Meet the top community builders from Austin Inno's 2021 Fire Awards list. See all 50 Fire Awards category winners here.
Austin’s only consumer packaged goods accelerator is expanding its programs throughout the country. The expansion comes as Austin’s CPG scene is experiencing a boom of its own. Now in its 10th year, SKU closed applications for its latest Austin cohort at the end of October. Programming is set to begin in January, and there’s a decent shot some of these companies will make their way into the wider public consciousness. SKU’s more than 90 portfolio companies include Epic Provisions LLC and Siete Family Foods Inc. The former was acquired by General Mills in 2016 for a reported $100 million; the latter obtained a $90 million investment from private equity firm Stripes Group in 2019. Cohort companies have generated about $2 billion in revenue and created more than 2,500 jobs, SKU told ABJ in September. The accelerator already operates in New York City, Minneapolis and Dallas-Fort Worth. It plans to launch in Atlanta and Los Angeles in 2022.
Capital Factory has been Austin's tech startup leader for years, and it could make the Fire list pretty much every year. In 2021, the accelerator and investment group continued on its path of bringing founders from across Austin and the rest of the state together, both virtually and physically. Capital Factory launched its statewide push several years ago, but has amplified that in Houston this year, launching a partnership with The Ion and opening an innovation hub there. That added to its work with Station Houston in 2020. From its leadership role in the Austin Startup Crawl to the hundreds of meet ups and other events, founder Joshua Baer and his team of mentors and founders continue to amp Austin's startup scene.
Naturally Austin formed a partnership with SKU in 2021 to create a program called M/O to help boost minority-owned companies. The first cohort of M/O, featuring 10 companies, began an eight-week program in June. A virtual showcase was held in late August. Naturally Austin was formed in March 2018 with the goal of boosting local companies that create natural consumer products. It is part of the Naturally Network, which was formed in Boulder, Colorado, in 2005. The 21 founding Naturally Austin board members included experienced entrepreneurs such as Sweet Leaf Tea and Deep Eddy Vodka founder Clayton Christopher; Notley Ventures and Springdale Ventures co-founder Dan Graham; Springdale Ventures General Partner Genevieve Gilbreath; and Beatbox Beverages LLC co-founder. Katrina Tolentino took over as executive director of Naturally Austin in 2021. Some core tenants of Naturally Austin are helping companies learn sustainable business practices and creating community that cultivates connectivity, Tolentino told ABJ in February.
Beam, a nonprofit organization that funds and supports women founders, is forging ahead with a new leader. Leigh Christie, formerly a senior vice president of global tech and innovation with the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce, in May took over from Jess Gaffney as executive director and CEO. The organization launched the Beam Angel Network in 2020 to help provide more funding opportunities for female founders — the effort has thus far backed at least 11 women founders with more than $1 million in funding. Portfolio companies include Blender and Bowls, CERESA, JobSiteCheck, Journ, Journey Foods, Pressed Roots, Purpose Tea, Radical Girl Gang, Revealix, Stagger and Underclub. At least 46 investors have backed Beam's angel fund.
Cryptocurrency innovators and investors are scattered across the state. But for a nascent industry, collaboration and communication is key, especially when it comes to regulations. The Texas Blockchain Council, a trade association that emerged in November 2020, has helped bring the crypto and blockchain communities together and influence lawmakers statewide. The organization, led by founder and President Lee Bratcher, was also active in the passing of a couple new laws this year. That included its research and support-building for HB 1576, the "Blockchain Work Group Bill", and HB 4474 the "Virtual Currencies Bill." While the organization is based in Richardson, its statewide reach and close attention to Austin have helped crypto go mainstream in the state. It has also helped support the case for Austin being the mecca of bitcoin in Texas.
