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Jon Werner

Overview​

Jon Werner is an Austin-based entrepreneur who co-founded and runs Fiesta, a prominent monthly networking event for the startup community that regularly attracts 200+ attendees. He is married to Cherie Werner and together they are deeply embedded in Austin's entrepreneurial ecosystem. Jon has extensive experience in tech, previously working in Washington DC, and is passionate about building genuine community connections.

Background​

  • Worked in Washington DC for approximately 6 years after getting married
  • Had two colleagues at his DC job who attended the same church, which led to his faith journey
  • Previously connected to Trilogy through various relationships in the Austin tech scene
  • Lives in Mueller neighborhood, considered "very liberal" but chooses to be "a light in dark places"
  • Moved his parents from New Orleans to Austin in January (downsized from 4-bedroom to 1-bedroom)

Professional Activities​

  • Fiesta: Co-founder and organizer of monthly networking events for entrepreneurs
    • Recent event had 226 attendees
    • Collects detailed data on attendees through their software
    • Has identified job seekers who misrepresent themselves
  • Deep connections in Austin tech ecosystem
  • Familiar with various tech trends including AR/VR, blockchain, and AI
  • Had lunch with Romanian entrepreneur with dev shop who wants to bring Fiesta to Romania

Faith & Technology Philosophy​

  • Christian (non-denominational)
  • Believes in "separation of church FROM state, not state FROM church"
  • Advocates for faith-based voices in technology: "we need a voice here"
  • Familiar with "Thank God for Bitcoin" book by John Song
  • Interested in how faith intersects with emerging technologies
  • Believes margin created by AI should be filled with human connection
  • Concerned about family disintegration: "11 times we move on average as a family in the US"

Notable Perspectives​

  • On AI creating margin: "What are we going to do with that time? The margin needs to be filled with human connection"
  • On church-state separation: "I'm a fan of the separation of state from the church. But I'm not a fan of the church from the state"
  • On being in liberal Austin: Puts American flag out despite neighborhood politics
  • On fellowship: Churches have lost the fellowship aspect post-COVID
  • On education: "The kids don't know what they want to do... The AI almost needs to tell the parents what to reinforce"

Connections​

  • Cherie Werner: Wife and business partner
  • Renji: Founder of Immersed (top AR/VR app for Oculus), strong believer
  • Romanian entrepreneur: Has government connections, faith-based, runs dev shop
  • Sam: Young person from LDS background, discusses absolute vs relative truth
  • Stacy and husband: Met at Trilogy, husband runs dev for Hudson River Trading hedge fund
  • Josh Baer: Through Capital Factory events
  • Kevin: Owner/manager at Xi'an Famous Foods

Technology Interests​

  • Blockchain and Bitcoin (particularly stablecoins)
  • AR/VR applications
  • AI and its impact on society
  • Privacy-preserving cryptocurrencies
  • Educational technology

Churches & Faith Journey​

  • Previously attended church in DC through work connections
  • Has tried Grace Covenant on 360
  • Interested in The Ridge church
  • Looking for churches with peer fellowship for their life stage
  • Uses home as ministry platform: "Secret Jesus Church where all the founders we meet"

Personal Philosophy​

  • Strong advocate for absolute truth vs. relative truth
  • Believes in being present in challenging environments rather than exiting
  • Values deep relationships over surface connections
  • Concerned about technology replacing human connection
  • Supports the idea of creating new cities with better design

Notable Quotes​

  • "We need a voice here" (on Christians in tech)
  • "The margin needs to be filled with human connection"
  • "We've lost touch with what it means to have deep relationships"
  • "Everybody tries to get out and get in the car as fast as possible" (on modern church culture)

Future Interests​

  • Creating new cities based on first principles
  • Building deeper community connections
  • Exploring faith-based charter schools
  • Understanding how AI can enhance rather than replace human connection

Interaction History​

  • 2025-05-28: Hosted Gary Sheng and Ron Roberts at his home in Mueller. Discussed Christofuturism, Alpha Schools, faith in technology, community building, and education reform. Showed interest in collaborating on various initiatives including the Alpha Family Summit on June 14th.
  • 2025-07-30: Brief conversation with Gary during Austin walking group meetup also including Matt Holm and Ryan Quinn. Discussed Gary's transition to modular housing manufacturing work with Dr. Lael Alexander. Jon shared details about his Fiesta event management software licensing model ($500/year for city licensing) and monetization through sponsorships. Mentioned his Event Magic software being used for badge systems and networking capabilities. Connected over faith-based journaling practices and maintaining records of "miracles" in startup journeys. Expressed interest in potential collaboration on community building initiatives as Gary develops manufacturing communities.

Transcripts​

Transcript IDDateSummary
2025-07-30-gary-sheng-matt-holm-ryan-quinn-jon-werner-austin-networking2025-07-30Austin walking group meetup discussing event management platform licensing and faith-based community building
2025-05-28-werner-meeting-christofuturism-alpha2025-05-28Meeting with Gary Sheng and Ron Roberts discussing Christofuturism, Alpha Schools, and community building