Grow your business
Enhance your capacity
Advance in concepts and techniques
Find contract opportunities with government agencies
The Readiness Training Program for HUBs/Small Businesses is an innovative training program that enhances the competitiveness and capacity of minority and women- owned small businesses to bid on public sector contracts in the Austin region. The RTP for HUBs has a two-funnel (phase) design that addresses the needs of participating companies at various stages of their growth, as well as governments that rely extensively on minority/women owned small businesses to provide necessary services and products.
Funnel One is designed for minority and women owned businesses that are either new or still small (start-ups or companies with under $500K in revenues.) This training will be offered in Fall 2025.
Funnel Two is designed for more mature companies (revenues above $500K, and more employees) that are seeking to increase their capacity to win and execute successful contracts with local, state, and federal agencies in the Austin region. All sessions in Funnel Two offer more advanced business concepts, techniques, and information that have proven effective in growing a business. This training is being offered in Summer 2025.
Scroll down to see the tentative agenda for the main sessions and workshops. Please read the FAQs for additional details.
Funnel Two – Summer 2025 – Application OPEN!
Applications are being accepted now. Decisions are made on a rolling basis. Applicants are urged to apply early with the required information. Applications submitted after May 28th will not be considered.
Questions? Contact James E. Jarrett, Program Lead, at jj@ic2.utexas.edu
Note: Presenter Confirmations are PENDING. Look for periodic updates.
All Sessions are Online.
Sessions are on Tuesdays from 4:15 to 5:45
Workshops are on Thursdays from 4:15 to 5:45
Session 1: June 3rd
Welcoming Remarks | Dr. John Sibley Butler, Principal Investigator of the RTP for HUBs, Professor Emeritus of Management, former Director of the IC2 Institute, UT Austin; Recognition of Sponsors; Special Presentation | Jeffrey Travillion, Travis County Commissioner; Company Self-Introductions
Session 2: June 10th
Marketing for Growth | Cheryl A. Brown, Executive Director, North San Diego Small Business Development Center (SBDC); Jessica Scanlon, CEO, Hot Dog Marketing
Session 3: June 24th
Human Resources | Deirdre Patillo, University of Texas at San Antonio SBDC Center for Government Contracting; Mike Haggerty, Co-Owner, Thundercloud Subs
Session 4: July 8th
Small Business Finance for Owner-Operated Businesses | Jim Nolen, McCombs School of Business, UT Austin
Session 5: July 22nd
Topic to Be Determined by Participating Companies (see list of possible topics for Workshop 2 below); Graduation
Workshop 1: June 12th
Local and State HUB / DBE / SBE Program Overviews, Bid Opportunities, and Upcoming Initiatives | Randle Jackson. Assistant Director, Travis County HUB Program, Travis County Purchasing Office; Carlos Balderas, Manager, Supplier Diversity and Civil Rights Compliance, Capital Metro Transportation Authority; Gary Hampton Jr., HUB Director, UT-Austin HUB/SBE Program; Catherine Sak, Program Manager II, Small and Minority Business Resources Department, City of Austin; Dinita Caldwell, Executive Director, Austin Independent School District HUB Program; Austin Community College
Workshop 2: July 17th
Topics to be Determined (see below)
Admitted companies will choose two topics from those below. One will be the topic for main session #5 and the other will be the topic for workshop #2.
The following link provides all previous session information, participant information, presenters and video training:
