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UTB-CBIRD Report: “At The Crossroads” Economic Development 149 Aventura Entertainment Digital Maquilla Creation Know-how Capital Talent Infrastructure Research Media/Software VC/Incentives Skilled Labor User 3D Animation Brian Godinez was born in Houston and grew-up in the Rio Grand Valley near the city of Pharr. He has 30 years of professional experience: 21 years devoted to media and entertainment in Hollywood, followed by 9 years as an Austin Technology Incubator (ATI) entrepreneur where he started two successful .COM companies. He lives in Austin, but works in the Rio Grand Valley five days a week. Brian Godinez has a unique perspective on starting a high tech business in the Valley. It centers on an understanding of regional hi-tech resources, binational industry advantages, Hollywood business experience, and the “track record” of being a successful entrepreneur. He believes that within twenty years the RGV could become a global media center, if a successful shift into the digital economy can be achieved. Aventura Entertainment was started in 2001 to develop video games and animation content with Latino themes for Spanish television. Traditionally the majority of animation is outsourced to overseas companies in Asia, to which Mr. Godinez responds, “Why not create digital maquillas in the Rio Grande Valley to manufacture Latin American and Mexican media here instead of Asia?” Aventura plans to corner the lucrative Latino animation market by building an industry for the creation of digital content. Mr. Godinez’s business model is focused on two main goals: Creating significant return for the investor, and creating new media jobs throughout the South Texas border region and Mexico. Mr. Godinez believes in the regional importance of higher education and he is currently working with both UTB/STC and TSTC to link course offerings to Aventura Entertainment projects. Digital imaging media programs at TSTC in Harlingen have an enrollment of 270 and Mr. Godinez states, “In three to four years, the program should produce students with state-of-the-art programming skills who are also competent in the creative aspects of media production.” Aventura Entertainment is not relying 100% on Valley talent. The company is also recruiting animators in Mexico City and increasing industry awareness in greater Mexico. The plans are to locate this digital media maquilla on the U.S. side of the border and connect to Mexican operations via fiber to establish and maintain binational partnerships. One obstacle to nurturing such a digital animation cluster in the Valley is the need for “regional smart infrastructure” that specifically relates to digital media/entertainment including legal services that can address intellectual property issues. The key challenge, however, has been to raise venture funds. But as more businesses come into the creative content cluster it will spawn more companies coming to the region. The thought that Hollywood companies might bring their competition to the LRGV leaves Mr. Godinez undaunted. “I would love to see Sony or Disney come to the Valley and set up their own digital maquilla. As an entrepreneur, it would be beautiful to see this region become a star in the digital arena.” One Region -- One Future Within twenty years the RGV could become a global media center producing high quality digital animation for games, television, feature films, and similar markets. “The region needs to have local angel investors. While regional investors are accustomed to investing in maquila deals, digital media is new to them. If these investors are educated and organized, they should find the digital media industry an exciting new opportunity with tremendous potential returns. This is not a dot com or a software company. I’m talking about a fast growing segment of the video and digital gaming industry. There are huge opportunities for investors.” Brian Godinez President, Aventura Entertainment, 2002
UTB-CBIRD Report: “At The Crossroads” Economic Development 150 HI-TECH FUTURE: AT THE CROSSROADS Key to building regional and binational networks is connecting a range of existing initiatives. Harlingen and Brownsville could lead such an effort by bringing together existing organizations such as the Digital Brownsville project and the Harlingen Community Network, as well as the Valley Information Alliance (VIA) Consortium. Once the community consolidates its existing resources, they can better serve the regional needs. Establishing the hardware is only the start; the larger challenge is sharing regional knowledge to: ⇒ Provide facilities to help train network users ⇒ Educate vendors to the needs of the community ⇒ Educate regional industries to the advantages technology can provide ⇒ Provide an online presence for regional technology firms ⇒ Facilitate web development for social and civic entrepreneurship and non-profits ⇒ Create a database of key individuals and champions ⇒ Link academic, business, and government entities for enhanced social inclusion ⇒ Monitor the network as to metrics for success and employ follow-up activities as needed Building a Regional Knowledge-Network Portal would help catalyze the current technology sector and would be an opportunity to virtually show Cameron County to the world. Suggestions for portal content focus on the theme of inclusion by identifying ways to profile local technology-ventures and facilitate the dissemination of IT knowledge throughout the binational region. One goal of creating an online presence would be to facilitate public awareness of challenges and solutions to high-tech growth. Hosting threaded discussion forums on business plan development and leadership/management mentoring would provide a framework for communication between the technology, education, industry, government and citizen sectors. Such a Knowledge-Network Portal would also be a resource for outside companies to gather information critical to guiding new companies into the area. The Internet brings new possibilities to the Cameron County/Matamoros region, from improved delivery of education and training, healthcare services, to greater civic engagement and new economic opportunities. The Cameron County/Matamoros region also brings new possibilities to the Internet, as binational community leaders can build new models for cross-border knowledge sharing, leveraging of resources, and problem solving. A willingness to tolerate multiple approaches needs to be accompanied by a willingness to apply lessons learned. The South Texas/Northern Border region has a unique opportunity to build a binational model of wealth creation and prosperity sharing that other international binational and border regions will seek to emulate. Una Region -- Un Futuro Building a Regional Knowledge-Network Portal would help catalyze the current technology sector and would be an opportunity to virtually show Cameron County to the world.
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CAMERON COUNTY/MATAMOROS AT THE CRO
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There is no choice in whether this
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University of Texas at Brownsville;
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SECTION 4. EDUCATION & TRAINING INT
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