The Chaos Campaign
When I first started working downtown, an old wise man pulled me aside and said something I’ll never forget. “Lorenzo, the mayor of San Antonio only has one job,” he said. I leaned in. “Count to six.” I nodded like I understood him completely. I did not. It took me years to realize he wasn’t […]
The Quiet Giant: In His Own Words
Part Four of a four-part Urban Nerd series on The Quiet Giant, the final installment, a candid Q and A with Pat Matthews on venture capital, ambition, geography, and San Antonio’s place in the startup world. In Part 1, “The Quiet Giant: The Unlikely Path to Venture Capital,” we saw how a kid from Virginia […]
The Active River
Article 4 of a four-part Urban Nerd series exploring the three distinct personalities of the San Antonio River Walk. One of the reasons I have such strong opinions about the River Walk is simple. I have lived on or next to all three of its personalities: the Visitor’s River, the Local’s River, and now the […]
The Era of Big Has Arrived in San Antonio
Growing up, I didn’t think big. I think a lot of us in San Antonio carry that, whether we realize it or not. I grew up in an inner-city neighborhood where most of my world existed within about a five-block radius. I didn’t get on a plane until I was 18. My life felt small, […]
The Local’s River
Article 3 of a four-part Urban Nerd series exploring the three distinct personalities of the San Antonio River Walk. In 2017 I bought a house in Tobin Hill that I probably had no business buying. It was rough, the kind of house where even the listing photos seemed to be warning you about the foundation. […]
The Quiet Giant: The ProsperOps Bet
Part Three of a four-part Urban Nerd series on The Quiet Giant – how Active Capital is pulling off the most unlikely venture story in Texas. One of the things I love about the Rackspace network is that it never really goes away. Rackers are scattered across the tech industry. Some have started companies. Some […]
The Visitor’s River
Part 2 of a four-part Urban Nerd series exploring the three distinct personalities of the San Antonio River Walk. I’m embarrassed to admit this now, but for a long time, I had a terrible attitude about the River Walk. Not the whole thing. Just the part I thought didn’t belong to me. I saw the […]
The Quiet Giant: From Rackspace to Active Capital
Part Two of a four-part Urban Nerd series on The Quiet Giant – how Active Capital is pulling off the most unlikely venture story in Texas. When I was CEO of Geekdom, one of the most common frustrations I heard from founders was simple: there wasn’t enough capital in San Antonio. That complaint came from […]
The Three River Walks
Part 1 of a four-part Urban Nerd series exploring the three distinct personalities of the San Antonio River Walk. When I was a kid, I went on a school field trip to see the Alamo. Like most San Antonio students, that was my first real trip downtown. But what actually stuck with me wasn’t the […]
Maximum Fiesta, Minimum Spend
Fiesta has always been about showing up, not spending big. And this year, as prices climb and budgets tighten, that spirit matters more than ever. Across San Antonio, there are still plenty of ways to take part in the color, music, and energy of Fiesta without stretching your wallet. We pulled together a list of […]