 My name is Peter French. I'm the president of cafe commerce and it is my distinct honor and privilege to welcome you all here this morning There's a first order of business. I think I have to take a selfie. Isn't that what you have to do with these things now? Is that what happens here? So we do this All right, so this is one more just in case This is a really exciting thing. It's a really exciting place I can't thank axion texas and the city of san Antonio enough for the hard work that they put into making this reality But the first thing I get to do Is introduce myself which is kind of fun. So don't wikipedia any of this don't fact-check any of it And I'll just tell you lots of good stories, but I'm a husband and a father of three graduate of trinity university I'm an entrepreneur real estate developer sometimes photographer And I'm a problem solver and I'm a big thinker I do lots of thinking and I hope to do lots of problem-solving and what our goal here is is to help lots of small businesses and entrepreneurs Solve problems and make san Antonio a better and a greater city And that's really the point of cafe commerce to bring people together To help them gain access to resources and to help them find the solutions that they want and need and make This community greater We're going to have a number of great folks join us up here this morning The first of which is our friend Jean Brady who is the chairman of the board of the San Antonio library And I just want to say a few things About Jean she we visited earlier She has really been at the forefront of both economic development and innovation and education initiatives Not just for the library, but for the benefit of the city She has a future perspective on how to leverage this space and spaces like it to benefit the public We're thrilled to be a part of that mission Thrilled to help you take the San Antonio library into the 21st century and with that may please introduce Jean Brady Well, good morning you all so glad that you're here with us today on behalf of the library trustees. I Congratulate cafe commerce for taking part of our wonderful space We're very proud to be part of this We appreciate that the central library has been chosen as home to cafe commerce and We believe that it only emphasizes the importance of the role of the library in the community and in bear county Through information imagination and ideas The library aims to empower the community with the tools resources and environment. They need to change their lives Our partnership is a testament to that goal In fact, we have a lot of Collaborative projects. We have now cast Charlotte Anne's here with our group here. They make their home here with us We have the Maria Schwartz art resource center on the second floor, which is a collaboration with the Southwest School of Art and they Confirm our commitment to turning spaces into places the transformation of a space into a creative and vibrant place involves rethinking the physical environment and creating a destination and an experience We have the connect area It will be right in between the two places of cafe commerce and how appropriate It is a space that has been turned into a vibrant place We have digital we've been digital since 2007 we offer access to over 30,000 ebooks Almost 17,000 audio books thousands of movies music television shows and magazines We continue to strive to meet the ever-changing Internet connected world and We believe that cafe commerce Will serve as the resource for entrepreneurs small business owners and Members of the community who truly want to change their lives so behalf on behalf of the library I thank you so much for being here We invite you to take a look at our wonderful fabulous central library. Thank you Thank you very much Jean and we echo your sentiments about creating a place That provides access to information in a next generation way Next I would like to introduce the elected officials who are here joining us this morning. We're very pleased with the turnout we have and And I can't thank you all enough for being here Let's see going down the list. I know we have District one councilman Diego Bernal. Thank you very much District two councilman Ivy Taylor District five councilman Shirley Gonzalez District six councilman Ray Lopez district seven councilman Chris Medina is Hopefully here maybe Almost here We have Minerva Sanchez with us representing senator Latisha van deputes office. Thank you and city manager Cheryl Scully Thank you And if I have missed anyone, thank you for joining us and and we are very pleased to have you Next on our agenda is one more Elected official who is with us and I believe his name is mayor Julian Castro name. You've probably heard And I would just say that Mayor it is your vision and leadership that have brought us here today And I'm also pretty sure it's your vision leadership that brought a fifth NBA championship to the San Antonio spur Thank you for that Thank you very much Peter and we're ecstatic about your leadership here at cafe commerce We appreciate all of the hours that you have already put in in bringing this to fruition I also just want to take a moment to recognize councilman Nuremberg who is also here in the audience with us thank you for being here and And to our chamber chair chamber president Richard bed is thank you very much Richard for being here I Also want to take a moment to thank Jean Brady You