Oct 01, 2019 Economic and Workforce Development Committee on 2019-10-01 2:00 PM

GOOD

[00:00:01]

WELCOME TO OUR ECONOMIC AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING ON, UM, OCTOBER 1ST, HAPPY OCTOBER WITH THIS WONDERFUL COOL OCTOBER DAY.

UM, CAN WE HAVE ROLL PLEASE? HERE.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

YES, AND HAPPY FISCAL YEAR.

HAPPY NEW FISCAL YEAR EVERYONE.

UM, SO HAPPY TO GET STARTED ON HERE.

OUR FIRST ITEM

[1. 19-7271 Approval of the minutes from the Economic and Workforce Development Committee meeting on September 3, 2019.]

I MOVE, I'LL SECOND THE MOTION.

I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF THE MEETING MINUTES ON SEPTEMBER 3RD.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.

AYE.

OPPOSED? SAME SIGN.

MOTION CARRIES.

AND OUR FIRST ITEM ON

[2. 19-7146 A briefing by CyberSecurity San Antonio on the organization’s ongoing efforts, successes, and plans for FY 2020. [Carlos J. Contreras III, Assistant City Manager; Alejandra Lopez, Interim Director, Economic Development] ]

UM, WE'LL HAVE ALEX LOPEZ SET US UP FOR THIS THANK YOU CHAIR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.

I'M EXCITED ABOUT TODAY'S PRESENTATIONS AS THEY DEMONSTRATE THE CITY'S COMMITMENT TO SUPPORTING THE CONTINUED GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF OUR TARGETED INDUSTRIES AND LOCAL TECH AND CYBERSECURITY ECOSYSTEMS. OUR FIRST PRESENTATION TODAY IS FROM CYBERSECURITY SAN ANTONIO REGARDING THE WORK THAT THE ORGANIZATION HAS BEEN DOING THIS PAST YEAR, AND ALSO AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT THEY'RE, WHAT WE CAN EXPECT FROM THEM THIS COMING YEAR.

ESTABLISHED IN 2015, CYBERSECURITY, SAN ANTONIO WAS CREATED AS A COLLABORATIVE PUBLIC PRIVATE PROGRAM TO ACCELERATE THE GROWTH OF SAN ANTONIO'S CYBERSECURITY INDUSTRY.

SINCE THEN, THE ORGANIZATION AND ITS LEADERSHIP HAS WORKED DILIGENTLY WITH BOTH COMMUNITY PARTNERS, INDUSTRY LEADERS, AND THE CITY STAFF TO SUPPORT AND STRENGTHEN LOCAL INDUSTRY, ACADEMIA, MILITARY MISSIONS AND PROFESSIONAL WORK IN CYBERSECURITY.

SAN ANTONIO HAS A SECOND HIGHEST CONCENTRATION OF CYBERSECURITY PROFESSIONALS IN THE COUNTRY, AND WE'RE UNIQUELY POSITIONED TO ADVANCE THE DEVELOPMENT OF COMPANIES AND INDIVIDUALS WORKING IN CYBERSECURITY FROM STUDENTS TO BUSINESSES AND MILITARY LEADERS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020.

OUR FISCAL YEAR 2020, WE'LL BE THE CITY'S FIFTH YEAR, UM, IN OUR CONTRACT WITH THE SAN ANTONIO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE TO SUPPORT THIS IMPORTANT COMMUNITY PROGRAM AND ITS DIRECTOR POSITION WITH THE $50,000 GRANT FROM OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVE FUND.

AMANDA KEER IS THE VICE PRESIDENT OF CYBERSECURITY SAN ANTONIO, AND IS OFFIC AND WAS OFFICIALLY NAMED DIRECTOR OF THE ORGANIZATION IN JUNE OF THIS YEAR.

AMANDA IS A SAN ANTONIO NATIVE AND AN SS A I S D GRAD WHO HAS WORKED AS A POLICY ADVISOR FOR THE FEDERAL CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER AT THE OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET.

SHE ALSO SERVED AS A DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR CYBERSECURITY SAN ANTONIO LAST YEAR, AND IS AN HONORARY COMMANDER OF THE FIVE OH SECOND AIR BASE WING HERE AT JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO.

AND WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO AMANDA.

THANKS, ALEX.

HI.

HELLO COMMANDER.

WELCOME .

THANK YOU.

GOOD AFTERNOON.

THANK Y'ALL FOR HAVING US HERE.

ALSO, HAPPY NATIONAL CYBERSECURITY AWARENESS MONTH THAT STARTS TODAY TOO.

SO MAKE SURE THAT YOU, UH, CHANGE YOUR PASSWORDS AND STAY CYBER SAFE.

UM, AND SO IN TERMS OF ADVANCING SLIDES, LEMME SEE.

DOES THAT GO? YEP.

OKAY, PERFECT.

SO AS ALEX MENTIONED, THANKS ALEX.

UH, CYBERSECURITY SAN ANTONIO IS HOUSED WITHIN THE SAN ANTONIO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

WE'RE PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP.

WE'VE BEEN AROUND FOR NEARLY FIVE YEARS NOW, AND WE'RE THE LEAD CONVENER AND BRAND MANAGER FOR THE CYBER ECOSYSTEM.

UH, WE WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR STAKEHOLDERS ACROSS THE ECOSYSTEM.

SO EVEN THOUGH WE'RE HOUSED IN THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, WORK WITH K 12 PARTNERS, HIGHER ED PARTNERS, NON-PROFITS, UM, WITH OUR CITY, STATE AND FEDERAL STAFF, WITH GLOBAL PARTNERS THAT COME INTO THE CITY, UM, AND SERVE AS A RESOURCE ACROSS THE COMMUNITY.

AND SO I JUST WANNA TAKE A SECOND TO ACKNOWLEDGE A COUPLE PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE.

SO WE HAVE THIS YEAR'S CYBER INDUSTRY CHAIR WITH US JAR KREY FROM ACCENTURE FEDERAL CYBER CENTER.

AND WE HAVE JASON BOOTS WIN, UH, ONE OF OUR MILITARY GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS CORE FOCUS AREA CHAIRS WITH US FROM C I C I.

WE HAVE TOM LONG FROM S A E D F AS WELL.

AND THEN THOMAS DAVIS AND THE E D D TEAM ARE PARTNERS WITH US.

UM, AND A SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO GEEKDOM TOO, 'CAUSE WE'VE STARTED PRESENTING TOGETHER AS WELL.

OOPS.

ALL RIGHT.

SO HERE'S OUR LOCAL ECOSYSTEM.

SO JUST A QUICK, UH, RUNDOWN.

LIKE I SAID, WE WORK ACROSS THE ECOSYSTEM, SO NOT JUST WITH INDUSTRY, BUT WITH OUR PARTNERS IN EDUCATION, OUR FEDERAL PARTNERS,

[00:05:01]

AND SO IN SAN ANTONIO, WE ARE, UM, RECOGNIZED FOR HAVING FIVE CENTERS FOR ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AS RECOGNIZED BY, UM, N S A AND D H S, THAT'S MORE THAN 30 PLUS STATES IN THE UNITED STATES.

SO WE HAVE A HIGH CONCENTRATION OF CYBER EXPERTISE, EXPERTISE AT THE HIGHER EDUCATION LEVEL, NOT JUST WITH OUR STUDENTS, BUT ALSO WITH OUR FACULTY AND OUR RESEARCHERS.

AND SO IN TERMS OF HOW WE'RE ORGANIZED AND HOW WE CONVENE, SO WE HAVE A 350 PLUS MEMBER COUNCIL.

AND AGAIN, THAT'S ACROSS THE ECOSYSTEM.

SO NOT JUST INDUSTRY, WE HAVE FIVE CORE FOCUS AREAS WITH LIKE, GO REALLY QUICK.

SO THESE ARE OUR FIVE CORE FOCUS AREAS, UH, MILITARY AND GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS, INNOVATION, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, TALENT AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.

AND GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT AS WELL AS IN THE MIDDLE IS SUSTAINABILITY.

