When Evan Loomis was growing up in Austin, the city was known for Dell Technologies Inc. and the flurry of wealth and tech talent that came out of the company. It was Austin's rocket ship in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Things have changed a lot since then. While Dell is still a tech giant, other companies such as Icon, which Loomis co-founded, have become part of the city's reputation. And Loomis wants to see more of that.
"We need wins," he said. "We've got entrepreneurial density. We've got some amazing venture capital firms like 8VC and others that are here. We have Overmatch that's launching. I mean, what else could you ask for? But one of the things that Austin needs is more wins."
Those blockbuster startups churn out talented employees who start their own companies and help draw more energy into the city.
"Austin needs to be more ambitious," he said. "Some things that I've heard that just make my soul cringe are like 'Austin is where ambition goes to die.' I've heard some people say that recently. Maybe they're just haters from Dallas and they want Austin to lose or something. But I want Austin to be the kind of city ... that embodies these values of: 'Go west, you can do some big here.'"
SpaceX and Blue Origin are just a couple examples, he said.
"Our state's big, and it's ambitious. And we need more ambitious ideas. Not like incrementally good ideas in Austin, but more entrepreneurs that want to take on like some of the world's hardest problems, full stop," he said. "And so if we get some more wins, and if we can be a little bit more ambitious, I think the next 50 years are gonna look really dope."
Loomis, who recently launched his new venture capital firm, Overmatch, is among Austin's most ambitious founders. But he considers his No. 1 priority to be a great husband and father.
"I don't want to conquer the world and forfeit my soul," he said.
So that's why you might catch him out on an early morning hike or jog around Lady Bird Lake, en route to a quick dip in Barton Springs. It's also why he blocks out an hour on Sundays to plan out the week's priorities. And it's why he sets time aside to meditate and nurture relationships.
Where did you grow up? I'm a native species from Austin. And, boy, the town that I grew up in, was that a different place. It was like a small, sleepy college town, for the most part. And so when I graduated from high school, I went to Texas A&M, then New York City and then Washington D.C. for a number of years.
I think Texas is the most important state in our union, and I think Austin is the most badass city in our state. I'm wired to be an entrepreneur, and I was like, "Austin is such a great place to start a business." So, I started a previous business here called Treehouse before Icon.
How did you first get interested in entrepreneurship? I'd say I was born an entrepreneur. My parents totally do not understand me. I'm one of those kids. My mom was a choreographer and a dancer, and she danced with like Jay Z and Paula Abdul back in the day. And so, she is doing her thing, and my dad is an accountant — and I am neither one of those.
I've always been like, "Let's go build something new." My parents are the most wonderful, loving people. Even though they didn't understand me, they funded all of my bad ideas. And so when I was eight, I wanted to start a landscaping and lawn mowing company, which is pretty normal for little boys.
What was that first venture like? I started mowing neighbors' lawns when I was eight and I was like, "I just got 20 bucks!" You know, I mean that was like $2,000 in today's dollars for a little kid. I thought, "I can take over the world." My dad got me a lawnmower and an edger and a blower. I think my first customers felt sorry for this eight-year-old kid – looks like he's doing like child labor. I just loved it. And so, I fell in love with entrepreneurship at an early age because I felt like I could just chart my own journey. When I got to high school, I started a pressure washing company. There's better profit margins there. So my parents bought me a pressure washer.
And when I got to college, I had my worst entrepreneurial journey as a wedding videographer. I was so bad. I am the world's worst wedding videographer. I only had one job, and I felt so bad for my parents because I bought like a big, expensive Canon GL and Final Cut Pro and all that kind of stuff. I think my parents just encouraged it.
Where do you like to go for meetings? I usually try to eat at places that force me to make good decisions about my health. And so my default is True Food Kitchen, The Well and Sweet Greens and Picnik. If I'm hanging out with a buddy or getting to know somebody new, I've got a few different places that I like to meet up. One is Soho House. If it's a beautiful day outside, I'll meet up there. If we're gonna get in some trouble and we're gonna go like dream and scheme, it's probably going to be Here Nor There. That's my favorite bar in town. It's a speakeasy.
If it's dinner, my go-to is ATX Cocina or Suerte on the east side. I could eat chips and guacamole for the rest of my life. At Suerte, I get the brisket tacos. They will change your life. At ATX, I usually get the queso, chips and guac, and they have really good carne asada and really good fish. I also love Whisler's on the east side — they have a little mezcal bar and great mixed drinks.
Do you have a favorite vacation spot? I find Wyoming to be incredibly captivating – Jackson Hole, the Grand Tetons, Yellowstone. It is just wild. The Tetons, they're almost like Sawtooth, almost a cut out of the earth. If I can make it up there, I'm a happy man. I don't get the opportunity to do it as much as I want, but that is a place where I feel like my blood pressure just goes way down.
You're having a dinner party. You can have three guests, but no family or no friends. Who are you inviting? I love to laugh ... and increasingly appreciate the role comedians play in our society to point out things that most are afraid to talk about. So, dinner with Dave Chapelle, Bill Burr and Norm Macdonald would be pretty epic.
Name: Evan Loomis
Title: Co-founder of Icon, Founder of Overmatch
Age: 44
Education: Bachelor's of business administration, Texas A&M University
Family: Wife, Dr. Brandi Loomis; children: Ward, 10; Kathryn, 8; Mack, 5; and Charlotte, 3
Contact: evan@saturnfive.com
