Left to Right: Rod McSherry, associate vice president for innovation and economic development; Susannah Munro, director, Apex Accelerator; Michael Gonzalez, associate regional director, SBDC; Richard Sifuentes, director, UTSA SBDC.
APRIL 8, 2025 — The Jude Valdez Institute for Economic Development (VIED) at UTSA made transformative impacts in the local, state and broader economies in fiscal year 2024, according to an annual report released recently. The institute had an overall $1.8 billion in direct economic impact, a metric that encompasses all new financing, investments, sales, contracts and exports for its thousands of clients.
The institute has been driving economic growth across Texas since its inception in 1979. It has helped over 8,000 businesses open their doors and create more than 77,000 jobs in the state. The VIED draws from federal, state and local support to operate 10 centers and 18 programs that serve startups, existing businesses and policymakers seeking strategic economic growth through local, regional, national and international initiatives.
“The Valdez Institute for Economic Development is a hub for multiple regional, statewide, national and global programs,” said Rod McSherry, UTSA associate vice president for innovation and economic development. “We are deeply committed to our mission to increase participation by innovators, entrepreneurs and small businesses in the economies where they live and work.”
