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What is Texchange?
Texchange is a thought-provoking dinner roundtable established to assist entrepreneurs from public and private companies in building their businesses, expanding their networks, and identifying resources that drive business. Texchange, a non-profit organization, is focused on creating the leading communities for information exchange between entrepreneurs and the service provider, educator and financial community. Each round table dinner evening kicks-off with a speaker introducing a vital topic and challenging the audience with discussion points for the evening. During each dinner, a table leader facilitates the conversation with eight entrepreneurs and the supporting organizations. The forum is concluded with an interactive group discussion over dessert.

Organization Background:
The initial Texchange chapter was launched in Houston in June of 2000. The Austin chpater launched with great success in early 2001, as did Dallas/Fort Worth in early 2002. We are proud to have achieved our goal of operating exciting chapters ..... in Texas three major cities, and are now busily considering expansion to a fourth major Texas city, San Antonio.

Members have rights at each chapter, so that they may visit the Houston, Austin, and DFW events of interest to them, thus broadening their statewide technology networks. Texchange events are distinctly different from other events, such as lecture series or mixers. That is the key to the success of this format. Each dinner's topic is announced well in advance, and a suggested reading list is posted. The evening starts with cocktails, followed by brief, introductory comments by an expert. This leaves the balance of the dinner time for people who are seated together to discuss the evening's topic, exchange views and truly get to know each other. Members and guests enjoy a dinner and in-depth discussion at round tables of seven people each. Before and after dinner, members are free to mingle over drinks. Texchange is highly successful at building community and enabling members to build lasting business and personal relationships. Solicitation and recruiting are not allowed at dinners. Discussion topics are decided by the local Board of Directors well in advance of each meeting. Knowledgeable commentators and table leaders are invited to each dinner. The topics are generally middle-market and emerging business focused.

Dinner Format:
Meetings start with with refreshments and informal conversation followed by dinner in a comfortable environment  to enable attendees to become well acquainted with others at their tables. After introductions, each table discusses a pre-set technology or entrepreneurial topic among themselves. Attendees are encouraged to share their own viewpoints and, especially, to share knowledge gained through their own unique experiences. Later in the evening, there is an "open table" format, where attendees may mingle and meet those seated at other tables. Dinner is provided as part of the registration fee in the program.

This unique discussion format gives members and their guests an opportunity to get to know the viewpoints of others at their dinner tables, and to provide an opportunity for meaningful interaction that can lead to lasting friendships and business relationships. Attendees at dinner meetings are asked to be familiar with a short reading list of related magazine articles or the topics within them in order to prepare for the discussion phase of each monthly meeting. Topics and reading material are posted on the website under Upcoming Events.

Members have the privilege of attending Texchange meetings at the organization's chapters in various cities, and are encouraged to use Texchange as an opportunity to meet members and develop deep relationships throughout its various chapters.