Austin Tech Connect: Recent Episodes
Austin Technology Center
Austin Tech Connect is the go to podcast for all things Technology in the Austin, TX area. The show is hosted by the CEO of Austin Technology Council, Thom Singer.
Each week he sits down with leaders in technology & business from the Greater Austin area.
Fresh off the annual Technology Councils of North America (TECNA) conference, where the people running tech councils across the US and Canada compare notes, Austin Technology Council CEO, Thom Singer, looks at where Austin sits now. The city spent decades proving it belonged. That phase is over. But a mature ecosystem has a problem the scrappy one never had: momentum starts to feel automatic, and good people quietly assume somebody else has it handled. Nobody has it handled. Thom talks through what Austin's next phase actually requires, and makes a direct ask for engagement from companies and leaders across the community.
In this episode of Austin Tech Connect, Thom Singer sits down with Brett Hurt, one of Austin's most recognized entrepreneurs, investors, and technology leaders... and a recent inductee into the Austin Tech Hall of Fame.
Brett has founded and led companies, had major exits, invested in more than 150 startups, and helped shape the Austin tech ecosystem for decades. But this conversation is not just about startups, venture capital, or the next wave of technology. It is about what happens when a successful entrepreneur begins asking bigger questions about meaning, purpose, consciousness, leadership, and the future of humanity.
Brett shares the story behind his new book, Love Conquers Fear, and talks openly about the spiritual awakening and divine calling that changed the direction of his life. He discusses the role psychedelics played in that journey, while also making it clear that this is not about promoting one path for everyone. For Brett, psychedelics were a technology, a tool that helped him go deeper into questions about God, consciousness, love, fear, and the responsibility leaders have in a rapidly changing world.
The conversation moves across a wide range of topics, including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, robotics, brain-computer interfaces, conscious capitalism, religion, meditation, prayer, psychedelics, leadership, abundance, and the dangers of worshiping money as the ultimate scorecard.
Thom and Brett also talk about Austin, the importance of community, and the loss of Josh Baer, whose impact on the Austin tech scene continues to ripple through the lives of thousands of people. Brett reflects on what really matters in the end, not the exits, the houses, the cars, or the yachts, but how we show up for others.
This is a different kind of Austin Tech Connect episode. It is a conversation about technology, but also about humanity. It asks whether the future we are building will be driven by fear, comparison, and profit at all costs, or by love, service, and a deeper sense of responsibility.
Brett Hurt has been on Austin Tech Connect before, but this conversation captures a very different chapter of his life and work. It is honest, personal, wide-ranging, and at times challenging.
If you care about Austin tech, AI, entrepreneurship, spirituality, psychedelics, conscious capitalism, or the question of what kind of future we are actually trying to build, this episode is worth your time.
In this episode of Austin Tech Connect, Thom Singer (CEO of the Austin Technology Council) sits down with Ben Barnes, the former Texas Lieutenant Governor and Speaker of the House, for a wide-ranging conversation about leadership, public service, Texas history, resilience, and staying engaged in life at every age.
Ben's political career began when he was elected to the Texas House of Representatives at just 22 years old. He went on to become the youngest Speaker of the House and the youngest Lieutenant Governor in Texas history. In the conversation, he shares stories from those early years, including how he had to earn credibility as a young leader and why he felt a responsibility to open doors for others who would come after him.
The conversation also explores Ben's role in helping establish the University of Texas at Dallas. He recalls being invited by Texas Instruments leaders to visit Boston and study the relationship between great universities and the technology industry. That experience helped shape the vision for a major new university in North Texas, ultimately backed by a significant contribution from the founders of Texas Instruments.
Ben and Thom also discuss how Texas evolved from an agriculture-focused economy into one of the most important technology hubs in the country. Ben reflects on the decisions made in the 1960s that helped set the stage for Austin's later growth, including investments in higher education, research, and business leadership. He also talks about the importance of continuing to support universities and talent development if Texas wants to remain competitive.
The episode includes a candid look at Ben's life after politics, including his public bankruptcy during the real estate collapse of the 1980s. He shares how that difficult chapter shaped him, what he learned from failure, and how lessons from his father and from Theodore Roosevelt helped him rebuild his life and career.
At 88, Ben continues to stay active, curious, and engaged. He offers advice for people thinking about retirement, emphasizing the importance of preparation, lifelong learning, physical activity, and friendships across generations. His message is clear: staying involved with people, ideas, and new opportunities is part of living a full life.
Ben also talks about his new book, Get It Done: Seven Decades of Lessons from a Political Legend, which will be released on July 14. He explains why he wanted to write the book now and shares the deeply personal story of his recent kidney transplant.
This episode is a conversation about leadership, history, second chances, and the power of staying connected to people and purpose.
Peter Zandan has been part of Austin's technology story since 1977... long before anyone was calling this city a tech hub. In this episode of Austin Tech Connect, Thom Singer sits down with the long-time entrepreneur and community leader (and recent inductee into the Austin Tech Hall of Fame) to trace that journey from the beginning. Peter shares what brought him to Austin, what kept him here, and how he went on to found multiple companies including IntelliQuest and Zilliant, guided throughout by a philosophy of following his heart over his head in business.
The conversation covers Peter's creation of the Zandan Report, which provided objective, data-driven insight into Austin's tech ecosystem at a time when no one else was tracking it... and the role that kind of community infrastructure plays in helping a city understand and grow its own identity. Peter also reflects on his decade as a board member at Meow Wolf, and what sitting at the intersection of art, experience, and technology has taught him about what communities actually need to thrive.
On AI, Peter is optimistic in a way that feels grounded rather than naive: he sees artificial intelligence as a tool that enhances human capabilities rather than one that displaces them. That view shapes his broader point about Austin's future... that as the city has evolved from a place that had to recruit tech talent to one that attracts it naturally, what it must protect is precisely the quality of life and community spirit that made it worth moving to in the first place. Human relationships and lived experience, Peter argues, matter more in an AI-driven world, not less.
Thom Singer sits down with Kathleen Lucente, founder and CEO of Red Fan Communications, for a conversation about how AI is rewriting the rules of brand visibility. Kathleen has spent nearly two decades advising B2B tech CMOs and founders on messaging, M&A communications, and crisis response.... and she's now watching AI answer engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google Gemini replace the click-through search results that used to drive brand discovery.
She walks through her "Brand Authority Index," a seven-factor framework she built to measure and improve how a company's brand shows up when AI tools generate answers, covering everything from third-party endorsements and review-site recency to executive thought leadership and why LinkedIn has become an outsized signal of credibility for AI systems.
The conversation also covers the case for getting communications teams involved early in mergers and acquisitions (months before announcement, not days), and closes with Kathleen's read on Austin's three-decade evolution as a tech hub and the case for a unified "Texas Technology Triangle" connecting Austin, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and the Brazos Valley.
Austin Tech Connect is sponsored by Calavista Software, software development without the drama.
In this episode of Austin Tech Connect, Thom Singer talks with Stephen Straus, co-founder and CEO of KungFu.AI, about what it really means to lead in the age of artificial intelligence. Stephen started KungFu.AI in 2017, years before ChatGPT made AI the topic everyone was talking about, and his perspective is shaped by seeing the early internet boom in Austin and now watching AI reshape every industry. The conversation explores why companies need to think beyond simple automation and start asking how they can use AI to disrupt their own industries before someone else does. Stephen also shares the story behind his upcoming book, "Wayfinding: A Business Fable About Leading in the Age of AI" , about a CEO who has 90 days to build an AI strategy or lose her job. Along the way, Thom and Stephen talk about leadership, vulnerability, proprietary data, the difference between real AI strategy and AI hype, and why Austin's tech ecosystem continues to evolve in powerful ways.
In this episode of Austin Tech Connect, Thom Singer talks with Jess Lowry, Laura Timmis, and Rachael DiGiovine of Mindful Collective about career transitions, layoffs, and the very real human impact of uncertainty in today's tech-enabled economy.
Mindful Collective is a community of practice that helps people stay active and connected while they explore what comes next, linking members to mentorship, collaborative projects, volunteer opportunities, and client engagements. The conversation looks at some of the common myths around layoffs, including the idea that layoffs only happen to underperformers, and explores how AI-driven hiring tools, ageism, and changing job market dynamics can make it harder for experienced professionals to be seen. Jess, Laura, and Rachael also share how small project-based engagements can help people build current experience, strengthen portfolios, maintain confidence, and continue creating value.
This is a timely conversation about talent, resilience, community, and why Austin's tech ecosystem is stronger when we support people through transition instead of letting them navigate it alone.
The Austin Technology Council hosted the third annual Austin Tech Hall of Fame at the offices of Wise at The Domain in Austin, Texas. Two hundred members of the Austin tech community came together to honor the builders, founders, and leaders whose work laid the foundation of one of the most dynamic technology ecosystems in the world.
In this episode, Thom Singer recaps the evening and goes deeper on why the Austin Technology Council created the Hall of Fame, what it means to build a program designed to last eight years, and why honoring the past is one of the most important investments a community can make in its future.
The theme of the evening was simple but powerful. Celebrate the past. Be present in the now. Look to the future.
The more Thom has studied thriving ecosystems, the more convinced he has become that the future of a city is stronger when people understand the story they are joining. History gives newcomers context. It gives longtime residents pride. And it gives leaders a clearer sense of what must be protected while everything around them changes. Austin is growing and changing at a pace that makes it easy to lose that thread. The Hall of Fame exists to make sure that does not happen.
The 2026 Foundational/Legacy Inductees
Each year the Austin Technology Council inducts eight foundational and legacy honorees, people who were building things in Austin before it was obvious the city would become what it is today. This year those eight were Ken DeAngelis, Hugh Forrest, Brett A. Hurt, Joe McCall, Robert Metcalfe, Jan Ryan, Joel Trammell, and Peter Zandan.
Two hundred people got to sit in a room and hear these eight individuals reflect on their careers, their decisions, and the community they helped create. That kind of direct transmission of history is rare. It is also exactly what a healthy ecosystem needs.
The 2026 Current Year Inductee
Tyson Tuttle, former CEO of Silicon Labs and current CEO and co-founder of Circuit, was announced as the 2026 current year inductee into the Austin Tech Hall of Fame.
The 2026 First Time Founder Award
Will Wilder was named the 2026 winner of the First Time Founder Award, an honor the Austin Technology Council has presented every year since the Hall of Fame launched. The award recognizes entrepreneurs navigating the specific challenges and milestones of building their first company.
An Eight-Year Vision
The Austin Technology Council sees the Hall of Fame as a long-term commitment, not an annual event. There are close to 70 people who helped lay the foundation of Austin tech. Honoring all of them at once would do justice to none of them. The goal is to take the time each year to tell a small number of those stories well, to give those people the room to actually be heard, and to build something over time that the entire ecosystem can point to and say, this is where we came from.
By the end of this program, the Austin Tech Hall of Fame will represent a living record of the people and decisions that made Austin what it is.
Why This Matters
The Austin Technology Council exists to connect Austin's tech ecosystem through community, collaboration, and conversation. Thom believes the city will have a stronger future if people choose to be one community rather than a collection of silos. The Hall of Fame is one of the most tangible ways the ATC makes that case, year after year, by putting the right people in a room and asking them to share what they know.
If you are new to Austin, this is the story you are joining. If you have been here a long time, this is the story you helped write. And if you are leading something right now, this is the foundation you are building on.
Learn More
Austin Technology Council: austintechnologycouncil.com
On this episode of Austin Tech Connect, Thom Singer sits down with Skip Balch, founder and principal consultant at SalesHandicapper, for a wide-ranging conversation about sales, leadership, artificial intelligence, and the Austin technology community.
Skip has lived in Austin for more than 13 years and brings nearly five decades of sales and sales leadership experience to the conversation. His career has included work with startups, technology companies, and high-growth organizations, including time connected to Broadcast.com, one of the legendary stories in the tech world. Today, through SalesHandicapper, Skip helps companies improve their odds of winning by focusing on sales strategy, skills, accountability, and better communication.
The conversation begins with Skip's path into sales, including an early career move to Anchorage, Alaska, where he led a sales team for an alternative long-distance telephone company. From there, the discussion turns to the sales lessons that have stayed with him throughout his career. One of Skip's strongest points is that sales are often not lost at the end of the process, they are lost at the beginning. Expectations matter, and if a salesperson does not set them clearly, those expectations are being set somewhere else, often without the salesperson even knowing it.
Skip also shares one of the most important lessons for salespeople and business leaders alike: listen to learn, not to respond. Too many people are already preparing their next answer while the other person is still speaking. In sales, leadership, networking, and community building, real progress comes when people slow down, ask better questions, and pay attention to what is actually being said.
The episode also explores how artificial intelligence is changing the sales profession. Skip believes AI tools, especially AI sales assistants and note-takers, can be a major advantage because they allow salespeople to be fully present in conversations instead of scrambling to capture notes. But he is also clear that AI does not remove the need for human judgment. In fact, as information becomes easier to access, discernment becomes more important. The best sales leaders will not simply use AI to gather more data, they will know how to determine what matters.
A major theme of the conversation is the difference between being "human in the loop" and being human in the lead. AI can help with preparation, research, summaries, and productivity, but business still depends on trust, judgment, accountability, and relationships. Skip argues that people who refuse to adopt AI are the ones most at risk. AI may not replace salespeople directly, but those who ignore it may find themselves replaced by people who use it well.
Thom and Skip also talk about the mistakes tech companies make when trying to build sales organizations. Many founders believe that if they build a great product, customers will automatically come. Skip challenges that assumption. Companies must understand whether they are solving a real problem, whether customers care enough to solve it, and whether early sales can become a scalable business. His advice is direct: qualify to disqualify, ask hard questions early, and do not confuse a few early wins with true market traction.
The episode closes with a look at Austin's technology ecosystem. Skip sees Austin continuing to attract strong talent, experienced founders, and companies that want to grow in a strong business climate. At the same time, both Skip and Thom point out that Austin cannot become complacent. The city's tech community is still climbing. It must remain scrappy, connected, and committed to building relationships across the ecosystem.
This episode is also a reminder that Austin's tech community is strengthened by people and companies that show up, contribute, and support the organizations that bring the ecosystem together. Skip and SalesHandicapper are sponsors of the 2026 Austin Tech Hall of Fame, and Thom recognizes sponsors like them as true community champions.
Listen to this episode to hear:
How Skip Balch built a career across nearly five decades in sales
Why sales are often lost at the beginning of the process
The importance of setting expectations early
Why salespeople need to listen to learn, not listen to respond
How AI sales assistants can improve real human conversations
Why discernment may be the most important skill in the AI era
What tech founders often misunderstand about sales
Why Austin's tech community must stay scrappy, connected, and ambitious
About the Guest
Skip Balch is the founder and principal consultant at SalesHandicapper, where he helps companies improve their sales strategy, sales skills, accountability, and communication. With nearly five decades of experience in sales and sales leadership, Skip brings a practical, direct, and deeply human perspective to helping teams improve their odds of winning.
Sponsor Mention
Austin Tech Connect is sponsored by Calavista Software, helping companies create software without the drama. Calavista has worked with startups and Fortune 100 companies alike and continues to support the Austin Technology Council and the Austin tech community.
Bruno Spruth - CTO at Q.ant
In this episode of Austin Tech Connect, Thom Singer talks with Bruno Spruth, the newly appointed CTO of Q.ant, a German deep tech company expanding into the United States with its U.S. headquarters in Austin.
Q.ant is working on one of the biggest challenges facing the future of AI, energy consumption. As AI systems grow, the demand for compute power continues to rise, and Bruno explains why that creates both a major constraint and a major opportunity. Q.ant's approach centers on photonic compute acceleration, using light, or photons, instead of traditional electronics to help reduce power needs and unlock new possibilities for AI infrastructure.