SO SUSTAINABILITY OF THE PROGRAM OVERALL FUNDRAISING STRUCTURE, HOW WE'RE ORGANIZED.

AND SO THAT MEMBER COUNCIL IS WHAT MAKES UP THOSE 350 PLUS PEOPLE.

AND THEN WE HAVE A RECURRING MONTHLY CALL FOR EACH OF THOSE CORE FOCUS AREAS.

IN ADDITION TO THAT MONTHLY CALL, WE HAVE FOUR, THREE OR FOUR CO-CHAIRS FOR EACH OF THOSE CORE FOCUS AREAS.

SO AGAIN, I'M A DEPARTMENT OF ONE, SO IT'S PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT ME OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, LIKE JART BOOTS, UM, TOM LONG, AND OTHERS WHO CAN PROVIDE INFORMATION TO US.

AND THEN WE SHARE THAT INFORMATION OUT.

ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE DO THAT IS A WEEKLY CYBER NEWSLETTER.

SO IF YOU'RE NOT ALREADY GETTING THAT, LET US KNOW.

WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT YOU DO GET THAT.

BUT THAT IS COMPILED MANUALLY BY US OF ALL THE NEWS GOING ON IN CYBER TECH, STEM IN THE ECOSYSTEM.

UM, AND ABOUT HALF OF THE SUBSCRIBERS ARE LOCAL, BUT ABOUT HALF ARE EXTERNAL.

SO FOLKS WE MEET IN DC GLOBAL PARTNERS, UM, PEOPLE THAT WE'VE MET IN OTHER STATES THAT WANNA KEEP UP WITH OUR ECOSYSTEM, AND IT'S REALLY LEADING THE WAY IN TERMS OF INNOVATION AND BRANDING FOR OUR CITY OVERALL.

AND IT'S ALSO CONTAINS CALLS TO ACTION.

SO IF WE NEED VOLUNTEERS, MENTORS, TUTORS, UM, OTHER THINGS LIKE THAT.

AND THEN WE HAVE ONGOING ADVOCACY AT THE LOCAL STATE, FEDERAL LEVEL.

SO ESDA DC IS AN EXAMPLE.

VEEVA AUSTIN IS AN EXAMPLE.

UM, ONGOING INTERACTIONS WITH YOU ALL AND YOUR OFFICES AND YOUR STAFFERS.

WE HAVE SEVERAL STAFFERS WHO COME TO OUR MONTHLY MEETINGS.

WE WELCOME THAT IF YOUR STAFFERS ARE NOT ALREADY ATTENDING OUR MONTHLY MEETINGS, THEY'RE WELCOME TO COME.

UM, AND THAT WAY THEY CAN STAY UP TO SPEED WITH WHAT THE ECOSYSTEM IS DOING AS WELL.

WE PROVIDE ONGOING SUPPORT FOR EXISTING PARTNERS IN THEIR EXPANSION.

UH, WE DO THAT PRIMARILY THROUGH E D F, SO WE PARTNER ON B R E VISITS WHERE, WHICH ARE BUSINESS RECRUITMENT AND EXPANSION VISITS.

UH, CONFIDENTIAL DISCUSSIONS ABOUT WHAT ARE THE ROADBLOCKS, WHAT ARE THE OPPORTUNITIES, HOW CAN WE HELP, ARE THERE EXECUTIVES HERE, UH, IN DC ON THE WEST COAST? LIKE WHO DO WE NEED TO TALK TO TO MAKE SURE THAT THE INVESTMENT HERE IN THE COMMUNITY IS SUSTAINED AND INCREASES? AND THEN MAKING SURE THAT FOLKS ARE CONNECTED INTERNALLY AS WELL IN THE ECOSYSTEM.

SO MEANING THERE COULD BE A COMPANY THAT'S BEEN HERE FOR A LONG TIME, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE CONNECTIONS WITH U T S A IN THEIR DEPARTMENT.

THEY DON'T, THEY DON'T HAVE THAT INTERNSHIP PIPELINE OR ST.

MARY'S OR OUR LADY OF THE LAKE OR SAN ANTONIO COLLEGE OR ST.

PHILLIPS.

SO WE KNOW ALL THE DEPARTMENT HEADS FOR COMPUTER SCIENCE DEPARTMENTS.

WE KNOW THE C T E DIRECTORS AT THE K 12 LEVEL.

THEY'RE INVITED TO COME.

UM, A LOT OF THEM DID COME TO OUR AUGUST MEETING BEFORE SCHOOL STARTED, SO THEY GOT TO INTERACT WITH INDUSTRY EARLY, UM, AND PUT FACES TO NAMES AND SHARE INFORMATION AND MAKE SURE THAT THEIR STUDENTS HAVE ACCESS TO THESE OPPORTUNITIES AS WELL.

AND THEN OUR MONTHLY MEETINGS, WE ROTATE BECAUSE THE GROUP IS QUITE LARGE.

SO EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE 350 PLUS MEMBERS, UM, WE HAVE A MAYBE 80 TO 90 THAT COME PER MONTH.

SO IT'S A BIG GROUP TO HOUSE.

AND SO WE GO TO OUR UNIVERSITIES, WE GO TO COMMUNITY CENTERS.

WE HAD A MEETING AT GIRLS INC THIS YEAR.

WE HAD A MEETING ON THE EAST SIDE AT ELLA AUSTIN COMMUNITY CENTER.

SO WE TRY TO BOUNCE AROUND SO FOLKS CAN BE ENGAGED IN DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS.

UM, YEAH, AND THEN INCREASED BRAND RECOGNITION THROUGH EXECUTIVE VISITS AND DELEGATIONS.

SO THE PRIMARY EXAMPLE FOR THAT WOULD BE OUR GLOBAL VISITORS.

SO WE HAD FOLKS COME FROM JAPAN, WE TALKED ABOUT WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP IN STEM.

WE CAME, HAD PARTNERS COME FROM THE PHILIPPINES.

WE TALKED ABOUT CYBERSECURITY AND HOW WE CAN PROVIDE CAPABILITIES TO THEM.

WHEN WE HAD, UM, THE LORD MAYOR COME FROM DHAT.

WE'RE INVOLVED WITH THAT AS WELL.

AND SO WE JUST CONTINUE TO BE A RESOURCE FOR YOU ALL AND THE COMMUNITY AS MUCH AS WE CAN.

AGAIN, THESE ARE OUR CORE FOCUS AREAS.

AND SO THIS IS OUR WORK THAT WE DO IN COLLABORATION WITH THE CITY E D D SPECIFICALLY.

AND SO WE WORK ON BUSINESS RECRUITMENT, BUSINESS RETENTION, EXPANSION, ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVELOPMENT, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, AND THEN OTHER SPECIAL INITIATIVES.

SO AGAIN, JUST EMPHASIZING THAT THIS IS ACROSS THE ECOSYSTEM.

SO NOT DONE IN A SILO, BUT REALLY BRINGING EVERYBODY TOGETHER, DOING THE HARD WORK OF MAKING THOSE RELATIONSHIPS, STRENGTHENING THE RELATIONSHIPS, BUILDING UPON THEM AND CONNECTING PEOPLE.

AND THEN, UH, FROM THE MAYOR'S PERSPECTIVE WITH THE CYBER ADVISORY GROUP.

SO WE HELP TO CONVENE THIS GROUP.

[00:10:01]

BUT THESE ARE FOUR PROJECTS THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED IN COLLABORATION WITH THE CITY AND THE MAYOR'S OFFICE AS FOUR PRIORITIES IN THE CITY, UH, IN THE COMMUNITY FOR US TO REALLY MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALIGNED AND THAT WE'RE IN PARTNERSHIP TOGETHER.

UM, SO YOU'LL SEE THE REGIONAL SECURITY OPERATIONS CENTER, UM, UTSA'S, N SS C C PORT, SAN ANTONIO'S INNOVATION CAMPUS, AND THEN OTHER, UM, I GUESS YOU COULD CALL 'EM INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS WHERE WE'RE WORKING ON DEFENSE OVERALL AND HOW WE CAN STRENGTHEN OUR OWN CYBERSECURITY POSTURE AND CONTINUE TO INNOVATE AND PROTECT OUR RESIDENTS.

