SA tech growth prompts expansion at Geekdom

'Collaborative co-working space' emblematic of city's rapidly emerging tech scene

SAN ANTONIO – It is a sign of the times for the rapidly emerging tech scene in in San Antonio: Geekdom is expanding.

The self-proclaimed "collaborative co-working space" rents offices to entrepreneurs and start-up companies.

The companies don't have to worry about setting up the small things like Internet and phone connections or copy machines.

"You come in, grab a chair and start working," said Matt Willbanks, co-founder and CEO of HelpSocial -- and Geekdom member. "It is that simple."

So many start-ups and entrepreneurs have followed suit that Geekdom is needing to expand.

Currently, the company has 723 members, but it's growing.

"We're adding, on average, about 50 new members a month, so now we needed more space," said Tommy McNish, Geekdom's director of business development.

Geekdom occupies the sixth and seventh floor at the Rand Building downtown.

But since they need more space, Geekdom is converting the building's eighth floor to offices and open areas.

That will give them 45,000 square feet of work space, according to McNish, who said it could very well be the single largest co-working space in the country.

With eyes starting to focus on the growing tech community in San Antonio, the space is needed.

"With 723 members and over 350 companies that have been formed in San Antonio, we are getting a lot of outside investment firms that are looking at us and looking at our companies," McNish said.

That interest from outside is what fuels those inside -- and it's the reason more start-ups want to get in.  

Geekdom's presence on the Rand Building's eighth floor will be a little different than the other floors, with bigger offices, more phone booths, even a quiet area for those that need it.

All in all, the concept is the same: businesses helping businesses grow while Geekdom continues to grow as well.

"The amount of growth is exciting," Willbanks said. "It's exciting for San Antonio. It's a good thing for everybody."


About the Author:

David Sears, a native San Antonian, has been at KSAT for more than 20 years.