As a public center for learning, research and discovery, how can we advance and find new purposes and missions for the public library? The San Antonio Public library embarked on a new initiative to create Cafe Commerce – a 10,000 square foot resource and learning center focused making entrepreneurship easier, and to strengthen the support infrastructure for small business owners. In collaboration with Accion Texas, the nation's largest microlender, Cafe Commerce was created and launch in June 2014. Licensing content and programming from The Kaufman Foundation, as well as creating its own events and tapping into local mentors, Cafe Commerce became a center for new business creation and inspiration. In this fireside chat, Alan Weinkrantz will interviewed Cafe Commerce President, Peter L. French, on lessons learned, best practices, and how other libraries can create similar resource centers focused on startup and entrepreneurial ecosystems in their community.

1. WHEN NEW BUSINESSES
HATCH ATTHE PUBLIC
LIBRARY
Peter French / Alan Weinkrantz
SXSW 2015

2. INTRODUCTION
• Peter French @pfrench99
• Alan Weinkrantz @alanweinkrantz
• Cafe Commerce @CafeCommSA

3. JULIAN
CASTRO
Former San Antonio Mayor -
now… HUD Secretary

4. SAN ANTONIO LIBRARY

5. CONTRACT WITH
ACCION / LIFT FUND
• Small business focus
• Meaningful / measurable
impact
• 15,000 small businesses
• $180,000,000 in loans

6. MAKE ENTREPRENEURSHIP
EASIER
• Mindset
• Launch new ventures
• Accelerate existing businesses
• Enhance employee engagement
• Partnerships & collaboration
• Educate entrepreneurs

10. A RESOURCE CENTER
ATTHE LIBRARY
• Not an accelerator or co-working space
• Programming / content / events
• Peer to Peer Mentoring
• Small business centric
• Everyone is a startup or has a side project
• Coding / building is becoming more mainstream

11. PROGRAMMING
• 1,000,000 Cups
• Fastrac
• Kauffman Founders School
• Who OwnsThe Ice House
• Civic unHackathon
• Downtown Retail Loan Fund

12. Our Entrepreneurs….

13. WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED?
• Local impact
• Re-purposing a public space focused on
knowledge and learning
• Consistency in events
• Non-“startup types” / non “entrepreneurs”

14. ALIGNING GLOBALLY
• Tel Aviv is the first relationship in process….

15. FUTURE…
• PopUp Retail
• Vets
• Immigrants

16. HOW WE CAN HELP
YOUR LIBRARY
• Consulting & Advisory Services
• Playbook
• Licensing

17. Q & A

18. CONTACT INFO
• Peter French - peter.french@cafecommercesa.org
• Alan Weinkrantz - alan@weinkrantz.com
thank you:)