Bruno shares his journey from Germany to Austin, including his long career at IBM, his move into startup life, and why the pace and challenge of Q.ant's work made this opportunity so compelling. He also explains why Austin is the right place for Q.ant's U.S. expansion, citing the city's growing hardware ecosystem, talent pool, quality of life, and the practical advantage of overlapping work hours with Europe.
The conversation also touches on Austin's deep tech history, IBM's role in shaping the local ecosystem, the importance of taking on hard technical challenges early in a career, and why Bruno believes this moment in photonic computing feels like the early days of the computing industry.
Q.ant is currently building its Austin presence and plans to hire across photonics, integrated circuit design, digital systems, software, and compiler work. For those interested in AI infrastructure, hardware, or deep tech, this episode offers a look at why Austin continues to attract companies working on hard problems with global impact.
Austin Tech Connect is sponsored by Calavista Software, software development without the drama. Since 2001, Calavista has been trusted by startups and Fortune 100 companies alike for their custom software needs.
Some episodes of Austin Tech Connect are about startups, leadership, and innovation. This episode is about all of those things, but it is also about grief, courage, and purpose.
In this conversation, Thom Singer talks with Michael McCown, founder and CEO of H27 Technologies, about the deeply personal story behind LinnESync. Michael shares how a season of unimaginable loss changed his family's life and ultimately shaped his mission to build technology that could help communities and emergency teams coordinate more effectively in times of crisis.
Michael speaks openly about what he witnessed during the July 4th flooding in Central Texas in 2025, the compassion and professionalism of first responders, and the real-world communication challenges that can emerge when multiple agencies and volunteers are trying to work together under intense pressure. He is thoughtful in the way he tells this story, and clear that this work comes not from criticism, but from a desire to help support better coordination in the future.
He also shares the vision for LinnESync, a platform designed to provide better visibility into resources, missions, incoming support, and response coordination. For Michael, this is about more than building a company. It is about building something useful, accessible, and grounded in service.
This episode is moving, human, and ultimately about what can happen when someone decides to turn pain into action.
Austin Tech Connect is the official podcast of the Austin Technology Council, and a leading tech podcast in Central Texas.
Thank you to the sponsor of Austin Tech Connect: Calavista Software
What does it mean when an top local leader in engineering says, "We don't hire engineers"?
In this episode of Austin Tech Connect, Thom Singer sits down with Balazs Barna, Head of U.S. Engineering at Wise, to unpack that statement and explore what engineering leadership looks like in an AI-driven world. Balazs explains that Wise is not looking for people who simply execute tickets. They want "product engineers"... professionals who can think beyond code, understand customer pain points, evaluate whether a problem is worth solving, and build with the business outcome in mind.
The conversation digs into how AI is changing the day-to-day work of engineers, but also why the fundamentals still matter. Balazs argues that AI is a powerful amplifier. It can speed up development, improve testing, and make teams more productive. But it cannot replace human judgment. Organizations still need people who can think clearly, understand tradeoffs, and make sure they are solving the right problems, not just building things faster.
Thom and Balazs also talk about what companies get wrong when adopting AI. Too many organizations remain overly top-down or fail to give their teams enough autonomy to choose tools and think critically. At Wise, engineers are encouraged to use leading AI tools, stay close to trends, and remain grounded in first principles. Curiosity, business understanding, and customer awareness are now essential traits for technical talent.
The discussion also turns practical for mid-career professionals. Balazs shares his advice for engineers who feel uncertain about how AI may affect their future: learn the tools, stay engaged, and build new skills now. He describes taking time himself to immerse in AI-assisted building so he could better understand what his teams are experiencing. His message is clear: the people who stay close to these changes will be in the best position to take advantage of the new opportunities that AI creates.
The episode closes with a broader look at Austin. Balazs reflects on why Wise chose Austin for its U.S. headquarters, what makes the city strong as a tech hub, and why community engagement matters. He also shares thoughts on where Austin can improve, including the need for more meetups, more gatherings, and more visible leadership across the local tech ecosystem.
This is a thoughtful conversation about engineering, leadership, AI adoption, and the kind of community Austin needs if it wants to keep building for the future.
Key topics in this episode:
- Why Wise says it hires "product engineers," not just engineers
- How AI is improving productivity but not replacing judgment
- What strong engineers still need to understand in an AI era
- Why autonomy and curiosity matter inside engineering teams
- Advice for mid-career engineers adapting to rapid change
- Why Austin stood out as the right place for Wise to grow
- What Austin tech is doing well, and where the community can do more
Thanks to the Sponsor of Austin Tech Connect - Calavista Software
In this episode of Austin Tech Connect, Thom Singer sits down with Dr. Nick Hallman, professor at The University of Texas at Austin, to talk about one of the biggest business questions of the moment, how companies are actually using AI, and whether they are measuring success the right way. Drawing on research conducted with KPMG, Dr. Hallman shares what his team learned from studying real workplace interactions with large language models over time.
What makes this conversation especially interesting is that the study did not just look at whether employees were using AI. It looked deeper. Dr. Hallman and his colleagues were able to examine prompts, responses, and patterns of use across months of professional activity. That gave them a far richer picture of what productive AI adoption really looks like, and what many organizations may be missing when they focus only on usage volume.
One of the biggest surprises? Most AI use was not especially advanced. Dr. Hallman explains that roughly 90 percent of the activity they observed was centered on writing help, things like cleaning up emails or improving wording. Useful, yes. Transformational, not really. The more sophisticated uses involved clearly defined tasks such as analysis, coding, and creating tangible work product. Those higher value outcomes tended to come when users were specific about what they wanted and what a successful output should look like.
Another unexpected finding was that senior people often used AI more effectively than junior employees. Dr. Hallman suggests that may be because strong AI use mirrors strong delegation. Leaders who know how to clearly assign work to people are often better at directing an LLM. That insight challenges the assumption that younger workers will automatically be the most advanced AI users just because they are more comfortable with technology.
The conversation also explores how companies should think about training and evaluation. If raw usage is not the best metric, what is? Dr. Hallman points to more meaningful signals, including whether people iterate with the model, refine their requests, and move beyond one-shot prompts. He also stresses that the best way to improve is through practice. The more people experiment, at work and at home, the more they begin to understand what AI can do well, where it falls short, and how to ask better questions.
This episode is a smart, grounded look at AI in the real world. It is not hype, and it is not fear-based. It is a practical conversation about what happens when organizations move past buzzwords and start paying attention to how people actually work with these tools every day.
About the Guest Dr. Nick Hallman is a professor in the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin, where he teaches data analytics and Python to accounting students and conducts economics-based research related to the auditing profession. In this conversation, he shares insights from a research collaboration with KPMG focused on how employees are using AI in professional settings.
Key themes from this episode
- AI usage numbers do not tell the whole story.
- Most workplace AI use is still basic writing support.
- The best AI results come from specificity and iteration.
- Senior leaders may be better AI users because they are better delegators.
- The fastest way to become more effective with AI is simple, use it more often.
Sponsor: Austin Tech Connect is supported by Calavista Software, software development without the drama. Trusted by startups and Fortune 100 companies alike.
In this episode of Austin Tech Connect, Thom Singer sits down with Taylor McHargue of Cushman & Wakefield. Taylor is a new board member at the Austin Technology Council, and is a good example of the next generation of people in the tech ecosystem that want to show up and help build the future for all.
In this interview we explore what the commercial real estate market can tell us about the current state of Austin's tech economy. It is a timely conversation, because office space is no longer just about square footage. It has become a reflection of hiring, funding, culture, confidence, and where companies believe they are headed next.
Taylor explains that in the boom years, especially around 2016 to 2018, tech companies often leased more space than they needed and signed longer terms because growth felt inevitable. Today, that mindset is gone. After the disruptions of the pandemic, many executives carry real caution about long leases and unused space. Companies are now trying to match their footprint closely to current needs, with far less appetite for risk.
The conversation also highlights how Austin's office market has evolved since COVID. While vacancy remains high on paper, Taylor notes that activity has picked up, especially among technology firms, and especially since the start of 2026. Some of that momentum is tied to AI-related companies, while broader return-to-office trends are also playing a role. Many firms are no longer debating whether they will gather in person at all. Instead, they are figuring out what kind of office strategy best supports collaboration, flexibility, and growth.
One of the biggest takeaways is that not all office space is equal. The buildings performing best are highly amenitized, well located, and often move-in ready. For many companies, office space is now a recruiting and retention tool. That means coffee shops, fitness centers, conference amenities, and proximity to the areas where talent wants to be matter more than ever. Taylor describes the market as a tale of two worlds: some buildings struggle, while others attract most of the serious demand.
This episode offers a smart window into where Austin tech is today, and where it may be headed next.
Ausitn Tech Connect is sponsored by Calavista Software
The Austin Technology Council exists to help Austin's fast growing tech community stay connected, collaborative, and engaged. As the ecosystem gets bigger and more complex, ATC creates space for the conversations and relationships that help people find their place in the bigger story of Austin tech. We believe strong communities do not happen by accident, they are built through trust, shared ideas, and leaders who show up. That is the role ATC continues to play as Austin's tech future unfolds.
This episode of "Austin Tech Connect" (the official podcast of the Austin Technology Council) features a conversation between Thom Singer (CEO at ATC) and Paul O'Brien about Paul's new book "Startup Ecosystems."
Paul discussed his career journey from Michigan to Silicon Valley to Austin, where he has lived for 17 years working in public affairs for startup ecosystems. They explored how Austin's tech ecosystem has thrived through effective marketing and storytelling, contrasting it with other cities.
Paul explained how his book builds on Brad Feld's earlier work (Feld's book "Startup Communities" was a pivotal work for Startups) by providing a more current economic and pragmatic approach to developing startup communities, emphasizing the importance of proper mentorship, marketing fundamentals, and policy development. They also discussed the challenges and opportunities for Texas's growing tech ecosystem, particularly the potential for collaboration across the state's major cities.
Austin Tech Connect is sponsored by Calavista Software
The episode of Austin Tech Connect is an interview with Christine McDannell, an M&A advisor who recently moved to Austin from San Diego.
Christine discussed her entrepreneurial journey, including her experience selling multiple companies and founding The Magnolia Firm, which specializes in helping digital businesses and SaaS companies find buyers. She explained her unique approach of turning away 95% of potential sellers to focus on high-quality listings and offered insights into the current market challenges, such as finding willing sellers.
Christine also shared her perspective on Austin's tech community, highlighting its welcoming nature and vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem. The conversation concluded with Christine emphasizing the unique culture of Austin and encouraging listeners to visit the city, while Thom Singer, the host, expressed his hope for Christine's continued involvement in the Austin tech community.
Every week on this podcast, the Austin Technology Council wants to introduce you to people in the community from companies of all sizes. Austin is not just start ups, or big companies, our tech ecosystem is a perfect collaboration of many things. When our community can revisit connections over silos, we set ourselves up for the future.
Austin Tech Connect is sponsored by Calavista Software.
In this episode of the Austin Tech Connect podcast, Thom Singer interviewed Phil Gilbert, author of "Irresistible Change: The Blueprint for Earning Buy-In and Breakout Success," about his career in technology and his experiences transforming IBM after its acquisition of Lombardi Software.
Gilbert shared his journey from founding a PC consulting company in the 1980s to leading design at IBM, where he implemented a successful change management program that improved employee engagement and market share.
They discussed the changing landscape of Austin's tech community, with Gilbert expressing concerns about the loss of community spirit and corporate citizenship. The conversation highlighted the importance of understanding Austin's rich tech history and the need to rekindle the city's entrepreneurial and collaborative culture.
Austin Tech Connect is the offical podcast of the Austin Technology Council and is one of the top Austin tech podcasts.
Austin Tech Connect is sponsored by Calavista Software.
In this episode of Austin Tech Connect, Thom Singer sits down with Matt Zilli, the new CEO of Planview, for a grounded conversation about leadership, career growth, and why real relationships still matter in a tech world chasing speed. Matt shares his unusual path through SaaS, from computer science at Santa Clara, to Marketo, to leading private equity backed software companies, and how a strong network of people willing to "take a bet" on you can unlock unexpected opportunities.
Matt also unpacks Planview's approach to hybrid work through what the company calls "purposeful connections," which is less about counting office days and more about bringing people together for a reason, to build relationships, solve real problems, and strengthen mentorship. The conversation closes with an optimistic look at Austin's tech ecosystem, what makes it special, and what the community needs to protect as the city keeps growing. If you care about innovation and community, this one hits the sweet spot.
Thank you to the sponsor of Austin Tech Connect - Calavista Software... Software development without the drama. Since 2001 Calavista software has been trusted by startups and fortune 100 companies for their custom software needs.
What happens when a single, outdated $5 semiconductor can stall an aircraft program, delay medical equipment, or freeze production lines? In this episode of Austin Tech Connect, Thom Singer sits down with Ryan Hatcher, CEO and founder of Phoenix Semiconductor, to unpack a supply chain problem that quietly cripples industries: "end-of-life" chips that are no longer manufactured, but are still essential to the systems we depend on. Ryan shares how his career path from physics to defense electronics to tech scouting put him front-row during the COVID-era shortages, where the real bottlenecks weren't always the cutting-edge chips… but the small components no one could replace.
Ryan explains how Phoenix Semiconductor is building drop-in replacement chips that perform indistinguishably from the originals... and why that matters for defense, aerospace, medical devices, energy, and heavy industry. Along the way, you'll hear a smart, honest look at entrepreneurship (starting with "zero momentum"), the power of mentorship, and why Austin's tech ecosystem still has a rare advantage: the ability to reach the right people through real relationships. If you care about semiconductors, supply chain resilience, or how founders build meaningful companies in Austin, this one is worth your time.
Subscribe to Austin Tech Connect on your favorite podcast platform.
Thank you to Calavista Software for being the annual sponsors of this podcast for 2026.
In this episode of Austin Tech Connect, Thom Singer talks with Prakhar Agrawal, CEO of Senseloaf AI, an Austin based startup using AI agents to make recruiting faster, more human, and less frustrating for both candidates and hiring teams.
Prakhar shares his path from mechanical engineering to entrepreneurship, and how a broken job search experience in 2017–2018 pushed him to build an "automated matching" approach long before AI became a buzzword. He explains how he reunited with his cofounder, an early NLP practitioner, and tells the origin story behind the name Senseloaf, "making sense of data" with recruiting as the first "slice" of a bigger vision.
The conversation dives into what Senseloaf actually does, from intelligent candidate matching beyond keywords, to a 24/7 conversational agent that engages applicants, to AI powered screening and interview workflows that scale without removing humans from decision making.
Prakhar also discusses the realities of building an AI company in a market filled with hype and mistrust, how the business survived COVID by evolving its model, and why the team is moving toward a value first approach by opening the platform so companies can test it before committing. The episode wraps with a candid look at why Austin attracted him from Boston, what the city does well (and where it can improve) for founders, plus a bigger discussion about the rise of "engineer entrepreneurs" as risk and barriers to building have dropped.
To learn more, visit senseloaf.ai or connect with Prakhar on LinkedIn.
Thank you to the sponsor of the Austin Tech Connect Podcast.... Calavista Software.
In this episode of Austin Tech Connect, ATC's Thom Singer sits down with Brandon Tigges, co-founder and CEO of Austin based Job Machine. Brandon grew up a military kid, was homeschooled, moved eight times before age 18, and learned early how to adapt, learn fast, and build relationships. That path took him from finance to tech sales, then into entrepreneurship, fueled by mentors, books, and an obsession with solving real problems.
