Texas Border Business
By Roberto Hugo González – Texas Border Business
PHARR, Texas — At RGV Startup Week on April 30, 2026, local officials, educators, and economic development leaders presented a coordinated strategy to position the city as a center for business growth and workforce development in the Rio Grande Valley.
The event, held at the Pharr Global Business Hub, opened with remarks from Victor Perez, President and CEO of Pharr EDC, who emphasized collaboration and education as foundational to the city’s economic approach. “Everything starts with education. So, you’re doing a great thing and educating the public, educating the community, educating the business community, educating the investors,” Perez said.
During the session “Why Pharr, Why Now,” Perez and other panelists described growth driven by produce, warehousing, and manufacturing sectors, along with infrastructure investments, including a new four-lane international bridge. Perez cited these developments as key factors attracting investors and supporting expansion.
Linda Uribe, PSJA ISD, detailed how PSJA ISD is aligning education with workforce demand through a “wall-to-wall” early college model. The program allows students to earn certificates and associate degrees in fields such as welding, HVAC, electrical work, and healthcare at no cost. “…the blue-collar worker has now become the gold-collar worker. It’s very important that as a district, we invest in our young students to ensure that we’re not only transforming their lives, but transforming our community,” Uribe said.
Dayonna McKinney, Pharr EDC Foundation Director, described efforts to connect education with employment through scholarships, internships, and direct engagement with local businesses. “We are trying to build a lot of meetings with local businesses and potential businesses who are looking to invest in Pharr to see what roles or positions need to be filled. What skillsets are they struggling to find and the emerging trends so we can take that intel… to make sure that our students are prepared for the jobs of tomorrow,” McKinney said.
In a separate session, Linda Ufland, Director of Entrepreneurship, UTRGV, outlined the Global Soft Landing Path program, which supports international companies entering the U.S. market. The program provides education, vetted connections, and workspace for businesses expanding from Mexico and Latin America. “We saw that conversation a couple of times. So, we decided, ‘Hey, well, we’re the university. We’re the University of Texas. We have credibility… We cannot take advantage of anybody.’ So, let’s create a program to support our foreign direct investment,” Ufland said.
Lilvette Santos, Economic Business Development Director at the Pharr Economic Development Corporation, participated in the session “Two Countries. One Strategy,” where she outlined the city’s cross-border economic approach and its focus on aligning business development efforts between the United States and Mexico. She described how coordinated planning and binational collaboration are used to strengthen trade, attract investment, and support regional growth.
Additional sessions addressed trade and logistics advantages, cross-border economic strategy, and legal, tax, and immigration considerations for businesses. Speakers highlighted the role of regional infrastructure, including international trade routes, in supporting growth.
Throughout the program, participants emphasized the need for coordination among the Pharr Economic Development Corporation, educational institutions, and industry partners as central to long-term development. Perez summarized the city’s positioning by stating, “Why Pharr? Why now? Because Pharr is the movement right now, across the entire Rio Grande Valley.”
Panelists included Victor Perez, President and CEO of the Pharr Economic Development Corporation; Linda Uribe, an education leader with the PSJA ISD; Diona McKinney, Director of the Pharr EDC Foundation; Linda Uplin, Director of Entrepreneurship, Commercialization, and Innovation at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley; Guillermo Rico of the Port of Brownsville; and Luis Bazan, representing the Pharr International Bridge, with moderation by Rick Carrera of COSTEP.