AND THEN ONE OTHER KEY POINT WOULD BE THE BROOKINGS GLOBAL CITIES INITIATIVE, WHERE WE'RE TAKING THAT DATA AND TURNING IT INTO ACTION ITEMS NOW.

SO WHAT ARE THE COMPANIES THAT WE CAN, UM, SEND TO OUR TARGET METRO AREAS AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE A SOFT LANDING SPOT? AND THEN VICE VERSA, WHAT ARE THE COMPANIES IN OTHER COUNTRIES THAT ARE READY TO COME TO SAN ANTONIO AND ESTABLISH, UM, A PRESENCE HERE, AND HOW CAN WE HELP THEM IN COLLABORATION WITH THE COMMUNITY? SO I WANTED TO LIST SOME ACHIEVEMENTS FOR Y'ALL TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU, UH, HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT WE'VE ACTUALLY ACCOMPLISHED.

AND SO THIS IS IN THE PAST YEAR ALONE, WHICH IS NOT OVER.

SO WE HAVE A LOT MORE WORK TO DO.

SO I HOPE THIS IS MANY MORE SLIDES LONGER.

UH, BUT WE WERE NAMED THE TOP 10 GLOBAL CYBER HUB BY C P O MAGAZINE, WHICH IS A HUGE DEAL BECAUSE WE LISTED UP THERE WITH ISRAEL OTHER AROUND THE WORLD, UH, HUGE TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION HUBS.

SO WE HAVE A LOT TO BE PROUD OF WITH THAT.

UM, WE ENGAGE OUR GLOBAL PARTNERS.

AS I MENTIONED, WE INCORPORATED GEEKDOM TECH BLOCK SCALE WORKS INTO OUR LOCAL NATIONAL ENGAGEMENTS.

WE WEREN'T DOING AS GOOD OF A JOB AS THAT BEFORE.

WE WOULD MAYBE TRY TO SCRAMBLE AT THE LAST MINUTE TO DO THAT, BUT NOW WE'VE JUST SHARED INFORMATION.

WE SHARE CONTACTS.

IF WE HAVE REQUESTS COME DOWN FROM CORRECTIONAL STAFFERS BECAUSE THEY'LL BE IN TOWN.

WE JUST SHARED THAT OUT EARLIER SO WE CAN GET THAT INFORMATION OUT TO THEM.

UM, THIS YEAR WE'LL HAVE A PRESENCE AT THE TEXAS CYBER SUMMIT, WHICH IS IN ITS SECOND YEAR.

AND THAT'S FOCUSED ON TECHNICAL PRACTITIONERS WITH INTERNATIONAL ATTENDEES AT THE ALAMO ACE, WHICH IS ONE OF OUR LARGEST HOMEGROWN CYBER CONFERENCES IN NOVEMBER OUT AT LARA SELLS OUT EVERY YEAR.

SO WE'LL HAVE A TEAM SAN ANTONIO PRESENCE.

SO WE KIND OF RAN WITH THIS TEAM, SAN ANTONIO IDEA TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT BRANDING IS WHAT STICKS.

NOT NECESSARILY CHAMBER, NOT THE CITY, UH, NOT A SPECIFIC INDUSTRY PARTNER, BUT TEAM SAN ANTONIO.

SO PEOPLE CAN BEGIN TO IDENTIFY WITH THAT BRANDING.

AND I THINK IT'S REALLY TAKEN OFF.

WE'RE WORKING TO TELL THE CYBER STORY SA CYBER STORY WITH ACCENTURE FEDERAL CYBER, FEDERAL SERVICES CYBER CENTER.

SO WHEN THEY HAD THEIR LAUNCH, WE WORKED WITH THEIR PR R T TO SEE WHAT WE COULD DO TO, UH, LAND SOME NATIONAL MEDIA, UH, ATTENTION AROUND OUR CYBERSECURITY ECOSYSTEM.

WE COORDINATED THIRD A ON TECH TREK, AGAIN, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR CO-HOSTS.

UH, WE HAD ABOUT 20 1200 ATTENDEES, 11 STOPS, SIX CO-HOSTS.

THAT WAS DRAMATICALLY INCREASED FROM LAST YEAR.

UH, THIS YEAR WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO HOSTING IT AGAIN AND JUST CONTINUING TO BUILD UPON IT.

THAT REALLY STANDS OUT AS WELL BECAUSE IT'S OPEN TO THE WHOLE GENERAL PUBLIC.

AND IT'S DURING FIESTA.

SO NORMALLY FOLKS WOULDN'T EXPECT TO HAVE A TECH EVENT DURING FIESTA, BUT IT IS AN OFFICIAL FIESTA EVENT.

AND SO IT'S JUST US TRYING TO TAP INTO OUR CULTURAL ROOTS, OUR CELEBRATORY ROOTS, AND THEN BRING IN, UH, THE TECH DISTRICT SO WE CAN START TO REALLY, UM, INTEGRATE THOSE TWO AND NOT HAVE THEM SEPARATE.

SO A FEW MORE ACHIEVEMENTS.

SO WE HOSTED LAST YEAR, THE FIRST, OH, I'M SORRY, WE'RE HOSTING THIS THURSDAY, THE FIRST EVER SAN ANTONIO CYBER PITCH, UH, AT THE SECOND ANNUAL BANK OF AMERICA EXECUTIVE SUMMIT ON CYBERSECURITY.

SO BANK OF AMERICA IS FLYING IN THEIR GLOBAL CHIEF PRIVACY OFFICER, THEIR HEAD OF IT VENDOR MANAGEMENT, AND, UH, THEIR CYBER POLICY EXECUTIVE JUST FOR US, LIKE THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN ANYWHERE ELSE.

WE DEBUTED IT LAST YEAR.

WE'RE DEBUTING IT AGAIN THIS YEAR, AND THIS TIME WE INTEGRATED A CYBER PITCH.

SO WE HAVE THREE SAN ANTONIO BASED STARTUPS THAT WE'LL SHOWCASE AT THIS SUMMIT, WHICH IS FANTASTIC.

UH, AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE HAVE A 16TH AIR FORCE STANDING UP, WHICH IS WHAT IS INTEGRATING 24TH AND 25TH.

SO CYBER AND I S R, UH, NUMBERED AIR FORCE, UM, HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.

AND THEN WE'LL HAVE A THREE STAR LEADING THAT.

WE HAVE OUR MONTHLY MEETINGS.

SO AGAIN, I WANTED TO CALL OUT ELLA, AUSTIN AND GIRLS INC.

I WENT TO THE FOIA MIDDLE SCHOOL.

I GET IT.

NOT A LOT OF FOLKS GO ON THAT SIDE OF TOWN.

AND SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE CYBER INDUSTRY IS THERE AND WE'RE ENGAGED.

UH, WE ALSO PLAN TO HOST A MEETING COMING UP AT FAMILY SERVICE.

SO WE ARE REALLY TRYING TO GET OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY AND MAKE SURE OUR GROUP IS AWARE OF THE DIGITAL DIVIDE AND OTHER ISSUES IN OUR, IN OUR SAN ANTONIO COMMUNITY BEYOND CYBERSECURITY AND MILITARY AFFAIRS.

AND THEN THIS IS SUPER EXCITING.

IT IS NOT PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE YET.

I'LL GO, I GUESS I'M ENTERING IT INTO PUBLIC NOTES NOW.

BUT WE, SAN ANTONIO WILL HOST, UH, THE FIRST IN TEXAS STATE ROBOTICS CHAMPIONSHIP AT THE ALAMO DOME THIS APRIL, WHICH IS HUGE.

WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THAT.

WE'RE ANNOUNCING IT PUBLICLY THIS WEEK.

UM, THEY'LL HAVE A PRESS RELEASE COMING OUT SOON, BUT THIS IS A REALLY BIG DEAL.

LAST YEAR WAS IN AUSTIN, UH, THEIR PLAN B WAS WACO, AND WE

[00:15:01]

YOU NEED TO BE AT THE ALAMO DOME.

