The mentors, the judges, the investors, the spotlight — a hundred miles away, in cities that assume nothing much happens out here. Hill Country students have the ideas. What they've never had is the stage.
One evening in Mason, Texas. Students pitch real ideas to real judges in front of a community that's rooting for them. Free to attend. Named the 2025 Texas Venture Fest of the Year.
Free, no commitment — a real person replies, usually within two days.
See what happens when a small town turns the house lights down and lets its students take the stage.
From most Hill Country towns, the nearest startup stage is a two-hour drive — expensive, intimidating, and built for somebody else. So student ideas stay in notebooks, and too many of our most ambitious kids conclude that doing something that matters means leaving.
A zip code shouldn't decide whose ideas get a shot. The tools that used to belong only to cities have been democratized — what rural students need now is the stage, the judges, and a community that shows up.
Students graduate without ever testing what they can do in front of a real audience. Confidence that never gets built can't be rebuilt later.
When the only stages are in cities, ambitious kids learn one lesson early: mattering means leaving. Most never come back.
Business owners compete with Austin for talent and lose — not on quality of life, but because the pipeline home was never built.
"Innovation doesn't happen out here" gets another year of proof — from the outside, and worse, from the inside.
The Hill Country remains a place people visit, retire to, or drive through — instead of a place where things get built.
"This award belongs to the Hill Country communities who showed up — the students who pitched their ideas, the business owners who sponsored, and the towns that said yes. We're just getting started." Katie Milton Jordan · Festival Organizer
We live here too. We know the drive times, the school calendars, and what it feels like to watch talent leave. The Hill Country Venture Fest was created here — inspired by Austin's model, part of the statewide Texas Venture Fest network — because the tools of the innovation economy have been democratized, and our students deserve their share.
What started in 2023 as a single-campus pitch event in Kerrville was named the 2025 Texas Venture Fest of the Year at the Texas State Capitol. In 2026 it carries a new name and the same promise: real students, real judges, one unforgettable evening.
No existing program required. No entry fee. If you're a student with an idea — or an adult who wants to back one — here's the whole path.
Tell us you're interested — students, teachers, and parents can all start the conversation. No commitment yet; just get on our radar before the school year starts.
We provide prep resources and connect students with mentors from the community — business owners included. Whether your school has a program or you're starting from a notebook page, you won't do it alone.
One evening in Mason. Pitch your idea to real judges in front of a community that's rooting for you — then watch what doors open.
You don't need a business class, a finished product, or permission. You need an idea you care about and the nerve to talk about it. We'll help with the rest.
Students across the rural Hill Country — public school, private school, charter, homeschool, 4-H, FFA. If you're within roughly 90 miles of Mason and your community calls itself a small town, this stage is for you.
A short, spoken presentation of your idea — most run between 90 seconds and 6 minutes. A product, a service, a fix for a problem you've noticed in your town. Judges ask a few questions. The audience cheers. That's it — and it changes things.
Perfect — that's who this is for. Prep resources and community mentors are part of the deal, and they're optional. Nobody walks on that stage unprepared unless they want to wing it.
Two minutes, no commitment — a real person replies.
You're the reason a student says yes. Whether you teach a classroom, lead a 4-H club, or are raising a kid with big ideas, here's what saying yes actually involves.
Free to participate, free to attend. Time commitment is one evening on October 1 plus whatever prep your student chooses to take on. No fundraising, no fees, no strings.
Most don't — that's exactly why we exist. No curriculum or point person required. We bring prep resources and mentors; if your school wants more structured support, ask us about it in the interest form and we'll work with you.
No. It's a community pitch event — ideas of every kind welcome, from livestock to lemonade to software. Some optional prep tools use modern technology; nothing is required, promoted, or sold.
Interest statements in July and early August give students the most runway before the school year gets loud. Later is fine too — but earlier is easier on everyone, especially your student.
No fundraising, no fees — just a conversation with a real person.
Your name on the event that keeps young talent here. Sponsorship puts your business behind the most-watched community evening of the year — and in front of the families, neighbors, and future employees who notice who showed up.
Recognition at the event and across the campaign leading up to it — including The Townie, the Hill Country's most-read weekly newsletter. Tier details are being finalized for the 2026 format; reach out and we'll walk you through the options first.
Co-hosted by thetownie.ai and SimpleEDO.ai, organized by Katie Milton Jordan since 2023, and part of the statewide Texas Venture Fest network. Sponsorship funds the event itself: the venue, student prizes, and production. You'll know exactly what your dollars built — you'll be standing in it.
Yes — mentor a student. We're opening mentorship to community business leaders, not just teachers. An hour of your experience can change what a kid believes is possible. Judges and event-night volunteers are welcome too.
You'll see the options before any commitment — Katie replies personally.
Venue, sponsors, speakers, and program news will land here as they're confirmed — and in The Townie every Thursday.
The festival formerly known as the Greater Mason County Venture Fest grows into its region. Same stage, same promise, bigger map — save the date for October 1, 2026, in Mason, Texas.
The Texas Venture Alliance honored the 2025 festival at its annual meeting at the Texas State Capitol, recognizing it as a model for rural economic development. Read the press release →
We're finalizing a historic Hill Country venue worthy of the night, along with the 2026 sponsor family and the full evening agenda. Watch this space — or let The Townie bring the news to you.
