Austen Schmidt was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri. He graduated from The University of Missouri with a degree in Agricultural Business and went on to run a number of cattle, crop and trucking companies in east Texas. Austen currently serves as a Regional Key Accounts Manager at Austin Hardware & Supply, Inc. As an Eagle Scout, he began serving the community at a young age. Whether it is volunteering at local soup kitchens or building educational materials for Operation Breakthrough Austen has always found joy when giving back to the less fortunate.