Brandon shares how Job Machine helps workforce organizations, schools, and outplacement providers place people into jobs faster, and why their big, hairy, audacious goal is simple, any American who wants a job should be able to get one. Along the way, he talks about work ethic, paying it forward, and what Austin needs to keep doing right if we want the tech ecosystem to stay strong.
Austin Tech Connect is sponsored by Calavista Software
Austin did not become a tech city by accident, and it will not stay an innovation center on autopilot. In the first Austin Tech Connect episode of 2026, Thom Singer sits down with Jan Ryan, CEO of Three Hills, a longtime operator in venture backed startups, a builder of community, and a force behind expanding opportunity for women founders in Austin.
Jan takes us back to the mid 90s when Austin was still "a lovable, slightly disorganized teenager," then connects the lessons of the dot com era to what is happening now with AI and frontier tech.
This is a conversation about leadership, not hype. Jan lays out why innovation is moving faster than the institutions that are supposed to support it, talent pipelines, capital networks, and policy frameworks, and why inclusion is not a tagline, it is a growth strategy. Thom and Jan dig into what it will take for Austin to lead the next decade, how leaders can show up without burning out, and why it is not just networking, it is equipping. If you care about the next chapter of Austin tech, this one is your seat at the table.
Thank you to the 2026 sponsor of Austin Tech Connect.... Calavista Software. It is companies that are true "Community Champions" that sponsor organizations like the Austin Technology Council.
Austin Tech Connect closes out 2025 with a milestone episode celebrating the podcast's three year anniversary and ending the year with a high energy conversation about entrepreneurship, custom software, and what it takes to keep building in Austin. Thom welcomes Scott Kenyon, founding partner at Applaudo, a firm that helps companies go from early stage ideas to real products, covering strategy, MVPs, design and development, cloud platforms, AI, DevOps, and cybersecurity.
Scott shares his entrepreneurial path, including leaving college to start a business, then returning later to finish after a first venture gave him real world experience and momentum. From there, he explains how Applaudo grew from a focused service offering into a broader set of capabilities by staying close to client needs and expanding carefully in a trust driven industry. A key theme throughout the episode is that software services still run on reputation, relationships, and accountability, especially when companies are betting real dollars on complex builds.
The conversation includes a memorable story about helping a pro sports organization modernize an outdated workflow, plus a look at the different industries Applaudo serves and why focus matters even when you work across multiple verticals. Thom and Scott also dig into AI, not as hype, but as a practical tool that is changing how work gets done, along with a candid discussion about the infrastructure demands behind AI and what that could mean over the next several years.
The episode wraps with thoughts on what makes Austin's tech community strong, where the ecosystem needs to stay scrappy, and a look ahead to 2026, including Austin Tech Hall of Fame nominations opening in January.
Thanks to the sponsor of the podcast, Calavista Software.
This week on Austin Tech Connect, we are sharing the keynote from the 2025 State of Tech breakfast, hosted by the Austin Technology Council and the Austin Chamber of Commerce. Tyson Tuttle, CEO of Circuit and former CEO of Silicon Labs, unpacks how AI is accelerating into the physical world, why energy and compute infrastructure matter more than ever, and what the convergence of AI, semiconductors, and industry means for the next decade of innovation in Austin and beyond.
"Texas gives us scale, Austin gives us soul" - Tyson Tuttle
Austin Tech Connect welcomes back data and AI expert (and ATC board member) Ronnie Sheth for a very real conversation about what is actually happening inside companies trying to adopt AI. Ronnie helps organizations design human first experiences with data and AI, and she brings both a strategic lens and a deep sense of responsibility to how this technology shows up in our businesses and our community. She also cares deeply about Austin as a global tech hub and about the Austin Technology Council's role as a connector across the ecosystem.
In this episode Ronnie explains why AI adoption numbers are slipping and why that is not a sign that AI has lost its shine. Drawing on recent reports from the U.S. Census Bureau and MIT, she points out that many generative AI pilots are failing not because the tools are weak, but because companies never built the foundation. They jumped to "doing AI" without a clear data strategy, without thinking through adoption and scale, and without asking the basic question, "Is our data ready for this?"
Ronnie makes a compelling case that data excellence is the real starting point. Companies need high quality, trusted data and a clear vision for how it supports decisions, innovation, risk management, and AI models. She shares how her clients move from vague "data governance" conversations to concrete strategy, and why data must be treated as an asset that can quickly turn into a liability if handled poorly.
We also dig into regulation, ethics, and the human side of AI. Ronnie describes AI as a "collection of humanity" and reminds leaders that AI is not yet a prescriptive oracle. It is a thought partner that can amplify human intelligence, not a fix for broken processes or culture.
The Austin Tech Connect Podcast is presented by Calavista Software, software development without the drama.
In this episode of Austin Tech Connect, Thom Singer sits down with Austin Tech Hall of Fame inductee Bob Fabbio, a founder and leader whose career is woven into the story of our region's tech ecosystem.
Bob shares how a reluctant interview trip from Massachusetts to IBM Austin in 1987 turned into a one way ticket to a city he quickly fell in love with. After realizing he was "a fish out of water" in big corporate environments, he left IBM to launch Tivoli Systems, pursuing a then radical idea to manage heterogeneous computer networks as if they were a single machine. People told him he was crazy. They were wrong.
From there, Bob walks through building multiple category defining companies, his time in venture capital with Austin Ventures and TL Ventures, and why he chose to run those firms like real businesses with intentional branding, community engagement, and entrepreneur boot camps.
Bob also talks about his commitment to mentoring founders and "paying it forward," inspired by the early leaders who pushed him to have the courage to launch Tivoli. He shares his powerful framework of "the whats" that every entrepreneur must answer clearly, from the real problem they solve to pricing, distribution, and the macro trends they are riding.
Finally, Bob describes his latest chapter, Norio Capital Partners, a long short hedge fund powered by machine learning and AI, and why this may be his favorite venture yet. It is a masterclass in thinking big, betting on yourself, and building the future from Austin.
Are you supporting the Austin Technology Council? Since 1992 ATC has been working to unite the tech community to celebrate the past, be present in the NOW, and to look toward the future. ATC needs the real grassroots leaders in the community to help shape tomorrow.
In this episode of Austin Tech Connect, Austin Technology Council CEO, Thom Singer, sits down with Greg Cooper, president at Offerd, to explore how PropTech is reshaping commercial real estate and why Austin is a compelling place to build it.
Greg's Austin story spans three decades and a rare path. He grew up in Jamaica, spent time in England, went to high school in Houston, then earned a UT law degree focused on real estate. While in law school he co-founded Austin Java and ended up running a fast growing restaurant company with hundreds of employees, an experience that sharpened his operator mindset. He then moved into residential real estate, helping build one of Keller Williams' top teams before launching a brokerage that grew to more than one hundred agents. The pivot to commercial came after the sale of that firm, where Greg discovered an even higher bar for talent and execution.
In 2020 a cold call led him to the Offerd founder and a platform that aggregates fragmented commercial data into one system, applies predictive analytics, and surfaces who is most likely to buy or sell. Greg first joined as an affiliate to use the tech, then quickly began working Offerd's institutional deal flow. Within weeks his team had nine figure pipelines and he closed transactions with public REITs, validating that the model could change how large assets trade.
Today Offerd operates as a brokerage paired with an internal product team, and the company is evaluating a spin out of the technology to give the software a clear valuation while the brokerage retains a permanent license. They talk candidly about capital strategy, the difference between lumpy services revenue and SaaS, and why the total addressable market for brokerage commissions remains massive.
They also dive into Austin's market reality. Rates froze residential mobility, new apartments created pressure on rents, and affordability must improve, yet the region's long term trajectory is strong. Greg sees a growing local PropTech cluster but notes the lack of a consistent forum for founders to compare notes. That is why community matters. Real leaders show up, cross vertical conversations prevent silos, and Austin works best when collaboration is the norm.
Big thanks to Calavista Software for supporting this show as the sponsor...and their support of the broader tech community.
Patrick Smith, Tax Principal with CLA... and new comer to the Austin tech ecosystem joins the conversation on the Austin Tech Connect podcast to talk about recent changes in the tax laws and how it impacts Austin companies.
The Austin Tech Connect podcast is the official podcast of the Austin Technology Council and one of the premier podcasts in the Austin tech scene.
In this episode of Austin Tech Connect, Thom Singer sits down with Tyson Tuttle, the former CEO of Silicon Labs and one of the most influential figures in Austin’s technology landscape. Tyson shares an inside look at his remarkable journey from a hands-on engineer to a purpose-driven CEO who helped shape one of Austin’s most respected semiconductor companies. The conversation explores how curiosity, courage, and collaboration guided his leadership approach and how his experiences continue to inform his perspective on innovation and community today.
Tyson reflects on the early days of Austin’s tech scene and what it took to help Silicon Labs scale from a local startup to a global industry leader, all while maintaining a strong sense of culture and connection. He discusses how leadership evolves through different stages of growth and why adaptability, humility, and trust are essential for navigating constant change. Listeners will also hear about the lessons he learned through transitions, both personal and professional, and how purpose and people have always remained at the center of his work.
Beyond business, Tyson and Thom dive into the broader questions facing Austin’s future as a tech hub: How can the region continue to innovate while staying true to its collaborative roots? What role does mentorship play in developing the next generation of leaders? And how can technology serve humanity rather than overshadow it? This conversation is more than a retrospective... it’s a thoughtful look at what it means to lead, connect, and contribute in a world where community is every bit as important as code.
John Hartigan, CEO of Lumineo, returns to Austin Tech Connect to share what has changed since his 2023 visit and how his team fully pivoted into AI for corporate learning.
Host Thom Singer, talks to John about practical wins over hype, from improving content creation and microlearning workflows to blending live action with AI avatars, and what is coming next with interactive AI tutors. John explains where AI saves time, where humans add the creative spark, and why, in his words, “mediocrity is now free.” We dig into leadership, retraining teams, prompt skills, and ethical transparency around synthetic voices and video.
Thom adds how he uses AI for ideation without outsourcing his voice, and the two compare notes on blind spots, communication tone, and building trust in an AI driven world. We close with the impact on the Austin tech ecosystem, why early stage founders now have unprecedented tools, and an open invite to connect with Lumineo, to share this episode with your team, and to show up at ATC events where human interaction stays front and center.
In this episode of Austin Tech Connect, Thom Singer sits down with Tom Alexander, co-founder and CEO of Holistic, for a candid conversation about the future of work and what a great employee experience really looks like.
Tom shares lessons from working in Chicago's tech scene at "1871" and the mayor’s office, and explains why many executives say people are their most important asset yet lack the language and systems to manage the people experience with the same rigor as revenue. They dig into the pendulum swings in today’s workplace, the role of DEI as an integrated part of culture rather than a stand-alone program, and how AI can free up the hours we spend on low value tasks so humans can focus on creativity, empathy, and problem solving.
They also talk about location and remote work, the responsibility that comes with flexibility, and why internal and external community both matter.
Tom’s core model is simple and powerful, sit on the same side of the table and look at the world together.
If you care about building healthy teams, thriving companies, and a stronger Austin ecosystem, you will love this conversation.
This show is sponsored by Calavista Software, software development without drama.
Austin Tech Connect is sponsored by Calavista Software: Software Development without the Drama.
In this episode of Austin Tech Connect, Thom Singers sits down with long-time friend and Austin tech leader, Sam Goodner. Sam arrived in Austin in 1992 after growing up in Europe and serving in the Swiss Army Special Forces. He cut his teeth at Dell, then co-founded what became Catapult Systems. Along the way he helped launch product companies like Inquisite, guided Catapult to be Microsoft’s top global partner, and sold the firm in 2013. After a family year of world travel, he returned to scale a parking technology company from early plateau to nine figures in revenue and a unicorn valuation as an investor and president.
Sam’s new book, "Like Clockwork, Run Your Business with Swiss Army Precision", captures the discipline behind those outcomes. We dig into his core theme of operational scalability, the moment every founder must move from hero mode to building systems that run without them. He shares the question he asks mentees at Capital Factory, what are you best in the world at, and why you cannot hire a sales team until you codify the part of the business that actually creates revenue. We walk through what a real sales playbook includes, target personas, how to get in the door, common objections, the follow up cadence, and what a winning proposal looks like.
Sam also talks about decentralized decision making, including a turning point when he stepped away for a family emergency and returned to find the company running better because leaders were truly empowered. The book is rich with Austin case studies, Randy Cohen at Ticket City and the power of an unforgettable first day experience, Deep Eddy’s brand ambassador playbook that scaled consistent execution at festivals, and BuildASign’s culture of giving back with free welcome home banners for military families, a program that became a defining part of who they are.
We widen the lens to community. Sam credits EO, YPO, Capital Factory, and yes, the Austin Technology Council, for the peer learning that served as his real world MBA. We agree that in an AI-driven world, human relationships are a top currency. Companies do business with people, not bots, and Austin’s future stays bright when leaders show up, share ideas, and collaborate.
If you are building in Austin, this conversation is a field manual for moving beyond hustle into durable systems and culture. Sam’s book is available now, including an audio version in his voice.
You can get a copy of Sam's book at this link: https://www.amazon.com/Like-Clockwork-Business-Swiss-Precision/dp/B0FLQK1Y8S?maas=maas_adg_9B76058E55B6D37D545B03D65E88C453_afap_abs&ref_=aa_maas&tag=maas
In this episode of Austin Tech Connect, the official podcast of the Austin Technology Council, Thom sits down with returning guest Michael Ward Jr., the social entrepreneur behind Universal Tech Movement. Formerly known as Austin Urban Tech Movement, UTM is an EdTech nonprofit on a mission to connect communities to the tech industry through workforce readiness, innovation, and economic advancement. Michael shares how his own journey into tech began with a simple nudge from a recruiter, and how that spark fuels his commitment to help more people discover meaningful careers in technology.
The conversation explores what it really means to build an ecosystem where anyone can thrive. Michael challenges old gatekeeping habits and makes a compelling case for skills, competencies, and real experience as the true currency of opportunity. The two dig into apprenticeships as a proven path to cultivate talent, reduce barriers, and create on-ramps for entry level through senior roles. They also talk about Austin’s momentum around collaboration, digital equity, and broadband expansion, while calling for more inclusive tables, better metrics, and a community wide mindset that values potential as much as pedigree.
Thom and Michael connect the dots between tech and every other business in a modern city. From home services to healthcare, every organization uses technology and needs engaged techies who are curious, willing to learn, and ready to contribute. Michael shares his dream of a regional matchmaking model for talent, where employers interview candidates for the broader tech industry, not just a single opening, which would accelerate placements and unlock opportunity across the ecosystem.
If you care about workforce development, inclusive hiring, and building a stronger Austin, this episode is a must listen. You will leave with practical ways leaders can show up for community, expand access, and rethink how we identify and grow talent.
Thank you to our sponsor, Calavista Software, for supporting Austin Tech Connect and the Austin Technology Council.
In this episode of Austin Tech Connect, host Thom Singer welcomes back Brett Hurt, one of Austin’s most recognized serial entrepreneurs. Brett first appeared on the show in December 2022, and now returns following the recent sale of his company, Data.World, to ServiceNow. Known for his lifelong dedication to technology and community, Brett shares candid insights into the journey that brought him here and the bold vision that is now guiding his next chapter.
Brett reflects on the timing of the acquisition, ServiceNow’s ambitions in enterprise AI, and why Data.World’s knowledge graph and 82 patents made it an ideal partner for a company accelerating toward the future of artificial intelligence. He takes listeners inside the rapid evolution of AI over the past two years, explaining how Data.World was uniquely positioned to ride the wave of change spurred by ChatGPT’s explosive adoption and the broader race for generative and enterprise AI.
But the conversation quickly moves beyond business headlines. Brett opens up about his decision not to join ServiceNow and instead launch a new holding company, Love Conquers Fear. This initiative spans a podcast, a forthcoming book, targeted investments through Hurt Family Investments, and future entrepreneurial ventures. Each effort centers on a single mission: helping humanity navigate the coming decade and reach what Brett calls “the Age of Abundance for All.”
Listeners will hear Brett discuss why he sees love, not fear, as the driving force humanity needs to embrace in order to use AI, quantum computing, robotics, and other exponential technologies for good. He shares stories that shaped his optimism, including a moving encounter with an Uber driver from Chad that reinforced his belief in abundance as a universal goal, not just a privilege of the wealthy.
The episode also revisits Brett’s widely praised presentation at MIT, where he explored the hard problem of consciousness, the spiritual implications of advanced technology, and why he believes humanity is facing what he calls “God’s final exam.” With characteristic energy, he argues that while the risks are real, our core nature is good, collaborative, and capable of choosing a future of prosperity and connection.
Finally, Brett and Thom turn their attention back to Austin. From Tesla’s rapid growth to breakthroughs in health tech, robotics, and consumer products, Brett outlines why Austin’s ecosystem is stronger and more diverse than ever—even as he warns about the importance of inclusivity and forward-thinking policies.
This is a wide-ranging, thought-provoking conversation that blends entrepreneurship, technology, and vision with an unmistakably human touch.
In this episode of Austin Tech Connect, Thom Singer sits down with Carlisha Robinson, a seasoned product leader, consultant, and longtime Austinite whose career journey mirrors the rise of Austin’s technology ecosystem. Carlisha describes herself as a “serial product manager,” but her story reveals so much more... she is a connector, a problem solver, and a mentor who has played a pivotal role in shaping companies through decades of change.
Carlisha’s path began at Grambling State University in Louisiana, where she earned her degree in computer science before joining IBM in the early 1990s. Like Thom, she made the move to Austin in 1991, a decision that proved to be both personally and professionally transformative. Back then, IBM was one of the few major players in town, and her internship turned full-time role placed her squarely inside the heart of Austin’s emerging tech industry.
From there, Carlisha spent nearly 20 years at BMC Software, during what she calls the “boom-boom days” of Austin tech. At BMC, she thrived in an environment that valued growth, mentorship, and opportunity. She moved through roles in engineering, QA, consulting, and professional services before finding her true passion in product management. Guided by mentors like Joyce Durst, she learned how to apply her skills across disciplines and build solutions that mattered. BMC became more than a job... it was a family and a launchpad for her career.
But Carlisha wasn’t content to stay comfortable. She embraced pivots, shifting industries while carrying her expertise with her. After BMC, she moved into intellectual property management at Inography, e-commerce platforms, and even retail giants like Bed Bath & Beyond and Overstock. Each role stretched her perspective and reinforced her belief that core skills like focus, pace, and execution translate across industries.
Today, Carlisha runs her own consulting firm, CBR Ventures, where she helps startups and mid-sized companies scale with clarity and confidence. Her specialty lies in guiding founders who have great ideas but are stuck in the chaos of distraction. For Carlisha, success is about helping teams focus on what matters, ignore the noise, and deliver value to customers.
In this conversation, she and Thom discuss the importance of transferable skills, the courage to pivot, and the role of mentorship in building careers. They share personal stories of how curiosity... and the willingness to try something new opened doors across industries. They also reflect on the unique Austin ecosystem they’ve both witnessed evolve over the past 34 years, from a small college town to a global hub of innovation.
Carlisha also offers advice for the next generation of leaders: show up. Whether at conferences, think tanks, or community gatherings, opportunities come from human connection. For introverts and extroverts alike, being present is the key to building the network that sustains long-term success.
If you want to hear the story of someone who has lived through the evolution of Austin tech and continues to shape its future, this episode with Carlisha Robinson is a must-listen.
This episode of Austin Tech Connect dives into one of the city’s most impactful youth programs: Camp Enterprise, a Rotary Club of Austin initiative that has been shaping young entrepreneurs for more than four decades. Hosted each February, Camp Enterprise brings together high school juniors from across Central Texas for an immersive, three-day experience focused on building real-world business skills.
Our guests, Rick Rowell and Gaines Bagby, share how the program works and why it continues to have such a lasting influence. Students are placed into teams, assigned key leadership roles like CEO, CMO, or CFO, and given the challenge of creating a physical product-based business from scratch. Over the weekend, they develop business plans, refine their ideas, and present them in a high-energy, “Shark Tank”-style pitch competition. Along the way, they discover hidden strengths... whether it’s a knack for numbers, a talent for marketing, or the confidence to lead a team.
Rick and Gaines talk about the importance of exposing students to entrepreneurship early, especially those who might not have access to such opportunities through their schools or communities. While many participants come from schools with established business programs, the Rotary team works hard to reach a diverse mix of students, including those from underrepresented areas. They share stories of parents beaming with pride as their children discover new passions, and of students who leave the weekend seeing an entirely new path for their future.
We also explore the broader mission of Rotary in Austin... how service above self, community engagement, and leadership development are woven into programs like Camp Enterprise. This episode is an invitation to the tech community to get involved, help spread the word, and ensure that every young person with an entrepreneurial spark has a chance to see what’s possible.
This Week's Guest: Bonnie Caver, Founder of Reputation Lighthouse
In this episode, Thom Singer welcomes Bonnie Caver, a respected communications strategist and longtime Austin tech leader, to explore the topic of responsible AI implementation. With decades of experience in reputation management, change strategy, and executive leadership support, Bonnie shares how AI is reshaping the way organizations operate... and why the smartest companies are approaching implementation with caution, clarity, and care.
Bonnie traces her career path from college athletics and Special Olympics Texas to launching her own firm and helping mid-sized growth companies across industries protect and grow what she calls their “reputation currency.” She discusses why her company chose not to focus on AI tools but instead on helping businesses make smarter, more aligned decisions around how and when to use AI.
The conversation covers how companies can avoid reputational risk, how to stay competitive while maintaining a human-centered brand promise, and why AI implementation should start with understanding business problems, not tool selection. Bonnie and Thom also reflect on how Austin’s tech ecosystem has changed over the years, from its early days of organic community building to today’s sprawling and more fragmented landscape.
Bonnie offers a clear warning: companies that chase AI without purpose will either waste money or end up looking like everyone else. The path forward, she argues, is through vision, values, and strong internal processes that make AI adoption effective and responsible. From corporate governance to team retraining, from customer experience to brand alignment, responsible AI is not a tech initiative—it’s a leadership mandate.
They close the episode with a discussion on the future of talent, mergers and acquisitions, and the pressure on startups to build sustainable businesses instead of just sellable products. Bonnie also shares concerns about Austin’s tendency to build with the goal of acquisition rather than long-term growth, and how that mindset must evolve if the region wants to stay competitive in an AI-driven era.
This conversation is a must-listen for founders, executives, marketers, and anyone navigating the intersection of innovation, responsibility, and reputation in today’s fast-moving business landscape.
If you’re finding value in these conversations, please share the podcast with your colleagues. The Austin tech community grows stronger when we amplify the voices of leaders who are doing meaningful, thoughtful work. That’s why we call this podcast Austin Tech Connect.
Austin Tecnology Council
In this episode of Austin Tech Connect, Thom Singer sits down with Joe Wolfel, CEO of Terradepth and former Navy SEAL, to explore the intersection of military discipline, ocean technology, and entrepreneurship. Joe shares his journey from leading special operations missions to building one of the most innovative ocean data companies in the world... right here in Austin, Texas.
Joe opens up about the founding of Terradepth and its mission to create a “Google Earth for the oceans.” Teradepth is pioneering ocean transparency through autonomous robotics, real-time data collection, and advanced software platforms. From supporting NOAA to major oil and gas companies, their work has the potential to redefine how we understand and manage our oceans.
The conversation covers the challenges of building a deep tech company in a landlocked city, the overlap between space and ocean technologies, and the cultural and strategic advantages Austin brings to emerging industries. Joe and Thom also reflect on environmental responsibility, data sharing, and how next-gen ocean tech can drive smarter global decision-making.
If you're interested in blue tech, data-driven sustainability, or the future of Austin’s tech ecosystem, this is an episode you don’t want to miss.
About Joe Wolfel:
Joe Wolfel is the CEO of Terradepth, leading the company's mission to unlock the potential of subsea data for industries such as energy, environmental science, and defense. Prior to his leadership role at Terradepth, Joe served as a Navy SEAL, gaining valuable experience in teamwork, resilience, and operational excellence. His time in the SEALs has shaped his approach to leadership and his commitment to tackling complex, high-stakes challenges. Additionally, Joe has been involved with Exbellum, further broadening his impact in advancing innovative solutions for both national security and commercial markets. At Terradepth, he continues to drive forward-thinking strategies and partnerships to reshape the future of ocean exploration and data accessibility.
About Terradepth:
Terradepth, Inc. delivers ocean data better than humanly possible through innovative subsea-to-cloud technologies. By combining autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), low-carbon survey services, and the Absolute Ocean cloud-native data platform, Terradepth is redefining how the world explores and understands the ocean. From scalable seabed mapping to intuitive data management and analysis, Terradepth enables faster, smarter maritime decisions across energy, infrastructure, and defense sectors. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Terradepth is pushing the boundaries of ocean exploration to unlock deeper insights for a sustainable future.
The Future of Space Is in Texas: Workforce, Rockets, and Real Opportunity; In this episode of Austin Tech Connect, Thom Singer sits down with Leon Vanstone and Geoff Tudor from SWIFT (Space Workforce Incubator for Texas) for a deep dive into one of the state’s most ambitious frontiers: the space economy. With over 2,000 space and aerospace companies and more than 135,000 people already employed across the state, Texas is positioned to lead. But there’s a challenge: to keep up with demand, the space industry needs to scale its workforce dramatically... and that means going beyond rocket scientists.
Leon, an engineer turned ecosystem builder, shares his story of moving from the UK to Texas and launching the Texas Rocket Engineering Lab. Geoff brings decades of experience in space policy, including work on the Clementine mission and collaborations with NASA and commercial space firms. Together, they’re helping SWIFT build a bridge between academic talent, skilled trades, and the companies launching missions.
The conversation covers workforce development (welders, electricians, machinists, and composite techs are in high demand), student initiatives (Swift is supporting rocket programs at schools like UT Permian Basin and Texas State Technical College), and community-building (including a new series of monthly space ecosystem events hosted at Capital Factory). They also explore how Texas can overcome regulatory and funding hurdles to build a thriving, sustainable space industry across the state... not just in Austin, but in the Rio Grande Valley, Midland, and beyond.
Thom emphasizes Austin’s unique potential to position itself as a "science city," where commercial space intersects with AI, advanced manufacturing, and hard tech innovation. All three agree: if we get the workforce right, Texas can lead the next era of space exploration... not just with big ideas, but with boots on the ground and hands on the tools.
In this engaging episode of Austin Tech Connect, Thom Singer sits down with Cyril Allgeier, Co-Founder and CRO of CodingIT, for a fast-moving and wide-ranging conversation that weaves together personal grit, entrepreneurial insight, and big ideas for Austin’s tech future. Cyril shares his unique path from hospitality and car sales to leading a software development firm... and why being “the fool in the room” is sometimes the smartest move a founder can make.
You’ll hear how he went from managing vending machine contracts at Halliburton to training enterprise car sales reps, eventually creating new B2B programs inside large organizations before stepping out on his own. Now, through CodingIT, Cyril helps mid-sized companies spin up new tech products, embrace data ownership, and solve real business problems... not just build features.
More than a founder story, this episode is a masterclass in thinking beyond the transactional. Cyril opens up about the value of showing up, trading knowledge, being a resource for others, and helping clients see their own businesses differently. He talks candidly about mentorship, his immigrant family roots, and why Austin’s tech ecosystem must stay scrappy and collaborative as it grows up.
If you’re building a company, leading a team, or simply want to better understand what it takes to thrive in a crowded space, you’ll find plenty of actionable insight, and inspiration, in this episode. And if you care about the future of Austin as a city where companies scale and founders succeed, this one is a must-listen.
In this episode of Austin Tech Connect, Thom Singer sits down with Sean Voigt, the founder and CEO of Energy Innovation Hub Texas, for a deep and energizing conversation about the future of clean energy and why Austin is uniquely positioned to lead it.
Sean shares his personal journey... from growing up in South Africa and attending Stanford, Columbia, and Harvard, to building and scaling energy startups, working in global sustainability, and ultimately returning to Austin to spark something bigger. He explains how his background in engineering, policy, venture capital, and entrepreneurship led him to a bold mission: to establish Austin as the global capital of the energy transition.
Sean breaks down what the “energy transition” really means; decarbonization, decentralization, and digitization... and why it's a bigger economic and societal opportunity than AI or the internet boom of the '90s. He gives a powerful argument for why Texas, and especially Austin, has all the ingredients to become the epicenter of this shift: market size, infrastructure, tech talent, and a growing ecosystem of innovators.
The conversation also dives into why early-stage climate tech founders struggle to raise capital and connect with strategic industry players and how Sean’s Energy Innovation Hub is solving that through a hands-on, investor-operator model that bridges startups, corporate partners, investors, and policy leaders.
This is a must-listen episode for anyone who cares about Austin's future, climate innovation, or building ecosystems that matter. Sean Voigt’s vision is big, bold, and exactly what Austin needs right now.
In this episode of Austin Tech Connect, Thom Singer sits down with Griffin Cherry, the founder of EcoVanguard... a startup tackling climate change from a surprising angle. Griffin is not your typical tech entrepreneur. With a background that includes building airplanes, working in restaurants, and becoming a top roofing salesperson, he's now leading a team aiming to capture methane from cow burps and convert it into renewable fuel.
Griffin shares the origin of his idea, how he used AI tools and community connections to assemble a team, and the early-stage progress of his venture. While it's too early to know the much about the technology, the conversation highlights the spirit of innovation and support that defines Austin’s tech community. This episode is a great listen for anyone curious about climate tech, early-stage entrepreneurship, or just how unconventional ideas can take shape in a place like Austin.
Tune in to hear how a non-traditional founder is trying to solve a very real problem... one cow at a time.
In this episode of Austin Tech Connect, host Thom Singer sits down with Jake Moilanen, founder and CTO of Ironlight and the general partner of the Seraph Group’s Austin-focused fund, for a dynamic conversation about building and investing in the future of Austin tech. Jake shares his journey from working on mainframes at IBM to launching startups in Silicon Valley, and eventually transitioning into venture investing with a sharp focus on deep tech. His story weaves through supercomputers in Barcelona, algorithmic public market strategies, and how he now brings those lessons to the world of venture capital and tokenized finance.
Together, Thom and Jake explore the evolution of Austin's tech scene, diving into what’s working and what still needs to be fixed... especially around mentorship, funding gaps, and a culture that embraces hard work and knowledge sharing. They talk candidly about why Austin hasn’t produced as many unicorns as it should and what needs to shift to foster the next generation of founders and growth-stage leaders. Jake offers a deep look at the rise of tokenization, blockchain’s misunderstood role in modern finance, and what it will take to truly build an ecosystem where innovation and community thrive in parallel.
If you're interested in the future of venture investing, deep tech, or the real work of building a lasting startup ecosystem in Austin and beyond, this is a must-listen episode with honest insights and actionable ideas from someone in the trenches.
This episode of Austin Tech Connect dives deep into how philanthropy can be the common thread uniting all corners of our business community. Thom Singer sits down with Bobby Jenkins, President of ABC Home & Commercial Services and Chair of Austin Gives, to talk about why giving back is not just good for the soul... it’s good for business. The conversation highlights how businesses of every size and sector can make a meaningful impact by committing to donate 1% of profits in time, talent, or treasure. Jenkins shares the origin story of Austin Gives, its ties to the tech community through the Entrepreneurs Foundation, and how the program is reigniting a city-wide culture of generosity.
While the tech sector may seem a world apart from pest control and HVAC, this episode reminds us that we’re all part of one interconnected ecosystem. Jenkins shares how the tech boom has fueled the growth of Main Street businesses like his, and Singer emphasizes the importance of mutual support between industries. The real opportunity, they agree, is for the tech sector to once again embrace its philanthropic roots... because when one part of Austin’s economy gives, everyone benefits.
The core message is clear: community impact doesn’t belong to one industry. It’s something we all have a hand in. With nominations open for the Austin Gives Awards, this episode is a call to action... especially for tech companies, to tell their stories of generosity and help fuel a movement where doing good is woven into the fabric of how Austin does business.
In this episode of Austin Tech Connect, Thom Singer sits down with Jason Parrish, co-founder of Altus Nova, for a candid conversation about the evolution of Austin’s tech scene and his personal journey as a founder. Jason reflects on arriving in Austin in the late '80s, launching his first startup in the early '90s, and how legendary figures like Dr. George Kozmetsky, Laura Kilcrease, Carmelo Gordian, and others, played pivotal roles in shaping his entrepreneurial path.
They explore the early days of product development, the lessons learned from rapid growth and tough exits, and how strategic thinking and trusted relationships have fueled Jason’s current work at Altus Nova... a boutique product strategy and software development firm. Jason also shares what he sees as Austin’s biggest opportunities and challenges going forward, and why he remains optimistic about the new generation of talent moving to Central Texas.
This episode is full of insight, nostalgia, and hard-won wisdom from someone who helped build the foundation of Austin tech. If you’re interested in where we’ve been, how far we’ve come, and what’s next... don’t miss this one.
Heather Brunner, CEO of WP Engine, joins this week’s episode of Austin Tech Connect. In this insightful conversation, Heather shares her remarkable career journey and the continued growth and innovation happening at WP Engine. She and host Thom Singer dive into a candid discussion about the Austin tech ecosystem—highlighting the strength, momentum, and close-knit nature of the community. They address recent media portrayals of Austin’s tech scene and offer a grounded perspective on the real story: Austin is thriving, evolving, and more connected than ever.
In this episode of Austin Tech Connect, Thom Singer sits down with Ellen Wood, the co-founder and CEO of vcfo, and one of this year’s inductees into the Austin Tech Hall of Fame. Ellen has been a cornerstone of the Austin business community for nearly three decades, quietly guiding thousands of companies through the challenges of growth, funding, leadership, and culture. Long before the term “fractional” became part of everyday business vocabulary, Ellen pioneered the concept with Virtual CFO (now vcfo), offering executive-level finance and HR support to companies that needed experienced guidance but weren’t yet ready for full-time hires.
We talk about the early days of vcfo, when the whole idea of part-time strategic leadership was still unproven, and how the firm grew from a conversation over coffee to a trusted partner for more than 6,000 businesses. Ellen shares stories about some of her early clients, including garden.com and Vrbo, and how those experiences shaped the firm's ability to adapt through booms, busts, and everything in between.
Throughout the conversation, we explore the lessons she’s learned about protecting equity, building strong cultures, and the importance of helping entrepreneurs see around corners. Ellen also opens up about why community service has always been part of her professional DNA, from leading the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce to decades of involvement in organizations like Opportunity Austin and AARO.
This episode is a celebration of quiet leadership, long-term vision, and the people who built the foundation of Austin’s tech ecosystem long before it became the boomtown we know today. Ellen Wood has never chased the spotlight... but her impact on Austin business is undeniable.
Lowe’s Style Studio and the Rise of Spatial Commerce
In this episode of Austin Tech Connect, Thom Singer speaks with Josh Shabtai, Senior Director of Spatial Commerce at Lowe’s Innovation Labs, about the intersection of retail, real estate, and immersive technology.
Lowe’s has just launched its newest innovation, Lowe’s Style Studio—a virtual reality experience that empowers customers to design and visualize kitchen spaces in an interactive, high-fidelity VR environment. The very first market in the country to experience this cutting-edge technology? Austin, Texas.
The conversation explores how Lowe’s Innovation Labs is thinking like a startup inside a Fortune 500 company, building in-house tools that blend spatial computing, customer experience, and the future of home design. With Austin’s strong ecosystem of property tech startups and its culture of early adoption, the city provides a perfect testbed for this type of experimentation.
Josh shares how spatial commerce is reshaping expectations in home improvement, how the Lowe’s team collaborates across disciplines to create customer-centric experiences, and why more companies need to think beyond traditional industry boundaries.
The episode also touches on the broader narrative that “every company is now a tech company”, and how innovation at scale can emerge from legacy brands willing to embrace bold thinking.
To learn more about Lowe’s Style Studio or to book a VR appointment in Austin, visit: [Insert link]
Listen now and discover how the future of home design is being built—right here in Austin.
To learn more or to schedule an appointment with Lowe's Style Studio.... https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=4379307-1&h=607178597&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.lowes.com%2Fl%2Fabout%2Fstyle-studio&a=Lowes.com
To Learn more about the Austin Technology Council...visit https://austintechnologycouncil.org
This week, the Austin Technology Council announced the Legacy / Foundational inductees for 2025. This is the second year of an eight-year launch. You cannot drop 70 names into a hall of fame all in one day, so we decided to add eight people a year so they can be adequately celebrated.
In addition to the Legacy/Foundational inductees, we will announce the 2025 inductee, and the first-time founder award winner will be announced at the May 7th cocktail reception.
Congratulations to Angelos Angelou, Joshua Baer, Bob Fabbio, Joe Liemandt, Pike Powers, Carol Thompson, John Thornton, and Ellen Wood.
If you do not see people you think should be honored, we invite you to participate in the program for next year. ATC is a grassroots organization --- which means you are invited to pull your chair up to the table. For a tech ecosystem to thrive, it cannot just be by invitation only.... it has to be an open place where people can feel they belong.
The Austin Technology Council is about YOU. Please support our cause and add your voice.
In this episode of Austin Tech Connect, Thom Singer sits down with Jean Anne Booth, founder and CEO of UnaliWear, for a dynamic conversation about her remarkable journey through Austin's tech ecosystem. From her early engineering days at NASA and AMD to building startups acquired by Apple and TI, Jean Anne shares insights on innovation, resilience, and what it means to be a “maverick” in the tech world.
They explore the origin story of UnaliWear's product; an award-winning wearable that empowers independence for seniors... and the passion behind creating tech that truly serves people. Jean Anne offers advice for entrepreneurs, reflects on the evolving Austin tech scene, and champions the importance of community and mentorship. Her story is equal parts inspiring, practical, and full of heart.
Jean-Anne is an example of successful leaders who continue to show up in the community to give back.
If you're an innovator, founder, or tech leader who believes in building with purpose, this is an episode you don’t want to miss.
In this episode of Austin Tech Connect, Thom Singer sits down with Mat Kordell, Co-Founder and COO of CyberStreams, for a conversation that hits at the heart of entrepreneurship, community, and opportunity. Mat shares how his journey from working the help desk to running a multi-location MSP wasn’t fueled by luck or algorithms... it was powered by human connections.
From networking events to industry meetups, Mat’s biggest business moves came from showing up. He didn’t meet his co-founder, business partner, or acquisition targets through cold emails... he met them in person. Now based in Austin, Mat talks about the value of being part of a thriving tech community, what makes Austin special, and why entrepreneurs need to get out of their silos and into the room where things happen.
Whether you’re building your first company or thinking about your next move, this episode will inspire you to invest in real relationships and think long-term about your role in shaping the future of your city.
In this special episode of Austin Tech Connect, host Thom Singer takes listeners behind the scenes of the Austin Tech Hall of Fame ... a community-driven initiative launched by the Austin Technology Council to celebrate the individuals who have shaped Austin into a world-class tech hub.
With the second annual celebration on the horizon, Thom shares the "why" behind this important program, how it was inspired by a brief start in 2013, and why the current version is being thoughtfully rolled out as an 8-year launch. Each year, eight foundational figures from Austin’s tech history will be inducted, honoring the more than 60 leaders who helped build the ecosystem we enjoy today.
Thom explains the nomination process, the addition of an annual current-year inductee, and the special First-Time Founder Award... which highlights up-and-coming entrepreneurs making waves in the local scene. He also emphasizes the grassroots nature of this program and encourages everyone in the community to get involved, from nominating candidates to attending the event in May.
If you care about the past, present, and future of Austin’s innovation economy, this episode is your roadmap to how the Hall of Fame is helping weave a stronger, more connected tech community.
In this episode of Austin Tech Connect, Thom Singer sits down with Pat Dixon, President of DPAS, to discuss the intersection of operational technology (OT) and cybersecurity in industrial facilities. Pat shares insights on the evolution of industrial tech, how automation has shaped industries like water treatment and manufacturing, and the security risks unique to critical infrastructure.
Key topics include:
- The 4th Industrial Revolution and how industrial facilities were ahead of mainstream tech in digital automation.
- The growing threat of cyberattacks, not just from the internet but from physical vulnerabilities like USB drives.
- The challenges of maintaining legacy systems, with many facilities still relying on outdated tech.
- Why securing industrial operations requires a different mindset compared to financial or traditional IT security.
- The importance of cross-disciplinary learning, how industrial tech can influence mainstream technology, and what Austin’s future growth might look like.
Pat also shares his journey in engineering, the founding of DPAS, and his perspective on the future of Austin’s tech infrastructure, particularly around power and water security.
In this episode of Austin Tech Connect, host Thom Singer sits down with Joe McCall and Nikolas Kairinos, co-founders of Melelem, a groundbreaking AI company redefining how Large Language Models (LLMs) learn and evolve. Melelem continuously refines itself in real-time, eliminating the need for multiple AI subscriptions.
The conversation dives deep into the future of AI, exploring how advancements in machine learning and self-learning AI models are reshaping industries. Nikolas shares his perspective on the rapid acceleration of AI capabilities, the shift from traditional neural networks to transformer-based architectures, and how Melelem’s real-time learning model represents the next step in AI evolution. They discuss the challenges of AI hallucinations, data security, and the need for more personalized, context-aware models that can continuously improve without massive retraining. Joe and Nikolas also touch on the broader implications of AI on businesses, workforce development, and how Austin—long a hub for AI innovation—can position itself at the forefront of the next AI revolution.
Joe shares insights from his decades of experience in Austin’s tech scene, from founding the Austin Software Council to witnessing the city’s rise as a global innovation hub. Nikolas, a lifelong AI expert, discusses the rapid advancements in AI, the limitations of current LLMs, and how Melelem’s meta-learning approach is set to change the game.
If you’re curious about where AI is headed, how it’s impacting industries, and what’s next for Austin’s booming tech community, this is an episode you don’t want to miss!
In this episode of Austin Tech Connect, the Austin Technology Council CEO, Thom Singer, sits down with Piyanka Jain, CEO of Aryng, to cut through the AI buzz and get to the real impact of artificial intelligence in business. With over 20 years of experience,,, building AI models long before it was trendy... Piya shares her insights on:
✅ The biggest hiring mistakes companies make when bringing on AI talent ✅ Why most AI investments are wasted (and how to avoid it) ✅ The role of first-principles thinking in driving business growth ✅ How Aryng is changing the game with Enola, a 24/7 AI-powered business analyst
If your company is thinking about AI strategy, hiring an AI expert, or just trying to keep up with the rapid changes in tech, this episode is packed with must-know insights.
🔗 Connect with Piyanka Jain: Aryng.com | or on LinkedIn.
Don’t forget to subscribe to Austin Tech Connect for more conversations with the best minds in tech!
All Companies are Tech Companies: In the modern era, all companies are tech companies. We used to have a line between traditional business and tech.... but now that line has blurred. People do not often think about how businesses in all industries rely on, create, and utilize technology.
In this interview, Thom Singer talks to Harsha Bellur, the CIO at Texas based James Avery Jewelry. This 70 year old company now uses tech in design and manufacturing, as well as all other aspects of their business. Harsha has had an interesting career journey, from working in his fathers business in India as a teenager to begging a CIO with a masters degree and an MBA.
Tune into the Austin Tech Connect podcast to hear his story and his advice.
This week on Austin Tech Connect we tackle the world of government policy, and why it matters to Austin’s small and mid-sized tech companies. Our guest is Lindsay Ries, Director of Government Affairs at TECNA (The Technology Council’s of North America).
Lindsay has two decades of experience in Washington DC policy, and is committed to helping growth oriented technology companies have their voices heard on Capitol Hill.
In this interview she talks about how the Austin Technology Council and TECNA are working to influence and educate our elected officials on policy that matters to tech.
AI, Tax Policy, Energy Policy, Chips Act, Tariffs, etc.. will all impact the bottom line of our local entrepreneurs. There are many things now being proposed and tech cannot just wait and see what the elected officials do.... we must be involved in the creation of these policies.
The Austin Technology Council cares about these issues, and wants to ensure that Austin has a seat at the table for these discussions. Join ATC now and support our connection to TECNA.
In this episode of the Austin Tech Connect podcast, we dive deep into the transformative power of being actively involved in a trade association like ATC. Thom Singer, CEO of the Austin Technology Council, unpacks why participation is about more than just attending events—it’s about building connections, creating opportunities, and contributing to something bigger than yourself.
Discover how involvement can accelerate your career, strengthen your company, and help drive innovation and collaboration across the entire industry. Thom highlights the tangible benefits of membership, including professional development, increased visibility, and the chance to influence the direction of the tech community in Austin.
We also explore the ripple effects that engagement has on the broader community. When individuals and companies come together through associations, they not only solve immediate challenges but also create a foundation for long-term growth, innovation, and resilience.
If you’ve ever wondered how being part of an association like ATC can help you grow personally and professionally while contributing to the success of your industry, this episode is packed with actionable insights and inspiring stories to get you motivated. Whether you’re a seasoned executive or just starting out in the tech world, this conversation will leave you thinking differently about the power of participation.
Tune in to learn how you can make a bigger impact—on yourself, your company, and the community—by getting involved and staying engaged.
This week's episode we talk to author Geoff Woods, author of The AI Driven Leader: Harnessing AI To Make Smarter, Faster Decisions. In this interview we talk about the fast changes in AI and how leaders can use it to think strategically and make better decisions. Plus, in a live demonstration... we ask AI for insights on how the Austin Technology Council can keep expanding to meet the changing needs of Austin. About Geoff Woods Geoff Woods is the #1 international bestselling book, #1 international bestselling author of The AI-Driven Leader, host of the AI-Driven Leader podcast and the Founder of AI Leadership. As the former Chief Growth Officer of Jindal Steel & Power, his guidance helped their market cap grow from $750 million to over $12 billion in four years. He also co-founded the training and consulting company behind The ONE Thing, where he coached and advised companies with annual revenues from $10 million to $60 billion. About AI Leadership AI Leadership is transforming how executives use AI to gain a strategic edge. Founded by Geoff Woods, the company empowers leaders to elevate their strategic thinking, align technology with growth goals, and drive competitive advantage. AI Leadership offers consulting, executive training, and a proprietary AI tool that acts as a thought partner, guiding leaders in focusing on what matters most. The AI-Driven Leadership Collective, a curated network of forward-thinking executives, ensures leaders stay ahead in the rapidly evolving AI landscape. With a mission to equip executive teams worldwide, AI Leadership redefines leadership in an AI-driven world.
