Geekdom’s 150 supporting mentors. Members
engage in events like content clinics, mixer
nights, “Fermented Fridays” beer bashes, and
even the occasional yoga class. There are also
more intensive special events that take place,
like Geekdom Mentor Week, Start-Up Weekend,
and a Students + Start-Ups college internship
program. Start-Up Weekend is a 54-hour event
held in collaboration with Techstars, which
brings together designers, entrepreneurs, and
other experts to grow and nurture their ideas.
Interestingly, the Weston Centre, which first
housed Geekdom, has a long and illustrious
history. First, as Rackspace’s original home,
and later as the birthplace of a small company
you may have heard of called YouTube, which
famously called one night during our early days,
asking for overnight installation of ten new
servers for its fledgling business.
I also participate in organized philanthropy
through my other area of focus: the 80/20
Foundation, which is helping our city develop
into the type of livable city that most young
entrepreneurs tend to gravitate toward.
The foundation name draws from the Pareto
Principle—or 80/20 rule—wherein we try
to identify and invest in the 20 percent of
nonprofits that will drive 80 percent of San
Antonio’s transformation into the next hub
of entrepreneurship. The tools we use to
drive toward our goal are mentoring, support
services, networking, and financial and human
capital.
My purpose here is not to boast of my
accomplishments but to pave the way for other
successful entrepreneurs to build structures
that will allow us, as a nation, to grow the next
generation of leaders that can help us solve
problems and move technology forward. By
giving back in such a direct and meaningful
way, not only have I found self-fulfillment but
I have also enjoyed immersing myself in an
ultracreative environment day-in and day-
out. Whether you are a budding entrepreneur,
seasoned leader, or just a creative thinker, take
stock of how you can contribute to today’s
sharing economy and join the party.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Graham Weston is a prominent figure in San Antonio
business and real estate circles. He is owner of Weston
Properties, with its flagship Weston Centre the premier
office space in San Antonio since 1992.
He is perhaps best known for his role providing seed
capital and later management expertise to the startup
tech company, Rackspace, where he was chief executive
officer until 2006, when he became chairman. As a managed
hosting company, it grew rapidly in the early 2000s, and
under his guidance, went public in 2008, trading on the New
York Stock Exchange before going private in 2016, when
Apollo Global Management purchased the company.
Rackspace’s success brought with it a number of initiatives
designed to attract more technology investment and job
opportunities in San Antonio. Graham Weston established
Geekdom in 2011 to accelerate the tech startup community
in San Antonio and provided much needed workspace and a
collaborative environment for young entrepreneurs. Today
it has 1,500 members.
Graham Weston has been broadly recognized for his
contributions to the business community in San Antonio as
well as for his role in city planning endeavors as a tri-chair
on Mayor Castro’s SA2020 committee. He was inducted into
the San Antonio Business Hall of Fame in 2011 and has been
recognized several times as a distinguished entrepreneur
by various organizations.
19