Ufland Romo: Café Con Texas was a great success for the RGV

PHARR, Texas – Linda Ufland Romo, director of entrepreneurship, innovation, and commercialization at UT-Rio Grande Valley, says the recent Café Con Texas exhibition in Monterrey was a big success.

A number of economic development corporations in the Valley also attended.

“We were invited by Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (UANL) to participate in an event called Café Con Texas, which was, basically, a platform for us to showcase the value of Texas and how important it is for international companies to come to Texas and land in Texas,” Ufland Romo told the Rio Grande Guardian. “Texas is, in my view, a gateway to the to the world.”

UANL pitched the event to businesses in Nuevo León this way: “Are you looking to expand your business to the United States? This event is for you! Connect with Texas organizations and discover key information for exporting your products.”

Organizers said the event would provide business owners with great networking opportunities and valuable information.

“Establish strategic connections with Texas organizations and entrepreneurs, creating a network of contacts that can boost your growth. Gain crucial knowledge about export processes, regulations, and market strategies that will help you bring your products to the U.S. market.”

UANL said businesses could also participate in sessions and workshops designed to strengthen their business skills and prepare them for the challenges and opportunities of international trade. “Your business could be the next to conquer the American market. Don’t miss this valuable networking and business development opportunity.”

Ufland Romo said her department was pleased to help bring a number of Valley economic development corporations to Café Con Texas.

“Really, we had the biggest representation at the event. We had the City of McAllen. We had the City of Edinburg. We had the City of Pharr, the City of Weslaco, the City of Harlingen. And we had representation from the City of Brownsville,” Ufland Romo said.

“So, it was really great to for us to all go and and offer our region as a resource, to offer our region as a landing site, because we are so close and with what we offer, we’re so competitive as well.”

Ufland Romo said she was given the opportunity to speak as panelist at the event.

“So, we talked about the resources available to our international community with our soft-landing program. So, to be able to talk about all the resources and how we can engage with these companies, the reception and the feedback that we received was amazing.”

There was so much interest, Ufland Romo said, that there was a long line of companies wanting to engage.

“We had a line that we couldn’t hold on to. All the questions and all the interest that they had, we were able to really work with these entrepreneurs, to be able to do it right, to be able to do it with planning, to be able to access the ecosystem,” Ufland Romo said

“The idea was that, with all the EDCs, that’s the ecosystem that we can bring, aside from the resources and everything that we’re able to provide on the programming side. I think the support of our region is very important. So, it was great to see that collaboration. So, it was a great event.”

Ufland Romo says UTRGV partners with Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León at different events and with different programs. “We feel that there’s a big connection between a university and a university. So, for us, it just makes sense.”

Ufland Romo said the collaboration with the Valley’s EDCs was on full display at the exhibit.

“We had an opportunity to work with some of them, those that were able to go to Monterrey and be part of this amazing event that we had. It was really impactful for the Rio Grande Valley. I think everybody had a chance to showcase their city, their assets, their benefits. And, for us as a university, we were able to showcase our soft-landing program, which provides that education, that programming side, to be able to support the entrepreneurial community.”

Asked if UTRGV was helping plant a flag in Monterey for the region, Ufland Romo said: “I’m a little biased but I am going to say yes. We put a little grain in the mix. I think that being a university with the credibility that we have as the University of Texas, I think it really puts a lot of backing (behind us) when we go out and engage with other universities. And I think we definitely do our due diligence and our part to put that flag (in the ground) and make sure that the entrepreneurial community in other cities, even across the border, know that we are here to support them.”

Asked if her department is getting a return on investment from looking south towards Mexico, Ufland Romo said: “I think we’re a little overwhelmed because of the amount of emails that we have received and the calls from the entrepreneurial community in Monterey. They are interested in our programs, and they want to engage with us. The level of interest has been tremendous ever since we came back from Monterey.”

Ufland Romo added: “We engage with organizations across the border to be able to support them. We’re just trying to open our gateway to the south.”

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