This week on the podcast we talk with Kathi Haralson, the executive director of Pop-Up Birthday. This local charity serves kids of all ages in the forster care system by making sure they are celebrated on their birthdays. The non-profit is a favorite of many local tech companies who donate their time and money to support this cause. Kathi shares the history of the organization, the need in our community, and a variety of ways local tech companies help them in their mission. About Kathi Haralson:
Kathi Haralson is the current ED of Pop-Up Birthday and before that was the Executive Director of the Eanes Education Foundation where she raised over $3 million each year and funded the salaries of over 200 teachers.
Before becoming an ED, Kathi was the Development Director for Partnerships for Children and served as the President of The Junior League of Austin and started 2 programs, FIT and Kids Giving Back while purchasing the property for the League’s new headquarters.
Committed to the community in which she works and lives, Kathi has volunteered with the Ronald McDonald House, Dell Children’s, Partnerships for Children, Tarrytown Methodist Church, AFP and Impact Austin.
Kathi sits on the board of Helping Hand Home and was previously the chair of the HHH Crystal Ball.
Kathi has 2 daughters, Kaitlee- a graduate of The University of Texas and Riley- a recent graduate of Washington and Lee University and an extremely supportive husband of 30 years, John Haralson.
About Pop Up Birthday: Laila Scott, the founder of Pop-Up Birthday, is a mom of three boys and community volunteer. She decided to use her talents to celebrate children in foster care. Laila's guiding mission was to fill a child’s heart with joy during a time of crisis. In July 2014, she started Pop-Up Birthday by creating her first birthday in a box for a little girl who simply wished for a Frozen birthday party. The idea and joy multiplied, and today, Pop-Up Birthday has celebrated over 8,000 birthdays! Pop-Up Birthday continues to provide over 100 birthdays each month to children impacted by the foster care system in Central Texas. In the last 2 years, Pop-Up has seen growth in dollars raised, children served and volunteer experiences. Our mission is to provide joy, hope, and normalcy to children in foster care through a personalized birthday experience. Pop-Up Birthday believes that every child deserves to be celebrated!
This episode is the audio from the featured panel at the 2024 C-Suite Summit and Industry Think Tank. The discussion is about the state of funding for Small and Mid-Sized Tech Companies. The session was sponsored by MUFG. The panelists brought sharp perspectives from the world of Banking, VC, Law, and company points of views. Thanks to Andrew Cozewith (MUFG), Jenifer Smith Smith (Latham & Watkins), Linda Ginac (TalentGuard), and Andrew Vogeley (Sapphire Ventures) for their great insights shared in this panel. The Austin Technology Council's "C-Suite Summit and Industry Think Tank" took place on October 28th at St. Edward's University. Over 100 local leaders from the tech community participated in a half day of deep discussions about topics that matter to the future of the Austin tech ecosystem. If you are active in the Austin tech ecosystem...we invite you to plan now to attend the 2025 "C-Suite Summit" next year!!!
This week on the Austin Tech Connect podcast is one of the most fun conversations you will find on any tech blog. Local entrepreneur Taylor Capito from GenRAIT joins host Thom Singer for a look at tech impacting humanity, innovation, mentors, inspiration, Star Trek, and the movie Flubber. Taylor is the perfect example of leaders who make a difference in our Austin tech ecosystem. She shares her story and her views of what makes Austin great. She also goes deep into ways to "Go Change It" if you see things that need attention. Taylor is a real "DOER".... and if you do not know here company, GenRAIT.... you should be getting to know all that she is doing to change the world. She is one who believes deeping in collaboration and thinks in tech, life, and Austin, we need to break down silos....and find ways to share and work together. About Taylor Capito: Taylor Capito is a passionate founder and CEO dedicated to revolutionizing the use of biological data to enhance health and longevity. With a background in cybersecurity, big data, and AI/Machine Learning, Taylor’s personal health journey inspired her to undertake the mission to transform the life sciences sector. She has significant experience as a leader in product-driven development practices, having led initiatives at Cisco and Palo Alto Networks. As the founder of GenRAIT, Taylor continues to innovate in the life sciences tech space, empowering researchers to leverage data for groundbreaking discoveries. About GenRAIT: GenRAIT stands at the vanguard of merging genomic research with cutting-edge AI technology, aiming to revolutionize personalized medicine. GenRAIT's platform, GenLab, allows researchers to leverage the vast, untapped potential of genomic data in their drug discovery and diagnostic research. At GenRAIT, we believe in the power of collaboration and want to partner with researchers to unlock the future of discovery. The goal: targeted, predictive modeling is possible in biology, and people live longer, healthier lives as a result.
In this captivating episode of Austin Tech Connect, host Thom Singer sits down with Dr. James Truchard, founder and former CEO of National Instruments, one of Austin's greatest homegrown success stories. Dr. Truchard shares his journey from moonlighting Ph.D. student to tech industry pioneer, offering invaluable insights into building a sustainable company and fostering innovation. Listeners will be inspired by Dr. Truchard's tales of early entrepreneurship in Austin, his visionary approach to business strategy, and the critical role of community in nurturing a thriving tech ecosystem. He discusses the evolution of Austin's tech scene, from its humble beginnings to its current status as a global innovation hub, while also addressing the challenges that come with rapid growth. As a recent inductee into the Austin Tech Hall of Fame, Dr. Truchard reflects on the mentors who shaped his career and the importance of giving back to the community. The conversation takes an intriguing turn as he shares his current passion project: applying his problem-solving skills to Alzheimer's research. This episode is a must-listen for aspiring entrepreneurs, tech enthusiasts, and anyone interested in the past, present, and future of Austin's dynamic technology landscape. Tune in for a masterclass in vision, perseverance, and the power of community in building a successful tech career and company.
On this weeks episode of “Austin Tech Connect” we hear from Jacqueline and Hughes, the cofounder and co-producer of Austin Tech Week (Formerly Austin Startup Week). Coming up October 28 through November ….. Austin Tech week is going to be an amazing conglomeration of events all over town. (take note - the ATC “C-Suite Summit and Industry Think Tank Will take place on October 28 from 1 PM to 6 PM) About Jacqueline Hughes Jacqueline Hughes is a human-centric event producer with over 13 years of experience supporting innovation leaders through transformative experiences designed to connect, educate, and inspire. Over the past decade, she has produced best-in-class events for two industry-leading organizations, overseeing events at Techstars and Kauffman Fellows, driving powerful connections and catalyzing growth for founders, VCs, and LPs globally. Jacqueline is also the co-founder and co-producer of Austin Startup Week, now Austin Tech Week, which has connected thousands of attendees with resources, education, and one another over the past 13 years. Most recently, she launched an events consultancy, working with companies like Recast Capital, VentureLab, and Ensemble VC to deliver impactful events and programs. Her passion lies in designing experiences that not only build community but also inspire action About Austin Tech Week Austin Tech Week is a five day celebration, uniting the brightest minds in Austin’s tech ecosystem. For over a decade, this annual event has drawn thousands of local entrepreneurs, tech leaders, and friends together to connect, learn, and maximize business impact. Be part of this thrilling evolution from Austin Tech Week that echoes the extraordinary growth of startups since our inception in 2011. What began as a celebration of entrepreneurship has matured into a dynamic explosion of innovation, spotlighting the very companies that once ignited our startup community and have now become the luminaries of Austin's tech landscape.
This week on Austin Tech Connect we are joined again by Razat Gaurav, CEo at Planview. In this conversation we hear about his experience in Austin the last 3 years, the growth of Planview, and his outlook for our tech community. Razat is also going to be the opening keynote speaker for the ATC "C-Suite Summit and Industry Think Tank" on October 28, 2024. While we do not talk about the summit in this interview, you can see from this conversation why the Austin Technology Council asked him to speak at the event. Be sure to share this episode with all your friends and subscribe to Austin Tech Connect.
In episode 90 of "Austin Tech Connect", Thom Singer talks to Karen Gordon, CEO of Dynamics. Karen is a serial entrepreneur, who is passionate about helping people harness the power of differences to amplify outcome.
About Karen Gordon Karen Gordon is the CEO of 5 Dynamics, a company that is focused on making the world a better place one relationship at a time. 5 Dynamics’ proprietary software, Simpli5, creates cultures fueled by self and interpersonal awareness to bolster productive collaboration, boost morale, accelerate timelines, and deliver better results. Most leaders tend to focus on what people do, instead of how they do it. In 3 minutes or less, Simpli5 determines how a person works through different phases of a project–ideation, alignment, planning and execution. Using these analyses, Simpli5 delivers customized development resources to leaders and their team members. Before launching 5 Dynamics in 2010, Karen led GTCI, a data and telecommunications company, to over 1100% growth, landing GTCI on the Inc. 500 list two years in a row. She is a former Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year finalist and was included in the Dallas Top 25 businesses list. Louisiana Tech University named Karen its 2006 Alumnus of the Year in the College of Liberal Arts. Her thought leadership has been shared in Money Inc, Entrepreneur, The CEO Magazine, The Future of Everything, and many other publications. Her entrepreneurial spirit, love of learning, and commitment to excellence are attributes that she brings to all of her endeavors. Karen’s TEDx presentation on “The Myth of Difficult People” continues to be watched by thousands of people each year. As an author, educator and entrepreneur, she has over 25 years of experience leading organizations to reach their highest potential. She has created and managed many businesses ranging from a martial arts studio, to a telecommunications and data company, to an employee experience platform. She is currently in the process of developing a retreat space in the woods of Maine that will focus on leadership development programs. Karen splits her time between Austin, TX and Wilton, Maine. When in Maine, she can be found at her lakeside camp enjoying nature with a good book, a glass of wine and her faithful dogs, Winston and Jasmine. Karen has also served on multiple non-profit boards over the years that share her passions of helping children, animal welfare, and social justice. About Simpli5 Simpli5, powered by 5 Dynamics, unleashes human potential by blending psychology, neuroscience, and technology to help individuals and teams navigate complex social and professional dynamics with creativity, empathy, critical thinking, and confidence. Their innovative platform analyzes individual’s and team’s working styles by acknowledging their affinity for different phases of a project cycle, which empowers adjustments and corrections that lead to improved collaboration, personal satisfaction, and superior outcomes. Simpli5’s roots are grounded in the work of Mike Sturm, an educator, a social psychologist, and a learning diagnostician. Originally applied in educational settings, this model was quickly brought by working parents into business applications. Today, Simpli5 fosters cultures driven by employee and team effectiveness, self-awareness, and interpersonal understanding. It equips leaders and teams with the insights they need to adjust leadership styles, predict performance, and address organizational challenges throughout a project’s lifecycle. Their methodology is being utilized in diverse organizations and learning institutions, from Stanford and Harvard to LinkedIn, Sutter Health, UKG, and IDEO. The methodology can be applied any place where two or more people are working together on a shared outcome.
This week we have a legend on the podcast - Admiral Bobby Inman. Admiral Inman was recently inducted into the Austin Tech Hall of Fame. He has living and working in the Austin tech scene for over 40 years and has been an investor and advisor to countless companies. His remarkable career spans both public service and private enterprise, leaving an indelible mark on our city's technological landscape.
Born and raised in Texas, he graduated high school at age 15, received his BA from UT Austin at 19, and then joined the US Navy.
The Admiral served with distinction in the U.S. Navy and the intelligence community, holding key positions such as Director of the National Security Agency and Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.
The selection of Austin for the Microelectronics and Computer Technology Corporation (MCC) in 1982, led by Admiral Inman, was a huge boost to the future of our local tech community. This consortium of major computer and semiconductor manufacturers could have been headquartered anywhere, and we are grateful it brought Admiral Inman back to Austin.
His leadership and vision have been instrumental in positioning Austin as a premier hub for technology and entrepreneurship. Admiral Inman's commitment to education, through his involvement with the University of Texas at Austin, has further enriched our community.
In this episode of Austin Tech Connect, Thom Singer chats with Mike Maples Jr., the visionary founding partner of Floodgate and the author of the compelling new book Pattern Breakers: Why Some Startups Change the Future. The conversation dives deep into the mindset and strategies that differentiate the startups that truly disrupt industries from those that merely follow the rules. Mike shares his journey from his early entrepreneurial days in Austin to becoming one of the most respected venture capitalists in Silicon Valley, investing in radical startups at their earliest stages.
We discuss the concept of "pattern breaking"—how startups that succeed against the odds often do so by challenging conventional wisdom and introducing ideas that are not only innovative but also non-consensus. Mike reveals the critical importance of timing and inflection points, explaining how recognizing and harnessing these moments can make or break a startup. He also shares personal anecdotes, including the unexpected success of Twitch, a company he invested in without fully understanding its potential at the time.
Listeners will gain valuable insights into the unique challenges and rewards of investing in and building disruptive companies, as well as practical advice for entrepreneurs who aspire to be at the forefront of innovation. Whether you're a startup founder, an investor, or simply someone interested in the future of technology, this episode offers a wealth of knowledge and inspiration. Mike’s reflections on the importance of resilience, the role of storytelling in building a movement, and the necessity of embracing risk make this a conversation you won’t want to miss.
About Mike Maples Jr
Mike Maples is a co-founding Partner at Floodgate. He has been on the Forbes Midas List eight times in the last decade and was also named a “Rising Star” by FORTUNE and profiled by Harvard Business School for his lifetime contributions to entrepreneurship. Before becoming a full-time investor, Mike was involved as a founder and operating executive at back-to-back startup IPOs, including Tivoli Systems (IPO TIVS, acquired by IBM) and Motive (IPO MOTV, acquired by Alcatel-Lucent.) Some of Mike’s investments include Twitter, Twitch.tv, Clover Health, Okta, Outreach, Chegg, Demandforce, and Applied Intuition. Mike is known for coining the term “Thunder Lizards,” which is a metaphor derived from Godzilla that describes the tiny number of truly exceptional companies that are wildly disruptive capitalist mutations. Mike likes to think of himself as a hunter of the “atomic eggs” that beget these companies. Mike is the author of the National Bestselling book Pattern Breakers and host of the Pattern Breakers podcast, which shares startup lessons from the super performers.
In this episode of "Austin Tech Connect," Thom Singer welcomes back Joyce Durst, founder and CEO of Growth Acceleration Partners, who was recently honored as the 2024 inductee into the Austin Tech Hall of Fame. As one of the few repeat guests on the show, Joyce shares her journey in the Austin tech community, reflecting on how the city has evolved since she first arrived 30 years ago. They delve into the importance of mentorship, community involvement, and the responsibility of today's leaders to pave the way for the next generation.
Joyce discusses the need for a renewed focus on inclusivity and collaboration within the tech industry, emphasizing how critical it is for young professionals to get involved in boards, committees, and nonprofit organizations. She also highlights the challenges facing women and underrepresented groups in tech, and the importance of creating environments where everyone can thrive.
Thom and Joyce explore what it means for Austin to continue its growth as a leading tech hub and innovation center, discussing how the community can better support startups and mid-sized companies. They talk about the role of organizations like the Austin Technology Council in fostering a culture of giving back and ensuring that Austin remains a place where tech companies can grow and succeed. The episode is a call to action for all members of the Austin tech community to engage, support, and mentor, ensuring a bright future for the city’s tech ecosystem.