know Jean and the board of trustees of the library have done a phenomenal job over the last few years in making our library a 21st century library and All San Antonians and folks really in this region are the beneficiaries of that So thank you Jean for your great work here at the library We also I also want to recognize and say thanks to our city manager Cheryl Scully who I know is here as well as Renee Dominguez Alejandra Lopez and Ramiro Salazar from our library where they at Thank y'all very much and of course to the auction Staff I see Selena Benia here want to thank Janie Bader her for her great effort This is a very special day for San Antonio because one of the primary goals of SA 2020 is to ensure that San Antonio is as economically Competitive as we can be in this 21st century economy and to do that it takes different efforts It takes the efforts of our economic development foundation that goes out and helps recruit investment into the city it takes efforts of The city economic development department in the county economic development department Of course all the great work that happens in the private sector It also takes a focus on growing small businesses We know that today in our city small businesses contribute more than three-quarters of the jobs and that in the last few years Especially businesses that are younger than five years old have contributed the lion's share of new jobs and for that reason We determined a couple of years ago that it made sense to appoint a small business task force to look at how San Antonio could get smarter about cultivating small business entrepreneurship in our city I'm happy to see that we have so many folks Who participated in that effort and also small business owners who themselves have been out there Each and every day pounding the pavement doing what it takes to be successful a few years ago I was in a used bookstore in town and I came across this book The businesses that built San Antonio It was put out by the chamber in the 1980s and it was a fascinating read about all of the different Companies large and small that had contributed to the prosperity that we know today in San Antonio Greeting about names like Zachary and frost and santicos and Others and today I see many folks in the room who are building their own story GP sing and Johnny Hernandez and But three siastow and others What we want in this city through cafe commerce is to have one place Where if you're a person who has an idea to start a business You know that you can come here to find the information and resources you need to get started If you're a small business owner that wants to grow your business and need some advice that will help you do that This is the place to come a few years ago We started cafe college because we knew that we needed one place where if someone had a dream of going to college Everything else aside. They could step into that place Cafe commerce is the space for entrepreneurs in San Antonio. I'm confident that because of what happens here 50 years from now another book will be written with new names in it and new companies and thousands and thousands of Lives that are more prosperous because of this investment. It is I think the perfect marriage between our economic development efforts and the fundamental purpose of a library which is knowledge and Learning and success and that I think is a recipe for great success for our beloved city in the years to come Thank you very much mayor, thank you very much We'd like to think that Cappy commerce will prove to be a legacy project just the way that S-A-20-20 the decade of downtown and pre-k for SA have been to create lasting change in our community And with that I would like to introduce our next speaker Selina Pena is the chief program officer for Axion, Texas and without her tireless and hard work We would not be here and I'm very pleased to have you Selina. Thank you Wow, what a room Thank You Peter Let me start by saying a couple of words about Peter Now with the launch of what we believe will be a national model that strengthens small business You need a good leader a leader who will bring ideas and action together a person who has the spirit of Entrepreneurship in themselves and the energy to champion and support small business We believe that's Peter and we have full confidence that he will bring cafe commerce to the next level for small business in San Antonio Peter's role is to lead drive meet and exceed all our expectations. That's what presidents are for, right? But seriously, you're supposed to Peter's background from social entrepreneurship real estate development a family business Advocacy and passion for high quality on Opportunities is why he's here with us today. He's a trinity graduate and a leader in San Antonio We believe we have the right captain for this ship and we here in this room need to support him along the journey With the library to the city for recognizing small businesses key role in our economy and the library's key role in seating and nurturing ideas and learning Thank you mayor city council city manager Renee Dominguez Alex Lopez Michael send in from the economic development department Kathy Donnellan Caitlin co-art Jean Brady from the library and the foundation. Thank you Folks will see us here at cafe commerce in action, but without your vision commitment and response We wouldn't be here So let me tell you a story Last year my neighbor