Building Austin's Most Intentional Founder Community

What is a Conscious Builder?

A conscious builder is someone who builds with intention. It's not just about creating something successful, but about how you do it and who you do it with. It means valuing the people involved, the process, and the broader impact of what you're building — not just the end result.

How did you get your start with Conscious Builders?

The short version is that I wanted more real community in Austin. I'd spent time in both builder-focused spaces and more conscious or personal-growth spaces, and I saw strengths and weaknesses in both. The idea was to take the best parts of each and bring them together.

We launched the first event about a year ago, and it worked right away. The turnout was strong, the energy was great, and since then we've just stayed consistent. Each event has grown in momentum, quality of people, and overall vibe.

Why is Austin the right place for this?

Austin is in a unique moment. It's been attracting people from everywhere for years, which creates a lot of fresh energy. Many people here are new, open, and actively looking to meet others and build connections.

It's not a city where everyone already has their fixed social circles. There's an openness and optimism that makes it easier for something like this to take root and grow, and Conscious Builders fits naturally into that energy.

What advice would you give to someone building a value-driven business?

I really believe in the idea of conscious capitalism — that a business needs to create value for all stakeholders to be sustainable. That includes employees, customers, the community, and the owners.

If one of those groups is consistently losing, the system eventually breaks down. The strongest businesses are the ones that create real value across the entire ecosystem, not just in one place.

What's one trend in the Austin founder scene that excites you right now?

Austin has a different feel compared to places like New York, LA, or SF, which can be more transactional. Here, people are more open and genuinely interested in connecting as humans, not just as opportunities.

One thing I hear a lot is that people are surprised when they come to a Conscious Builders event. Builders expect something stuffy and professional and are surprised by how fun and real it is. People from conscious communities expect something ungrounded and are surprised to find thoughtful, capable people doing real work. We seem to sit in a really healthy middle ground — professional but not stiff, conscious but grounded.