TAB, TVA bridge traditional Chamber Communities with ascendant Venture, Growth, Private Equity Industries
By Glenn Hamer & CS Freeland
AUSTIN, Texas (Texas Insider Report) — The Texas State Chamber of Commerce – known officially as the Texas Association of Business, or TAB – represents 250 Local Chambers across the state. And the Texas Venture Alliance has assembled the largest statewide venture capital and innovation network. Together, our partnership has proven a powerful one – and its now, in fact, even reflected in the political makeup of the incoming White House come January 2025.
INNOVATORS & INVESTORS SHAPING POLITICS
It’s no surprise that we’re both All-In Podcast listeners, #1 for Silicon Valley and political discourse… a real barometer for the intersection of business, tech, and politics, and highly regarded as a critical voice shaping the future of the economy.
One of us attended the All In Conference featuring Vice President-Elect JD Vance, as well as Elon Musk, David Sacks and Peter Thiel – big investors & innovators who highly suggested Vance for the V.P. position.- And the other toured Texas this summer with then-V.P. Nominee Vance with the support of IBC Bank, alongside several key U.S. and Texas Senators.
President Donald Trump’s selection of the Ohio Senator to join him on the ticket was a testament to the growing power of the country's venture community, including here in Texas.
Elon Musk and prominent venture capitalist Joe Lonsdale have also both been new Texan voices calling to unleash America’s action-oriented entrepreneurial spirit supporting economic growth.
STATEWIDE ACTION
TAB and TVA bridge the traditional chamber community with the ascendant venture, growth, and private equity industry.
This will most effectively be done via a shared legislative agenda with united voice to promote the Lone Star State’s entrepreneurs and business leaders regionally, nationally, and internationally focused on:
- AI policy that unleashes private sector innovation & cuts bloated government bureaucracy
- Producing “all the above” energy policy encouraging nuclear innovation like small modular reactors
- Federal and state R&D credits support for startup funding in certain sectors
- Supporting veteran entrepreneurs’ venture agenda
Promoting space and semiconductor continued investments in research & manufacturing- Amplifying tech transfer to commercialize discoveries out of academia and into the market
- Closing the disproportionate venture capital gap that Texas has in relations to other states
Texas is a global powerhouse, and both our organization's actions reflect this in partnerships and international attention and collaborations.
Texas investors and the venture community work together to co-create partnerships, bolster trade agreements, engage law makers from abroad, and come together in person as a community to network and celebrate innovation.
- TAB co-signed an MOU with Texas Venture Alliance & Startup Nation Central promoting Texas innovation with Israel, with even more expansion plans across the UAE.
- TAB amplified innovation initiatives regarding landmark U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement negotiated by the first Trump Administration.
- TAB co-hosted Texas Venture Fest (a TVA signature event) first international location in Mexico City in October, with four Texas lawmakers and the Mayor of Brownsville, while visiting Mexico’s presidential inauguration of Claudia Sheinbaum.
- TVA launched the inaugural statewide innovation high-end and high-powered, Texas Venture Gala, a collaboration with TAB, with influential venture leaders from Mexico, Canada, Israel, Australia, and more.
We used to say Texas enjoyed the best economy in the country, leading in job creation and population growth for more than a decade. But given that we’re a $2.6 trillion economy on the world stage, we now rank 8th by GDP, meaning our state beats entire countries.
And actually, now that SpaceX recently found a better headquarters in South Texas, we’re the top performing economy in the galaxy.
JOIN TO CO-CREATE THE FUTUREThe United States can remain the top economic and military superpower, but chambers and venture capital communities can help drive that by uniting to support the country’s problem solvers – the entrepreneurs.
Join us at the TAB Policy Conference in January 2025, and the Texas Venture Gala & Forum in April 2025 to gather and supercharge Texas innovation.
Glenn Hamer is President & CEO of the Texas Association of Business (TAB), the Texas State Chamber of Commerce. CS Freeland the Founding Executive Director of the Texas Venture Alliance (TVA).
