Emerge and Rise Wins SME Expansion Facilitator of the Year
How a San Antonio venture development organization earned global recognition in London, and what it means for the future of small and medium-sized businesses in our region.
Emerge and Rise returned from London with global recognition, winner of the 2025 Go Global Awards: SME Expansion Facilitator of the Year, and went straight back to serving San Antonio’s small businesses the very next day. The award came from the International Trade Council, which selected organizations making a measurable impact on global business expansion, trade readiness, and market entry support.
The timing and location made this award even more meaningful. It was presented inside a historic palace in Westminster, steps from Parliament, during a two-day trade mission where government leaders, corporate buyers, and companies from around the world met for market-entry discussions, B2B matchmaking, and policy briefings. It is not a typical awards ceremony; it is a working event centered on real outcomes.
And in the middle of it, a small nonprofit from San Antonio stood out.
Why This Matters for San Antonio
San Antonio is a city built on small and midsize businesses. According to regional data through 2023, 99% of local firms fall under the SME category, and these companies employ nearly half of the workforce. They keep the regional economy stable, especially in manufacturing, health, defense, food systems, construction, renewable energy, and tech-enabled services.
Yet most SMEs face barriers that slow growth: technology gaps, limited access to procurement pipelines, difficulty navigating incentives, and a lack of strategic guidance.
Emerge and Rise was created to close these gaps.
Our organization is not a coworking space; it is a venture development organization built for hands-on support. We provide:
soft-landing for international SMEs entering Texas
B2B matchmaking and procurement introductions
government contracting navigation
incentives and funding guidance
operational support for scaling firms
and one-on-one help for underserved entrepreneurs who rarely receive this level of access
This combination of local impact and global strategy is what earned attention in London.
What Happened in London
During the Go Global Awards, we met with leaders from the United Kingdom, Ireland, South Africa, St. Lucia, and Barbados, each exploring opportunities in Texas or seeking U.S. partners. Discussions centered on defense, health innovation, digital systems, manufacturing, and the circular economy. These sectors align directly with San Antonio’s strengths.
The award validated that our model, supporting SMEs at the operational level while opening doors to international markets, fills a gap that larger cities often overlook. Instead of building a startup incubator, San Antonio is positioning itself as a soft-landing and expansion hub for established companies ready for their next stage.
By the time we boarded the plane home, we carried new partnerships, new trade relationships, and new opportunities for the region.
By Friday afternoon, we were back at our office meeting with small business owners. Because global recognition is important—but consistency is everything.
The Work Behind the Award
The award reflects the work done inside our collaborative space on Broadway in District 10, where we see daily challenges from both emerging and established businesses. Our programs are built around four pillars:
Digital Literacy
Financial Literacy
Mental Health and Wellbeing
Sustainability
Meliza Brecht with Wealth Watch Advisor (our partner) was in attendance with us in London.
These pillars were shaped by gaps we saw in Bexar County businesses, especially underserved entrepreneurs who rarely gain access to strategic planning, funding preparation, or operational support.
In the last year, Emerge and Rise has:
guided international firms exploring San Antonio as a landing zone
hosted corporate and government B2B introductions
run training sessions in innovation, leadership, and design thinking
and directly navigated resource needs for entrepreneurs who often fall through the cracks
This direct, practical work is the reason global judges took notice.
Why Global Recognition Matters to us
Global recognition does not change our mission, but it expands our reach.
Winning SME Expansion Facilitator of the Year signals that San Antonio can compete in economic development spaces often dominated by larger metro markets. It reinforces that our region has the talent, readiness, and diversity of industry to attract international attention.
And it sends a clear message:
San Antonio is not only a place where businesses start. It is a place where businesses scale.
For small and medium-sized companies across the region, this creates new opportunity pathways—procurement, partnerships, trade connections, and soft-landing routes that did not exist before.
What Comes Next
This award marks the beginning of a new chapter. Over the next year, Emerge and Rise will continue building out:
a robust soft-landing program for international SMEs
strategic matchmaking and procurement access for regional businesses
incentive and funding support
operational and digital transformation guidance
and cross-border partnerships that bring new opportunities into Bexar County
Our goal is simple: Position San Antonio as a leading destination for SME readiness, expansion, and long-term growth.
This win in London helps accelerate that work, but does not replace the day-to-day support that has always defined us. We left London with a global title. We came home to continue serving the community. And we’re just getting started…. Stay tuned!
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