small business economy
We launched a private-sector working group that connects San Antonio's industries, institutions, and decision-makers. If your business is operating in or entering the San Antonio market and you want direct access to procurement pathways, strategic partnerships, and regional connections, this is built for you. Sessions are quarterly and membership is by invitation.
Areas of Work
Four lenses on growth that lasts
Most economic development in San Antonio focuses on the sectors everyone already knows. There is a wider set of work happening in other cities that this region has been slower to tap into, even though the businesses, talent, and demand are already here.
These are four of those areas. They are not separate causes. Each one is a different answer to the same question: what does growth that actually holds up over time look like. We work in all four with our clients, and we think more of San Antonio's small and mid-sized businesses should have a way into them.
This section explains what each area is, where it stands, and what it could mean for a business or a community here. Where we run a program or initiative connected to the work, we point to it.
Social innovation
New solutions to complex social and environmental problems, built across the usual sector lines. It shows up in social enterprises, in tech for public good, and in nonprofits like ours that run with the discipline of a business. This is the work Emerge and Rise is built on.
Social enterprises alone generate roughly $2 trillion globally and about 5% of US GDP, and that is only one part of a far wider field. 02Creative economy
The economic value of design, media, music, architecture, and the arts. For a city with San Antonio's cultural depth, and a UNESCO Creative City designation, this is underused as an economic strategy, not just a cultural one. The talent and institutions are already here. What is missing is the connection between creative work and business growth.
In 2023, arts and culture added $1.2 trillion to the US economy, about 4.2% of GDP, growing at twice the rate of the overall economy. 03Circular and regenerative economy
Building businesses that keep materials in use and restore the systems they depend on, rather than extract and discard. Circular work is about materials and waste. Regenerative work goes further, addressing climate and leaving soil, water, and community better than it found them. This is where small businesses can often move faster than large ones.
The global circular economy is measured in the trillions, yet only about 6.9% of materials worldwide come from recycled or reused sources. That gap is the opportunity. 04Aerospace, defense, and bioscience
The one area where San Antonio leads rather than lags. The city is built around it, with major operations at Port San Antonio, deep cybersecurity strength, four military installations, and one of the strongest military-medical and biosciences clusters in the country. For a small business, the opportunity is plugging into supply chains that are already here, through contracts, services, and specialized work most owners assume is out of reach.
Joint Base San Antonio supports more than 86,000 personnel with a $39.1 billion economic impact, and the private sector employs over 46,000 people in the field.Local ecosystem
We do not do this work alone. These are San Antonio organizations active in each area. Together they show that the foundation for this work is already here.
Social innovation
Circular and regenerative economy
Creative economy
Don't see your industry?
We work with small businesses across many other fields, including hospitality, retail, professional services, consumer products, and tech. These four areas are where we focus our awareness and convening work, not the limit of who we help.
Want to work in one of these areas?
Tell us where your business is headed, and we will point you to the right program or partner.
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