Noah decided to open a juice business as he began the venture. I connected him to axion Over the past year Noah met with our team About growing his business from his marketing strategy to how he should enter manufacturing We played a small role, but the key element was he wasn't alone Now one lucky duck serves up savory juices and amazing healthy food Noah and I were just chatting on our street Entrepreneurs shouldn't have to stumble into business support Resources should be easily accessible and that is why we have cafe commerce today I'm inspired by the drive and the pace shown by entrepreneurs But it's but it's also necessary to provide a sounding board a safe place for translating dreams into reality On behalf of the team of axion our CEO and president Janie Barreta We are honored and proud to be part of today in Partnership with you in all our business resource partners and the businesses here today to make San Antonio even better I really believe that this can be a national model of public and private partnerships Connecting and seeding entrepreneurship at the library now Noah and many others like him can connect to key resources Here at cafe commerce for their business success both virtually and physically through our partner portal They can develop business plans with score here. They can work on their marketing strategy with mentors here They can pitch their business and get in the entrepreneur mindset with cafe commerce They can launch down the street at geekdom just as well Cafe commerce is here to connect people not just for entrepreneurs, but also for us as resource Organizations in the city we will see that demand and we hope to rise to the occasion and be responsive To the challenges and opportunities that face small business So how many of you have a go-to person, you know the person you pick up the phone you text No one has a go-to person. Wow. I Have a couple myself and more importantly we want cafe commerce to be just that go-to Resource for entrepreneurs. We don't want people to be alone We also know that access to capital is vital to small business success Axion is currently working with 80 20 foundation cafe commerce the WDC Sage central downtown and the city and other partners in creating loan products that fit the needs of this business owner These responsive products are to spur small business growth from downtown's amazing streets to the home-based business In fact our demand in San Antonio continues to increase We've deployed more capital this month to small business owners than ever before and we've provided over 40 million dollars To 3,500 entrepreneurs in San Antonio NOAA along with over a hundred thousand self-employed entrepreneurs and 20,000 small businesses make up the fabric of the San Antonio's vibrant Entrepreneur ecosystem they aren't alone We have great resources here in San Antonio and I believe that with cafe commerce and our partners We elevate awareness and raise the bar that we are indeed a premier city for entrepreneurs to seed and grow their business Thank you Thank you very much Selena. I want to say just a few more things about what cafe commerce will do But before I want to start with the why the why for cafe commerce has touched on by several of our speakers earlier Is to celebrate and provide a safe place Where entrepreneurs can find company among each other Where they can fail where they can share the stories of their failure Failures, maybe not a great press conference word, but it is the central sort of tenant of entrepreneurship the belief That through iterative effort we can improve what it is that we do There's some things in life that you just can't learn from a book walking talking How to use an iPhone you really just have to put it in your hand and play with it and often along the way You fall down and that is okay, and that's why we're here This is a place where you can fall down and we see this as an open invitation To our resource partners the city has already demonstrated their willingness to go on this journey To explore entrepreneurship to fill the gaps in the support network and resource network that we provide that will launch The businesses of the 21st century and this physical space is a very very very important element of that We have a great digital footprint We've licensed wonderful technology from the Kauffman Foundation in Kansas City a program called us source link Which aggregates all of the resource providers in San Antonio and gives entrepreneurs and small businesses easy and efficient access To the resources they need we've licensed other content in the form of the Kauffman Founder School a network of fantastic interviews And tutorials that anyone can access for free online at any time To learn and gain valuable insights about how to handle marketing or management or HR or other pertinent business issues And we'll be using this physical space to launch an exciting program on July 9th called 1 million cups What's particularly exciting about the 1 million cups program is that they only license chapters of 1 million cups to entrepreneurs So when I first called the Kauffman Foundation and explained that I was the president of a new economic development Organization they said that's lovely, but that's not who gets to run 1 million cups, and I said time out wait a minute I am a real entrepreneur. I've won and earned and lost money mine and other people So I think that counts