Q-Branch

That’s a wrap for SXSW 2025 at #QBranch! A huge thank you to everyone who helped make it a success, as the team hosted 11 events over 7 days. It was truly an all-around team effort from internal and external partners. Day 1 Many thanks to Jacqueline Hughes, Sharon Chitayat, Grant George and the entire Second Front team for a highly successful activation. It was a pleasure to partner and work alongside you all. Thanks also to Kim Wiltshire, Paula Taylor, Raquel Todd, Suzette Morris, and the entire #FirstNationsX team for a standout SXSW-sponsored event with amazing panels and performances! Day 2 A big round of thanks to the #Espaciolatino team - helmed by Ramona Ortega, Mercedes Ortega-Kennedy and Monica Talan who filled the room with an all-star lineup of speakers and inspiring conversations. It was great partnering behind the scenes! Also, kudos to all those who made Q-Branch’s inaugural Global Security & Information Exchange (GSIX) event a success. Day 3 A big round of appreciation to Amber Phifer, Karlie Beach, Alana McCloskey, Sean Bauld, and Marc Nathan, for their respective roles in showcasing research and innovation at #TexasState - a great event! It was also a true pleasure to work with Andrea Hrusovska, MBA ACC (ICF), Jozef Hrusovsky, Lenka Pavlova, Vladimir Lackovic, Marek Garbarcik and the rest of the #Slovakpro team as they hosted Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson, and Slovakia's Ambassador to the United States, as part Slovakia's day-long series of high-level programming. Days 4-7 Many thanks to Jesse Martinez for securing top-tier speakers at Texas Embassy events focused on Health and Human Performance and Innovation in Texas. It could not have happened without you. Also, a big shout-out to Farzad Wafapoor, Renée C., Alastair Sims, Ricky Kalia, DO, and the entire international leadership team at #CareAccess for 3 days of elegant activations centered around preventive medicine. And, many thanks to Rich Julien and Teresa Smetzer for activating high-level, dual-use thought leadership panels at the Texas Embassy. The above events would not have been a success without additional support: Special appreciation to?Joshua Becker and JD Ross Energy, Jessica Sher and #AIFleet, the teams at #TheDeadRabbit, ECR, #Ambianceeventstaffing and #NextLevelSecurity. Additionally, many thanks to Shannon Kors at #SXSW, Amy Jordan and Christopher Jordan with #HCProductions, and Teal Cooper who kept everyone caffeinated with Vendi Bean coffee! Finally, a hat tip to the team at Q-Branch who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to bring it all to life, and to all those supporting the ecosystem. Marcos Cervantes, Samantha Brown, Michael Cervantes, Rachel Cervantes, Sean P. H., Masey Williams, Rudy Mirran, Omar Zaki, MBA, Jenaro A. Diaz, Jessica Steinhoff and many, many more! Here's to continued collaboration and a great SXSW 2026 and beyond!

Throwback to first ever Slovak House in Austin! ???? ???? ?? Last week, for the first time ever,?Slovakia had its?business delegation and?own?Slovak?House?during the SXSW?festival?showcasing the incredible innovation, talent, and entrepreneurial spirit of our country. With?15 cutting-edge Slovak companies?presenting their groundbreaking ideas and?230 attendees?engaging in dynamic discussions, the Slovak House became a true hub of creativity and collaboration. Thanks to Q-Branch (Marcos Cervantes, Josh Zelman) for providing us space and expertise about the Texas ecosystem. The program featured?numerous panel discussions and TEDx talks, Slovak business success stories, fostering insightful conversations on Texas innovation ecosystem, technology, business, and transatlantic cooperation. A special highlight of the event was the inspiring keynote speech by?Texas Secretary of State?Jane Nelson,reinforcing the strong ties and opportunities between Slovakia and Texas. Inspirational discussions were held also at the Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin . Thanks Sebastien Torre, Elizabeth Jennings and Maarten Rotman, Ph.D. for providing a?valuable platform to discuss how to support expansion of our businesses on the US market. This milestone would not have been possible without the hard work, and passion of everyone involved – Slovak Investment and Trade Development Agency (Vladimir Lackovic Nikola Kmecova, Michaela Slimakova, Igor Uhlik, Gabriel Gottgeisl), Slovak PRO and our dedicated Honorary Consul in Texas Martin Valko Special appreciation and kudos to our main driving force - Andrea Hrusovska, MBA ACC (ICF) Hrusovska and Jozef Hrusovsky without whom this would not have happened! This achievement marks a new chapter in Slovakia’s presence in Texas, and we look forward supporting Slovak businesses in the Lone Star State. ARPenviro, s.r.o., AT Crystals, AVENIAS Tax & Legal, BARANI DESIGN Technologies, Barney Studio, Ecocapsule, eROBOT, j.s.a., GAMO a.s., ?? Infoland company, insar.sk, ?? LeoTronics Robotics, SCR? design, Jobs by Talent Square, Touch4IT

