We serve the community to help
it thrive.
Who we are
Emerge and Rise™ is a San Antonio-based Venture Development Organization serving small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs).
We work with business owners who are growing real companies, often while supporting employees, paying bills, and providing for their families. Since 2021, we’ve helped SMEs strengthen their operations, access funding, build support systems, and stay sustainable for the long haul.
Our approach blends business and international development with social innovation and environmental sustainability. Because when an SME grows, it doesn’t just raise revenue, it supports jobs, families, and long-term community wealth.
We aren’t chasing trends. We’re helping real businesses grow with purpose, so their success can reach beyond the owner: to employees, families, and the next generation.
We’re here to build better businesses and stronger futures together.
Our Mission
We help founders and small businesses build stronger operations through education, mentorship, and practical resources. Our work includes financial and digital literacy, mental health support, and building generational wealth. We use social innovation to address real problems in the communities we serve, and we focus on growth that is sustainable and inclusive.
Our Vision
A local economy where small businesses can grow on their own terms, where barriers to funding and support are lower, and where business success creates lasting benefit for the people and neighborhoods around it.
Core Values
Commitment to literacy: We build financial and digital literacy into everything we do. Business owners who understand their numbers and their tools make better decisions. That knowledge carries forward to the next generation.
Wellness-driven approach: We prioritize mental health and well-being for our team and the people we work with. Running a small business is hard. We design our programs to account for that.
Sustainable impact: We build programs around sustainability from the start. The work we do should create economic and social change that outlasts a single grant cycle or workshop.
Collaborative leadership: We work through partnerships, both inside our organization and across the community. Shared effort produces better results than any one group working alone.
Integrity in action: We are mission-driven. Our decisions and actions stay aligned with our purpose of serving our communities.
Social Impact
Our impact starts with the business owners who keep San Antonio running, and the families who depend on them. We help local businesses grow in ways that are financially sound, environmentally responsible, and built to last. That means stronger companies, more local jobs, and more stability for the people behind the business.
Our Strategic Growth and Impact Goals 2025-2028
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Driving Small Business Growth and Resilience
We deliver targeted support to small businesses across San Antonio by focusing on financial capability, digital adoption, and operational performance. Instead of a single location, our model meets businesses where they are, providing access to the tools, systems, and guidance needed to increase revenue, improve efficiency, and scale sustainably.Goal
Support 600 small business owners with training, tools, and advisory services to drive measurable business growth, resulting in 200–300 new and retained jobs and contributing an estimated $6 million to $10 million in local economic activity by 2028.How We Deliver
Strategic Partnerships
Work with local organizations, industry partners, and corporate sponsors to expand access to high-impact resources and opportunities.Integrated Business Support
Provide workshops and one-on-one advisory focused on operations, financial management, digital tools, and workforce readiness.Market Access and Engagement
Host targeted events and initiatives that connect businesses to networks, procurement opportunities, and growth pathways. -
Expanding Businesses and Building Global Pathways
We support small businesses in San Antonio to grow through strategic partnerships, procurement access, and selective international collaboration. Each year, we work with up to five global companies entering Texas, aligning them with local small businesses to create real opportunities for contracts, supply chain integration, and long-term growth.Goal
Support 100 small businesses in scaling operations and accessing new markets by 2028, while facilitating up to 20 international expansions that generate partnerships, supplier contracts, and revenue growth, contributing an estimated $4 million to $8 million in local economic activity and supporting 75–125 jobs.How We Deliver
Targeted Business Support
Provide practical training and advisory focused on operations, financial management, and market expansion to strengthen business readiness.Procurement and Partnership Access
Connect small businesses to contracting opportunities, supplier networks, and international companies entering the U.S. market.Selective Soft Landing Program
Support a limited cohort of up to five global companies per year with market entry, while actively pairing them with local businesses for partnerships, vendor relationships, and shared growth. -
Accelerating 75 Growth-Ready Businesses
Over three years, we will work with 75 established businesses to scale operations while integrating sustainable practices that reduce environmental impact and improve long-term resilience. The focus is on helping businesses grow responsibly by aligning operational efficiency with climate-conscious decision-making.Goal
Drive an average 10% revenue increase across participating businesses while supporting measurable improvements in resource efficiency, contributing an additional $2.5 million to $3.5 million to San Antonio’s economy.How We Deliver
Sustainable Growth Support
Provide targeted workshops and advisory focused on scaling operations with an emphasis on energy use, waste reduction, and efficient resource management.Operational and Environmental Tools
Equip businesses with practical tools to track and improve performance across financial, operational, and environmental metrics.Impact and Performance Tracking
Measure revenue growth, job creation, and environmental outcomes such as reduced waste, improved efficiency, and responsible resource use.
