Central Texas Electric Co-op Energizes Student Entrepreneurs in the Hill Country

Central Texas Electric Cooperative (CTEC) is investing in the next generation of Hill Country entrepreneurs and workers, and its CEO says the payoff is measured in local businesses and careers that stay close to home. On a recent episode of The Building Texas Show, host Justin McKenzie sat down in Fredericksburg with CTEC CEO Tachi Hinojosa to discuss why an electric cooperative serving 11 counties sponsors Hill Country Venture Fest and the Incubator EDU program. The full conversation is available at Inside VentureFest: How CTEC Powers Hill Country Student Pitches.

Through Incubator EDU, high school students in Fredericksburg build real businesses and pitch them to community members. Hinojosa said many students join to sharpen their public speaking skills, and they prepare as if venture capitalists were ready to invest. Sometimes the money is real: the first-place team last year won $12,000, and another team raised over $100,000 at a Fredericksburg Chamber of Commerce banquet after impressing attendees with their presentation.

CTEC's involvement extends beyond the pitch stage. The co-op has opened its summer internship program to high school and college students, growing from one participant in the first year to six this past year. CTEC also invites high schools to tour its facilities so students can see careers beyond the line crews they recognize, including member services, engineering, human resources, accounting and IT. Hinojosa pointed to Brodie Smith, who toured CTEC at 16, shadowed the operations department, completed a summer internship, and was hired full time as a groundman. At about 19, Smith is now an Apprentice Lineman I, an example that not every career path requires a college degree.

The cooperative's community focus is built into its model. Hinojosa, a Texas A&M business graduate who began in the co-op world through a 2003 marketing internship and moved to the Hill Country in 2022, said the principle of concern for community drives employees to serve on volunteer fire departments, coach youth sports, and help local nonprofits set up and tear down for fundraisers. After CTEC challenged staff to log volunteer time, they reached 1,000 hours last year.

McKenzie raised a challenge familiar to rural Texas: talented graduates leave for college or careers and rarely return. Hinojosa sees Hill Country Venture Fest and Incubator EDU as part of the answer, giving students who want to stay the tools to build a business in the Hill Country and contribute to the local economy. "When you call Central Texas Electric Co-op, you're calling the Hill Country," he said, adding that being local is the advantage of the cooperative business model.

For readers, the implications extend beyond one program. By fostering student ventures and offering career pathways close to home, CTEC is helping to retain talent in rural Texas, which can strengthen local economies and build a pipeline of skilled workers for essential industries. The cooperative model, with its emphasis on community service, may serve as a blueprint for other rural businesses looking to make a lasting impact. More information about CTEC is available at Central Texas Electric Cooperative.