Texas Chambers Venture Into the Future
The Texas State Chamber of Commerce, or Texas Association of Business (TAB) represents 250 chambers across the state. The Texas Venture Alliance assembled the largest statewide venture capital and innovation network. Together our partnership has proven a powerful one, and now reflected in the political influence seen with the incoming White House come January 2025.
INNOVATORS & INVESTORS SHAPING POLITICS
It’s no surprise that we’re both All-In Podcast listeners, #1 for Silicon Valley and political discourse… a real barometer for the intersection of business, tech, and politics, and highly regarded as a critical voice shaping the future of the economy. One of us attended the All In Conference, featuring Vice President-Elect, JD Vance (as well as Elon Musk, David Sacks and Peter Thiel-- big investors & innovators who highly suggested Vance for the VP position). And the other one, toured the state with Vance this summer with support of IBC Bank, alongside several key U.S. and Texas Senators.
Now with the incoming administration, Vance stands out as the first millennial and first venture capitalist to hold the office — a new era for the American business and entrepreneur community. President Donald Trump’s selection of the senator to join him on the ticket was a testament to the growing power of the country's venture community, including here in Texas. Elon Musk and prominent venture capitalist, Joe Lonsdale have both been new Texan voices and action-oriented to unleash America’s entrepreneurial spirit supporting economic growth.
STATEWIDE ACTION
TAB and TVA bridge the traditional chamber community with the ascendant venture, growth, and private equity industry. This will most effectively be done via a shared legislative agenda with united voice to promote the Lone Star State’s entrepreneurs and business leaders regionally, nationally, and internationally focused on:
• AI policy that unleashes private sector innovation & cuts bloated government bureaucracy
• Producing “all the above” energy policy encouraging nuclear innovation like small modular reactors
• Federal and state R&D credits support for startup funding in certain sectors
• Supporting veteran entrepreneurs’ venture agenda
• Promoting space and semiconductor continued investments in research & manufacturing
• Amplifying tech transfer to commercialize discoveries out of academia and into the market
• Closing the disproportionate venture capital gap that Texas has in relations to other states
INTERNATIONAL INFLUENCE
Texas is a global powerhouse and both of our organizations actions reflect this in partnerships and international attention and collaborations. Texas investors and the venture community work together to co-create partnerships, bolster trade agreements, engage law makers from abroad, and come together in person as a community to network and celebrate innovation.
• TAB co-signed an MOU with Texas Venture Alliance & Startup Nation Central promoting Texas innovation with Israel, with even more expansion plans across the UAE.
• TAB amplified innovation initiatives regarding landmark U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement negotiated by the first Trump Administration.
• TAB co-hosted Texas Venture Fest (a TVA signature event) first international location in Mexico City in October, with four Texas lawmakers and the Mayor of Brownsville, while visiting Mexico’s presidential inauguration of Claudia Sheinbaum.
• TVA launched the inaugural statewide innovation high-end and high-powered, Texas Venture Gala, a collaboration with TAB, with influential venture leaders from Mexico, Canada, Israel, Australia, and more.
ACROSS THE GALAXY
We used to say Texas enjoyed the best economy in the country, leading in job creation and population growth for more than a decade. But given that we’re a $2.6 trillion economy on the world stage, we now rank 8th by GDP, meaning our state beats entire countries. And actually, now since SpaceX found a better headquarters in South Texas, we’re the top performing economy in the galaxy.
JOIN TO CO-CREATE THE FUTURE
The US can remain the top economic and military superpower, but chambers and venture capital communities can help drive that by uniting to support the country’s problem solvers, the entrepreneurs. Join us at the TAB Policy Conference (January 2025) and Texas Venture Gala & Forum (April 2025) to gather and supercharge Texas innovation.