Texas Venture Gala & Forum 2026: Opening Remarks From CS Freeland
When we support Texas entrepreneurs, we’re supporting Texas’s problem solvers. And because of Texas’s stature across the country, we’re really talking about leadership in American innovation. That’s why I chose “Innovation is Statecraft” as this year’s theme. Statecraft is the practice of shaping the future of a state, or a nation. In that sense, what we build and what we back, helps write the next chapter not only for Texas, but for the United States of America.
It was a proud moment to welcome so many innovators, investors, and ecosystem leaders to the Texas State Capitol earlier today—a first in Lone Star history that our innovation community has gathered at this scale at Texas’s most historic and powerful building.
To convene at the Headliners Club, a longtime gathering place for leaders in business, government, and media, we demonstrated that our community belongs not only at the Capitol but in this space as well. Thank you to the teams at the Texas State Capitol and the Headliners Club for accommodating our last-minute change of venues this spring that made this historic gathering possible.
Together, this cohesive group reflects a simple idea: we are not separate from Texas’s future—we lead it.
Texas Venture Gala & Forum Founder & Curator, CS Freeland
The Texas Venture Gala & Forum panel recaps are made possible by our Editorial Partner, Texas State University. Their McCoy College of Business Center for Student Entrepreneurship program exists to prepare the next generation of founders to build ventures that matter. Learn more about their innovation and commercialization here. Check out the entire Texas Venture Gala & Forum 2026 recap here.