AND SO THAT'S GONNA BE A HUGE OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO REALLY BOOST OUR PROFILE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS OVERALL.

SO WE'RE SUPER EXCITED ABOUT THAT.

AND THEN LOOKING AHEAD, SO, AND THIS IS MY LAST SLIDE, UH, AND THEN I'LL TAKE YOUR QUESTIONS.

SO MEASURING SUCCESS.

SO WE ARE THE SECOND LARGEST CONCENTRATION OF CYBER PROFESSIONALS IN THE UNITED STATES, AND WE WANNA STAY NUMBER TWO.

NUMBER ONE IS THE DC CAPITAL NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION.

WE'RE NOT GONNA BE NUMBER ONE, AND THAT'S OKAY, BUT WE DON'T WANNA SKIP DOWN TO 3, 4, 5, 6.

WE WANNA STAY NUMBER TWO.

UH, OUR JOB IS TO CONTINUE TO CONVENE, CONNECT, AND BRAND THE CYBER ECOSYSTEM IN COLLABORATION WITH ALL OUR PARTNERS.

AND THEN WE JUST WANNA KEEP TRAINING, EMPLOYING, ACTIVATING OUR CYBER TALENT.

SO WHETHER IT'S UNDISCOVERED TALENT, UNDERUTILIZED AT ANY AGE, NOT JUST STUDENTS, BUT TRANSITIONING MILITARY PROFESSIONALS, MOMS, DADS, GRANDMAS, WHOEVER'S INTERESTED IN CYBER IT TECH, UH, JOBS.

WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY KNOW WHERE TO GO.

SO THERE ARE A LOT OF DIFFERENT PROJECTS WITHIN THAT WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO SHARE AWARENESS, UM, AND BRIDGE SOME GAPS IN THE COMMUNITY.

AND THAT'S IT IN A NUTSHELL.

SO THANK Y'ALL.

AND I'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS THAT Y'ALL HAVE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

DID WE WANNA GO AHEAD AND JUMP TO THE NEXT PRESENTATION? DOES IT FLOW TOGETHER OR SHOULD WE STOP AND DO SOME QUESTIONS? THEY DON'T FLOW TOGETHER.

OKAY.

SO, UM, SO IF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE QUESTIONS, ONE OF THE FIRST QUESTIONS I HAVE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALL OF THIS.

YEAH, IT'S BEEN VERY, IT'S, IT'S HELPFUL FOR ME, UM, UH, TO, TO SEE HOW THIS ALL LINKS TOGETHER WITH OUR ECONOMIC WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.

UM, QUICKLY ON SLIDE NUMBER SEVEN FOR THE MAYOR'S CYBER ADVISORY GROUP, WHO IS IN THAT? DO YOU HAVE A, HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE IN THAT? SO WE HAVE A LIST, I BELIEVE, RIGHT? I'LL LET ALEX EXPLAIN.

YES, WE DO HAVE A LIST.

IT'S, IT'S BASICALLY THE CEOS, UM, OR LIKE DR.

AMY, THE, THE LEADERS OF PARTICULAR ORGANIZATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THOSE FOUR INITIATIVES.

UM, AND THEN WHAT WE REALIZED IS JUST COLLECTIVELY, WE ALSO NEEDED TO HAVE MILITARY LEADERS FROM OUR COMMUNITY INVOLVED AS WELL.

SO THEY'VE MET ONCE, UM, THERE HAS BEEN CONVERSATION ABOUT THEM MEETING AGAIN.

WHAT AMANDA ALSO HELPS US WITH THOUGH, IS THAT SECOND BULLET THAT ORGANIZE ORGAN ORGANIZING OUR INITIATIVES ACTION GROUP.

BECAUSE ASIDE FROM FROM THE MAYOR CYBER ADVISORY GROUP, WE'VE CONTINUED TO MEET, TO MEET, MAKE THOSE INITIATIVES, KIND OF KEEP THEM MOVING FORWARD AS WELL.

MM-HMM.

.

AND ON, UH, SLIDE NUMBER EIGHT, UH, WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE ACHIEVEMENTS TELLING THE SA CYBER STORY.

SO LET ME ASK YOU THIS.

SO WHEN PEOPLE COME IN OR CONNECT AND SAY, HOW CAN WE BE A PART OF THE SAN ANTONIO CYBER WORLD? THEY'RE VENTURE CAPITALISTS FROM CHINA, THEY WANT TO INVEST IN CYBER, THEY'RE ONLY LOOKING AT AUSTIN AND THEY'RE TRYING TO GET THEIR FOOT INTO THE DOOR.

WHO DO, WHO DO WE DIRECT 'EM TO? SO I THINK FOR CYBER, I WOULD PROBABLY BE THE POINT OF CONTACT FOR THOSE DISCUSSIONS.

UM, AND THEN DEPENDING WHAT THEY'RE MOST INTERESTED IN, WE CAN SEND THEM A DIFFERENT DIRECTION.

SO SOMETIMES IT'S A B TWO B CONVERSATION OR EXEC TO EXEC CONVERSATION IF THEY'RE AT THAT LEVEL, IF IT'S VENTURE CAPITALISTS, I'LL SEND MS SCALE WORKS OR GEEKDOM ACTIVE CAPITAL, UH, FILTER OUT THAT WAY, UH, BUILDING UPON THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'VE HAD OR HOW WE GOT INTRODUCED.

UM, IF IT'S AN ELECTED OFFICIAL OR GOVERNMENT FOLKS WHO WORK THROUGH CITY E D D, UM, AND COUNTY AS WELL AS APPLICABLE.

SO I THINK IT DEPENDS ON THE CONVERSATION, BUT GENERALLY IF THEY'RE INTERESTED, I USUALLY THE FIRST POINT OF CONTACT, AND THEN I'LL USUALLY FOLLOW UP WITH OUR NEWSLETTER ONCE THEY SEE THAT NEWSLETTER OF ALL THE NEWS THAT'S GOING ON IN THE AREA FROM K 12, HIGHER ED STARTUPS, FUNDING JOBS, UM, RECENT ANNOUNCEMENTS ABOUT INVESTMENT, RIGHT? THE TOYOTA ANNOUNCEMENT, THE BILLION DOLLAR WEEK IS HUGE.

THINGS LIKE THAT DEFINITELY CHANGE THEIR MIND.

AND THEN IF THERE'S AN UPCOMING EVENT, THEN WE CAN PLUG THEM IN THERE, RIGHT? SO IF YOU'RE IN TOWN, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD FOLKS REACH OUT TO US, UH, WE PUSH THEM TOWARDS SAN ANTONIO STARTUP WEEK, WE PUSH THEM TOWARDS THE ALAMO ACE CONFERENCE IF THEY'RE INTO DEFENSE MILITARY SIDE.

SO WE HAVE PLENTY OF OUTLETS FOR THEM TO GO TO.

IT'S JUST GETTING A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THEIR GOALS ARE.

UM, DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? YES.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

OKAY.

UH, THOSE ARE ALL THE QUESTIONS I HAVE.

COLLEAGUES, ANYTHING, COUNCIL MEMBER, , CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE ROBOTICS EVENT? YEAH.

UM, IT FIRST EVER, UH, THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING.

ARE YOU DOING THIS IN CONJUNCTION WITH ANYBODY ELSE LOCALLY? YEAH, SO THAT'S SUPER NEW.

SO OUR ONLY ROLE WAS TO HELP, UH, FACILITATE ONE, AN INTRODUCTION BETWEEN FIRST, UH, ROBOTICS AND THE ALMO DOME, WHICH WE DID THROUGH VISIT SAN ANTONIO.

SO AGAIN, WORKING THROUGH OUR PARTNERSHIPS AND OUR RELATIONSHIPS, UH, BEING ON SITE FOR THE WALKTHROUGH, SEEING IF THERE WAS ANYTHING THAT WE NEEDED TO PUSH BECAUSE THERE WASN'T REALLY ANY HESITATION OR ROADBLOCKS.

IT WAS JUST A

[00:20:01]

WE REALLY DIDN'T NEED TO PULL IN ANYBODY ELSE NECESSARILY.

