innovationCAFE San Antonio: Strategic Policy & Ecosystem Development
Schedule
Mon Oct 26 2026 at 10:00 am to 12:30 pm
UTC-05:00Location
Hilton Palacio del Rio | San Antonio, TX
About this Event
innovationCAFE San Antonio: Strategic Policy & Ecosystem Development
Join us for the innovationCAFE San Antonio session, a strategic workshop focused on one of the greatest opportunities for the Texas economy: unifying our world-class innovation assets.
San Antonio is a global leader in Defense, Cybersecurity ("Cyber City USA"), and Biomedicine. Yet, these powerful sectors too often operate in silos, missing opportunities for exponential growth. This session is not a policy debate; it's a leadership summit on how to build the bridges—and the policies—to connect them.
The Focus: From Silos to a Unified Tech Super-Cluster
This session moves beyond internal R&D to focus on the strategic ecosystem. We will provide a playbook for using public and private policy to build a self-sustaining innovation engine.
- Keynote & Strategy Session: This session will be led by Adam Rogers, an expert in building high-growth technical ecosystems. Adam will provide a strategic playbook for using policy (tax credits, public-private grants, talent initiatives) to intentionally build robust innovation clusters, specifically targeting the defense, tech, and cybersecurity sectors.
- The Workshop: The session transitions into a high-level executive workshop, centered on the critical question for South Texas leaders:
"We have world-class assets in defense, cyber, and biomed. How do we as leaders use policy to unify these silos, create a resilient talent pipeline, and win the next wave of federal and private-sector investment?"
This core discussion will be supported by strategic insights from Cherie Jones (on Commercializing public-private IP) and Damian Smyth (on measuring the Productivity of these new ecosystems).
The innovationCAFE Model
This high-impact, 2.5-hour event is built on the CAFE principle of innovation:
- Collaborate
- Ask
- Flow
- Evolve
Gain crucial strategic insights, network with C-suite peers from across the cyber, defense, and biomedical industries, and collaborate on real-world solutions over quality coffee. Your collaboration will directly contribute to a key policy paper submitted to Government, ensuring San Antonio's unique ecosystem needs are a national priority.
Location: Hilton Palacio del Rio
Speakers: Adam Rogers(Lead), Cherie Jones, Damian Smyth
Duration: 2.5 hours
Action: Build the policy playbook to unify San Antonio's tech ecosystem and secure its economic future.
Where is it happening?
Hilton Palacio del Rio, 200 South Alamo Street, San Antonio, United StatesEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
USD 0.00


















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