Embracing Entrepreneurship in the Lone Star State
June 26, 2025
By Sheldon Smith, CEO, Sandbank Group, Inc.
Coming home to Texas has been one of the best decisions of my life. Not only have I been able to reconnect with family, make plans to reunite with old friends and classmates, and have my parents and my wife’s mom in one place, I have also been able to get out, meet new fellow entrepreneurs, and start to integrate into the San Antonio small business ecosystem.
Yesterday, I went to support the Texas Veterans Two-Step nonprofit as they teamed up with Emerge and Rise to help veterans register their businesses. The end goal of events like this is to help veterans become entrepreneurs by taking advantage of a highly valuable benefit offered by the State of Texas. I encourage you to learn more about the Texas Veterans Two-Step. Emerge and Rise™ is dedicated to equipping entrepreneurs with the tools, knowledge, and resources needed to build strong and sustainable businesses.
This morning, I had a chance to participate in a networking session at Venture X, which caters to both entrepreneurs and established businesses seeking a professional coworking experience. Alan Derek Utley, guest speaker, spoke on the topic, "Avoid the Toxic Boss Trap." Based on my master's coursework in organizational leadership and my previous roles as both a leader and follower, I can attest that the presentation followed by a Q&A session were on point.
I’ve been meeting a lot of really cool and talented people who are doing the same thing I am – accepting the challenge to help people and do something amazing through entrepreneurship.
By Sheldon Smith, CEO, Sandbank Group, Inc.
Coming home to Texas has been one of the best decisions of my life. Not only have I been able to reconnect with family, make plans to reunite with old friends and classmates, and have my parents and my wife’s mom in one place, I have also been able to get out, meet new fellow entrepreneurs, and start to integrate into the San Antonio small business ecosystem.
Yesterday, I went to support the Texas Veterans Two-Step nonprofit as they teamed up with Emerge and Rise to help veterans register their businesses. The end goal of events like this is to help veterans become entrepreneurs by taking advantage of a highly valuable benefit offered by the State of Texas. I encourage you to learn more about the Texas Veterans Two-Step. Emerge and Rise™ is dedicated to equipping entrepreneurs with the tools, knowledge, and resources needed to build strong and sustainable businesses.
This morning, I had a chance to participate in a networking session at Venture X, which caters to both entrepreneurs and established businesses seeking a professional coworking experience. Alan Derek Utley, guest speaker, spoke on the topic, "Avoid the Toxic Boss Trap." Based on my master's coursework in organizational leadership and my previous roles as both a leader and follower, I can attest that the presentation followed by a Q&A session were on point.
I’ve been meeting a lot of really cool and talented people who are doing the same thing I am – accepting the challenge to help people and do something amazing through entrepreneurship.