WE JUST LET THEM FIGURE IT OUT.

UM, IF WE NEEDED TO, THEN WE WOULD'VE GONE TO PROBABLY ELECTED OR WE WOULD'VE GONE TO SA SPORTS, OR WE WOULD'VE GONE THROUGH DIFFERENT AVENUES TO SEE HOW WE COULD GET THEM TO COME.

BUT THEY, I REALLY WANTED TO BE HERE.

UH, AND SO NEXT STEPS WOULD BE WORKING WITH THEM ONCE A ANNOUNCEMENT IS OUT TO BRING IN OTHER FOLKS.

SO WE DID ALREADY ALERT PORT SAN ANTONIO.

WE LET OTHER PARTNERS KNOW, UH, THE ROBOTICS TEAMS LOCALLY, SO THEY'RE WORKING THROUGH THEIR CHAPTER SO THAT WAY WE CAN REALLY ACTIVATE AND GET FOLKS EXCITED.

BUT THERE ARE PLENTY OPPORTUNITIES.

THEY'RE LOOKING FOR, UM, BUSINESS SUPPORT, SO SPONSORSHIPS, UM, THEY'RE ALSO LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS.

SO THAT'S A HUGE OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO REALLY SHOW UP AS A COMMUNITY.

ROBOTICS, ROBOTICS TEAMS LOCALLY.

HOW ARE WE DOING THAT? HOW ARE WE DOING THAT? RECRUITMENT? THAT WOULD BE A FIRST IN ROBOTICS QUESTION.

OKAY.

I CAN ASK THEM IF YOU WANT, I CAN CONNECT YOU TO THEM.

NO, NO, NO.

I THOUGHT THAT THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT Y'ALL WERE DOING OR THAT YOU'D ASKED US TO DO.

OKAY.

NO, I MEAN, WE SUPPORT THEM BY CONNECTING THEM TO MENTORS, UH, WHEN THEY NEED HELP WITH THAT.

BUT FIRST IS REALLY, REALLY GOOD WITH THEIR STRUCTURE, WHERE THEY BRING IN FOLKS, UM, TO BE MENTORS AND SUCH.

YEP.

THANK YOU CHAIR.

THAT'S ALL.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, AMANDA.

COOL.

APPRECIATE IT.

THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT, NEXT

[3. 19-7285 A briefing on the proposed Geekdom Incubator, Civic Tech DivisionProject. [Carlos J. Contreras III, Assistant City Manager; AlejandraLopez, Interim Director, Economic Development]]

HI.

HI, .

I'M CRAIG HOPKINS.

UH, I JUST GOT A REALLY COOL OPPORTUNITY TO INTRODUCE THIS TOPIC, AND THEN I'M GONNA BRING UP THE SMART PEOPLE WHO ARE GONNA PUT IT INTO PLAY.

BUT, UM, THE QUICK STORY BEHIND THIS WAS THE INNOVATION TEAM HERE AT THE CITY HAS DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB CREATING DATA, HONS, HONS, YOU NAME IT, HONS, WHICH IS GOING OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY AND PUTTING CIVIC CHALLENGES OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AND ASKING FOR RESIDENTS AND STUDENTS TO FIGURE OUT WAYS THEY WOULD SOLVE THESE PROBLEMS FOR US.

AND WE HAVE THESE GREAT MASHUP WEEKENDS, AND WE GIVE PRIZES AND WE GET THESE GREAT IDEAS.

AND THEN WHAT WE REALIZED WERE SOME OF THESE FOLKS ACTUALLY WANTED TO TAKE THOSE IDEAS AND TURN THEM INTO REAL PRODUCTS, OR SOME OF THEM EVEN WANTED TO CREATE COMPANIES ON THEIR OWN, BUT THEY DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO DO THAT.

SO WE, BRIAN AND I TURNED TO OUR FRIENDS AT GEEKDOM AND SAID, YOU'RE GOOD AT RUNNING ACCELERATORS.

YOU, YOU CAN TAKE SMALL COMPANIES AND WRAP THEM WITH SERVICES AND HELP THEM BUILD THEIR PRODUCT OUT AND GROW.

BUT THERE'S A GAP BETWEEN A RESIDENT WHO HAS A REALLY GOOD IDEA, WHO WANTS TO DO SOMETHING WITH IT, AND A COMPANY THAT'S ALREADY STARTED THAT WANTS TO GROW.

SO WE COINED THE TERM AN INCUBATOR.

HOW CAN WE INCUBATE THESE IDEAS? AND WE TOOK THAT CHALLENGE AND WE TOOK IT OVER TO GEEKDOM, AND WE TURNED TO CHARLES AND TO JOYCE, AND WE SAID, YOU GUYS ARE GOOD AT THIS.

HOW CAN WE SOLVE THIS PROBLEM? LIKE ANY GOOD INNOVATION, CLARIFY THE PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE SOLVED FIRST.

AND SO WE'VE BEEN BACK AND FORTH OVER THIS FOR SEVERAL MONTHS, AND THEY CAME UP A WAY TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM.

SO I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE CHARLES WOODEN AND JOYCE DOOLEY, WHO ARE GONNA COME UP HERE AND TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE NEW GEEKDOM INCUBATOR PROGRAM THAT WE'RE GONNA PUT IN PLACE, NOT ONLY FOR CITY CIVIC CHALLENGES, BUT A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR THE WHOLE CITY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF AS WELL.

THANK YOU, CRAIG.

UM, JUST TO REITERATE WHAT CRAIG WAS SAYING, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO SINCE OUR INCEPTION IN 2011 WAS TO BE ABLE TO HELP CREATE COMPANIES.

THE WHOLE INTENT BEHIND GEEKDOM IN ITS EXISTENCE WAS TO, UH, OFFER A PLACE TO BRING MORE TALENT, TO BRING MORE COMPANIES TO SAN ANTONIO SO THAT THE ISSUES THAT OUR CO-FOUNDER GRAHAM WESTON ENCOUNTERED WHILE HE WAS A PART OF RACKSPACE BECAME AN ISSUE NO LONGER.

IT WAS GONNA BE A PLACE WHERE TALENT WOULD WANT TO COME, WHERE PEOPLE WOULD WANT TO START A COMPANY, AND WE WOULD OFFER THE RESOURCES TO BE ABLE TO DO IT.

UH, IN THE EIGHT YEARS THAT WE'VE BEEN IN EXISTENCE, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO HELP CREATE A BUNCH OF AMAZING COMPANIES THAT I'M SURE YOU GUYS HAVE HEARD OF, LIKE CODE, UH, CODE UP, MERGE, VR PAR LEVEL, AND A HANDFUL OF OTHER ONES.

UH, EVERY YEAR WE SEE NEW INNOVATIVE IDEAS COME THROUGH THE SPACE.

AND ONE OF THE BIGGEST PROGRAMS THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO PARTNER WITH THE CITY ON IS THE CTEC SA PROGRAM.

AND THE CTEC SA PROGRAM HAS LED TO WHAT, UH, CRAIG HAD JUST MENTIONED, WHICH IS THE ISSUE OF GREAT IDEAS, TECHNICAL IDEAS TO HELP SOLVE CIVIC PROBLEMS. BUT THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE RUNWAY TO BE ABLE TO GET THOSE IDEAS INTO A COMPANY OR TO BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN SOME KIND OF PROCUREMENT PROCESS WITH THE CITY.

AND SO HOW DO WE HELP THEM GET TO THE POINT WHERE THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE THOSE TYPES OF CONVERSATIONS BE PREPARED TO DO THAT? AND THAT'S, AS YOU SEE UP ON THE SLIDE THERE, A BUNCH OF THE PROGRAMS THAT WE OFFER.

UH, YOU FIND US TODAY, TWO DAYS REMOVED FROM A STARTUP WEEKEND WHERE WE JUST HAD A BUNCH OF WOMEN, ABOUT 40, ABOUT 40 WOMEN COME THROUGH AND PITCH IDEAS THAT ENDED UP BECOMING COMPANIES AT THE END OF IT.

