In the debut episode of The Cilantro Diaries Podcast, host Lorenzo Gomez sits down with civic tech entrepreneur and mayoral candidate Beto Altamirano for a deep, wide-ranging conversation that spans childhood roots in the Rio Grande Valley to building one of San Antonio’s first civic tech startups. The two talk candidly about the power of storytelling, the invisible scars of growing up with scarcity, and the city’s strange inferiority complex that too often stifles ambition. From heartfelt memories of H-E-B to wild conspiracy theories about Beto O’Rourke lookalikes, it’s a conversation that’s as puro as it is profound.
More than just a catch-up between old friends, this episode lays down the mission of the podcast: to translate the inner workings of San Antonio for those who want in. Beto shares the untold story of his father’s deportation, how it lit a fire for civic change, and why San Antonio is one of the few cities where if you want to lead, all you have to do is show up. This is an episode about grit, growth, and choosing San Antonio on purpose—and it sets the tone for everything The Cilantro Diaries Podcast is about. This is just part one of the conversation—part two drops soon.
THE VOICE:
Voice of San Antonio Editorial Team