About Joyce Durst Joyce Durst is the CEO and cofounder of Growth Acceleration Partners, a consulting and technology services company headquartered in Austin, TX, with offices in Costa Rica and Colombia. Bootstrapped since 2027, GAP provides custom software, data engineering, and modernization solutions for technology leaders and growing companies across the U.S. As an engineer by trade and visionary leader by nature, Joyce has leveraged more than 30 years of experience in the software and technology industries. Her business model is built on strategic and long-term client partnerships, resulting in over a decade of profitable growth and more than 600 GAPsters who believe in “striving for Greatness, being Agile and investing in People.” Joyce earned a B.S. in computer science from Texas A&M University, and is active with the Women Presidents Organization, HiPower and Springboard Enterprises. She mentors CEOs and first-time entrepreneurs, and has served on the boards of several non-profit organizations. Joyce is also on the Board of Directors for the Austin Chamber of Commerce and chairs their Global Tech and Innovation Committee. She has won several prestigious industry awards, including the Executive Leadership award and the A-LIST award from the Austin Chamber of Commerce; the Profiles in Power award from the Austin Business Journal; and Stevie Awards for Management Team of the Year and Achievement in Developing and Promoting Women. In 2023, Ernst & Young recognized Joyce as an Entrepreneur Of The Year®. In 2024, she was inducted into the Austin Tech Hall of Fame. About Growth Acceleration Partners
Growth Acceleration Partners is a consulting and technology services company that provides custom software, data engineering and modernization solutions. GAP works to consult, design, build, and modernize revenue-generating software and data engineering solutions for clients. Their remote, integrated engineering teams help businesses achieve a competitive advantage through technology. Using AI, proprietary tools and seasoned experience, GAP’s end-to-end approach spans from consultation and migration services, to full-cycle digital product development and managed services, ensuring the solutions delivered are innovative and align with your business goals. GAP transforms the way companies do business, helping clients to stay ahead of technology trends in a rapidly-evolving digital landscape. Working with GAP, you are able to achieve operational efficiency and revenue goals with custom software that drives results.
In this episode, host Thom Singer talks about the ten pillars that helped make Austin become a global technology hub. While there were civic minded community leaders who had ideas and plans to set our region up to grow, the ten pillars that supported the success of Austin are not something that can be dupblicated by other cities. This is a retrospective, not a recipe book.
Austin's success was not luck, it was the product of several things that come together at the right time. And it was about the people. Leaders who would show up regularly to support the community who had visions that more home grown tech companies, and being a destination for established companies could become key.
The Chamber of Commerce, Opportunity Austin, The Capital Factory and other organizations had big impact on the growth of the tech scene. But it was no one organization or individual that did it all. Yes, you can trace back much of the credit to Dr.George Kozmetsky, who was the dean of the UT Business School in the 1960s and 1970s (and then a major civic leader until the 1990s).... but much of the credit is split between about 50 men and women who openly cared and worked to help set the stage for the community we have today.
The ten pillars that Thom talks about all came togther in a time when technology was exploding across the world. Austin became the cool alternative to the big cities, alhtough we are now a big city ourselves.
These pillars are not the whole story, and Singer welcomes input from people on other ideas. Not all of the pillars are as strong or important today, as times change and new pillars are being formed. Also, in a short version of this talk he cannot cover all the details that he can when he does the hour long keynote about "The History of Austin Tech".
The Ten Pillars of Austin Tech
- The Univseristy of Texas and the hiring of Dr. George Kozmetsky
- Central location in the US and warm weather all year.
- Affordability
- Connected community with a strong focus on networking and relationships
- Robust business ecomonty that worked for startups, midsized companies, and large tech.
- Arts, music, and the Keep Austin Weird vibe.
- Young educated workforce
- Angel investors, VCs, service providers, incubators, etc...
- Pro-business state poliicies
- SXSW
Check out this episode.
This week Thom Singer sits down with his longtime friend Sam Decker. Sam has been active in the Austin tech scene for over 25 years. He has started and grown several companies and is now an active board member, advisor, and investor. Sam has always looked three steps ahead in his career, and before making big moves has sought out experienced mentors so that he can learn from those with a proven track record and assess the industry. In this episode of "Austin Tech Connect" Sam shares his journey and will leave you with a lot of advice on how to succeed in tech. About Sam Decker Sam has led diverse and impactful roles throughout his career, beginning with marketing, product, and sales leadership at several early-stage startups in California, covering direct mail catalogs, marketing consulting, online media, and web-based telecommunications. In 1999, he managed Dell’s consumer website operations, redesigning it three times and growing consumer online revenue to over $3.5 billion while launching Dell's Consumer CRM group. As the founding CMO of Bazaarvoice Inc., Sam drove the company's growth to seven products and $50 million in revenue before its IPO in 2012. He then founded and led Mass Relevance, a SaaS leader in social TV and content integration, which grew to 150 employees before merging with Spredfast. Sam also co-founded Clearhead, a data-driven experience optimization firm that sold to Accenture in 2017. Currently, he serves as co-founder and Chairman of Fairworlds, an immersive reality agency, co-owner of Texas Drift Academy, and is involved with Interplay Learning and Axial Commerce. An original co-founder of Capital Factory, Sam is also a published author and active advisor and investor.
This week on Austin Tech Connect with go into a deep conversation about AI and AGI with Peter Voss. Peter is the Founder, CEO, and Chief Scientist at Aigo.ai. He has been researching AI and AGI for his whole career. He recently moved to Austin and has a very positive outlook on our community and the future of Artificial General Intelligence.
About Peter Peter Voss is a Pioneer in Artificial Intelligence who in 2001 coined the term ‘AGI’ (Artificial General Intelligence) with fellow AI luminaries. Peter is an Engineer, Scientist, and Inventor as well as a Serial AI Entrepreneur and Leader. Started in electronics engineering, then fell in love with software. Peter achieved his first major success by developing a comprehensive ERP package and taking that company from Zero to 400-person IPO in Seven years. Fueled by the fragile nature of software, Peter embarked on a journey 20 years ago to study what intelligence is, how it develops in humans, and the current state of AI while successfully commercializing an earlier version (SmartAction). This research, development & commercialization culminated in the creation of our proto-AGI natural language intelligence engine called 'Aigo' (say I-go) that can think, learn, and reason -- and adapt to, and grow with the user. Aigo engine has already replaced thousands of call center agents in the field as a proof point and is now gearing up to reach human-level intelligence developed on human brain-like Cognitive Architecture. Our white paper “Concepts Is All You Need: A More Direct Path to AGI” details this groundbreaking approach and our strategy to achieving human-level AI. Peter is on a mission to bring AGI to the world, to boost human flourishing. About Aigo Founded by AGI Pioneer Peter Voss who coined the term “AGI” (Artificial General Intelligence) 20 years ago with fellow AI luminaries. Peter and team have spent over two decades in researching, developing & commercializing AGI that culminated in the creation of proto-AGI natural language intelligence engine called 'Aigo' (say I-go) that can think, learn, and reason -- and adapt to, and grow with the user. Aigo engine has already replaced thousands of call center agents in the field as a proof point and today, Aigo.ai stands on the cusp of a groundbreaking AGI breakthrough, demonstrating “Self-Learning AI” by leveraging Aigo’s INSA – Integrated Neuro-Symbolic Architecture. Aigo.ai is on a mission to bring AGI to the world, to boost human flourishing
For this episode, host Thom Singer (CEO at the Austin Technology Council) simply asked ChatGPT to become the host of the podcast and interview him about the ATC and about the state of tech in Austin. He gave no other instructions, and just went with the questions that were asked. This is an interesting example of how advanced AI has become in the past year. Check out this episode and hear about the history, mission, and future of ATC and the Austin tech ecosystem.... but most importantly...check out what a complete job the AI did with hosting the podcast. Who needs Thom for future episodes????
Brad Englert is an author, advisor and technologist who has had a long tech career in Austin. He is a civic minded leader is now dedicated to helping others craft their success. His new book "Spheres of Influence: How to creat and nurture authentic business relationships" is now available on Amazon (or wherever you get your books). He spent 22 years at Accenture, and then 8 years a CIO at UT Austin. He believes his successful career came from being able to transcend a traditional network. Best advice he ever got about being a leader? "Get out of the office and tell them you give a damn". About Brad Enlgert Brad Englert is the founder of Brad Englert Advisory and an author, advisor, and technologist. Brad worked for Accenture in Austin for 22 years, including 10 years as a partner. He then served The University of Texas at Austin for eight years, including seven years as the chief information officer. Brad earned a masters of public affairs degree from The University of Texas at Austin and a bachelor of arts degree in social sciences with honors and distinction from Shimer College, which is now the Shimer Great Books School at North Central College in Naperville, Illinois. About the book "Spheres of Influence" Spheres of Influence: How to Create and Nurture Authentic Business Relationships, offers a practical guide to help emerging and established leaders develop and perfect the critical hard skill of building effective and lasting professional relationships. The crunchy, real-world stories in this book are relevant to a diverse range of industries, organizations, and backgrounds. The internal sphere of influence are those relationships with whom you have the most impact: boss, executive leaders, direct reports and staff. Relationships with customers, peers and influencers, and vendors form the external sphere of influence. Three principles apply to all business relationships: understand their goals and aspirations, set and their manage expectations, and genuinely care about their success. Spheres of Influence is an Amazon bestseller in three categories: Leadership Training, Mentoring & Coaching, and Customer Relations.
The Austin Technology Council is working to help more local tech companies and industry leaders engage as speakers, panelists, workshop leaders, etc... at the 2025 SXSW Festival next March. On of the ways to get on the radar of the SXSW team is to apply for a session via the PanelPicker (which is accepting applications until July 21, 2024). This episodes looks at SXSW and how to to apply to speak. We are joined by the Senior Director of Conference Programing, Monica Sack. You do not want to miss this conversation. About The SXSW PanelPicker: PanelPicker® is the official SXSW user-generated session proposal platform. This two-step online process allows the SXSW community to have a significant voice in what sessions become part of the Conference programming. During the open application process, we encourage everyone in the SXSW community to upload proposals for solo presentations, panels, book readings, workshops, and more. About Monica Sack In 2009, Monica Sack started working for SXSW helping speakers prepare for their March speaking engagement. Now the Senior Director of Conference Programming, she helps ensure that the Conference portion of the event runs as smoothly as possible so that both speakers and attendees alike have a positive and engaging SXSW experience. When not working, Monica enjoys reading, walking her dogs, and rooting for her beloved Portland Trail Blazers.
One of the best things about the Austin tech scene is the people and the unique problems their tech companies solve. This week's "Austin Tech Connect" episode is a chat with Bob Michaels from Content Access. Their AdFlow Plugin brings website navigation to the cloud, and changes how people engage when they come to your site from clicking ads. Bob is also musician who has been in both the music and tech businesses since the 1980s and 1990s. About Bob Michaels From the dawn of the World Wide Web, Robert “Bob” Michaels has been at the forefront of internet technology innovation. A professional developer since the beginning—when Bob built his first website, there were less than 20,000 websites online—Bob swiftly grasped the web's transformative potential.
Bob's digital journey followed a decade as a touring lead guitarist after graduating from the University of Texas with a communications degree. This experience honed his ability to connect with audiences, shaping ContentAccess solutions to reflect deep engagement expertise.
In 1994, Bob pioneered digital technologies, creating groundbreaking websites for music artists like Willie Nelson and Ray Benson. He partnered with Mark Cuban's Broadcast.com, pioneering online streaming media from Austin, Texas, in the early 2000s.
Bob's technological acumen extended to the enterprise, executing business automation solutions for industry giants like Dell, Compaq, and Tivoli Systems. His inventive efforts earned a prestigious software patent award.
In the public sector, Bob developed all public-facing web properties for the Texas General Land Office under Commissioners Jerry Patterson and George P. Bush, including the state's primary disaster recovery website, recovery.texas.gov, influencing HUD's best practices for federally required websites.
Bob has also led the development of dozens of enterprise websites for higher education clients, addressing their unique needs with robust, user-friendly, and accessible solutions that enhance educational experiences and streamline administrative processes.
As CEO of ContentAccess, Bob drives innovation in digital advertising and web development. Under his leadership, ContentAccess has developed advanced tools and services like AdFlow, AccessNav, and cutting-edge animated video banners that significantly enhance user engagement and conversion rates.
With a tech career spanning three decades, Bob Michaels embodies relentless innovation and adaptability, profoundly impacting the digital landscape. His leadership at ContentAccess demonstrates a commitment to delivering state-of-the-art digital solutions that drive success across many industries.
About Content Access
ContentAccess offers a robust portfolio of proprietary patent-pending cloud technologies and digital marketing services. Our AdFlow Plugin dynamically adapts landing page content to match ad messages, significantly boosting relevance and conversion rates. The AccessNav Solution cuts through dense content like a lightsaber, driving double-digit percentage increases to critical web pages. Our Advanced Ad Banners transform passive and boring display ads into exciting and compelling interactive experiences, yielding exceptional click-through rates. We excel in Strategic Campaign Development, delivering bespoke strategies grounded in a profound understanding of market dynamics, complemented by our Creative Design and Content Creation, which produce compelling multimedia content seamlessly integrated across platforms.
Our expertise extends to Campaign and Demand Side Platform (DSP) management, providing expert real-time bidding across multiple exchanges for efficient ad placement and maximum reach. Our
DSP leverages sophisticated algorithms and data analytics to continuously enhance engagement rates. We offer Cross-Channel Marketing Integration, ensuring a cohesive and consistent marketing strategy across all digital channels. Our Performance Tracking and Analytics deliver transparent and actionable insights, empowering informed decision-making.
Our World-Class Enterprise Web Design & Development service specializes in crafting custom websites for higher education and government sectors, offering complete redesigns and seamless CMS integration.
The combination of these services ensures that ContentAccess clients benefit from personalized and engaging user experiences that drive superior engagement and conversion rates.
In this episode we talk to Cody Treybig, the son of Austin Tech Hall of Fame inductee, Jimmy Treybig. At the Hall of Fame induction ceremony, Cody spoke for his father, who was recovering from medical procedures. Cody shared his fathers words about his love of the Austin tech community and the people who make up our ecosystem. We invited Cody to the podcast to talk about his father, but also to look at what it is like to grow up around a booming tech scene, and his own career path in his short time out of college. Cody is currently moved back to Austin to be close to his parents, and is seeking his next career opportunity. Having grown up around "Austin Tech" he has a great viewpoint of our tech scene. Check out this episode. About Cody Treybig Cody, born in 1996 in Austin, TX, is the son of Jimmy Treybig, founder and CEO of Tandem Computers. He studied English at Rice University and interned at TEXO Ventures before working at Union (formerly TabbedOut) in sales operations and client success. He returned to Rice for business school but moved back to Austin to support his father after a serious brain injury. Now, Cody is seeking a client success manager role in B2B tech. He loves the Grateful Dead and is learning guitar to form a cover band.
On this week's episode of "Austin Tech Connect" Thom Singer sits down with Mike Siegle from VeUp and Ashley Rose from Living Security. Mike is a board member for the Austin Technology Council and his company, VeUP, was the sponsor of the "First Time Founder Award" that was presented at the Austin Tech Hall of Fame event on June 4, 2024. On this episode he shares his overview of the event, and shares why his company was a supporter of ATC for this new Hall of Fame and First Time Founder Award program. We are joined by the winner of the 2024 First Time Founder Award, Ashley Rose. She is the co-founder and CEO at Living Security. Once you hear this conversation, it will be clear why ATC selected Ashley as the first person to win this award. About Ashley Rose As the CEO and Co-founder of Living Security, Ashley Rose is the driving force behind Living Security’s push to lead the Human Risk Management industry. She has successfully raised more than $25 million in funding to scale the business, pivoted the company from solely in-person training to a fully digital platform, and has led the company to be named an industry leader in the Forrester Wave. She co-founded Living Security based on the philosophy that empowering people is the best approach to lasting security behavior changes and breach prevention. She is an industry thought leader, sharing her unique perspective on the evolution of cybersecurity with various publications including Forbes, TechRepublic, Darkreading, Security Magazine, CyberWire and Cybersecurity Ventures. About Living Security Living Security, the global leader in human risk management, transforms human risk into proactive defense by quantifying human risk to engage humans with relevant content and communications to change human behavior. Living Security solves the challenges of human risk through risk identification, awareness and training, and risk reduction, all through an integrated platform. Living Security is trusted by security-minded organizations, including Mastercard, Verizon, Biogen, AmerisourceBergen, and Hewlett-Packard.
