Gabriella Moreno, founder of Your Vegan Consultant, launched her business earlier this year.
Moreno was already doing some informal consulting, helping individuals and local restaurants add more vegan options to their diets and their menus, when she decided to go for it, and turn her side hustle into a real business.
Unsure of how to get started, she reached out to Launch SA, which she’d seen in her Instagram feed. Moreno began attending their events, and eventually scheduled a free one-on-one with Carlos Acosta, Launch SA’s business adviser, who walked her through the process of becoming a limited liability company or LLC.
“It felt really great to have that support behind me,” she said. “I know that I was clicking the right button, submitting for the right thing.”
Last week, Moreno presented to about a dozen other small business owners at Launch SA’s weekly business networking event, 1 Million Cups. She described her journey to veganism, and how she’s slowly turning that passion into a viable business.
She was introduced by Matthew Espinoza, Launch SA’s executive director and a former intern for the small business one-stop, which began life as Café Commerce more than a decade ago. In 2023, the City of San Antonio awarded Geekdom a $1.7 million, three year contract to take over operations of Launch SA from LiftFund.
On Oct. 1, Launch SA will celebrate its relaunch in its newly refurbished space in the city’s Central Library downtown with a full day of programming, including networking, panel discussions and an open house.
The relaunch will also come with an extensive new website to help guide visitors to the information most relevant to them, either by business stage or by needs such as advising, funding, licensing/permitting, mentorship, networking and space.
While the data is now a few years old, a small business ecosystem study completed in 2020 found that San Antonio supported roughly 34,000 small businesses (defined as employing fewer than 50 people) which together employed 153,000 people — more than a third of the city’s entire workforce. Another 145,000 identified as sole proprietors.
Networking matters
Moreno told the San Antonio Report that Launch SA events have been critical to her fledgling business. “A really big part of [attending] for me is learning what the rest of the community is up to, and how we can partner and work together,” she said.
For David Chavera, attending the Wednesday morning 1 Million Cup networking events “helps me get out of my head — and I enjoy hearing what other people are up to.”
Chaverra’s company is Artist Map, a self-service platform that helps musicians better navigate the business side of the music industry.
He’s also a big fan of the coffee at 1 Million Cups, which these days comes from Olla Express — another locally-owned small business that, thanks in part to a zero percent interest rate loan from LiftFund and the City of San Antonio, has steadily expanded, from coffee truck to a brick-and-mortar location and an online shop.
Owner Andrea Rodriguez Ley is now sharing her expertise; on Oct. 2, she will be part of a Launch SA panel “Cultura in Business: How Hispanic Entrepreneurs are Shaping San Antonio.”
Beyond networking
Beyond the benefits of networking, Launch SA aims to help in more concrete ways. Access to capital remains one of the biggest needs among business owners, said Acosta. The 2020 small business study found $8.4 billion in unmet capital needs.
But many would-be entrepreneurs aren’t even in a position to apply for loans or grants because their books aren’t in order, he said. “Honestly, very often they have no books.”
That’s why Launch SA offers a lot of business basics classes — for example, it recently hosted a workshop on “The Six Cs of Credit” with Kristie Narvaez, a small business community officer with Bank of America. Earlier this summer, attorney Matt Duke covered “the essentials for a successful startup formation.”
Since Geekdom took over the Launch SA contract, the organization has assisted 546 clients through its initial assistance process, said Espinoza. After someone fills out an assistance form linked on Launch SA’s website, a staffer reaches out to help get them connected to the right resources.
Those resources aren’t always within Launch SA; they might refer someone to UTSA’s Small Business Development Center, LiftFund or another partner in San Antonio’s growing small business ecosystem.
That includes other nonprofits, schools, business accelerators — literally dozens of entities that offer everything from mentoring to helping businesses hook into local government contracting opportunities.
Since Geekdom has taken over the contract, Launch SA has hosted at least 50 events, Espinoza said. Some were held at Geekdom’s co-working space in the Rand building while its Central Library home got a $300,000 glow up, with new technology, more classroom space and offices for Launch SA staff.
Some of that money is going towards additional marketing efforts, to make sure local small business owners — and those who aspire to be — are aware of the free resources available to help them start or grow a business.
The word appears to be getting out.
About two dozen people attended a recent restaurant mentor panel that included Kacey Vanacek of Alamo Cafe and a Salata franchisee; Robbie Grubbs, who built up and sold Local Coffee and Merit Roasters; David Galbreath, founder of Orderup; and Sean Wen, a James Beard nominated chef and co-owner of Curry Boys BBQ and Pinch Boil House.
The quartet talked about everything from business plans and controlling costs to the need to be flexible and pivot when conditions change.
Kathya Reppart, a third-generation coffee producer from El Salvador and owner of Kilates Coffee Roasters, plans to open a coffee shop in San Antonio. She attended the panel to glean wisdom from those who’ve succeeded. She praised the city’s entrepreneurs and Launch SA.
“They’re so helpful,” she said. “Everyone here really wants to help you succeed.”
