The man who died when a small jet crashed on a Texas highway was an entrepreneur well-known in the state for being at the center of Austin’s turbocharged evolution as a technology hub.
Joshua Baer, 50, described himself as an “Austinpreneur,” a reference to the state capital and his enthusiasm for getting people into business. He founded Capital Factory, which has grown into an important Austin-based venture capital firm supporting a range of technology startup companies, from robots to autonomous ships.
Baer’s LinkedIn page shows him wearing a black T-shirt and pointing at the message: “I help people quit jobs.” His email had a similar handle. Capital Factory's downtown headquarters is among the offices of tech giants like Google.
“Whether you’re in technology or not, there’s a hole in the heart of Austin today,” Thom Singer, CEO of the Austin Technology Council, which promotes the local tech industry, said of Baer’s death.
Baer listed his life strategy as, “Plant lots of seeds. Water everyone's. Repeat.” And people noticed: The Austin mayor in 2023 gave him a key to the city, a symbol of civic honor.
Bryan Chambers, co-founder and president of Capital Factory, said his business partner was a “true super connector.”
Baer was aboard a business jet that crashed Tuesday on a highway in Laredo, Texas, after the pilots reported mechanical problems and requested to make an emergency landing at an airport. His LinkedIn profile said he had a wife and three children. It wasn't known whether three young people who survived the crash were family members.
After graduating from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, where he created an email marketing business, Baer moved to Austin in 1996 to work as a software developer at Trilogy Inc. He started Capital Factory in 2009 and regularly held business chats with people at a coffee shop.
“My hobby is startups,” Baer told the Austin American-Statesman in 2012. “I don’t watch sports or anything like that. So this is what I do. ... I want to be an investor in every great tech company that comes out of Austin. That’s probably unrealistic, but I’m going to try anyway.”
Baer often spoke to high school students and had the title of “entrepreneur in residence” at the University of Texas.
“He was passionate that technology could change the world and make people's lives efficient and better,” Singer said. “And if entrepreneurs did it right, they could make money and help their communities. He believed in those two things.”
Texas U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn said they were saddened by Baer’s death. Cornyn wrote on X that Baer was an “innovative & creative leader in Austin’s entrepreneurial culture.”
People attempt to pull passengers out of a plane after it crashed on a highway Tuesday, June 16, 2026, in Laredo, Texas. (Zayra Garza via AP)
Joshua Baer, the founder and CEO of Capital Factory, poses for a photo at the Force Con event, May 29, 2022, in San Antonio, Texas. (Billy Calzada/The San Antonio Express-News via AP)
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Canada is ready to set aside its reputation for politeness, at least during the World Cup.
With a chance to make history at home, after decades of World Cup disappointment, Canada’s players are talking less about manners and more about mentality.
“I don’t think it’s always a bad thing to play with arrogance,” midfielder Niko Sigur said. “I think we’re at our best when we play with that swagger.”
Canada opened Group B play with a draw against Bosnia-Herzegovina, earning the country's first World Cup point. On Thursday against Qatar, Canada will be seeking its first victory.
“I think if we’re at our best and we’re all together, including guys off the bench and the starters,” Sigur said, “that we can give them a lot of trouble.”
Short-handed Canada also got a boost Wednesday when coach Jesse Marsch said captain Alphonso Davies would be available after missing the opener because of a hamstring injury.
“We’ll see how the match goes and then make a decision on how we would choose to use him,” March said of Davies, who was Canada's lone World Cup goal scorer before Cyle Larin found the net last week.
Forward Promise David is recovering from a hip injury and Marcelo Flores, one of Canada's top performers during qualifying, was ruled out of the tournament in May with a knee injury.
Defender Moïse Bombito has not played since suffering a broken leg in October. Before that, he had started every match during Marsch’s two-year tenure.
The injuries have created opportunities for others, including Jayden Nelson, who replaced Flores on the roster after netting a stoppage-time goal against Uzbekistan earlier this month.
“We know we have the weapons” needed to win, midfielder Stephen Eustáquio said.
That confidence has become a recurring theme for Canada. Rather than focusing on the pressure of hosting, players have embraced the moment.
“You could use the word ‘pressure,’” defender Richie Laryea said. “I think we could use the word ‘ready.’”
Laryea’s perspective reflects the attitude Marsch has tried to establish since taking the job. Canada has become known for its high-intensity pressing system and willingness to challenge opponents physically.
“We’re always on the front foot,” Laryea said. “I think that coincides pretty well with getting in people’s faces.”
Yet players understand there is a fine line between playing with an edge and going too far.
Defenders Luc de Fougerolles and Alistair Johnston each carry yellow cards into the Qatar match. If teams finish level on points, goal difference and goals scored — which is where all four teams in Group B stood entering Thursday — FIFA’s fair-play system acts as a tiebreaker, meaning disciplinary records could influence who advances from the group.
Four years ago, Qatar became the first host country to lose all three group matches. But after watching Qatar’s opening 1-1 draw against Switzerland, Sigur said Qatar should be taken seriously, pointing to its focus across 90 minutes.
“It’s the World Cup,” forward Ali Ahmed said. “You can’t play this game on paper.”
More than 50,000 fans are expected at BC Place for a match that could become one of the most significant in Canadian soccer history, and players have repeatedly referenced the energy they hope Vancouver can provide.
“I think losing my voice will be a good call,” said Canada fan Adam Lovell, a member of a supporters' club called The Voyageurs. “I’ll try to set the tone with the fan culture.”
Eustáquio is aiming for an aggressive start fueled by a sense of urgency to give the home crowd something to cheer.
“Hopefully,” Eustáquio said, “that takes out the little bit of power that Qatar has.”
He knows this is no time to be polite.
Drew Renner is a student in the University of Georgia’s Carmical Sports Media Institute.
AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/fifa-world-cup
Canada head coach Jesse Marsch kicks a ball before a FIFA World Cup soccer training session, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Tuesday, June 16, 2026. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Canada head coach Jesse Marsch, back left, kicks a ball during a FIFA World Cup soccer training session, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Tuesday, June 16, 2026. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Canada's Ali Ahmed, left and teammate Canada's Promise David speak to referee Facundo Tello during the World Cup Group B soccer match between Canada and Bosnia in Toronto, Friday, June 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
Canada's Stephen Eustaquio, left, and Luc de Fougerolles, middle, work out during a training session on the eve of the team's FIFA World Cup soccer match against Qatar, Wednesday, June 17, 2026, in Vancouver, British Columbia. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Canada's Niko Sigur, center, works out during a training session during the FIFA World Cup soccer tournament, Monday, June 15, 2026 in Vancouver, British Columbia. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