right and they said yes, it does. You're okay I'm pleased to have Selena Pena as a co-organizer along with Zach Harris with monks toolbox And we'll be having our first 1 million cups get together as I said July 9th right here. You can apply online Code up. I see our friend Michael Girdley in the back They will be our very first 1 million cups presenter our second slot is still open So please get your applications in unlike some other pitch contests. It's not just for the purpose of getting money 1 million cups is about bringing the community together to have a Q&A to explore business to explore opportunity and to enhance the network of entrepreneurs Many other things that will happen here in the training rooms in the partner rooms in the meeting rooms We really need your input your help your ideas to populate this space It's an exciting journey. We're going to go on one of the things I'm most excited about is who owns the ice house a fantastic program developed in Cleveland By a man named Gary Schoeniger In partnership with a Pulitzer Prize winning offer author Clifton Talbert that describes the timeless and invaluable Aspects that create the entrepreneurial mindset We think this is going to be key to transforming San Antonio And we believe that this curriculum can be delivered both in the classroom For grade school students even through high school into college and for people may be coming out of military service But it provides the basis and the framework and the foundation For understanding that each of us has the ability to empower ourselves to change the world and environment We live in whether it's a business issue a family issue a personal issue a social issue The tenants of entrepreneurship the mindset of entrepreneurship asking why things are the way they are and what each of us can Do to change them that is what we really hope to spread That's the message we want to spread people who've been spreading that message are all around us And I'd like to acknowledge a few of them the mayor was kind enough to do so previously Two organizations that were central to the build out of this space are here with us today One is Davila construction their award-winning minority-owned contractor. They're also a family-owned business which I have sort of personal admiration for 57 years old. They're in their second generation And without their leadership this space would not be what it is So I just wanted to say thank you and acknowledge Davila's great efforts Someone else that you'll be hearing from in just a little in a little bit is straight-line management and we have Our friend here and I'll let her tell her story, but another wonderful minority-owned business coming from the east side And really demonstrating what the entrepreneurial mindset can do in terms of empowering You know economic advancement and social advancement and they're just doing fantastic things in the community And we're thrilled to have straight line with us here today as well I want to thank Eppel Shipton who is a local artist and entrepreneur who created the fantastic installations you see and the wonderful magnetic art and really gives This space a particularly San Antonio flair. So thank you to Eppel I know she's here somewhere. There you go and we have axion client and Tasty Baker L. Soul Bakery who's provided our our goodies this morning. So thank you to L. Soul Bakery as well and Next up I have Dr. G. P. Singh and Sharika arch and please join me on the stage Both of them are entrepreneurs both bring a unique perspective To the value that entrepreneurship has brought to their life and without further ado. I'd like to introduce dr. G. P. Isn't this a wonderful space for meetings and for entrepreneurs to come here and Get information. Isn't this wonderful? You know, I'm going to talk to you from two perspectives One is an as an entrepreneur and a mentor for small businesses high technology businesses But I'll also talk to you as a board member of Xeon, Texas So I can tell you I started my business in 1986 and when I needed some information For any kind of information how to do market. I was a professor before I started the business So I had no clue. How do you market? What's overhead? What's G&A? How do you put a business plan together? Getting information was very difficult. There was one bookstore in town called Bookstop. Anybody remember that? On I-10 and Wordsbox that was my information resource if they had it great If they didn't have it you go to the library. Maybe you find something. Maybe you don't and So get coming across information was such a problem In today internet internet was not invented by the way those of you who are young You may not believe this but internet did not exist and 30 years later nearly 30 years later now we have internet we have access to a lot of information And now what do we have? information overload You need a place to go to and a person to go to perhaps Who can act as a concierge for you to guide you through the jungle of information which is out there? And I think that is what cafe commerce will do for entrepreneurs. It used to take a lot of time to find information now it takes a lot of time to sift through information and this is where somebody like Peter and his staff and folks like Business advisors who will be working with Peter can really help entrepreneurs and I'm really delighted to see That city has taken the initiative to recognize