Breaking Barriers,
growing Businesses
Driving Social Impact and Innovation
San Antonio Venture Development Organization
Business success and sustainability
Emerge and Rise serves as a venture development and scale-stage growth partner within San Antonio’s business ecosystem. Our work focuses on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and small-to-mid-sized businesses (SMBs) that are already operating and ready to grow, innovate, or expand, locally, nationally, or internationally.
While other local organizations offer a strong foundation for business creation and early development, Emerge and Rise builds on that foundation by walking alongside established businesses as they move into scaling, modernization, and long-term sustainability.
Our model emphasizes continuous engagement and personalized case management, ensuring that each business receives tailored guidance as it adopts digital tools, strengthens internal systems, accesses procurement and capital opportunities, and explores new markets.
By aligning with ecosystem partners, rather than duplicating their efforts, Emerge and Rise creates continuity across the entrepreneurial lifecycle, positioning San Antonio’s existing businesses for sustainable growth, job creation, and regional competitiveness.
Our work aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals to drive local change in San Antonio and beyond.
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Who do we support
At Emerge and Rise™, we work with business owners who are ready to grow, expand, or rethink how they operate. Many of our clients are already in business, but didn’t start with the usual access, connections, or funding. We meet them where they are and help them move forward with clarity.
Business owners preparing to hire, scale, or raise capital
Women-led companies driving innovation across industries
Latino, immigrant, and global-majority founders building locally
Veterans and transitioning service members ready to lead in business
Entrepreneurs navigating digital tools, funding, or new markets
Emerge and Rise Owner Independence Framework™
One of the biggest issues we see in small business ownership is the “Owner Reliance Trap”—where the founder wears every hat and the business can’t function without them.
Our framework exists to break that cycle.
Through delegation, system design, and wellness-centered growth, we help entrepreneurs build businesses that don’t burn them out—or break when they step away.
Outer Ring: The 4 Anchors – Our Approach
These are the pillars that guide how we serve our entrepreneurs:
1. Empower = Build the human
→ Mindset, confidence, mental health, and healing
2. Equip = Provide the tools
→ Processes, capital access, delegation, infrastructure
3. Educate = Teach the skills
→ Financial/digital literacy, resilience, planning
4. Elevate = Amplify the work
→ Visibility, storytelling, exit readiness, leadership
Middle Ring: The 12 Building Blocks
These are the real-world components an entrepreneur needs to thrive.
From mental health and systems to storytelling and co-creation, this layer reflects what actually builds sustainable businesses, especially for founders from marginalized or underestimated communities.
Inner Ring: The Process – Based on the CESI Model
This ring reflects how we do our work.
It’s based on the Community Engagement & Social Innovation (CESI) model:
Observe + Identify the problem
Integrate + Engage the community
Assess + Innovate solutions
Evaluate + Disseminate impact
This ensures that everything we do is community-driven, inclusive, and evidence-based.
Holistic Entrepreneurship
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Financial Literacy
We emphasize financial literacy across all our programs, infusing key financial principles into our services and resources. Business owners (or their staff) gain insights through workshops that cover essential topics such as budgeting, investing, and financial planning, fostering the skills necessary to navigate the economic aspects of business with confidence.
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Digital Literacy
Digital literacy is integral to our offerings, ensuring small business owners (or their staff) are adept in the digital realm. Through our workshops and community initiatives, business owners explore the use of digital tools and strategies, including social media marketing, artificial intelligence (AI), and e-commerce, enhancing their ability to operate and grow in an increasingly digital world.
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Mental Health Empowerment
Mental health wellness is a priority within our support framework. Our workshops and resources focus on building mental resilience, managing stress, and achieving a healthy work-life balance. We also emphasize leadership growth by helping entrepreneurs move beyond the self-reliance trap, learning to ask for help, build strong teams, and lead with balance instead of burnout.
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Environmental Practices
We help small businesses integrate sustainability into their operations, focusing on practices that balance profitability with climate and social impact. Small businesses (and their staff) learn how to adopt eco-friendly operations, drive social change through impactful strategies, embrace innovation, and position their businesses for long-term success in a changing world.
Our Focus Areas
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Providing necessary tools and knowledge for innovation and financial management, digital skills, and overall business acumen. Promoting new ideas and business models through our programs.
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Facilitating connections between entrepreneurs, mentors, and community leaders to strengthen the business ecosystem. Ensuring that a wide range of perspectives and ideas are heard and integrated.
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Offering targeted education and resources in financial and digital literacy, essential for building sustainable businesses and achieving economic independence and generational wealth.
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Encouraging innovative thinking and adaptation through our tailored Corporate Small Business Programs, aimed at fostering a culture of innovation within larger organizational structures and the broader community.
“I found something truly special, beyond just my art business, I found a like-minded community.”
— DeAnna Brown
AFFILIATIONS
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San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (SAHCC)
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World Affairs Council of San Antonio
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San Antonio Council for International Visitors
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National Association for Latino Community Asset Builders (NALCAB)
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Grow with Google Impact Partner
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NATIONAL DIGITAL INCLUSION ALLIANCE
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GLOBAL CYBER ALLIANCE
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PRO LITERACY
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NTEN (Nonprofit Technology Enterprise Network)
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National Coalition for Community Capital
Blog posts, News, and Media Press
Empower Dreams: Join Us in Building Business Futures
Every donation fuels the journey of aspiring entrepreneurs in our community. Your support enables Emerge and Rise to provide essential resources, mentorship, and training to those who need it most. Together, we can transform potential into success. Invest in a brighter future today—every contribution makes a difference!