Austin is a city built on collaboration. Along with a short list of other hot spots in the U.S., it’s a hub of innovation – the beginning of new thoughts, the cultivation of ideas that mature into realities to influence culture and change the world. What starts as a good idea with an individual ends with a community of enthusiasts supporting and advocating for a budding startup brand. As William H. McRaven put it in his graduation speech to the University of Texas Class of 2014, “What starts here changes the world.”

Together, we brainstorm, share ideas, and empower each other’s endeavors. Together we move forward into exciting new possibilities we’d never accomplish alone.

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Earlier this year, U.S. News ranked Austin, Texas the best place to live in the United States. The city is growing faster now than ever, and people are wondering what is drawing such a large crowd to Austin. Along with it being the Live Music Capital of the world, Austin’s job market is thriving and businesses are flourishing. U.S. News analyzed the cost of living, job market, quality of life and desirability to determine rankings which resulted in Austin being the most desirable place to live in 2017.

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If you ask someone on the street what an entrepreneur is, more likely than not, they will respond by saying that an entrepreneur is a person who starts a business after getting an idea and finding listings of offices to let. While this is indeed true, there is more to an entrepreneur than just from a corporate perspective. Believe it or not, we are all entrepreneurs. We were born into this earth as innovative intellectuals who are always thinking about survival. Entrepreneurship is a mindset, not just a business strategy.

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Just like that, that’s a wrap of SXSW 2015. We had a great time checking out Interactive panels and keynotes, some films, and great bands in the sun (and a lot of rain). To wrap it up, we will be running two blogs: this one on awards and then an upcoming one on top speakers. Two of the most important awards for Interactive honor incredibly innovative companies, products, and startups. The SXSW Accelerator Startup Competition has 48 technology companies go head-to-head in a two-day competition with six winners, while the SXSW Interactive Innovation Awards focuses on evolving and broadening trends of the digital industry, giving out fourteen awards and four special honors.

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