The Souly Austin program fosters merchant association formation, district strategy development, and project implementation through tools developed taking into consideration three core components. Souly Austin’s three core components are key players in the development and success of the program and its established neighborhood business districts.

Through Community Organizing, Souly Austin supports business district by:

  • Educating businesses about merchants associations
  • Outreach to all businesses in commercial districts using various methods including door-to-door outreach, emails, and phone banking
  • Providing translation and interpretation in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Mandarin, and other languages as needed
  • Assisting businesses in the formation of a District Merchants Association
  • Building leadership capacity through extensive trainings
  • Providing formation resources
  • Fostering leadership
  • Identifying a district vision and priorities

Through Enhancing Place the program focuses on:

  • Building consensus around place enhancements
  • Developing a district economic strategy to improve and promote the district
  • Implementing placemaking projects that reflect and anchor the culture of the Business District
  • Coordinating enhancements that support safe, walkable/bicycle friendly districts
  • Promoting and retaining the unique cultural and historical assets Austin has to offer
  • Creating complete communities

In order to stimulate Economic Growth, the program focuses on:

  • Promoting a socially and economically healthy Austin through programs, projects, and policy that supports business development
  • Collaborating with other City departments
  • Fostering partnerships

Partnerships

Souly Austin is a collaborative effort between the Economic Development Department staff and a number of community partners.  To learn more about them, please visit the following websites:

The Greater Austin Black Chamber of Commerce (GABCC)

The Greater Austin Asian Chamber of Commerce (GAACC)

The Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (GAHCC)

The Austin Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (AGLCC)

Austin Independent Business Alliance (AIBA)

Public City

Texas C-Bar

Asakura Robinson

Bike Austin

Public Works Dept., Neighborhood Partnering Program

Austin Transportation Dept., Active Transportation

Austin Transportation Dept., Signs and Markings

Austin Police Department

Austin Fire Department

Austin Energy

Austin Watershed Protection Dept.

Austin Resource Recovery

EDD, Cultural Arts

EDD, Music and Entertainment

Capital Metro

Waller Creek Conservancy

Six Square

The University of Texas at Austin

Huston-Tillotson University

ATXN

The Library Foundation

Bodega Visual

Austin Revitalization Authority

Hatch Workshop

KAZI

Michael Corcoran

Stephanie Lang

Funmi Ogunru

Rachel Winston

Matthew Rodriguez

Chris Rodgers

Anne Marie Gordon

Robert Lin

Shelley Neuman

Morgan Dhee

Johnny Stevens

Philip Rogers

City of Austin Mayor’s Office

Austin City Council Offices

Austin City Manager Office