that small businesses the backbone of this country of this city and this country and Most of the jobs are created by small businesses One of the things which was very interesting to me when I started the business is to learn that 97% of the businesses employed less than 10 people and The reason they employed less than 10 people was because the entrepreneur was too busy and the entrepreneur themselves Not growing and developing They made enough money so they were happy they didn't really have to do anymore But if you have the education Resources at you and you could grow and develop yourself Imagine the possibilities imagine what you could do and I was very fortunate that I was able to create a business where we employed 425 people and it was all because of education and self development and Willingness to change the way you do business So thank you mayor. Thank you all the city staff who's put it together And I think it will be a great facility for the entrepreneurs and small business owners Let me also speak to you on behalf of the as a member of the board of Xeon, Texas Xeon as you know provides small business loans. It is a great Organization they serve the community that nobody else wants to serve I love organizations like that they do a great job and City had issued an RFP to start cafe commerce Janie Barrera's, you know great CEO by the way. I love her for her energy and enthusiasm And what she has done and created a model in the United States for micro lending She brought that to the board For approval whether we should participate it in it or not board was very enthusiastic Because part of what we see Xeon doing is not only giving loans But providing an educational environment for the entrepreneurs and small business people to grow Right not just have one restaurant create a franchise You're right. That's the beauty and that's what you can do if you have the information of resources At your fingertips and somebody to go to as Sadeena mentioned So we are very very excited. We are very happy to participate in this venture with the city As Xeon and again, thank you for all of you for being here. Thank You Dr. Singh next step Shearika arch the owner of straight line management a perfect example of the four entrepreneur by entrepreneur Mission that we have someone who has done it herself, and I'm pleased to let you share your story. Thank you Thank you. I Want to thank everyone for allowing me to play a role in today's event. I want to thank mayor Castro for SA 2020 initiative with small business Thank the city of San Antonio Thank Davila construction axion everyone for the opportunity as a small business to play a part and something so huge Because originally we thought it was just phase one of cafe commerce and a small Business incubator just you know to help the small business, but this actually has become Something much larger, and I feel like this is something I needed when I started my company five years ago Me and my husband was running everywhere trying to get all the help that we needed as far as getting Our certifications Meeting all the different agencies and making sure everyone knew we were and what we did and it's just an excellent opportunity to have Cafe commerce where it's all in one and you don't have to have to search Everywhere for the different things that you need and you might not know that you need and it just be all in one place straight line management the construction management program management firm and We have been afforded the opportunity to do some sub contracting work in the city on larger projects with the airport and would be a In the city of San Antonio as well, and I just want to say thank you to everyone I appreciate the opportunity I appreciate the opportunity to be a part of cafe commerce before after doing We appreciate the opportunity as well as plan apart and doing the remodel as well with the library. Thank you As we wrap up there is another elected official that I would like to acknowledge and congressman Castro Thank you very much for joining us It was said and I'll say it again the for entrepreneur by entrepreneur mantra We believe that's a statement of accountability It's an operating ethos and what it really means is that we're going to deliver the services and assistance that people need at the speed of business Without a preconceived notion or expectation on what you have to do We're here to deliver the solutions that people need at the speed that entrepreneurs need them and that's it and and We understand the why as I said, but we really do and I mean this very sincerely Peter period French at cafe commerce essay org. We want to hear from each and every one of you We want to know what other programs are being run around the country and around the world that support this sort of initiative We want to know what ideas and programs you have and would like to run here We'd even like you to propose things that you maybe tried before but didn't work and maybe they'll work here This is a place for searching for experimenting for finding new ways, and that's what we're here to do That is the end of the presentation. However, I would like to invite the mayor and Selena and the manager Renee and Jean to join us on stage. We're gonna have a Photograph taken as we officially launch cafe commerce begin operations open the doors to serve The entrepreneurs and small businesses of San Antonio. Thank you all very much