SXSW 2025 - Beyond our expectations... On behalf of the entire Q-Branch team, we extend our deepest gratitude to everyone who contributed to an exceptional week of programming during our recent series of events. Each speaker, moderator, and partner brought valuable expertise and insight, creating meaningful conversations and powerful connections that will resonate well beyond our gatherings... With that, a special thanks to our distinguished speakers and panelists: ?? TexasEmbassy's Global Security & Information Exchange (GSIX) – March 8: Brandon Cates, CEO, Ametrine Inc. Paul Jenkinson, CEO, Whitespace Global Ross Guieb, Bush Development Complex Matt MacGregor, Senior Director, Anduril Industries Greenroom Robotics Sean Singleton, Oglethorpe Capital, LLC (Moderator) ?? ! Tim Jones, Hyprfire Dr. Casey Perley, Army Applications Laboratory(AAL) Garnett Hall, VetChip TexasEmbassy's SportsTech & Human Performance – March 10: Jesse Martinez, invincible (Moderator) ?? ! Marcos Cervantes, Q-Branch Mark Phillip, MetaBet David Marrero, LogicMonitor Santiago Halty, Senda Athletics Jan-Luc Blakborn, Team HTX Pao Correa, Harlem Capital Bob Heere, Director at UofTX Sorcha Gordon, T.E.A.M. Houston Maurice Ouderland, WorldCup 2025 TexasEmbassy's Texas Innovation Embassy – March 11: YJ Lin, Dell for Startups Aman Sohail, Mass Challenge Robert Pieroni James Lydiard, Brazos Valley Susan Davenport Jesse Martinez, Invincible Ed Curtis, YTexas Jennifer Tacheff Carlos Estrada Alex Russomagno Dr. Mariela Salas Edward Nwokedi Samantha Lewis, Mecury We'd also like to specifically acknowledge our valued partners who greatly enhanced our programming: #SlovakPro, for bringing vibrant energy and a community of innovative Slovakian founders. #First NationsX, for their significant contributions during SX. #SecondFront, facilitating rapid-deployment technology readiness for defense innovation. Featuring #RyanMcCarthy #Texas State, for their continued partnership and programming. #EspacioLatino 2025, for meaningful community engagement. And Lastly, A special acknowledgment to Rich Julien's, Partner at BOKA Capital for organizing impactful sessions and programming that notably elevated our event. His amazing speakers included: The Honorable Sue Gordon Teresa Smetzer, Boka Capital Art Trevethan, Owner, ART Craig Cummings, General Partner, Moonshot Capital Travis B., Managing Director, Booz Allen Ventures We are deeply grateful to all who participated, attended, and supported this important series. Your involvement is key to fostering continued innovation, security collaboration, and strategic global partnerships. Q-Branch is all about collaboration, so please continue to reach out for further conversations... Talk to the team, we want to hear from the community. ?? ?? ?? Warmest regards, The Q-Branch Team Josh Zelman: [email protected] Masey Williams: [email protected] General Questions? [email protected]

