Cherie Werner is not just an Austin icon; she is the force of gravitational love that grounds this city's electric, high-velocity startup scene. Often dubbed the "Startup Mama of Austin," Cherie embodies hospitality maybe more than anyone you know. But the path to becoming Austin's premier tastemaker of community was forged in a childhood longing for home and belonging.

In this raw and wholesome conversation, host Austin Clemens dives into Cherie's origin story—from a multi-cultural military childhood to co-founding the serendipitous gifting app Koya. She unpacks the DNA of her massive community, Fiesta, and shares the golden rule for building connection: it starts at your own dinner table. Discover why intentionality and routine breed richness , why the forms around us matter, and why her $50M dream project is the co-living/co-working space Austin desperately needs. This is a masterclass in giving—and receiving—Austin's true capital.

Guest: Cherie Werner, Chief Empowerment Officer / Co-founder of FIESTA & Co-founder of The HERs GatHERings. Find her on Instagram!

• Episode Focus: The foundational values of hospitality, community building, the power of a "home environment," and the organic growth of the Austin startup ecosystem through the FIESTA community.

Key Moments (Timestamped)

• 01:04 - 01:27 - The host's first impression of Cherie: embodying hospitality and the powerful ability to make people feel known and cared for.
  
• 01:38 - 02:00 - The origin of Cherie's drive for belonging, stemming from a childhood need to be seen and feeling like an outsider.
  
• 08:36 - 09:16 - The pivotal moment when Cherie realized what positive parenting looked like by observing a mentoring couple's nurturing home environment.
  
• 13:45 - 14:15 - Defining "Home": striving for a space where you feel peace, tranquility, and belonging the moment you walk in, emphasizing that home is authentic to you.
  
• 15:42 - 17:35 - Practical advice for new hosts: "Start where you are" with low-barrier offerings like coffee and a cheese board, and the value of hosting meetings at home instead of loud coffee shops.
  
• 24:00 - 24:45 - The inspiration behind Koya (Kindness Anya) and using "serendipitous ways" to connect, like an upgraded hotel room, as a precursor to FIESTA.
  
• 35:00 - 35:20 - A heartwarming surprising outcome of FIESTA: a couple met at the event, and the groom proposed on the FIESTA stage after his pitch.
  
• 35:55 - 36:50 - The "Tapestry" analogy for community—viewing life as beautiful, messy, knotted, and interconnected, where small introductions make a difference.
  
• 38:55 - 41:00 - Cherie's $50 Million Vision: creating a multi-story physical hub in Austin for co-living, a welcoming coffee shop venue, and collaboration spaces with large dining tables for true community dinners.