Austin Real Estate Blog

Jeff Chavez: Profile of an Austin Original

Jeff Chavez, president and CEO of Northstar Ventures/Northstar Thinktank, is a real Austinite. Although Jeff Chavez was born in Southern California, his dedication to the idea of entrepreneurship fits this city of free thinkers, idealists and innovators.

Jeff Chavez’s Entrepreneurship for Non-Entrepreneurs

Recently, Jeff Chavez coordinated a successful seminar event at Austin’s Long Center for the Performing Arts. Chavez’s event featured two speakers: Jeff, of course, and Tito Beveridge, founder of Tito’s Vodka, one of the most awarded vodkas in the world and a local legend in Austin.

Jeff Chavez’s speech centered around the concept that every professional can benefit from thinking and acting like an entrepreneur - specifically an “idea-crazed entrepreneur.” He’s no rookie on the topic, either; Jeff Chavez has launched many companies over his career, including Fortress, Nexiant, VSupply, Everclear Systems, Northstar Ventures, Foothill Fire Safety, Home Healthcare Direct, TFID Accessory Company, Northstar Thinktank and Olivia Ashton Handbags - some of which have earned millions of dollars in revenue and investor capital.

Jeff Chavez’s Entrepreneurial Successes

Over the years, Jeff Chavez hasn’t spent much unproductive time. The entrepreneurial spirit fills Jeff’s body and mind, initially inspiring him to build Foothill Fire Safety Co. (FFSC) in 1992. This industrial service organization notched 12,000 Southern Californian clients before it was acquired in 1997.

As the year 2000 arrived, Jeff Chavez’s new brainchild was DispenseSource, Inc. (now Nexiant, Inc.). Entrusted with over $10M in venture capital, Jeff Chavez built Nexiant into a leading automated inventory system provider for industrial and manufacturing clients. Nexiant is now the world leader. Jeff Chavez’s modest project has received over $30M in VC funding, with customers like Xerox, Honeywell, BF Goodrich and Chrysler.

Jeff Chavez Shares the Fire

Now Jeff Chavez has found a way to share his love for new ventures with Austin businesspeople. Or rather, two ways: Jeff built Northstar Ventures and the Northstar Thinktank in 2003. These organizations develop training, mentoring and teaching curriculae for entrepreneurs and small businesses.

Jeff Chavez’s insights and leadership are valuable to all small enterprises and individuals who seek to make the most of their ideas and energy, whether they’re in the real estate industry or not. As Austin real estate professionals - and as Austinites - we’re happy to have Jeff Chavez in our community.

Austin Volunteering to Give Back

Volunteering, the practice of working for a community or the environment because you choose so and usually without payment, is one of the best ways to give back to a city, neighborhood, state or planet that gives you so much everyday.  Volunteering comes in many forms from building a house for a family looking for a new start and serving food at a shelter to donating your time and services for a charity to just spending some quality time with another person.

Volunteering is an Austin Pastime

Aside from all the activities that you will find in Austin, it seems that volunteering is quickly becoming one of the most popular.  According to an article in the Austin Business Journal, a report from the Corporation for National and Community Service shows that Austin is ranked fifth in most active U.S. cities in volunteerism.  The report states that 35 percent of Austinites donate their valuable time helping others.

Volunteering in Numbers

To put all of this into perspective, volunteers that call Austin home donate approximately 56.6 million hours of their time per year; which equates to an estimated $1.1 billion economic impact.

Now that’s a lot of Volunteering.

Volunteering Opportunities

If you are interested in joining the craze and volunteering in and around Austin, you won’t have to look very far to find a worthy cause.  You will find every area of interest that you can imagine for volunteering in Austin.  You can mentor a child, work towards keeping Austin’s parks and springs in tip-top shape, or build a home for an Austin family in need.  You can even volunteer your time and energy to “Keep Austin Weird.”

Volunteering to Help

Now if you are interested in first finding a home in Austin so that you can start giving back; we can help you there as well.  Give us a call at Home to Austin and we will help you find the right house in the right neighborhood.  Once you get settled in, get out there and start joining one of the favorite Austin pastimes … Volunteering!