The Hill Country Venture Fest has locked in its full slate of Gold-tier sponsors ahead of its October 1, 2026 student pitch night at the Odeon Theater in Mason. The newest addition is Frontera Healthcare Network, joining Hill Country Telephone Cooperative (HCTC), Central Texas Electric Cooperative (CTEC), and Texas Regional Bank as backers of the event. Each sponsor contributes at the Gold-tier level, a $1,000 commitment that helps keep the festival free for students and families.
The festival, which was named the 2025 Texas Venture Fest of the Year by the Texas Venture Alliance, is a one-evening event where rural Hill Country students pitch real ideas to real judges. The Gold-tier sponsors represent essential local infrastructure: healthcare, telecommunications, electric service, and banking. Frontera Healthcare Network brings a regional healthcare presence, while HCTC, CTEC, and Texas Regional Bank provide services that already touch homes, schools, farms, ranches, and small businesses across the Hill Country.
This mix is intentional. The Hill Country Venture Fest is not just a one-night contest; it is a public signal that student ideas belong in the same room as local employers, lenders, co-ops, service providers, families, and community leaders. Sponsor backing helps keep the event free, gives students a real stage, and shows young entrepreneurs that the region's established institutions are paying attention.
"When a bank, a co-op, a telephone company, and now a healthcare group all say yes to the same room of kids, that tells you something about what this community values," said Katie Milton Jordan, a spokesperson for the festival. The involvement of these diverse sponsors underscores the broad support for nurturing local talent and fostering an entrepreneurial spirit in rural areas.
More sponsors, at every tier from Community Partner ($250) to Presenting ($2,000), are still being welcomed ahead of the event. Details are available at hillcountryventurefest.com. The festival's growth and the increasing number of sponsors highlight the importance of investing in the next generation of business leaders in the Hill Country.