WE HAD FOUR REALLY GREAT IDEAS THAT CAME OUT OF THAT.

THAT'S SOMETHING WE HOST THREE TIMES A YEAR.

AND THERE'S A HANDFUL OF OTHER PROGRAMS UP THERE, BUT I'M REALLY HONORED TO WORK WITH AN AMAZING TEAM.

AND THE ONE PERSON WHO WAS ABLE TO KIND OF PULL THIS ALL TOGETHER WAS JOYCE DOOLEY, WHO I'LL BE BRINGING UP HERE IN A SECOND.

UM,

[00:25:01]

HELLO, EVERYBODY.

THANK YOU.

A LITTLE SHORT, UH, THANK YOU, AMANDA, FOR YOUR KIND WORDS EARLIER AND FOR CRAIG, THE INTRODUCTION.

AND ALSO THANK YOU, UH, CHARLES, AND I'M REALLY PLEASED TO BE STANDING HERE IN FRONT OF YOU ALL TODAY.

UM, THE GEEKDOM INCUBATOR, OH, OH, IT'S, IT'S ON THE SCREEN.

SORRY.

OKAY.

SO THE GEEKDOM INCUBATOR'S MISSION ULTIMATELY REALLY IS TO ENHANCE LOCAL TALENT AND ENCOURAGE INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP, AS WELL AS DRIVE ECONOMIC GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OVER A 12 MONTH PROGRAM THAT REALLY, UM, ENHAN, UM, SORRY, A 12 MONTH PROGRAM AND WHAT WE'RE GOING TO PROVIDE TO THE PARTICIPANT TEAMS. UM, MOVING THROUGH THIS INCUBATOR IS A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY TO WORK AND PARTNER WITH THE CITY, AS WELL AS HAVE ACCESS TO EXCELLENT MENTORS AND ADVISORS, AS WELL AS, UM, CURRICULUM THAT WE'RE WORKING ON FOR A MARKET RESEARCH AND VALIDATION, UH, IN ORDER TO, UH, DRIVE THESE GOALS MOVING FORWARD.

BUT BEFORE WE REALLY GET INTO THE NITTY GRITTY OF THE PROGRAM DETAILS, WE REALLY WANT TO TALK ABOUT WHAT INSPIRED THIS PROJECT TO MOVE FORWARD.

AS CRAIG MENTIONED, A LOT OF THE ACTIVITY THAT CAME OUT OF THE CIV TECH SA PROGRAM WAS REALLY AMAZING IDEAS.

AND THERE WERE A HANDFUL OF TEAMS THAT REALLY WANTED TO MOVE FORWARD AND COLLABORATE MORE INTENSELY WITH THE CITY, AS WELL AS TO DRIVE TOWARDS CREATING A COMPANY AND REALLY BUILDING THE WORKFORCE AND THE WORKFORCE IN SAN ANTONIO.

AND THIS WAS A REALLY AMAZING OPPORTUNITY FOR ME WHO LED THE CIV TECH ESSAY PROJECT LAST YEAR FOR GEEKDOM TO REALLY MEET WITH THESE POTENTIAL TEAMS. I'M GOING TO INTRODUCE HERE IN A MINUTE BECAUSE AS WE ALL KNOW, IT'S NOT REALLY ABOUT THE TECHNOLOGY OR THE THINGS THAT WE BUILD, BUT IT'S REALLY ABOUT THE PEOPLE AND COMMUNITY THAT WE SERVE.

SO EMMA DEJONG AND LAURA RASKA WERE CODE UP STUDENTS IN THE SPRING OF 2018 AND GEEKED AND PRESENTED THE CIV TECH ESSAY PROGRAM AT A LUNCH AND LEARN.

AND THEN I FOLLOWED UP WITH THOSE TWO LADIES, UM, ABOUT THEIR POTENTIAL IDEA TO TACKLE THE A C S CHALLENGE LAST, LAST YEAR TO HELP REDUCE THE NUMBER OF ANIMALS IN THE SERVICES, UM, THE A C S DEPARTMENT, AND ALSO TO INCREASE PET ADOPTION CITYWIDE.

AND THEY WEREN'T REALLY CERTAIN AT THE BEGINNING WHETHER OR NOT THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO ACTUALLY UTILIZE THIS AS THEIR CAPSTONE PROJECT.

AND SO BASICALLY, WITHOUT THE CTEC SA PROGRAM'S KNOWLEDGE, THEY WENT AHEAD AND MOVED FORWARD AND COMPLETED AN ALERT NOTIFICATION SYSTEM THAT SOLVED THIS PROBLEM.

AND THE ONLY REASON WHY I SAW IT IS BECAUSE WE PARTNERED WITH CODEUP AND I ATTENDED THEIR GRADUATION DAY, AND I WAS SO BLOWN AWAY BY WHAT THEY HAD TO OFFER.

I KNEW THAT THE CITY HAD TO SEE THIS AS WELL.

SO WE SET UP A MEETING WITH THE A C S DEPARTMENT, AND THE LADIES CAME IN AND PILOTED AND DEMONSTRATED THEIR PROJECT.

AND AS SOON AS THEY WERE DONE, THE A C S DEPARTMENT SAID, YES, WE WOULD ABSOLUTELY LOVE TO WORK WITH YOU ON THIS FURTHER, HOW DO WE GO ABOUT DOING THAT? AND IT WAS THROUGH THOSE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT, WELL, THIS ISN'T A FORMAL R F P PROCESS, AND THIS IS A STUDENT TEAM THAT IS TURNING INTO A CONCEPT THAT COULD BE APPLIED.

AND THAT'S WHERE CRAIG SORT OF STEPPED UP AND SAID, HEY, HOW DO WE HELP THEM MOVE FORWARD ON IT? AND SO THESE LADIES REALLY WERE SORT OF THE BEGINNING OF THIS JOURNEY, MOVING INTO SOLO VAGO, WHICH HAPPENS TO BE A TEAM THAT WAS ALSO GENERATED OUT OF THE CODE UP PROGRAM, BUT COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT OF THE CIV TECH SA PROJECT.

THEY WERE WORKING ON ANOTHER CIVIC TECH INITIATIVE THAT WAS REALLY THE CREATION OR THE IDEA BEHIND JENNIFER WALKER'S NEED TO FEEL MORE SAFE IN HER NEIGHBORHOODS AS WELL AS TO EMPOWER OTHER WOMEN AND FAMILIES TO FEEL LIKE THEY CAN GO OUT INTO THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS.

UM, AND SO THEY CREATED A NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY APPLICATION THAT REALLY HELPS INSPIRE THAT CONFIDENCE.

AND I SAW THEIR PRESENTATION AS WELL AND NOTED THAT IT WAS AMAZING, AND JEN TOOK IT UPON HERSELF TO REACH OUT TO CRAIG HOPKINS TO SHOW HIM WHAT SHE WAS WORKING ON.

AND SO IT WAS A REALLY UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO THEN GET RECONNECTED TO JEN THROUGH CRAIG ABOUT POTENTIALLY PARTICIPATING IN THIS PROGRAM.

BUT IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE IN OUR ENTREPRENEURSHIP OR OUR TECHNOLOGY ECOSYSTEM DOWNTOWN, BUT ALSO OTHER PEOPLE WITHIN THE REACH OF THE CTEC SA PROJECT.

AND SO MATT MONROE'S TEAM WITH KOBE DOYLE AND ANDRE GOMEZ WAS REALLY UNIQUE AND SPECIAL AS WELL.

THEY WERE STUDENTS AT TRINITY AND THE INTRO TO ENTREPRENEURSHIP CLASS WHERE WE ALSO PRESENTED AND THEY DECIDED THAT THEY WANTED TO TACKLE TWO, TWO OF THE CHALLENGES FROM SIV TECH SA FOR OUR PARKS AND RECS, UH, GAMIFICATION AND NOTIFICATION APP, AS WELL AS TO HELP SOLVE THE NAVIGATION PROBLEMS ON THE RIVER WALK.

