Empresario: [em·​pre·​sa·​rio] entrepreneur [noun] A person who starts or organizes a business company, especially one involving risk. Contractor, manager; probably from Italian impresario.

Welcome

The Empresario is a weekly feed by Texas Works, a series of special projects that support Texas-based product brands and the people behind them.

If you love Texas, and you love discovering new products, you’ll love it here.

Each week we write about products you may have never before seen. In many cases they’re new, or haven’t even launched. In others, the brands themselves are brand new. And, just as often we share products that have already been on the market, but are surprising, rare, or under the radar—and overall just worth knowing about.

Why do we do this? Texas is replete with exceptional creators, makers, inventors, and craftsmen, and just like the empresarios of pre-republic Texas, these entrepreneurs are forging ahead, making a life for themselves and their families while creating opportunities for others to do so, as well. The Empresario is here to help them do that, and to introduce you to them along the way.

Monthly Giveaways!

In addition to learning about the best new or under-the-radar products in Texas, subscribers to The Empresario have the chance at winning a featured product, as giveaways occur each month. But! You must be subscribed in order to have a chance to win. And we’re not just giving away fun tee-shirts or chintzy souvenirs; The Empresario only features the most outstanding products in Texas, so you’re sure to have the chance at winning something good. Subscribe and stick around, y’all; it’s worth it.

Made in Texas?

Since The Empresario is hosted at madeintexas.com, you may be wondering whether the featured products are made in Texas . . . And the answer is: some are! In many other cases, the products are designed in Texas but made elsewhere, whether in the U.S. or abroad. The common theme here is all of the featured products come from Texas-based brands, no matter their product origins. Think of ‘Made in Texas’ as an idea that expresses the successes derived from entrepreneurship, rather than a literal reference.

Yankees, Take Heart.

But what if you’re not from Texas? We’re confident you won’t know the difference otherwise. Texas is the 9th largest economy in the world, and is home to some of the most enterprising product brands not just in the U.S., but globally. The talent here is evident in the products we feature, and we’re sure you’ll find them to be both relevant and intriguing, no matter where you’re located.

A Bit About Texas Works:

Texas Works is a series of original content, live events, and special projects that have the shared purpose of supporting Texas-based consumer product brands, and the people behind them. Texas Works began in 2013 when Founder and Executive Editor Vincent Friedewald and his team created and published Texas Works: Products & Portraits of Talent, with Foreword by Kendra Scott.

One of the reasons we know about so many great Texas brands is the Texas Works Awards, a bi-annual contest to find the best consumer product brands in Texas. If you’re a Texas-based product brand, make sure you follow us on Instagram @texasworksawards to stay up on announcements for future contests.

Texas Works projects currently in the “works” and debuting in 2023-2024 include:

• The A-List Products, a video podcast where celebrities interview the founders behind their favorite Texas-based brands

• The Texas Works Makers Conference & Retreat, where product entrepreneurs gather for a weekend of continuing education, networking and fellowship

• The Texas Works Invitational, a weekend pop-up mercantile featuring the most elite product brands in Texas

Founder

The Empresario and the entire Texas Works franchise results from the passion of Vincent Friedewald, an entrepreneur and award-winning brand developer who’s actually from Hawaii, not Texas. But like many Texans, Vincent got here as fast as he could, as they say, and has spent more than a decade becoming Texas’ resident expert on Texas-based consumer product brands. As Texas Works’ Founder and as Executive Editor of The Empresario, Vincent is part talent scout, part curator, part investigative reporter, always on the lookout for the best people making the best products in the Lone Star State.

Join Us

If you’re a Texas-based product brand and have a new or interesting product you’d like to be featured in The Empresario, tip us off at howdy@texas.works. We give special priority to pre-launch brands and products, so if you’ve got a new project in the pipeline, be sure to let us know.