“Entrepreneurs are the people willing to dream big,
take the risks and put in the hard work.“-Glenn Coward
Sometimes a conversation with the right person at the right time can put you on the right path. For Glenn Coward, a conversation with Roy Cashion did just that.
While studying at Baylor, Glenn met with Roy for a thirty-minute personal consultation. During the conversation, Roy shared his journey to successful entrepreneurship. Roy left Glenn with a personal realization that entrepreneurs aren’t necessarily the luckiest, smartest, shrewdest or creative people. Glenn says, “Entrepreneurs are the people willing to dream big, take the risks and put in the hard work.”
This was a turning point for Glenn. At that moment, Glenn knew he was on the path to be an entrepreneur.
Glenn graduated Baylor in 1987 with a BBA and a plan. He didn’t immediately hop on the bandwagon to start a business. Instead, Glenn wanted to soak up as much industry experience and know-how as possible and then patiently wait for just the right opportunity to start a business… to start his business.
Glenn’s first job after Baylor was with a British telecom company, Cable & Wireless. Armed with a brochure and a savvy sales pitch on repeat, Glenn walked the streets of San Antonio, Texas. Building by building, Glenn’s goal was to convince busy business managers to sign up with Cable & Wireless telephone services. While the experience was undeniably soul crushing, Glenn discovered he was a really good pitchman.
Glenn eventually transitioned to other sales roles in manufacturing and computer technologies. He learned several technology and programming languages and worked his way into the technology sector, culminating with a role as VP of System Develop at a division of Fiserv.
Wanting to bulk up his entrepreneurial tool kit, Glenn moved to Colorado to work on his EMBA at the University of Denver. Upon completion of the EMBA, the Coward family moved back to San Antonio where Glenn served as a Business, Technology and Innovation Director at USAA.
Glenn was comfortable at USAA. His role was financially rewarding and he was on track for an early retirement. But what about the big dream and the entrepreneurial path? Taking an undeniable leap of faith, Glenn left the comfortable role at USAA in 2011 to start his entrepreneurial journey with CapabilitySource.
Simply put, CapabilitySource was created to simplify the way people work. CapabilitySouce focuses on the very unique needs of marketing by developing digital marketing strategies that integrate people and systems regardless of the device or the location. According to Glenn, “CapabilitySource focuses on the big picture to ensure that people, processes, technology and information are all aligned within the overall marketing strategy.”
As CapabilitySource continued to grow, Glenn and his wife took another leap in 2022 and moved to Waco. For the Cowards, Waco was an appealing move for multiple reasons. All three of the Coward children were already in Waco at Baylor University (one with a staff role and two as students); the Cowards love collegiate sports and Baylor has multiple top-ranked teams and the move made it easier for CapabilitySource to connect with the Baylor Entrepreneurship Department.
For CapabilitySource, it’s not a question of if it can be done, but instead it’s more of a question of how it can be done. By aligning with up-and-coming technology companies, the relatively small CapabilitySource has moved from a small to midsize market to an enterprise market. With Glenn’s leadership, CapabilitySource was able to pinpoint a unique way to do business that ultimately gave the company an advantage.
As an entrepreneur, Glenn has worn many hats. But through it all, he has been steadfast in the core principles in which CapabilitySource was founded: innovation, intelligence, dedication and perseverance.
Glenn firmly believes that being a successful entrepreneur requires such a level of effort and commitment that it becomes a way of life. He explains, “For me, CapabilitySource is a vehicle that allows me to use the skills and abilities that God has given me so that I can make a positive contribution toward the greater good of those around me.”
Big dreams and hard work have definitely taken this Baylor grad down the path of entrepreneurial success. Sic’ em!
For more information on Baylor Entrepreneurship, please visit our website at baylor.edu/business/entrepreneurship/.