Tag Archives: Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation

StartUp Events Feature Local Entrepreneurs

BCIC CEO Cori Pena makes a check presentation to one winner at a recent StartUp Texas event. (Courtesy)

The 36,000-square-foot eBridge Center in downtown Brownsville was envisioned as a space where aspiring entrepreneurs and existing business owners could experiment and test new ideas. After a year of operations on East Adams Street, eBridge is proving to be just that and more. Its StartUp Texas innovation competitions feature enterprising businesses from a variety of industries representing food, research and emerging technologies. Just in recent months, presenters offered judges in…

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Supply Chains Shifts May Benefit RGV

Shifts in global supply chain operations may bring light manufacturing opportunities for the Rio Grande Valley economy.

The fallout from the economic upheavals of 2020 when coupled with the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 have frayed supply chains from Asia and put global energy markets on edge.  Two buzzwords are making the rounds of economic development talk as industries readjust and calculate what lays ahead. One term banding about is reshoring. This is the reestablishment of manufacturing operations in the United States after being previously located…

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BCIC Recievs IEDC Honor For Third Consecutive Year

BCIC, IEDC awards

The Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation recently won two excellence awards at the International Economic Development Council annual conference in Dallas. This is the third consecutive year BCIC has received recognition from IEDC. BCIC received the Gold Award for Partnerships with Educational Institutions and the Bronze Award for Best Use of Federal Economic Development Resources, highlighting the organization’s commitment to improving the economic landscape and overall quality of life in the…

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StartUp Texas Announces Demo Day, Seed Funding

StartUp Texas

StartUp Texas, a seed fund and accelerator program under the Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation, will hold Demo Day 2023 on Aug. 10. The capstone event showcases the innovative steps made by seven startups in its Quality of Life Ventures cohort competing to win anywhere from $40,000, $20,000, or $10,000 in seed funding. BCIC partners with visionary entrepreneurs and passionate leaders through the program, helping them bring groundbreaking products or services…

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Roast House Goes Big In Brownsville

Walk into The Roast House in downtown Brownsville and the first impression is how much space it occupies. The formerly cozy coffee shop on Alton Gloor Road in north Brownsville has grown dramatically since its move to downtown in the latter half of 2022. There’s 5,700 square feet of space put to use for community events, group meetings and of course, great coffee.  The Roast House is a “full-blown coffee…

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SpaceX’s Reach Goes Beyond Rocket Launches

Elon Musk and SpaceX recently declared they were “one step closer to the first orbital flight test of Starship.” The reference was to the nearly 400-foot-tall rocket that’s perched at Starbase on Boca Chica Beach near Brownsville. The Federal Aviation Administration announced in June after a two year-study that SpaceX could expand its footprint on Boca Chica. The FAA, however, did not grant a rocket launch license. It cited 75…

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BCIC Receives IEDC Recognition

The Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation was recently recognized for its work in the Downtown Brownsville Business Improvement and Growth Programs and the eBridge Center for Business and Commercialization during the International Economic Development Council annual conference in Oklahoma City, Okla. BCIC received a Silver Award in the category of Neighborhood Development for the BIG programs. BIG programs are reimbursable and stackable grants to provide financial support to commercial property owners…

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Center Spans Border To Boost Opportunities 

The eBridge Center in downtown Brownsville will provide an array of services to assist small business owners and entrepreneurs.

The Casa de Nylon-turned-entrepreneurial resource center is nearing completion in downtown Brownsville. The 36,000-square-foot, two-story facility on east Adams Street should be open for business – and innovation – by the end of this month. It will be the largest facility of its kind south of San Antonio. The eBridge Center for Business & Commercialization is located just a few blocks from the Gateway International Bridge. The Brownsville Community Improvement…

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BCIC Recognizes Top Startups in Brownsville

Valley Tire Recycling of Brownsville wins the grand prize at BCIC’s recent Pitch Summit. (Courtesy)

The Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation hosted its third annual StartUp Texas Pitch Summit on June 16 and selected one grand prize winner among nine competitors.  Valley Tire Recycling took home the top honors and $25,000 in seed funding for their new venture in Brownsville. The other eight candidates will each receive six months of incubation and business support services from the BCIC. By design, the Pitch Summit recognizes emerging startup…

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