Our Staff
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Dr. Lina Rugova, DBA
FOUNDER & PRESIDENT
Lina started Emerge and Rise in 2021 after moving to San Antonio and running into the same problem over and over: the support systems available to small businesses were scattered, confusing, or built for startups that didn't look like most local companies. She built an organization focused on the businesses already operating, the ones paying rent, hiring employees, and trying to grow.
With over 15 years of experience in management consulting, strategic planning, and digital marketing, Lina works directly with small business owners to restructure operations, build growth-oriented partnerships, and innovate on traditional business models. She is a faculty instructor at Palo Alto College (Alamo Colleges District) in the Business Management Department and co-director of the Founder Institute San Antonio chapter.
Lina holds a Bachelor's Degree in Business and a Master's in Corporate Innovation and Entrepreneurship from Pennsylvania State University, and a Doctor of Business Administration in Entrepreneurship from Walden University. Her certifications include STEM Innovation, AI, Green Belt in Lean Six Sigma, Corporate Risk Management, Crisis Management, Continuous Improvement, Corporate Training, Digital Marketing, Facilitator of LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®, and NYU Modern Journalism Certificate.
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Christine Colburn
VP, COMMUNITY AND STRATEGIC INITIATIVES
Christine is a strategic leader whose career spans multiple industries, from digital marketing and medical SaaS to engineering and defense innovation. She played a central role in launching operations at the Boeing Center at Tech Port for Capital Factory, strengthening San Antonio's startup and defense innovation ecosystem.
At Emerge and Rise, Christine builds relationships, drives strategic partnerships, and expands opportunities for underserved entrepreneurs. She is actively involved in San Antonio's startup community through Capital Factory, Tech Bloc, Founder Institute, and WINC Circle, working to create pathways for founders to access mentorship, funding, and growth opportunities.
Christine's connection to the mission is personal. Her eldest son serves as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force, reinforcing her dedication to leadership, resilience, and opportunity within the community.
Christine is a certified notary public holder and Facilitator of LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®.
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Melissa Sexton
MILITARY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
Melissa Sexton is a U.S. Army veteran and community leader in San Antonio with a strong background in human resource management and organizational development. As Military Community Development Director at Emerge and Rise, she connects military communities with local businesses, building partnerships and creating growth opportunities.
Her expertise is grounded in a Master of Science in Human Resource Management, along with certifications in leadership, compliance, and project management. Melissa also runs three businesses of her own and continues to advocate for veterans and support her community.
Interested in joining our staff or board? View open opportunities here.
Our Story
Emerge and Rise: Igniting Opportunity for San Antonio's Small Businesses
San Antonio is full of people who want to build something of their own. The drive is there. The ideas are there. What is often missing is real support that is easy to find and actually useful.
That gap became clear to Lina Rugova after moving to San Antonio. She is an immigrant from Kazakhstan and a former business consultant from New York City. In 2021, while the city was coming out of the pandemic, she kept running into the same problem. Resources existed, but they were scattered, confusing, or built for startups that did not look like most local businesses. On top of that, Lina did not know anyone. San Antonio can feel like a big city with a small-town network, and breaking into it was frustrating. Everywhere she turned, doors felt closed. Connections were hard to make, and support often depended on who you already knew.
Mom-and-pop shops, family-run restaurants, solo owners, and small service businesses are often overlooked. These businesses matter to the local economy, yet many owners feel like they're figuring out growth on their own.
That frustration led to the creation of Emerge and Rise, Inc.™ The organization was built to support entrepreneurs and small businesses that are already operating or ready to grow. It is a hands-on support system focused on real challenges like systems, planning, access to help, and long-term stability.
The goal is simple. Meet entrepreneurs where they are. Help them make clearer decisions. Give them support that respects their time, culture, and reality.
Emerge and Rise™ exists because small businesses deserve more than encouragement. They deserve practical support that works.
HELP US DO MORE OF THIS WORK
Your donation goes directly to programs that support small business owners in San Antonio. That includes training, mentorship, one-on-one advisory, and access to tools most entrepreneurs can't afford on their own. Every dollar helps us keep this work going.