Start Up Waco is a Texas nonprofit organization in process of application for 501(c)3 status, formed via collaboration of cross-sector partnerships that aspire to lead Waco’s entrepreneurial support efforts and elevate Waco as a hub for business innovation. We are dedicated to engaging the Waco community to embrace a culture of innovation, entrepreneurship and new thinking by empowering entrepreneurs and innovators to build and grow successful businesses. Located in the Woolworth Suites in the heart of Downtown Waco, our coworking accelerator space called Hustle will provide amenities, programming and resources to foster startup growth. By connecting the dots between valuable resources and budding innovators and entrepreneurs, Start Up Waco aims transform our city into a place where all who strive can succeed.

We serve entrepreneurs, innovators, and creatives in Waco by:

1. Maximizing the impact of existing entrepreneurial resources by connecting, gathering impact measurements, supporting, and promoting them. Common needs among these organizations will be addressed through community-wide training events.
2. Filling resource gaps in the Waco entrepreneurial ecosystem where needed. Gap-filling efforts include our co-working space called Hustle, developing early stage capital funds, forming a mentoring program that makes finding the right expertise easy, and curating a resource library portal for entrepreneurs.
3. Building a culture that fosters and celebrates entrepreneurship by promoting a full range of events that celebrate and empower all entrepreneurs and support organizations in the community.

Start Up Waco is collaboratively built by what we call the four pillars of the ecosystem:

Government

Mclennan County, City of Waco

Business

Greater Waco Chamber, African American Chamber, Hispanic Chamber, Corporate Partners

Foundations

Waco Foundation

Academia

Baylor University, McLennan Community College

The economic future of Waco as for the rest of America depends on entrepreneurial business growth that is responsible for most new job creation. To succeed, entrepreneurs must move forward in big steps, turning their ideas into reality. These step changes demand processes, culture, and tools that are quite different than those needed for the steady growth of ongoing businesses, and naturally involve higher risks. These ventures are best supported by a flourishing, densely connected network of people and entrepreneurial resources – often referred to as an entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Start Up Waco is here to help unlock the full potential of Waco’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.