Left to Right: Rod McSherry, associate vice president for innovation and economic development; Susannah Munro, director, Apex Accelerator; Michael Gonzalez, associate regional director, SBDC; Richard Sifuentes, director, UTSA SBDC.
APRIL 8, 2025 — The Jude Valdez Institute for Economic Development (VIED) at UTSA made transformative impacts in the local, state and broader economies in fiscal year 2024, according to an annual report released recently. The institute had an overall $1.8 billion in direct economic impact, a metric that encompasses all new financing, investments, sales, contracts and exports for its thousands of clients.
The institute has been driving economic growth across Texas since its inception in 1979. It has helped over 8,000 businesses open their doors and create more than 77,000 jobs in the state. The VIED draws from federal, state and local support to operate 10 centers and 18 programs that serve startups, existing businesses and policymakers seeking strategic economic growth through local, regional, national and international initiatives.
“The Valdez Institute for Economic Development is a hub for multiple regional, statewide, national and global programs,” said Rod McSherry, UTSA associate vice president for innovation and economic development. “We are deeply committed to our mission to increase participation by innovators, entrepreneurs and small businesses in the economies where they live and work.”
The UTSA institute supported a total of 46,337 businesses in the last fiscal year.
Equally as important, 961 businesses expanded, and 536 new businesses opened their doors with the institute’s support.
One small business owner, San Antonio-based Mina Youssef, was able to expand his veterinary clinic into two new locations with guidance from the UTSA Small Business Development Center. Youssef secured $2.7 million in investments, enabling him to create 40 new jobs.
Another client, San Antonio-based interior planning and project management firm Facility RX (FRX) has managed to secure over $550,000 in federal contracts since 2017 with support from VIED's APEX Accelerator program. The program is dedicated to helping small and large businesses with large-scale expansion by collaborating with local, state, federal and DOD agencies.
In the past year, the VIED has expanded to bolster its services in a number of areas to strengthen the Texas economy. It opened a new center in Laredo focused on supporting small business owners and entrepreneurs in underserved communities. The new office provides a physical presence in the border region, where the team hopes to continue to expand its service. The institute also launched the UTSA University Center, a new program aimed at guiding local governments to grow strategically, particularly in smaller communities. This program provides no-cost technical assistance to local governments and stakeholders to help them create strategic plans for growth and identify funding opportunities. Another new addition to the institute’s multiple programs will provide accessible and expert cybersecurity services to small businesses across Texas.
Texas is an attractive destination for small business owners due to its tax and regulatory climate and growing workforce. According to Texas 2036, small businesses comprise 99.8% of all businesses and employ 44.5% of all employees in the state.
McSherry says that he expects multiple industries to continue to grow, increasing opportunities for budding businesses as well as the demand for support from the institute’s many programs and services.
“Looking ahead, the opportunities are boundless. Anticipated public and private investments in cybersecurity, AI, quantum technologies and other critical fields are expected to create more opportunities for small businesses. The VIED is ready to help entrepreneurs and small businesses capture these economic opportunities,” he said.
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Día en la Sombrilla, formerly Fiesta UTSA, is a festival hosted each spring as a part of Fiesta® San Antonio events. Sponsored by Roadrunner Productions, the event features music, food, confetti, games, event t-shirts, and more.
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Virtual (Zoom)In this workshop, attendees will be introduced to Pandas, a Python tool for working with data easily. It makes it simple to organize and analyze information when data is organized and categorized, like spreadsheets or tables.
Group Spot B, John Peace LibraryEach fall and spring semester, students convene at the Main Campus at UTSA with booths, ideas and prototypes. A crowd of judges, local organizations, students, faculty and sponsors walk around and talk to the students about their projects and ask questions. Students get the real-life experience of "pitching" their project with hopes of getting funding or support to move to the next level.
UTSA Convocation Center, Main CampusJoin the doctoral candidates for the Doctoral Conferreal Ceremony and celebrate their accomplishments.
Arts Building Recital Hall, Main CampusCelebrate the graduates from the Carlos Alvarez College of Business, College of Education and Human Development, Margie and Bill Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design and University College.
AlamodomeCelebrate the graduates from the College for Health, Community and Policy, College of Liberal and Fine Arts and College of Sciences.
AlamodomeThe University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property - for Texas, the nation and the world.
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