???State of Texas at SXSW: A Global Hub for Innovation??? I had the incredible opportunity to?speak on a panel at Texas Embassy: Texas Innovation Ecosystem?event during #SXSW, where some of the?brightest minds in tech, entrepreneurship, and investment?came together to showcase?why Texas is at the forefront of global innovation. From?#AI and #lifesciences to #aerospace and #defense, Texas is proving to be a?powerhouse for startups and cutting-edge technology. The energy at this event was undeniable—bold ideas, groundbreaking collaborations, and game-changing opportunities were everywhere. Agenda: ??? State of Tech Entrepreneurship in Texas YJ Lin (Dell Technologies for Startups), Pao Correa, Aman Sohail, and Robert Pieroni (gener8tor). ???Fireside Chat Texas A&M Innovation, @ Susan Davenport and Jesse Martinez. ???Texas for Business & Innovation Ed Curtis and Jennifer Tacheff ???Investing in the Texas Tech Economy Marc Cervantes, Carlos Estrada, Alex Russomagno, and Dr. Mariela Salas discussing investment opportunities in Texas Tech University. ???The Texas Opportunity for Tokenization & RWAs Edward Nwokedi, Samantha Lewis, and Jesse Martinez. ???Investing in National Security?(Sponsored by BOKA Capital) Honorable Sue M. Gordon and Teresa Smetzer ???Engaging the Overlooked Stakeholder Rich Julien, Art Trevethan, Craig Cummings, and Travis B. of Booz Allen Hamilton. A huge thank you to?Texas Embassy, Q-Branch and everyone involved?in making this happen.? #TexasInnovation #SXSW #Entrepreneurship #VentureCapital #Startups #TechEcosystem #TexasHouse #FutureOfTech

Yesterday, I stepped into the TEXAS EMBASSY: Health & Human Performance event at SXSW, hosted by Q-Branch—and let me tell you, it wasn’t just about cowboy hats. It was about bold ideas, innovation, and the unique Texas spirit that blends tech, creativity, and unstoppable ambition. Had an insightful conversation with Marcos Cervantes, CEO of Q-Branch—a humble leader who asked me questions I hadn’t even asked myself yet. The kind that make you pause and reflect. I also caught up with Akshay Kumar Gupta, a fellow startup founder and a great friend. He’s always generous with his learnings, reminding me why building a strong network matters—not just to avoid similar mistakes, but to make new ones together. Another highlight? Met Shaydi DeJesus, who introduced me to SoGal Ventures and SoGal Foundation—two incredible organizations championing entrepreneurs. Excited to learn more! What events are you attending at SXSW today? Drop them in the comments—let’s connect!

Q-Branch's programming has officially kicked off at The TexasEmbassy! ?? If you're downtown, swing by The Texas Embassy for a packed lineup of discussions on innovation, investment, and national security... In the great state of Texas. Register Here: https://lu.ma/qa7z5etu

Awesome to host friends old and new for a sausage roll and Scotch egg fuelled conversation about all things market entry into the US from a talent perspective ?????????? Adrian Kinnersley shared his experience both as a founder growing a global business as well as the work twentyAI does to advise start-ups and scale-ups on market entry, and talent attraction and retention. His insights were well moderated by the brilliant James Cummings who leans on his own experiences as a super connector of companies that are looking to scale to relevant networks, opportunities, stakeholders and partnerships. Massive thank you to the team at Q-Branch for sharing your space with us for this event! Kristen Petrongelli London & Partners Stephen Feline Grow London Médéric Demouchy Josh Zelman Marcos Cervantes Jemma Hotta Paul Webster Patrick Smith Joe Blackman MBE

What an incredible experience at the Slovak House in Texas! Over 230 people gathered to celebrate Slovak innovation and culture. The event featured great company, delicious Slovak food, and inspiring presentations from 15 innovative companies making waves across different industries. Jane Nelson, State Secretary of Texas, made an important point, saying Slovakia should be proud of all the incredible things it’s doing and shouldn’t shy away from celebrating its achievements. "It’s not bragging when it’s true," especially when showcasing Slovakia’s incredible impact in Texas! A huge thank you to everyone who attended, shared their ideas, and helped make the event unforgettable. It was a wonderful reminder of the incredible talent and innovation coming from Slovakia! Thank you to all of our partners: Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Washington, DC, Consulate of the Slovak Republic in Texas, European Union, Programme Slovakia, and HR4U, and co-organizer: Slovak Investment and Trade Development Agency. Andrea Hrusovska, MBA ACC (ICF) and Jozef Hrusovsky thank you for your incredible dedication!

Secretary Nelson participated in Slovak Day at SXSW, spotlighting Texas as the ultimate hub for international trade, where the state's unmatched business infrastructure and bold, forward-thinking spirit create success stories that reach from Slovakia to the world. #SXSW #TexasBusiness

Secretary Nelson participated in Slovak Day at SXSW, spotlighting Texas as the ultimate hub for international trade, where the state's unmatched business infrastructure and bold, forward-thinking spirit create success stories that reach from Slovakia to the world. #SXSW #TexasBusiness