Global Connections Meet Up
Summary
In a time of global rupture, this SXSW Campfire brings founders, builders, and ecosystem leaders together to create new connections. Led by Brenda Balmares (Monterrey, Mexico) and Kevin Koym (Austin, Texas), the meetup centers on bridge-building, cross-border collaboration, and relationships that help navigate what comes next—and turn change into opportunity.
- Format: Meet Up
- Category: Meet Up
- Event Type: panel
- Presented By: n/a
Contributors
- Kevin Koym
- Brenda Belmares
Raw Event JSON
Large nested arrays are compacted for page readability. Full payload remains in dataset files.
Open JSON payload
{
"id": "PP1150604",
"track": "Startups",
"focus_area": null,
"category": "Meet Up",
"event_id": "PP1150604",
"event_type": "panel",
"format": "Meet Up",
"genre": null,
"subgenre": null,
"name": "Global Connections Meet Up",
"presented_by": null,
"publish_at": "2026-02-11T19:12:00.000-06:00",
"reservable": false,
"reservable_id": null,
"reserved": false,
"date": "2026-03-14",
"end_time": "2026-03-14T15:30:00.000-05:00",
"start_time": "2026-03-14T14:30:00.000-05:00",
"message": null,
"image": null,
"credentials": [
{
"name": "Platinum Badge",
"type": "platinum"
},
{
"name": "Innovation Badge",
"type": "innovation"
}
],
"contributors": [
{
"id": 32560,
"company": "Tech Ranch",
"credential_types": [
"innovation"
],
"entity_id": 2056318,
"name": "Kevin Koym",
"speaker_types": [],
"title": "CEO & Founder",
"image": {
"alt_text": "Kevin Koym",
"credit": null,
"url": "https://images.sxsw.com/jEmA3zGkplDekgnMPE0OoqXvDUQ=/209x100:2527x2418/600x600/images.sxsw.com/48/c8eff6da-fc91-4c01-92e7-a4503ec13d9b/pcid-639368"
},
"speaker_type": "Speaker",
"details": "Kevin Koym is a seasoned entrepreneur, CEO, and founder of Tech Ranch, a global venture accelerator that has supported over 6,500 entrepreneurs from more than 42 countries. Known for his pioneering work in the startup community, Koym's innovative community-based approach has helped numerous emerging technology companies not only accelerate but also disrupt their targeted markets. His dedication has made him a sought-after international speaker, coach, and consultant, recognized for his contributions across five continents. \r\rDriven by a belief that supported entrepreneurs catalyze innovation, leading to solutions for society's pressing issues, Koym's work has significantly contributed to establishing vibrant entrepreneur networks worldwide. His career is marked by a series of entrepreneurial successes, including the development of groundbreaking technologies such as the first internet banking application in 1995 and the first large-scale e-commerce application engine, which became Dell Online, responsible for the first $2 Billion of sales at Dell.com. \r\rBefore launching his own ventures, Kevin Koym's experience spanned notable companies like NeXT, under the mentorship of technology luminary Steve Jobs, UT Health Science Center, Southwest Research Institute, Motorola, and IBM. An alumnus of the University of Texas with a degree in Electrical Engineering and an Eagle Scout, his career is a testament to his passion for innovation and his commitment to fostering the growth of startups around the globe.",
"links": {},
"type": "person"
},
{
"id": 93237,
"company": "Speedy Connections",
"credential_types": [
"innovation"
],
"entity_id": 2256030,
"name": "Brenda Belmares",
"speaker_types": [],
"title": "Founder",
"image": null,
"speaker_type": "Speaker",
