UTRGV Entrepreneurship Center Earns Five National Honors at Kauffman FastTrac Summit

Photo caption: Representatives from the UTRGV Entrepreneurship and Commercialization Center and 1 Million Cups Brownsville pose following the awards presentation at the 2026 Kauffman FastTrac + 1 Million Cups Summit, held July 28–30 in Kansas City, Missouri. UTRGV ECC received five honors recognizing its program impact, sustained commitment to entrepreneurship education, ecosystem-building efforts and individual leadership. From left: Olatunji Ajani – Executive Director – 1 Million Cups & FastTrac, Linda Ufland – Director of Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Commercialization,Daniel Garza – Program Specialist , Armando Villarreal – Economic Development Training Specialist, Samantha Morales – Economic Development Training Specialist and Julio I. Quiroga – International Training and Development Specialist. Photo courtesy of UTRGV Communications.

Staff Report

Edinburg TX – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Entrepreneurship and Commercialization Center received five honors at the 2026 Kauffman FastTrac and 1 Million Cups Summit, held July 28-30 in Kansas City, Missouri.

The annual summit brought together Kauffman FastTrac affiliates and 1 Million Cups organizers from across the country. The UTRGV ECC was selected from a West Region encompassing 19 states and represents one of 189 FastTrac affiliates operating across the national network.

Awards Received

The center received the following honors:

• High Impact Affiliate Award, West Region: Recognizes the FastTrac affiliate that delivered the highest number of completed cohorts in its region during the previous 12 months.
• Sustained Excellence Award, West Region: Honors an affiliate’s long-term commitment and consistent delivery of FastTrac programming, evaluated based on years of participation and number of cohorts delivered.
• Ecosystem Builder Award: A shared recognition celebrating organizations that operate both FastTrac cohorts and an active 1 Million Cups community within the same entrepreneurial ecosystem. UTRGV ECC delivers FastTrac programming throughout the Rio Grande Valley and organizes 1 Million Cups Brownsville.
• Outstanding Facilitator Award: Presented to Julio I. Quiroga, international training and development specialist, for creating engaging FastTrac cohort experiences, connecting participants with additional resources, and supporting entrepreneurs beyond the classroom.
• 1 Million Cups Spirit Award: Presented to Daniel Garza, program specialist, for his reliability, collaboration, and commitment to supporting the organizer team and creating a welcoming environment for entrepreneurs and community members.

Director’s Statement

Linda Ufland, director of Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Commercialization at UTRGV, credited the center’s community partnerships for making the recognitions possible.

“These honors reflect what is possible when a university and community partners share a commitment to supporting entrepreneurs,” Ufland said. “Our partners throughout the Rio Grande Valley have helped us make entrepreneurship education accessible and responsive to the needs of each community. This recognition belongs to our team, our partners and, most importantly, the entrepreneurs who continue to build and grow businesses in our region.”

For more than a decade, UTRGV ECC has delivered FastTrac entrepreneurship education and business development programming across the Rio Grande Valley, serving entrepreneurs in Brownsville, South Padre Island, Port Isabel, San Benito, Harlingen, Pharr, Edinburg, Weslaco, and Mission.

Kauffman FastTrac was launched in 1993 by entrepreneur and philanthropist Ewing Marion Kauffman to provide entrepreneurs with education, resources, and connections to help them build sustainable businesses.

Source – UTRGV Entrepreneurship and Commercialization Center