AND SO THEY COMBINED A SOLUTION AND PITCHED THAT FOR THE STONEBERG PRIZE COMPETITION, UM, AND THE SUMMER ACCELERATOR AT TRINITY, UNFORTUNATELY, THEY DID NOT GET INTO THE ACCELERATOR, BUT THESE GENTLEMEN, PARTICULARLY MATT AND KOLBY, DECIDED THEY WANTED TO PURSUE THIS CONCEPT AS ENTREPRENEURS AND

[00:30:01]

AND THROUGH SOME OF THESE DISCUSSIONS AT GEEKDOM, MATT MONROE NOW HAPPENS TO BE OUR COMMUNITY MANAGER.

UM, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THEIR TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS AND NEEDS, AND I KNEW THAT ANDRE GOMEZ, WHO IS BASICALLY A YOUNG TECH PRODIGY WORKING FOR GOMAR SOLAR IN THE GEEKDOM COMMUNITY, WOULD BE A REALLY GREAT ASSET TO THEM.

AND HE HAS SINCE THEN JOINED THEIR TEAM.

SO MOVING FORWARD INTO THE NITTY GRITTY PARTS OF THE PROGRAM, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY WANNA BE FOCUSING ON CONCEPT OR EARLY STAGE TEAMS OR COMPANIES THAT REALLY NEED, UH, ADDITIONAL INCUBATION OR ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT.

A LOT OF TRADITIONAL INCUBATORS WILL PROVIDE MENTORSHIP AND SPACE, BUT THERE'S NOT REALLY A, A PROGRAM OR A CHANNEL FOR ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATION.

AND SO WE'VE REALLY PUT IN THE TIME TO CONSTRUCT A PROGRAM THAT'S GOING TO PROVIDE THEM PROFESSIONAL AS WELL AS BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, ALL WHILE THEY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK ON THEIR CONCEPTS AND THEN ULTIMATELY PARTNER OR PILOT OR PROCURE WITH THE CITY.

AND I'LL GET INTO THAT HERE IN A MINUTE.

SO THE SELECTION PROCESS, I INTRODUCED YOU TO THE TEAMS THAT REALLY SORT OF MADE A CASE FOR WHY WE SHOULD PRODUCE A PROGRAM LIKE THIS, BUT WE UNDERSTAND THAT THIS ISN'T HAPPENING IN A VACUUM AND THAT THERE ARE LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR TALENTED, WONDERFUL, BRILLIANT INDEPENDENT PEOPLE, WHETHER THEY'RE STUDENTS OR ADULTS, OR AS COUNCILMAN PERRY MENTIONED, UM, OLDER PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY AS WELL WHO HAVE REALLY GREAT TALENT AND IDEAS THAT THEY WOULD LOVE TO APPLY.

UM, AND SO AS WE MOVE FORWARD AND WE BUILD OUT THE PILOT OR THE PROOF OF CONCEPT FOR THIS PROGRAM, AND WE EXPAND NOT JUST WITHIN THE CIVIC TECH SPACE, BUT ALSO FOR THE OTHER ELEMENTS OF GEEKDOM, THAT WE REALLY WANNA OPEN IT UP AN APPLICATION PROCESS.

AND SO MOVING FORWARD, WE'D LIKE TO SOURCE FROM THE CIV TECH SA PROGRAM, OTHER COMMUNITY PARTNER EVENTS AND COMPETITIONS, UM, AS WELL AS OUR STUDENT COMMUNITIES.

UM, AND THAT SORT OF PROCESS LOOKS LIKE THERE WILL BE AN ONLINE APPLICATION FORM, OR WE WILL INVITE PEOPLE AS WE ARE AT THESE EVENTS TO CONNECT AND SEND THEM THE APPLICATION.

UM, WE WILL REVIEW THAT WITH THE SELECTION COMMITTEE, WHICH IS A COMBINATION OF GEEKDOM AND CITY STAKEHOLDERS.

AND THEN WE WILL ALSO ALLOW THOSE FINALISTS OR THOSE QUALIFIED APPLICANTS TO COME IN AND PRESENT.

IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT OUT OF THE THREE TEAMS THAT REPRESEN PRESENTED MATT MONROE'S TEAM WITH POLIS ACTUALLY WAS THE FIRST FORMAL PRESENTATION TO BE ADMITTED INTO CONSIDERATION.

AND SO THEY ACTUALLY CAME IN AND GAVE A FULL ON PRESENTATION AND ANSWERED QUESTIONS FROM THE STAKEHOLDERS BEFORE WE DECIDED TO ADMIT THEM INTO THIS PILOT.

SO WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, INCUBATORS AND THINGS THAT CAN BE REALLY NEBULOUS ON SORT OF WHAT ACTIVITIES OR WHAT THIS PROCESS LOOKS LIKE.

SO ONCE A TEAM HAS BEEN ACCEPTED, THERE'S GOING TO BE A DISCOVERY PROCESS AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY KIND OF, AS CRAIG SAID, TO CLARIFY THE DETAILS BEFORE WE REALLY JUMP IN ON THIS.

SO BEFORE THIS PARTICIPANTS CAN PARTICIPATE AND MOVE FORWARD, THEY HAVE TO HAVE A COMPLETED INITIAL SCOPE OF WORK THAT BREAKS DOWN THEIR MILESTONES ON WHAT THEY HOPE TO ACCOMPLISH ON A QUARTERLY BASIS, SO THAT WE WHO ARE HELPING TO MANAGE THE PROGRAM AND TO ASSIST THESE TEAMS CAN HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE, AND THAT WE ARE MOVING FORWARD IN A STEADY PROCESS.

AT SOME POINT WITHIN THE DEVELOPMENT PHASE, THERE'S GOING TO BE THE OPPORTUNITY TO POTENTIALLY PILOT WITH CITY DEPARTMENTS OR TO TEST, AND WE WANT TO USE THAT TIME PERIOD FOR THE STAKEHOLDERS IN THE COMMITTEES TO REALLY CONSIDER WHETHER OR NOT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE COMMUNITY OR THE CITY COULD ACTUALLY IMPLEMENT AND MOVE FORWARD ON.

AND THEN AT THE VERY END, THE GOAL IS TO POTENTIALLY LAUNCH THE PRODUCT REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT THE CITY, YOU KNOW, WANTS TO PARTICIPATE ON A FORMAL LEVEL OR NOT.

BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, ECONOMIC AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THAT YOU HAVE A CITY CONTRACT, BUT THAT YOU HAVE A VIABLE BUSINESS OR OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE AN ECONOMIC IMPACT.

THE UNIQUE THING ABOUT THIS INCUBATOR AS WELL IS THE WHO OUR PARTNERS ARE.

AND PARTICULARLY WE'RE EXCITED TO PARTNER WITH INNOVATION AND I T S D AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE BEEN TRIED AND TRUE ALLIES IN GETTING THIS OFF THE GROUND.

AND WE KNOW THAT THROUGH THEIR ASSISTANCE WE'LL BE ABLE TO NOT ONLY GIVE THESE TEAMS POTENTIAL ACCESS AND INSIGHTS THAT THEY WOULDN'T HAVE OTHERWISE AS A STARTUP WORKING WITH CITY DEPARTMENTS, BECAUSE AS WE KNOW, THEY'RE NOT THE SAME THING AND THEY MOVE AND SPEAK VERY DIFFERENTLY.

BUT ALSO THAT WE CAN HELP THESE TEAMS WHO HAVE THE GOAL OF APPLYING THEIR IDEAS AND THEIR SOLUTIONS WITHIN CITIES, HOW A CITY WOULD GO ABOUT WHAT ARE THOSE REQUIREMENTS, WHAT DO YOU NEED TO CONSIDER? YOU KNOW, IT CAN'T BE SLAPDASH, IT CAN'T JUST BE OFF THE CUFF.

YOU REALLY NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE MEETING A LOT OF DATA AND PRIVACY AND SECURITY REQUIREMENTS, AND THAT YOU'RE ULTIMATELY DOING THINGS ON BENEFIT OF THE CITIZENS, AS WELL AS MAKING SURE THAT THE CITY IS, UM, NOT COMPROMISED IN THE PROCESS.

