As a petroleum engineer with a love of sports, Jacobo Rivera always split his time between the oil fields and the soccer fields, but he aspired to do more. Jacobo and his friend Alejandro Campos, a renowned soccer player, teamed up to developed the concept for a new soccer-focused tech app and a physical space that would connect local soccer lovers with their community.
Jacobo and Alejandro worked several years before they launched Zweatit, the sole indoor soccer field in downtown San Antonio. Zweatit soon became a popular spot for local league games, events, and classes for kids, teens, and adults, but they wanted to add more updates to the growing business.
The duo was searching for financing options when they learned of the City of San Antonio’s Buydown Program, a partnership between the City of San Antonio and LiftFund. They received funding to make building renovations and implement new CDC training and standards to ensure their staff and customers’ well-being. “COVID-19 has been really hard on our business and the community, but people and LiftFund have helped us out big time,” said Jacobo.
Jacobo and Alejandro hope to make Zweatit a welcoming place for families and players to watch soccer games, eat pizza and cheer on their teams. In the meantime, they are giving back to their community by gifting field rentals to a nearby local children’s hospital and working on other ways to show their appreciation and dedication to San Antonio families throughout the pandemic and beyond.
“We’re making plans to help the community and people that have helped us and given us so much.”
