍Location: YouTube
⏰ Time:12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
📆 Dates: Tuesday, October 29th
SA New Tech Cohort | Q4 Summit @ Project Cowork
Join us in October for the next Summit Cohort at Project Cowork, where you'll meet new Tech Founders and learn about the latest innovations.
An engaging and insightful session where innovation meets reality. Discover firsthand the groundbreaking ventures our panelists are spearheading. Learn how their solutions are tackling real-world problems and making a tangible impact on our community. Dive into the unexpected hurdles they’ve faced and overcome, gaining a deeper understanding of the entrepreneurial journey.
📍Location: San Antonio Notary Now | 10127 Morocco Street #195 San Antonio, TX 78216
⏰ Time: 6 - 7:30pm CDT
📆 Date: Tuesday, October 29
Bitcoin Diplomas
The San Antonio Bitcoin Club is proud to announce our newest initiative, Bitcoin Diplomas! We are proud to say we are the only organization in Texas certified through Mi Primer Bitcoin, the official open source Bitcoin educational provider of El Salvador, to offer bitcoin courses and diplomas upon completion. The best part the classes will be FREE with the goal of aiming to empower individuals, businesses, and communities with the essential knowledge and tools to acquire financial literacy and understand Bitcoin.
📍Location: Geekdom - Downtown SA | 110 E Houston St, Floor 78205 · San Antonio , TX
⏰ Time: 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM CDT
📆 Date: Tuesday, October 29, 2024
Halloween Dev Challenge
A month long coding challenge where anyone and everyone in the San Antonio area can create something spooky! Get involved in the DEVSA community Discord and start creating on October 1st!
RSVP is not required but DEVPOST registration is required to submit your project.
📍Location: Project Cowork; 10127 Morocco ST #195
⏰ Time: 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
📆 Date: Wednesday, October 30th
Geeks & Drinks: Monthly Pub Run
Geeks and Drinks is San Antonio’s Largest Developer Meetup! Our goal is to create a safe and inclusive space for developers and geeks to share ideas, get inspired and build community. We do this by creating and hosting events that are both social and educational.
Co-Founders Monty Morgan and Sharon Gutierrez started Geeks & Drinks in 2021 when they moved to San Antonio and wanted to connect with like minded people. Our mission is to have a safe and inclusive space for everyone to hang out and talk about the geeky stuff.
Our monthly meetup is on the first Wednesday of each month and we hold pop-up events throughout the year!
📍Location: On The Rocks Pub | 270 Losoya St · San Antonio, TX
⏰ Time: 7:00 PM to 11:59 PM CDT | Every 1st Friday of the month until January 10, 2025
📆 Date: Friday, November 1, 2024
November Meetup for Alamo City Locksport
“We desire to bring together anyone with an interest in the basic ways that we secure ourselves...while identifying and exploiting the weaknesses thereof. We do this to better understand how to safeguard and protect ourselves and others.”
📍Location: Flying Saucer |11255 Huebner Rd · San Antonio, TX
⏰ Time: 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM CDT
📆 Date: Saturday, November 2, 2024
Become a Tech Bloc Member
Become a part of San Antonio’s thriving tech community with a Tech Bloc membership! Join us to access exclusive events, resources, and networking opportunities that will help you grow and succeed.
Individual Membership
Access to the Community Platform
Dedicated Tech Newsletter
Networking Events
Curated Members-only Workshops
Exclusive Content
Tech Bloc T-Shirt
Curated Resources
Access to the Tech Conclaves
Be a part of the Community Pulse
First Drink for Free at Events
Startup Membership
All of the benefits above PLUS:
Over $350K in credits across essential platforms including AWS and Google Cloud Credits
CEO to CEO Peer Groups
CTO to CTO Peer Groups
All About Fundraising Resources
Investor Lists
Access to Investors
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