THE ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT IS GONNA CONSIST OF A SERIES OF SATURDAY WORKSHOPS AS WELL AS CIVIC, UH, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES.

WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE TEAMS ARE NOT ONLY GETTING EDUCATION AND THAT IT'S ALSO NOT HAPPENING IN A VACUUM, BUT THAT THEY NEED TO BE VISIBLE AND PRESENT IN THE COMMUNITY.

THAT COULD INCLUDE GEEK DEM EVENTS OR OTHER PARTNER EVENTS, BUT THEY ARE REQUIRED TO SHOW UP, BE PRESENT, AND TO HELP OUT.

AND THEN THE ACCESS

[00:35:01]

BUT THEY ALSO HAVE ACCESS TO ONE-ON-ONE ADVISEMENT AS WELL AS MY JOB AS PROGRAM MANAGER IS BY THE END OF THE YEAR TO HELP THEM IDENTIFY AND LINE UP POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS OR OTHER OPPORTUNITIES FOR INVESTMENT OR, UM, ENTRANCE INTO OTHER INCUBATORS OR ACCELERATORS AS THEY NEED THE GOALS.

WELL, CLEARLY WE WANNA ULTIMATELY CREATE ECONOMIC IMPACT AND DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH.

UM, AND WE REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S A POSITIVE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WHAT WE'RE PRODUCING OUT OF THIS PILOT PROGRAM IN THE CITY, UM, AND USE THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO ATTRACT NEW OPPORTUNITIES AND TALENTS.

BUT A BE A BENEFIT TO THE CITY OF PARTNERING WITH US ON THIS PROJECT IS THAT AS THESE SOLUTIONS ARE DEVELOPED IN A PART PILOT OR PARTNER CAPACITY, THAT THE CITY HAS THE RIGHT OF FIRST REFUSAL OF WHAT COMES OUT OF THIS.

AND NOT ONLY THAT, BUT AS THE TEAMS AGREE TO PARTICIPATE, THEY ARE REQUIRED IF THEY FORMALIZE A COMPANY TO BE HEADQUARTERED IN SAN ANTONIO FOR AT LEAST TWO YEARS TO ENSURE THAT THE COMMITMENT IS STAYS WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY, THE METRICS.

SO I MENTIONED THE SCOPE OF WORK THAT EACH OF THE TEAMS WILL CRAFT BEFORE THEY SIGN THE PARTICIPANT AGREEMENT, BUT NOT ONLY THAT WE HAVE PROGRAM MILESTONES.

THIS IS WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO ACCOMPLISH IN THE PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CAPACITY AS, AS WELL AS TO HELP KEEP GEEKED THEM ACCOUNTABLE FOR WHAT WE'RE GOING TO PROVIDE TO THEM.

AND SO, AGAIN, BEFORE EACH PARTICIPANT GOES THROUGH, WE WILL REVIEW THE PROGRAM MILESTONES, AND WE WILL ALSO HAVE THE PROJECT MILESTONES DEPENDENT UPON WHATEVER PRODUCT OR SERVICE THEY'RE BUILDING.

THEY'RE GONNA BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE THROUGH BIWEEKLY MEETINGS.

AND I SHOULD NOTE THAT EACH OF THESE TEAMS SINCE ROUGHLY OCTOBER LAST YEAR, HAVE BEEN WILLING TO MEET WITH ME ON A BIWEEKLY BASIS IN THE EVENINGS.

AND WE HAVE ALREADY KIND OF DISCUSSED SOME OF THESE REQUIREMENTS, INCLUDING MONTHLY AND QUARTERLY PRESENTATIONS WHERE WE WILL REVIEW WITH STAKEHOLDERS, INCLUDING THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, NOT JUST WHAT THEY'RE ACCOMPLISHING WITHIN THE PROGRAM, BUT ALSO HOW THEY'RE SPENDING THE BUDGET.

SO AS PART OF THIS, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE GIVE A SMALL STIPEND TO THESE TEAMS BECAUSE REAL BUSINESSES USE REAL MONEY AND WE WANNA TEACH GOOD FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT AND RESPONSIBILITY, AND THEY WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE, UM, THROUGH THESE BUDGETARY PRESENTATIONS.

UM, THEY'LL HAVE TO MEET MENTOR AND ADVISOR MEETINGS, ATTEND ALL OF THE WORKSHOPS AND DEVELOPMENTS AS WELL AS THE COMMUNITY EVENTS AND ENGAGEMENT.

THE FUNDING FOR THIS LOOKS LIKE WE'VE REQUESTED $250,000 FROM THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS INCENTIVE FUND FOR UP TO SIX TEAMS THROUGHOUT A TWO YEAR PILOT PROGRAM.

UM, WE REALLY WANNA SPUR INNOVATION, COURAGE, THIS KIND OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND SUCCESS AS WELL AS COMMUNITY GROWTH AND HELP GENERATE STARTUPS IN THE IT INDUSTRY.

AND THE RESPONSIBILITIES FOR GEEKDOM TO REPORT TO THE CITY INCLUDE THAT WE WANNA PROVIDE SEMI-ANNUAL REPORTS AS WELL AS AN ANNUAL REPORT.

AND WE WANNA BE RESPONSIBLE FOR TRACKING POST INCUBATOR GROWTH AND SUCCESS.

UM, NOT ONLY WILL THE CITY BE AT THE QUARTERLY PRESENTATIONS WHEN THE TEAMS MOVE THROUGH, UM, NOT JUST THE PROJECT AND SCOPE MILESTONES, BUT ALSO HOW THEY'RE SPENDING THEIR BUDGETS AND GEEK THEM WILL BE AT THOSE MONTHLY MEETINGS AS WELL TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE ON TRACK AND THAT THERE ISN'T, UM, ANY UNWARRANTED SPENDING.

UH, THE CONTRACT WITH THE E D D IS CURRENTLY UNDER REVIEW AND WE'RE STILL FINALIZING THE DETAILS ON HOW MUCH THAT STIPEND IS.

UM, BUT WE ARE VERY, UH, EXCITED ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY TO CON, COLLABORATE AND MOVE FORWARD.

UM, IN TERMS OF MANAGEMENT, CHARLES WOODEN AND MYSELF WILL BE THE MAIN STAKEHOLDERS FROM GEEKDOM, AND WE'LL HAVE CRAIG HOPKINS AND BRIAN DILLARDS FROM THE CITY SITTING WITH US AS WELL.

AND AS THAT, I WILL OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

ALEX, I HAVE A QUESTION RIGHT QUICK.

IS THIS AN ACTION ITEM RIGHT NOW? NO, IT'S JUST A BRIEFING ITEM.

JUST A BRIEFING.

YES, MA'AM.

OKAY.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

UM, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.

THIS IS VERY EXCITING BECAUSE I THINK THIS IS WHERE WE CAN DO AT POSSIBLY A MICRO LEVEL, GET ALL OF THE TALENT TOGETHER AND THEN SEE WHERE WE CAN SCALE THIS AND ALL THESE DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES AND, UM, ALL OF THE IDEAS AND THE PASSIONS OR THE PEOPLE WHO THINK, GOSH, IF WE ONLY DID THIS, WELL, THIS IS WHEN WE CAN ONLY DO THAT AND SEE IF THAT, THAT WILL MAKE AN IMPACT HERE.

I HAVE TO SAY I'M VERY EXCITED BECAUSE, UM, IN 20 16, 1 OF MY STAFF MEMBERS WAS PART OF THE ALEX ZENIO LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, AND ONE OF THE, UM, GROUPS THAT PRESENTED WAS TRYING TO FIND, IT WAS CALLED GO CO ESSAY, AND THEY TOOK, UM, A PROJECT, AN ISSUE THAT WAS THERE, AND THEY SAID, WHY DON'T WE GET EVERYONE TOGETHER? AND I THOUGHT IT WAS A GREAT IDEA.

I'M LIKE, LET'S MEET AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO AT THE CITY ABOUT THIS, AND THIS IS WHAT WE'RE DOING, UM, NOW.

AND I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT