Arlan Hamilton to Headline 2024 San Antonio Startup Week Kickoff

H-E-B Supplier Diversity Joins as Title Sponsor for Annual Entrepreneurial Event

SAN ANTONIO, Aug. 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Trailblazing investor and entrepreneur Arlan Hamilton will headline a fireside chat at the kickoff of 2024 San Antonio Startup Week powered by Geekdom on Monday, Oct. 14, at 9:00 a.m. SA Startup Week, themed "Invest In," will take place from Oct. 14 to 18, 2024, in downtown San Antonio. Through its Supplier Diversity department, H-E-B will serve as the title sponsor for the annual event, which aligns with the company's mission to support and promote entrepreneurs in San Antonio and across the state. 

"As the title sponsor, we are delighted to be supporting SA Startup Week and the entrepreneurial spirit the event brings to the Alamo City. We believe our suppliers should be as diverse as our customers, and we are deeply committed to selling goods and utilizing services from a wide variety of local, small, and diverse businesses," said James Harris, Sr., Director of Diversity & Inclusion and Supplier Diversity at H-E-B.

The 2024 SASW will spotlight the theme "Invest In," emphasizing the importance of personal, financial, and community investment. The event aims to bring together aspiring entrepreneurs, seasoned investors, industry experts, and community leaders to explore opportunities, share insights, and ignite growth. Participants can look forward to pitch competitions, and sessions featuring LatinX, women, and military veteran founders.

Arlan Hamilton is the founder of Backstage Capital, a venture capital firm dedicated to minimizing funding disparities in tech by investing in high-potential founders who are people of color, women, and/or LGBTQ. Since its inception in 2015, Backstage Capital has raised nearly $30 million and invested in 200 startups led by underestimated founders. Hamilton is also the founder of Runner, a startup that connects outstanding talent with inclusive companies. Hamilton's most recent entrepreneurial ventures include the launch of Yacht Water, a line of still and sparkling refreshments, and 3xBA, a women's basketball development league.

"Arlan Hamilton's commitment to empowering underestimated founders and her personal story of resilience and success make her an inspiring addition to San Antonio Startup Week," said Charles Woodin, CEO of Geekdom. "Her keynote will undoubtedly motivate and challenge our community to invest in themselves and each other."

Hamilton's journey from homelessness to becoming a venture capital leader is chronicled in her book, "It's About Damn Time," published in 2020. Her subsequent book, "Your First Million: Why You Don't Have To Be Born Into A Legacy Of Wealth To Leave One Behind," was released in January 2024. 

Pre-registration for the 2024 San Antonio Startup Week is now open at sasw.co. The conference is free and open to the public. Interested participants can register to attend, volunteer, and submit ideas for speaker sessions. Companies and organizations interested in sponsorship opportunities can also indicate their interest through the website.

ABOUT SA STARTUP WEEK
SA Startup Week is a dynamic, seven-day celebration of entrepreneurship taking place from October 14-18 in downtown San Antonio. This event brings together startup founders and aspiring entrepreneurs for a diverse lineup of educational panels, hands-on workshops, hyper-local activities, and city-focused events. Thanks to the generous support of the 80|20 Foundation, title sponsor H-E-B Supplier Diversity, and other key partners, all activities are free to attend. Discover more at https://sasw.co.

ABOUT GEEKDOM
Founded in 2011, Geekdom is a collaborative startup community building San Antonio one entrepreneur at a time. The center of the San Antonio startup ecosystem, Geekdom offers its members resources and opportunities that empower entrepreneurs to ideate, cultivate, shape, and grow ideas into viable businesses ready for the next level. Geekdom is located on four floors in the Rand Building, 110 East Houston St., in the heart of downtown San Antonio. Geekdom also manages the City of San Antonio's small business resource center, Launch SA, located at the Central Library at 600 Soledad St. For more information, visit www.geekdom.com. Follow Geekdom on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram (@GeekdomSA) and LinkedIn.

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SOURCE Geekdom