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The Big Picture 
Hunt Business students Viviana Zambrano and Abby Puentes returned from South by Southwest with a clearer view of how innovation works — and what opportunities exist inside it. 

During a Hunt GO Foundry panel moderated by entrepreneurship faculty member and Hunt GO director, Alejandro Muñoz, the trio reflected on what changed after stepping into rooms filled with founders, investors and emerging technologies. 

Muñoz framed the experience as part of a broader effort to build entrepreneurship infrastructure at the college. 

“We want to create more infrastructure, more programming around entrepreneurship and innovation for Hunt Business,” Muñoz said.  

Why It Matters 
The panel centered on what happens when students see the scale, pace and expectations of real innovation environments up close. 

Muñoz described the SXSW trip as intentional exposure. 

“It’s an immersion program where we take students from the college, provide access to experience one of the main innovation hubs, see what lessons we take from that and bring back to Hunt Business.”  

What Hit First 
For Puentes, the shift was immediate once they stepped into their first startup crawl. 

“As soon as we walked in, it was crazy because you don’t see that in El Paso. I walked in and saw a little robot walking around – even just that micro-experience, it was like we entered a whole new world.”  

Zambrano described the same environment in terms of intensity and expectation. 

“Everyone was so educated in their field and super passionate about the projects that they’re creating. The conversations were expansive, and you’re being proactively challenged the whole time.”  

Reframing Failure and Readiness 
What stood out to Zambrano and Puentes was how openly they talked about building an idea into a success – and embracing failure. 

“I’ve never really heard failure embraced like that. We’re human and we’re going to make mistakes,” Puentes said.  

Zambrano pointed to a line that shifted her mindset. 

“A panelist said: ‘If you don’t have two failed startups before you graduate, you didn’t try enough’… right now we’re young and we really don’t have much on the line… this is prime time to fail, fall, and get back up as much as you can.”  

Muñoz reinforced that perspective with a broader reality about entrepreneurship: 

“Most founders fail… 95% of startups fail, and that’s OK. People just keep on trying.”  

AI, Access and Early Opportunity 
The conversations around artificial intelligence reinforced that same urgency. 

“AI is a boys club, so hearing that as a woman in the industry really opens up your mind to the fact that there is a lot of opportunity there. There’s a gap in the industry that you can fill,” Zambrano said.  

Another takeaway reframed the moment entirely. 

“This is the worst AI will ever be, so if this is the worst it’s ever going to be, the barrier for entry and the space to innovate is there.”  

For Puentes, the shift connected directly to her work in accounting and audit. 

“It’s a tool if you use it well. There are untapped areas and industries, I think, we could use AI for efficiency,” she said.  

Creativity, Reworked 
Both students came back with a different definition of creativity. 

“I tend to stay in my box,” Puentes said.  

At SXSW, that thinking was challenged. 

“Creativity is a muscle and it takes practice,” she said. “If we use and refine our creativity in our feilds – whatever that field may be – we empower people to think beyond their usual lanes of thinking.” 

Zambrano also shifted her view on using AI in creative work. 

“It's like a little sounding board. Something that challenge your thoughts and provide a different perspective so you can create a better product,” she said.  

El Paso as an Asset 
The biggest shift came in how both students saw themselves in those rooms. 

“At first I felt imposter syndrome because you don’t really see people who look like us,” Puentes said.  

That changed as they began meeting other founders from El Paso. 

“We can make it in these important spaces as El Pasoans connecting with other El Pasoans,” she said.  

Zambrano framed the city itself as part of the advantage. 

“I’m in love with El Paso and I think the city can speak volumes as it continues to grow. I don’t think El Paso will be exactly like Austin, but that’s a good thing,” she said.  

Muñoz put that shift into direct terms: 

“Being El Pasoan is an asset,” he said.  

What Comes Back 
The impact of the trip is already moving into next steps. 

Puentes is developing a student playbook focused on preparing others for spaces like SXSW. 

“How to beat that imposter syndrome, tips on how to network, and how we can prepare ourselves to meet important people and form strong connections was what inspired this playbook,” she said.  

Zambrano is working to extend a connection made during the trip into El Paso and is also developing a student time management app.  

“We are trying to bring Humanate to El Paso. I think it’s going to be really helpful,” she said.  

Humanate Digital has developed an AI receptionist named “Cassie,” which checks in patients, processes paperwork, requests records and reads facial expressions. 

Muñoz emphasized that these outcomes are the point of the Hunt GO Foundry model. 

“Their efforts are part of multiple initiatives that are taking place and being launched,” he said. 

Last Updated on April 24, 2026 at 2:00 PM | Originally published April 24, 2026
Posted by Hunt Creative