A sustainably minded hub for entrepreneurship, start-up life, innovation, and community – leading the start-up world – that is Splash.
Splash Coworking (Splash) the model of a shared work space and business resource center where entrepreneurs, independent professionals and creatives connect, collaborate and make business happen. Located in downtown San Marcos, TX, Splash was built to foster a community that welcomes and cultivates the diverse strengths of authentic entrepreneurs. The founder, Carina Boston Pinales, established Splash in her hometown, a place she knew was eager to connect to business resources, tools, opportunities, and innovation. Her vision manifested an empowering space for the Central Texas entrepreneur – supported in finding their next step in their ideas, business, passions and life to meet others on a similar journey.
At the headwaters of the beautiful San Marcos spring fed river lies the grounds for innovation and emerging developments. Nurturing homegrown innovation is at the forefront of Splash’s mission. We are proud of such nurtured businesses as: Eco Rescue, Cafe Azteca, Ecosystem Regeneration Artisans, The Empress created by Altar Space Crystals, Dixco Home Organizing, Shuga’s Fine Shave Ice, Hofmann’s Supply, Regulated Cloud, Centraltexas.com, and many others that have expanded or gone from bootstrapping, to full fledged brick and mortar locations. We expect to push many more to their next level.
Community and support – those values are ingrained in Splash. Our members appreciate that we are full of real, genuine people, looking to accelerate their businesses, be they startups or small businesses looking to expand. Splash is made to hit the ground running and get a business idea on track.
San Marcos is a unique place in the innovation corridor of Central Texas between Austin and San Antonio. The advancements in water technology research, vibrant manufacturing base, and homegrown talent sets San Marcos apart from larger neighboring cities.
Carina’s vision for Splash was made possible through bootstrapping and determination. The motivation came from Carina’s personal hardships and struggle with finding community. A biracial woman, a first-generation Texas State University graduate, and someone who has personal experience with the economic divide, many struggles that Carina has encountered were overcome through the desire to thrive. Fostering this is built into the roots of Splash; by ensuring our communities are surviving, we help them thrive.
For the past five years, Splash has proudly incubated multiple businesses from inception to growth. Dozens of businesses have been provided mentoring, coaching, business resources and capital solutions. Partnering deep connections with incubation and accelerator programs, Splash has also teamed up with the local Economic Development Partnership and other public entities to bridge the gap between the fast moving entrepreneurial world and the red tape of bureaucracy.
Carina has been recognized as an Unsung Hero by the Ecosystem Builder Hub community, a Shining Star under 40, and a Distinguished Alumni in Business Development and Innovation awarded by the National Hispanic Institute. She has served as a delegate, representing the State of Texas during the Global Entrepreneurship Congress. Splash is a finalist for the first ever Texas State University GRIT Award. This award recognizes the resilience of small businesses in Texas and their contributions to a resilient Texas economy having supported their community during COVID-19 the Historic Winter Freeze of 2021 and along with other hardships. In 2020 Splash was the first recipient of iSelectMD Grant which granted partnership with iSelectMD and provided a free telehealth account to all of Splash members. This has become a health care solution for the under or non-insured entrepreneurs and independent workers in the Splash community. Along with this accolade, Splash has been published in the International Journal of Community Well-Being, and in 2019 received the first ever San Marcos Downtown Innovation Award.
The future of Splash is exciting: Expanding our footprint and influence in the Texas Innovation Corridor, continuing to provide programming supporting Central Texas entrepreneurs, and solidifying the International business relations that we have made. Splash has taken the first steps in developing a pipeline for International start-ups that works both ways; from the USA to the UAE, to Central Asia and South America, Splash’s waves can be felt around the world. Splash invites diverse relations, hence why we say Splash is “Locally driven and Globally Connected”. Come join us and make a Splash!
I am motivated by the unlimited potential that is created by people working from a place of pure passion and purpose. With that said, I fully understand that full potential cannot be reached if basic needs are not met. Providing resources and reinforcements through a sustainable and inclusive community to ensure foundational/ basic needs are met is the primary need to launch and continue to build and maintain a successful ecosystem. — Carina Boston Pinales, Founder
