Central Texas Electric Cooperative (CTEC) is expanding its role beyond power delivery by sponsoring Hill Country Venture Fest and the Incubator EDU program in Fredericksburg, where high school students build real businesses and pitch them to community members. The initiative, highlighted in a recent episode of The Building Texas Show, Inside VentureFest: How CTEC Powers Hill Country Student Pitches, underscores the cooperative's commitment to fostering local entrepreneurship and workforce development in the 11 Hill Country counties it serves.
The stakes for students are tangible. Tachi Hinojosa, CEO of Central Texas Electric Cooperative, told host Justin McKenzie that the first-place team in Fredericksburg last year won $12,000, and another team raised over $100,000 at a Chamber of Commerce banquet because attendees were so impressed with their presentation. Such outcomes demonstrate that the program is not merely an academic exercise but a launchpad for real ventures, giving students both financial backing and community validation.
Beyond the pitch stage, CTEC is building a pipeline of local talent through internships and facility tours. The co-op's summer internship program has grown from one student to six, and high school tours expose students to careers in member services, engineering, human resources, accounting, and IT—roles beyond the line crews they typically recognize. Hinojosa cited Brodie Smith, who toured CTEC at 16, shadowed operations, completed an internship, and was hired full time as a groundman; at about 19, Smith is now an Apprentice Lineman I. This example illustrates that not every career path requires a college degree, and that local employers can cultivate skilled workers who stay in the region.
The cooperative's community focus is embedded in its business model. Hinojosa, a Texas A&M business graduate who began in the co-op world through a 2003 marketing internship, noted that the principle of concern for community drives employees to serve on volunteer fire departments, coach youth sports, and support local nonprofits. After CTEC challenged staff to log volunteer time, they reached 1,000 hours last year, and line crews have helped set up and tear down tables and chairs for fundraisers.
McKenzie raised a challenge familiar to rural Texas: talented graduates leave for college or careers and rarely return. Hinojosa sees Hill Country Venture Fest and Incubator EDU as part of the answer, giving students who want to stay the tools to build a business in the Hill Country and contribute to the local economy. "When you call Central Texas Electric Co-op, you're calling the Hill Country," he said, adding that being local is the advantage of the cooperative business model. The full conversation is available on The Building Texas Show.
