Just a couple of months into the DEC’s launch and our vision to build a resource center dedicated to helping startups thrive is becoming a reality. We have eighteen startups on board, including serial-entrepreneur Alex Muse’s Haul and former CFO of Match.com, Lisbeth McNabb’s Digiworks, with more companies moving in weekly. We’ve received 90 applications for our incubation program from startups seeking working space, a startup assessment and benchmark plan, mentors, education, and access to a broad network of connections.
As I think about the DEC’s journey from a simple idea to the bustling center that stands today, I can’t help but reflect on my own journey with entrepreneurship. My father, grandfather, and two uncles were entrepreneurs. Therefore, this passion was engrained in me as a teenager and continued as I began working at the North Texas Regional Center for Innovation and Commercialization (NTXRCIC), which helped entrepreneurs through mentorship, services and with access to an early-stage venture fund. During my time there, I helped nearly 900 technology entrepreneurs hone business plans and raise capital for their companies.
By the time I left the NTXRCIC, entrepreneurship was a steady part of my life. I set my sights on helping start a sustainable technology firm and then took my passion to the Dallas Regional Chamber. At the Chamber, I started InnovateDFW.com, which connected North Texas entrepreneurs with online resources. Six months ago, InnovateDFW.com merged with LaunchDFW, a leading startup blog, to create an online comprehensive presence locally and nationally. It was during this time that fellow DEC co-founders, Trey Bowles and Jennifer Conley, and I began discussing the gap in national recognition around startup success in DFW. With all its entrepreneurial success, DFW is not recognized nationally as a leading startup ecosystem. From that observation, the DEC was born. We moved quickly towards understanding how others were doing it. We looked at 1871 in Chicago, met with 1776 in DC, and researched other up-and-coming ecosystems across the U.S. They all possessed one significant asset: a Center. Not a hub, not the Center, but A Center. We began making plans for what a Center would do, how it would be funded, where it would be located, etc. and all the pieces fell into place. Within six months we had space, community support, initial funding, and Trey ready to lead as CEO. Talk about a window of opportunity!
According to the Kaufman Foundation, the top two obstacles preventing entrepreneurs from launching a startup are not knowing how to get their business off the ground and securing financing. The DEC is here to help entrepreneurs facing these obstacles — to help entrepreneurs start, build, and grow their companies while launching a strategy that helps DFW thrive economically as well. Two months in, we see our plan taking shape thanks to the support of our community and partners like the Chamber, Softlayer and Trailblazer Capital. I encourage all hopeful entrepreneurs out there to take advantage of the DEC and the resources we provide.
To learn more about the DEC visit www.thedec.co.