Governor Greg Abbot visited the Rio Grande Valley on Thursday for the RGV Economic Summit in Edinburg.

A lot of business in the Valley is small business, and a lot of small businesses start with someone taking a risk.

Draven Palacios is a year into running his studio, Zodistic, doing hairstyles and hair coloring and finding enough clients to make ends meet.

"I want to expand to a salon where I do hire people," Palacios said.

An obstacle Palacios, and other business owners, say they face are the regulations from local government, whether planning an event or working to expand.

"Be more understanding on where small businesses are trying to grow," Palacios said. "As far as McAllen, because that's where my salon is based in, I feel like I do need that help."

The RGV Economic Summit was held at the Bert Ogden Arena, where they talked about both businesses valued in the billions, and those that are much smaller.

"Because of our small businesses, Texas ranks number one in the U.S. for jobs created by Hispanic women business owners," Abbott said.

Governor Abbott was the keynote speaker at the summit, where he spoke about the need to improve transportation, broadband and two-year education in the Valley. The event even brought together local mayors.

"We've been waiting for an opportunity like this, a chance to come together as a united region," Edinburg Mayor Ramiro Garza said.

Officials say the Valley is one of the fastest growing areas in the state. Governor Abbott's new appointee to the Texas Transportation Commission, Alex Meade, says the Valley benefits from its international crossings and three million people on both sides of the border.

"This new era is an era where you will see the RGV be the new economic powerhouse throughout the state," Meade said.

He says the Valley's Mexican sister cities and Monterrey are getting more competitive and the Valley must respond.

Watch the video above for the full story.