"details": "Bren Belmares is an author, international keynote speaker, and strategist in trust and strategic connections, recognized for transforming the way people and organizations build relationships that generate real impact and sustainable results.\rShe is a contributor to media outlets such as Forbes Centroamérica, POSTA, and other editorial platforms, where she writes about trust, leadership, gender equity, and interpersonal connections applied to life and business.\rShe is the author of the book Sumando Siempre, in which she shares practical tools for building powerful relationships based on trust, genuine contribution, and integrity—principles that define her professional approach today.\rSince 2019, she has been the creator of Speedy Connections, a proprietary strategic connection methodology that combines talent, communication, and vulnerability to spark high-value relationships in record time. This methodology has been implemented by more than 50 companies globally, impacting thousands of people in cities such as New York, Bogotá, Medellín, and Quito, among others.\rShe has delivered over 350 conferences and workshops in corporate, academic, and entrepreneurial settings, covering topics such as strategic networking, communication, marketing, leadership, and gender equity.\rIn 2024, she was recognized by IncMTy as a Woman Leader for her impact on women’s professional development and her active contribution to gender equity.\rIn 2023, Tecnológico de Monterrey recognized her for achieving a Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 100 in the Women Leaders Development Program for Banco Pichincha, directly impacting more than 180 women leaders.\rShe also serves as a board advisor, consultant, and mentor in Marketing and Strategic Communication for companies, leaders, and high-impact personal brands.\rShe shares her philosophy through the podcast Sumando Siempre, available on digital platforms.\rHer core message defines her value proposition:\r“Business thrives at the speed of trust.”",
"links": {},
"type": "person"
}
],
"venue": {
"accessible": false,
"age_policy": null,
"floor": "2",
"id": "V0411",
"indoor_outdoor": null,
"name": "Brazos",
"parent_id": "V0403",
"parent_venue_name": "JW Marriott",
"venue_entry_info": null,
"formats": null,
"location": {
"address": "110 E 2nd St.",
"lat_lon": [
30.2645713,
-97.743198
],
"city": "Austin",
"postal_code": "78701",
"state": "TX",
"name": "JW Marriott"
},
"root": {
"accessible": null,
"age_policy": null,
"floor": null,
"id": "V0403",
"indoor_outdoor": null,
"name": "JW Marriott",
"parent_id": null,
"parent_venue_name": null,
"venue_entry_info": null,
"formats": null
},
"events": "[omitted 5 venue events]"
},
"description": "In a time of global rupture, this SXSW Campfire brings founders, builders, and ecosystem leaders together to create new connections. Led by Brenda Balmares (Monterrey, Mexico) and Kevin Koym (Austin, Texas), the meetup centers on bridge-building, cross-border collaboration, and relationships that help navigate what comes next—and turn change into opportunity.",
"experience_level": "Beginner",
"accessibility": [],
"accessible_venue": false,
"add_bcl_url": false,
"add_slido": false,
"age_policy": null,
"american_sign_language": false,
"apple_url": null,
"audio_description": false,
"caption_url": null,
"closed_captioned": false,
"cpe_credit": false,
"has_subtitles": false,
"hash_tags": [],
"high_sensory_experience": false,
"live": false,
"long_description": "In a time of global rupture, this SXSW Campfire brings founders, builders, and ecosystem leaders together to create new connections. Led by Brenda Balmares (Monterrey, Mexico) and Kevin Koym (Austin, Texas), the meetup centers on bridge-building, cross-border collaboration, and relationships that help navigate what comes next—and turn change into opportunity.",
"meeting_url": null,
"meeting_url_live": false,
"mentorly_url": null,
"mobile_audio_url": null,
"open_captioned": false,
"playlist_tag": null,
"rebroadcast": false,
"recommended_ids": [],
"search_conversions": null,
"short_program": false,
"slido_url": null,
"sort": "GLOBAL CONNECTIONS MEET UP",
"source": "Official",
"squad_up_url": null,
"stream_embed": null,
"stream_id": null,
"stream_url": null,
"strobe_warning": false,
"subdiscipline": null,
"summit": null,
"summit_display_name": null,
"tags": [],
"talent_attending": null,
"title_only": false,
"track_display_name": "Startups",
"trailer_id": null,
"trailer_url": null,
"video_on_demand": null,
"vimeo_id": null,
"vod": false,
"xr_project_type": null,
"youtube_id": null,
"related_sales_client": null
}