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Senior Business Advisor Crystal Darby was recognized as the 2024 State Star for the Texas South-West SBDC Network on September 11 at the 45th Annual America's SBDC Conference held in Atlanta, Georgia. A 13-year veteran at the University of Texas Small Business Development Center (UTSA SBDC), Darby was joined by 60 award winners from the United States and U.S. territories.
SBDC Business Advisors from throughout South, Central and West Texas compete in the annual SBDC State Star competition, resulting in four awardees from Texas. In the South-West network, ten field SBDCs nominate their top advisor based on economic development goals such as client-attributed job creation and retention, business start-ups and expansions, capital access, the advisor’s productivity and the number of long-term clients served.
Darby has received numerous awards from her center over the years, including Advisor of the Year six times. In 2023, she assisted over 230 clients, resulting in 14 new businesses, 16 expansions, 129 new jobs created, and 97 jobs retained. She was instrumental in helping her clients obtain nearly $6.5 million in capital. In addition, she conducted eight workshops during the year.
Darby has earned the highest level in the Certified Business Advisor Program of the Texas South-West SBDC Network. She is a certified Technology Commercialization Consultant active in the San Antonio tech community and the local cybersecurity council. She was named San Antonio Entrepreneurship Week Mentor of the Year, a community-wide award, in 2019. She has been the coordinator of volunteers at one of the largest small business conferences in the nation for over 20 years. She created the first social media training offered by the UTSA SBDC and continues to create content, uncovering new topics of interest to clients, including working with different generations, customer service, Lean Canvas, and presentation skills.
Darby holds a BS in Radio-TV-Film from the University of Texas at Austin and an MPA from the University of New Orleans. Before coming to the SBDC, Darby owned her own consulting business. During that time, she received two SBA Awards — one for Home-based Business Advocate of the Year for the San Antonio District, and one for Woman-Business Champion of the Year for the District and South Central Region (Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.)
Darby gives credit to her SBDC peers including the highly accomplished professionals of the UTSA SBDC for this success. She feels very fortunate to work with this team, and to help her clients to achieve their dreams, adding that it provides her life with much meaning and purpose.
“I was extremely excited, thrilled, and delighted when I had heard that Crystal had been selected as our Network’s representative for State Star,” said Richard Sifuentes, Director of the UTSA SBDC. “She is very deserving, and it’s been a long time coming. Crystal serves as a pillar of our foundation that we have grown accustomed to lean on. In addition to being a marketing whiz, she serves as our technology and cybersecurity expert when working with clients.”
“I want to thank Crystal for always going the extra mile for the small businesses she serves and setting an example of living our values of Integrity, Excellence, Service and Innovation,” added Al Salgado, Executive Director of the Texas South-West SBDC Network. “This dedication and technical ability will keep Crystal achieving on a high level, meeting her goals and supporting her co-workers.”
The full list of SBDC State Stars can be found here.
By: Michael Gonzalez