An empresario is used to mean entrepreneur — an owner of an enterprise.

In the old age, a little history of empresario:

As part of both an effort to halt American expansion into Mexican territory and to colonize the scarcely populated northern region, the Mexican government began a colonization campaign in the early 19th century.

Prior to the 1823 revolution in Mexico, the old Imperial Law called for the appointment of empresarios, or land agents, who received a land grant from the Spanish or Mexican government in return for promoting settlement in the land grant territory. Settlers on land grants agreed to become a Spanish citizen (later Mexican citizen), swear an oath of loyalty to Spain and become a Roman Catholic. Among the most successful empresarios were Stephen F. Austin (son of Moses Austin), considered by many the "Father of Texas"; Green DeWitt; and Haden Harrison Edwards.

After the Republic of Texas won its independence from Mexico, the young nation continued its own version of the empresario program, offering grants to French diplomat Henri Castro and abolitionist Charles Fenton Mercer, among others.

Empresario