Round Rock’s Leader in Innovation & Entrepreneurship: Adriana Nunez
Adriana Nunez is Round Rock Chamber’s Director of Innovation & Entrepreneurship. She’s also a Texas Venture Committee Member and a host of a Texas Venture Crawl in Round Rock. Texas Venture Alliance had the opportunity to ask about her big career move, a new defense funds she’s helping oversee, and to learn more about all the entrepreneurship offerings in the region.
Congratulations on your new promotion earlier this year as Round Rock Chamber’s Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship! What an exciting job and a new one as well with the Chamber. How has it been so far in the first 90ish days and what are you looking forward to?
Thank you so much! Later this month will be my 3-year anniversary here at the Round Rock Chamber and the transition into this brand-new role has been very exciting. The Chamber has been incredibly supportive, providing me with a strong foundation to drive innovation and entrepreneurship in our community.
During this initial period, my primary focus has been on continuing to build relationships in the Central Texas community and examining the programs and events we provide to foster innovation and support the growth of startups in Round Rock.
I was fortunate enough to recently attend Denver Startup Week. I brought back so many ideas and I look forward to sharing the knowledge I learned throughout our programs. I’m excited to see what the future of this position holds and how we can grow the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Round Rock.
You’ve also spent time in economic development. What was that like and what makes a job like that special to you?
Yes, I have been in economic development for 5 years now. It has been such a valuable part of my career journey and has played a significant role in shaping my perspective on communities.
Economic development is a career field that I hold close to my heart for several reasons, one of those being that both of my parents were also in this field. Additionally, it’s inherently collaborative. It involves working closely with various stakeholders, including local government agencies, businesses, nonprofit organizations, and community members. Building these relationships and partnerships is not only fulfilling but also essential for success in the community.
Tell us more about the Round Rock Chamber’s current Defense Innovation Fund.
Earlier this year, the Round Rock Chamber announced a Defense Innovation Fund (DIF) aimed at accelerating growth of defense innovation-focused startups. The purpose of the fund is to develop a thriving innovation ecosystem that supports high-growth entrepreneurs and start-up businesses within Round Rock’s target industries including aerospace, defense and security.
The Round Rock Defense Innovation Fund is designed to drive the growth of defense innovation companies at various levels of revenue and funding stages during the timeliest need in the start-up lifecycle. DIF grants will be awarded through a competitive application process and on a case-by-case basis for amounts up to $50,000.
Regarding the fund, what are some success stories so far?
The Round Rock Chamber announced in May that Smarter Reality was named the first recipient of its Defense Innovation Fund (DIF) grant program. The Chamber awarded Smarter Reality, a cutting-edge technology company that builds custom software for commercial and government clients, a $20,000 grant. This grant will provide funding to Smarter Reality to support the development of their software and growth in Round Rock.
We are actually very excited to make a new announcement regarding the Defense Innovation Fund at our Texas Venture Crawl event this Friday!
Why would startups and entrepreneurs in general be attracted to the region? If an entrepreneur is looking to plug into the business community in Round Rock, what resources should they check out?
Round Rock is a budding entrepreneurial hub in Central Texas, where accessing Austin is easy, operating costs are low and the headaches related to doing business are few. The ecosystem here is ripe for startups thanks to our solid business environment and community leaders who areready and willing to help support entrepreneurs. Dell, one of Texas’s biggest success stories, was founded in a dorm room and scaled up in Round Rock.
I would encourage entrepreneurs, or anyone interested in learning more about what Round Rock offers, to attend any one of the Chamber’s events or programs for entrepreneurs. The Round Rock Public Library also offers various businesses resources and programs.
What do you think are the opportunities for Texas’ future that you look forward to, and how will or how does Round Rock fit into that?
The opportunities for Texas' future are abundant, and Round Rock, as a dynamic and growing city, is well-positioned to play a significant role in realizing these opportunities. Round Rock can continue to support, educate, and facilitate collaboration between the community and entrepreneurs, ensuring its place in Texas' innovative-driven future.
View more about Adriana Nunez on her Texas Venture membership page here.