Meet Team Austin, a non-profit organization, developing Austin’s entrepreneurial community through education, networking, and social impact. In 2012, Team Austin started off with a few people who loved networking. They soon found it beneficial, not only for themselves and their companies, but rewarding to bring value to others in the Austin community. The team decided to plant some roots, and host a happy hour event once a month. By the next year, Team Austin grew beyond expections. The team and community saw tremendous value in bringing people together, and connecting each other to develop new relationships and business opportunities.
What fueled the passion for starting Team Austin?
To sum it up, a desire to connect, educate, and grow the Austin business/tech community. It all started with a simple calendar invite for happy hour, sent to friends and business associates by my Co-Founder (Reza Piri). We wanted to create an environment that allowed people to help each other before trying to help themselves. After a few months, we realized our little group had grown and decided to put some structure around it.
What are some of the things that Team Austin does to teach and help aspiring entrepreneurs?
We offer 6-8 speaking events every year. These panels cover topics such as entrepreneurship, team building, finance, venture capital, marketing, sales and more.
What is the Team Austin Speaker Series?
The Team Austin speaker series is the title of our 6-8 speaking events held every year. During this series, we bring speakers from Austin companies like Favor, RealSavvy, Yeti, Howler Brothers, Charity Charge, SXSW, Do512, any many others to help educate, and motivate attendees. The ultimate goal is to provide access to insights not easily accessible to strengthen our local Business/Tech community.
Team Austin Foundation Scholarship Fund is a great idea. Has it been successful in its mission?
We launched the diversity in tech scholarship fund in late 2016. We were proud to announce our first recipient in 2017. The fund helps promote diversity in the tech sector by providing full-ride scholarships to code schools. Student graduate with the skills required to start working full time for top tech companies.
What is some quick advice you would give aspiring entrepreneurs trying to make a great impact on their community?
Never stop learning. A mistake I often witness is career complacency. People tend to get comfortable with their jobs and stop expanding their skill set. There are endless free resources available to help people continue learning. Take advantage of them, be brave, and push hard to create the life you love.
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