Published: November 14, 2025
“I got the experience of working for a real company, with real people, doing an actual task” – Shruti Nair
UT sophomore, Shruti Nair, spent part of last summer working with Loose Cannon Industries, a female-owned welding and fabrication company in nearby Kyle. Shruti’s assignment: Redesign several web pages to emphasize Loose Cannon’s specializations, highlight its projects and team members, and feature its female CEO (and expert welder), Inez Escamilla.
Meeting weekly over Zoom, Nair and Escamilla went through a series of design iterations before arriving at final layouts. For Nair, an Informatics major from Frisco, the back-and-forth process was instructive: “It really taught me how much thorough communication is required to clearly understand the objective of a project.”
Nair and Escamilla were matched with each other through the Readiness Training Program for Historically Underutilized Businesses/Small Businesses (RTP for HUBs) offered by the Bureau of Business Research at the IC² Institute. RTP for HUBS delivers education and business coaching to small business owners interested in securing government contracts.
Leveraging Longhorn Talent
After launching RTP for HUBs in 2021, the program’s director, James Jarrett, quickly realized that many of the small businesses needed technical assistance beyond what the six-to-eight training sessions could provide. And, since he was already employing talented students as undergraduate researchers, Jarrett figured he could supply some help.
Thus far, 10 students have worked with 16 companies. The students represent a mix of majors, though most have been part of the Canfield Business Honors Program. They have worked on a variety of projects — analyzing financials, developing apps, outlining marketing strategies, and building and updating web pages. Jarrett plays the role of matchmaker — introducing the company and student — after that, he stays mostly out of the picture.
Despite occasional scheduling challenges (the UT academic calendar does not quite align with the program calendar) Jarrett intends to continue the student/company matches and would love to grow this aspect of the RTP for HUBs program.
“We need to utilize the extraordinary reservoir of talent, knowledge and enthusiasm of UT students. The students want to help, and many of the small businesses need and want the help.” – James Jarrett, RTP for HUBs co-principal investigator / program director
Bridging University Resources and Small Business Needs
“The technical assistance provides a bridge between small, growing HUB businesses and university resources. It’s a great way to connect academic insight with real-world business needs, and it helps companies like ours continue to build capacity and grow sustainably.” – Inez Escamilla, Owner & CEO, Loose Cannon Industries — PHOTO CREDIT: Georges Schemagin
Engaging with a student — as opposed to hiring someone more experienced — may demand a little extra time and care from a business owner, but the payoff can be significant. Escamilla explains: “I approached it as both a learning and teaching opportunity. Working with Shruti encouraged me to slow down, explain our business operations more clearly, and reflect on our processes … Shruti’s work helped us better organize and articulate aspects of our business strategy and marketing approach…It was great to collaborate with a student who brought new ideas and enthusiasm.”
For Jarrett, the partnership between Nair and Escamilla is proof that programs like RTP for HUBs can spark meaningful connections between talented Longhorns and the small businesses powering Texas communities.
Asked if she would she like to repeat her summer experience and work with another local business Nair responded, “For sure — it was super fun. I got the experience of working with a real company, with real people, doing an actual task. My work actually made an impact! I really appreciate that opportunity.”
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