Inside VentureFest: How CTEC Powers Hill Country Student Pitches

CTEC at VentureFest: $12K wins and a $100K student pitch.

Central Texas Electric Co-op sponsors VentureFest and Incubator EDU in Fredericksburg. Tachi Hinojosa, CEO and President of CTEC, breaks down why a Hill Country electric co-op coaches student teams, shows up at the pitches, and backs kids who can raise real money—including a first-place VentureFest team that won $12,000 and another team that raised over $100,000 at a Fredericksburg Chamber banquet.

On The Building Texas Show, Justin McKenzie talks with Tachi about CTEC’s role across 11 counties: student entrepreneurship, high school and college internships, 1,000 employee volunteer hours, and the line that sticks—“when you call Central Texas Electric Co-op, you’re calling the Hill Country.”

This week’s episode lands during VentureFest season. If you’re in Fredericksburg or the Texas Hill Country, this is the co-op-and-classroom side of the event.

In this episode:
• What VentureFest and Incubator EDU look like from CTEC’s chair
• $12,000 first-place win (Fredericksburg) and a $100,000+ Chamber pitch
• Why CTEC employees coach teams on public speaking and real business pitches
• Student pipeline beyond the stage: tours, shadows, internships (1 student to 6)
• Brodie Smith: facility tour at 16 → groundman → apprentice at 19
• Concern for community: VFDs, youth sports, line crews hauling tables for fundraisers
• 80 years next year serving the Texas Hill Country

Guest: Tachi Hinojosa, CEO & President, Central Texas Electric Co-op (CTEC)
Focus: VentureFest · Incubator EDU · Fredericksburg · Texas Hill Country
Host: Justin McKenzie, The Building Texas Show

00:00 Cold Open: VentureFest $12K Win and a $100K Student Pitch
00:23 Meet Tachi Hinojosa, CEO of Central Texas Electric Co-op
00:53 How Tachi Built 19+ Years in the Electric Co-op World
02:36 Why CTEC Runs High School and College Internships
02:58 Growing CTEC Internships from 1 Student to 6
04:20 Facility Tours and Careers Beyond the Lineman Role
05:00 Brodie Smith: Tour at 16 to Apprentice at 19
06:55 Powering 11 Texas Hill Country Counties
07:57 80 Years Next Year: Rural Service and Local Growth
09:25 Co-ops, Cities, and Who Owns the Power in Texas
10:48 Concern for Community and 1,000 Volunteer Hours
12:30 VentureFest, Incubator EDU, and Student Pitch Skills
13:20 “When You Call CTEC, You’re Calling the Hill Country”
13:39 Keeping Talent and Ownership in the Hill Country
15:28 Watch the Pitches: $12K First Place and a $100K Raise
18:09 Why CTEC Sponsors VentureFest and Shows Up in Person
19:58 Hill Country Character: Why These Students Keep Going
20:43 Closing: CTEC, VentureFest, and Building Texas

Central Texas Electric Co-op · CTEC · VentureFest · Incubator EDU · Fredericksburg Texas · Texas Hill Country · pitch competition · student entrepreneurship · startup pitch · youth entrepreneurship · elevator pitch · high school entrepreneurs · electric cooperative · Building Texas Show

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