ATX Startup Week took place this past week and held many networking opportunities for entrepreneurs and St Edward’s students. Startup Week was an event that takes place over five days and consists of career-fairs, coffee meetups, educational panels, happy hours, workshops and the much anticipated Startup Crawl. Almost all of the events hosted by ATX Startup Week were free and open to the public, drawing in thousands of attendees from the Austin community and around the country.

“ATX Startup week is for every student who is interested in startups, regardless of their major and area of interest. It is about discovering the potential in any discipline to change and improve the community. ATX Startup week is a great opportunity for students at the Hilltop to get immersed in the innovation culture that has put Austin on the world map,” entrepreneurship professor Antonio Alvarado said. “There’s nothing like being around people with a lot of positive energy and a can do attitude. Students get to network, learn about new developments and be impressed by the number of available career paths,” he added.

An assortment of startups made up the event – anywhere from FinTech  (Financial Tech) to Virtual Reality or food. One goal of this variety of options was to help students to find their place in the startup world.

Networking was eased for students by events like the Startup Crawl, where firms like the Capital Factory hosted a tabling event filled with startups that show much potential. Additionally, they hosted a lounge area full of free food, beverages and music to ease the conversation with potential employers or business partners.

“I would recommend students to attend because it’s a great way to get connected with people that have ‘in’s’ at capitol factory. It’s also great to get a glimpse at the type of facilities here in Austin,” senior Mario Rodriguez said. “We talk about startups in the classroom, but going to a place where you interact with participants in actual start-ups, you gain more knowledge based on their insight and experience. I can definitely see myself going back after graduating from St. Eds. It’s an amazing place that can get you where you need to go in the tech/ start-up world.”

A few Austin-based startups that stood out were Talentpair, Topl and 3 Day Startup. Talentpair is a firm dedicated to creating an app that connects people with startup jobs and easing the process of job hunting and hiring. Topl uses blockchain technology to make international investments safer and easier for people around the globe.

The last startup, 3 Day Startup, has already been on the St Edward’s campus for a few years to host their three day program where they introduce students to each other and to entrepreneurship mentors in the hopes of creating new startups.

It is clear that Austin is a hub of entrepreneurial spirit and St Edward’s students could benefit from attending such an event. With the opportunities being presented, this should be on most students radars because in time it’s possible that we’ll see St Edward’s students taking the lead on startups in the Austin community.