CTEC CEO Tachi Hinojosa on Powering Student Entrepreneurs

In the latest episode of The Building Texas Show, host Justin McKenzie sits down with Tachi Hinojosa, CEO of Central Texas Electric Cooperative (CTEC), to discuss the co-op’s deep involvement in fostering student entrepreneurship through Hill Country Venture Fest and the Incubator EDU program in Fredericksburg. The conversation, available as Inside VentureFest: How CTEC Powers Hill Country Student Pitches, highlights how high school students build real businesses and pitch them to community members, with some teams winning significant funding—last year’s first-place team in Fredericksburg won $12,000, and another team raised over $100,000 at a Chamber of Commerce banquet. Hinojosa explains that many students join to improve their public speaking skills and prepare as if venture capitalists were ready to invest, sometimes with real money on the line.

CTEC’s commitment extends beyond the pitch stage. The co-op has expanded its summer internship program from one student to six, offering opportunities to both high school and college students. It also invites high schools to tour its facilities, showcasing careers beyond line crews—in member services, engineering, human resources, accounting, and IT. Hinojosa shares the success story of Brodie Smith, who toured CTEC at 16, shadowed operations, completed a summer internship, and was hired full-time as a groundman; now about 19, he is an Apprentice Lineman I. This example underscores that not every career path requires a college degree. Hinojosa, a Texas A&M business graduate who began in the co-op world through a 2003 marketing internship, emphasizes that community service is embedded in the cooperative model through the principle of concern for community. CTEC employees volunteer with local fire departments, coach youth sports, and logged 1,000 volunteer hours last year after a staff challenge. Line crews also assist nonprofits with event setup and teardown.

McKenzie raises the challenge of talent leaving rural Texas for college or careers and rarely returning. Hinojosa sees Hill Country Venture Fest and Incubator EDU as part of the solution, giving students who want to stay the tools to build businesses locally and contribute to the economy. “When you call Central Texas Electric Co-op, you’re calling the Hill Country,” he says, highlighting the advantage of the cooperative business model. The full conversation is available on The Building Texas Show episode page.