Ten student teams representing 25+ high school entrepreneurs took the stage Thursday night at the inaugural Greater Mason County Venture Fest, a three-hour dynamic event designed to ignite innovation and entrepreneurship across rural Texas.
Hosted by TheTownie.ai, the event drew 110 registered attendees from across five Hill Country counties—Mason, Menard, Kimble, Gillespie, and McCulloch - demonstrating broad regional support for youth entrepreneurship. The competition awarded two $250 cash prizes: one for Best Presentation and one for Most Innovative Idea. For most students, it was their first time pitching a business concept in front of a public audience. The evening featured welcome remarks from Mason City Administrator Amanda Hill, followed by the student pitch competition, a keynote address from South High Land Ventures CEO Ron Ondechek Jr., and an expert panel of rural entrepreneurs and innovators. Live music by Justin McFarland and local wine, spirits, and food provided by Spring St. Collective of Fly Gap Winery, Porchlight Distillery, and Twisted Fork scratch kitchen rounded out the celebration.
“We proved that rural communities don't need to wait for permission or resources from elsewhere to build entrepreneurial ecosystems," said event organizer Katie Milton Jordan, founder of TheTownie.ai. “With $4,275 raised locally and 110 people showing up from five counties, this event demonstrated what's possible when regions collaborate. Watching first-time student entrepreneurs discover their potential—and watching our community rally to support them—that's the future of economic development in rural Texas.”