Marc Tucci is the founder and CEO of the Austin Sports & Social Club, the market leader in adult recreational sports leagues and corporate teambuilding events. With a mission of being the part part of their customers day, they currently serve 40,000 players locally, and 110,000 among five markets. He has also expanded the brand to Austin SSC Kids, to give all children, as young as two years old, the ability to learn and have fun through leagues & clinics. And in addition to having three young athletes of his own, he serves on the board for both Leadership Austin & BuildSoccer. About the Austin Sports and Social Club The Austin Sports & Social Club (SSC) has been providing co-ed recreational leagues for over 40,000 adults each year, since 2005. With a dozen different sports, location all over town and emphasis on "social", leagues are open to everyone (no experience necessary) and all games are followed by happy hours. No team? No problem. Austin SSC allows one to sign up by themselves, or with a small group of friends, and be placed with others just like you. For companies, they offer private leagues, tournaments or field day events, to give all employees the change to laugh and bond with co-workers outside the office. And for the little ones, SSC Kids offers leagues & clinics for children as young as two years old, with a goal of returning the focus to "fun" in youth sports.
As a tech community we all rely a lot on the ease of air travel, and the first part of that is our local Austin Bergstrom International Airport. On this episode of Austin Tech Connect we hear from Rick Belliotti, the Deputy Chief Officer- Information Technology at ABIA, Rick ir relatively new to Austin, but has spent a lifetime in the tech side of the "Airport Business". He will share his career journey as well as give us a look behind the curtain of the world of "Airport Tech". About Rick Belliotti Rick Belliotti is currently the Acting Chief Performance and Experience Officer and Deputy Chief Officer, Information Technology (CTO/CIO) for Austin Bergstrom International Airport. Mr. Belliotti has worked in various capacities in the aviation industry since 2001, as a consultant, an airport operator, and a solution provider. Mr. Belliotti’s expertise is in bringing people together to achieve common visions and goals. Mr. Belliotti was instrumental in bringing to life the Airport Innovation Lab at San Diego, enabling innovators to create solutions for the airport industry, and forever changing the way that innovation was done in airports. Prior to joining the City of Austin, Mr. Belliotti served as CIO at San Diego International Airport, and led various departments, including IT, business development, small business development, and the arts program.
About Austin-Bergstrom International Airport
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) is owned by the City of Austin and operated by the Department of Aviation. The airport is self-sustaining and generates revenue to cover operating costs. What was once the site for the Bergstrom Air Force Base, the federally-owned property was transformed into a commercial airport with the opening of Austin-Bergstrom International Airport on May 23, 1999 replacing the former, smaller Austin Robert Mueller Municipal airport. Since then, AUS has connected more Austin and Central Texas travelers to the world all while providing a uniquely authentic Austin experience to every customer that travels through the Barbara Jordan Terminal. Known for live music, local concession brands, and Texas hospitality, AUS prides itself on reflecting the culture and values of the community it serves.
The airport’s overall estimated economic impact on the Central Texas region is $7.6 billion, supporting 74,000 jobs (source: TxDOT 2018 Economic Impact), 6% of the total jobs in the Austin MSA. In 2023, AUS projects to serve a record-breaking 22 million annual passengers, more than a quarter increase in total annual travelers since the world’s pre-pandemic benchmark year of 2019. To address the rapid pace of passenger and airline activity, AUS has launched the Journey With AUS airport expansion and development program, multi-year capital improvement and development effort that will improve and modernize AUS facilities in the near-term and for generations to come.
This week on the "Austin Tech Connect" podcast we chat with Balazs Barna, Head of US Engineering and Austin Site Lead for Wise. As Wise continues to grow their US presence, Austin has become a key location for the company. Since 2017 Wise has grown from 500 people worldwide to over 5500 employees. In this interview we hear about Mr Barna's career journey (including being a 2x Kick Boxing World Champion), the growth of Wise, and his take on why Austin is such a great place to grow a company and raise a family. About Balazs BarnaBalazs Barna is the Head of US Engineering and Austin Site Lead at Wise. At Wise, Balazs oversees the US engineering team, which is building the tech and infrastructure needed to facilitate instant, convenient and affordable cross border transactions. He also heads up our newly formed Austin office. Over his 7 years at Wise, Balazs has led and helped his team build the company’s historic direct access integration to the Hungarian banking sector’s instant payment system, the first of its kind for a company with a payment service license. He also oversaw and built Wise’s core infrastructure that enables the company’s European operations. Prior to joining Wise, Balazs worked at MSCI and Morgan Stanley. He graduated from Corvinus University of Budapest in Business Information Systems (BSc), and Computer Engineering (MSc) from Pannon University. About Wise Wise is a global technology company, building the best way to move and manage the world’s money. With Wise Account and Wise Business, people and businesses can hold 40 currencies, move money between countries and spend money abroad. Large companies and banks use Wise technology too; an entirely new network for the world’s money. Co-founded by Kristo Käärmann and Taavet Hinrikus, Wise launched in 2011 under its original name TransferWise. It is one of the world’s fastest growing, profitable tech companies and is listed on the London Stock Exchange under the ticker, WISE. 16 million people and businesses use Wise. In fiscal year 2023, Wise processed approximately £105 billion in cross-border transactions, saving customers around £1.5 billion.
As Austin continues to grow, we find more and more that we have lots of different "tech" industries operating in our region. One area that is growing is the tech used to create movies, TV, music, etc... Entertainment Tech is a coming together of many technologies that solve problems and make things easier for film makers, producers, directors, etc... This week on "Austin Tech Connect" we talk to Nate Strayer from Stray Vista. Stray Vista is the largest Virtual LED Volume Studio in Texas. Nate went to school to be a film director, moved to LA and directed Music Videos, went home to Michagan and directed his first feature film, and then moved to Austin to launch the studio. Check out this conversation about how Austin is growing as a place for movie and TV production, how tech in impacting the way movies, shows, and commercials are filmed, and hear how Nate thinks our unique juxtaposition of tech and art makes Austin ideal for more growth in this industry. About Stray Vista: Stray Vista is the largest Virtual Production LED Volume studio in the state of Texas. With experts in this emerging technology and how it amplifies storytelling and entertainment, Stray Vista has quickly become a staple in the Austin Film Industry as it grows and expands. About Nate Strayer: Nate Strayer is a film producer and studio owner. He opened Stray Vista studios in 2023 after directing his first feature film. Residing in Austin Texas, Nate has grown Stray Vista to become a multi-million dollar media production company, the largest LED Volume studio in Texas, and produced multiple films and commercials that have been seen by millions of people.
This episode of "Austin Tech Connect" is all about the idea of continuing to build and expand the idea of "Community" in our tech ecosystem. While most episodes are interviews, this is a solo episode with the Austin Technology Council CEO, Thom Singer. For nearly two years Thom has been working with ATC to help "Celebrate the past, be present in the NOW, and look to the future. The Austin Technology Council is a 32 year old organization that was founded for many reasons, a main one being to bring the tech community together. This need is still important, but very different today than it was in 1992. Our community is larger, both in geography and population, and we need to discover new ways to serve the whole ecosystem. ATC is also part of the Technology Councils of North America, that lobbies in Washington DC on behalf of small and mid-sized tech interests. there are over 100 independent tech councils in North America, and about 66 of them belong to TECNA. For ATC to be more active with these efforts, we need to hear from our local company leaders to be sure we know what is important in their business. In this episode Thom talks about why your company should be engaged in the Austin business scene (not just ATC) and shares three tips on how to get your team more involved.
Gary Forni, the Chairman of the Central Texas Angel Network (CTAN) is focused on starting, mentoring, investing in, and growing startups in the Austin area. As an investor, his focus is innovation and disruptive technology. As a member of the business community, he works with accelerators to maximize the success of entrepreneurs at Capital Factory, UT, Austin Technology Incubator, and as a founding investor and mentor in SKU. As an entrepreneur, he has worked to bring eight new businesses to market.
In the distant past, he was an executive at Marvell Semiconductor and Intel Corp. At Intel, he was part of starting four new businesses, including the flash memory business, which exited for $1.2B, and the XScale cellular business, which exited for $600M. At the industry level, Mr. Forni has published over twenty articles and papers, chaired standardization committees, and co-authored a book on flash memory technology.
About CTAN
Having invested $129 million in 215 companies since 2006, Central Texas Angel Network (CTAN) is one of the most active angel investing groups in the United States. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, CTAN features more than 120 accredited investor business leaders from an extensive cross-section of sectors and backgrounds. Our experience and passion is what makes us a top venture capital firm in Austin, TX. CTAN members not only invest directly into startups and funds; they mentor and connect entrepreneurs to business resources, providing critical support to the success of early-stage businesses and the Texas economy.
In this episode of the "Austin Tech Connect" podcast we chat with Noah Zandan, Co-Founder and CEO at Quantified.ai. In this episode we talk about his journey from Austin, to Dartmouth College, to Wall Street, to the Kellogg School of Business, and back to Austin. You will want to hear all about Quantified.ai and how his growing company is using AI to help make sales professionals more efficient and productive. Then we move onto all the data in the 2024 Zandan Poll. He has a wealth of knowledge about how Austinites view the good and bad of our city's growth. The original Zandan poll was launched by Noah's father, Peter Zandan in 1998. This survey stemmed from a deep curiosity to find a way to scientifically measure how Austin citizens feel about the changes going on around them and about their connection to the city. For this public opinion poll, 800+ Austin-area residents were surveyed in late 2023 and early 2024, ending on January 4th. Respondents from the City of Austin as well as others from Travis, Williamson, Hays, Caldwell, and Bastrop counties were included and the survey was offered in both English and Spanish. The results are demographically representative.
As we embark on the seventh wave of sharing results, Noah hopes that the 2024 poll continues to be a resource and inspiration for conversation for the Austin community.
DO NOT MISS THIS INTERVIEW. More Information: Noah Zandan is the CEO and Co-Founder of Quantified.ai, and a pioneer in applying AI and behavioral science to help people reach their potential. Noah has delivered TED talks with over 20 million views, is the author of a #1 Amazon best-selling book called Insights into Influence, and is the Executive Director of the Zandan Poll and the Rockway Foundation. You can connect with Noah on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/noahzandan/ Quantified.ai is an AI sales training platform that helps customer-facing teams onboard faster, uplevel performance, and certify capabilities. To learn more visit https://www.quantified.ai/ The Zandan Poll is a public opinion poll, started in 1998, analyzing Austinites’ opinions on important topics including: growth, affordability, technology, and our city’s unique culture. To learn more visit https://www.zandanpoll.org/
Tune into the latest episode of the Austin Tech Connect podcast to hear from Omeed Badkoobeh, Co-Founder and CEO at Yotta Energy. About Omeed Badkoobeh: Omeed Badkoobeh is a trailblazer in the energy technology sector, serving as the founder and CEO of Yotta Energy. Under his leadership, Yotta Energy has developed a cutting-edge, distributed, and decentralized solar+storage architecture tailored for commercial and industrial buildings. This innovative approach meets the growing demand for distributed energy generation while transforming these structures into valuable grid assets and virtual power plants. Before establishing Yotta Energy, Badkoobeh gained over 16 years of experience in the energy transition sector. His expertise covers various aspects of the industry, including significant work with Tesla in the electric vehicle field and extensive involvement in the solar industry. Badkoobeh’s dedication to advancing sustainable energy solutions has established him as a key influencer in shaping the future of energy. His professional philosophy emphasizes the importance of technology and wealth serving the global community, which has been a driving force behind his passion for the solar PV industry. About Austin Technology Council
Austin Tech Connect is the official podcast of the Austin Technology Council. ATC was founded in 1992 to help promote the growth of Austin technology companies and to help create more community in the growth tech ecosystem. Today the organization is a leading organization and a major voice for the continued growth of tech in Central Texas.
In this episode we talk to Austin's Joseph Kopser. He is a serial entrepreneur and consultant who played his military career into a successful life in business. He is one of the best networked and best connected people in the Austin tech community, and is always willing to help others. About Joseph Kopser Joseph Kopser is a lifelong problem solver committed to building the teams needed to take on our toughest challenges. In addition, he is a technology entrepreneur and expert in transportation, smart cities, urban mobility, energy, national security issues as well as an Army combat veteran. His roles include special advisor for military and veteran affairs at the University of Texas as well as leadership development for several companies. Previously, he served as an Executive-in-Residence at the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas. In addition, he is President of Grayline where he works with people and companies to grow their business by sharing his 30 years of leadership experience. Prior to co-founding Grayline, Joseph co-founded and served as CEO of RideScout, before it was acquired by Mercedes-Benz in 2014. Joseph served in the U.S. Army for 20 years earning the Combat Action Badge, Army Ranger Tab and Bronze Star. He is a graduate of West Point with a BS in Aerospace Engineering and also received a Masters from the Harvard Kennedy School in 2002. In 2013, he was recognized as a White House Champion of Change for his efforts in Energy and Transportation. In 2014, his company, RideScout, won the U.S. Department of Transportation Data Innovation Award. In 2018, Joseph ran for Congress in a race that attracted more voters than any of the 36 districts in Texas. Losing by less than 3 points in a heavily gerrymandered district, Joseph demonstrated that voters want civility and problem solvers in Congress. In addition to being a former member of the Army Science Board, he works with The Bunker, an organization dedicated to supporting veteran entrepreneurs. In 2018, he co-authored the book, Catalyst, whose themes serve as the foundation of his public speaking. In 2019, Joseph became the inaugural Chair of the Board of Advisors for the CleanTX Foundation, an economic development and professional association for cleantech. Joseph and his wife of 28 years, Amy, live in Austin and they are extremely proud of their three adult daughters.
The Austin Technology Council is happy to announce the creation (or re-creation) of the Austin Tech Hall of Fame.
ATC thinks it is important that our tech community honors the past, is present in the now, and plans for the future.
We are launching the Austin Tech Hall of Fame over the next six years. Each year we will induct six "Legacy" members and one current member of the Hall of Fame. Anyone in the community can nominate (you need not be an ATC member) and you can nominate whomever you feel is "Hall of Fame Worthy). For the first year the ATC Board will choose those inducted, and in following years we will create an independent committee from local civic-minded tech leaders.
In addition to the Hall of Fame, we are lauching the "First Time Founder Award" to honor someone who is doing a great job with the company they founded (and it was their first go at entrepreneurship).
We will celebrate the Hall of Fame and the First Time Founder Award at a cocktail reception on June 4th.
Title Sponsors of the event are KPMG and Wells Fargo. The Sponsor of the First Time Founder Award is VeUp. (We are seeking more sponsors if your company would like to get involved in the ground floor of this multi-year project).
In this episode of Austin Tech Connect we hear from Connor Crawford, the co-founder and CEO at Pike Robotics. This is a growing company that has launched out of the University of Texas and is working to build robots that go places that are "dull, dirty, and dangerous". In his first role as an entrepreneur/founder, Connor is doing a good job of growing the company and is focused on the strategic plan for the next phase of the organization. About Connor Crawford Connor D. Crawford, MSE, has a track record of innovation, leadership, and attainment of business results in mechatronics design & manufacturing for both the aerospace and energy industries. He has over 8 years of technical, operations, and strategic leadership experience related to bringing concepts from the drawing board to realization. His work at Lockheed Martin helped the company execute on foreign and domestic aircraft & spacecraft contracts. Through his work as a graduate student, entrepreneur, and current CEO role at Pike Robotics, he has taken robotic technology from scholarship to practice, enabling a novel path forward for petrochemical storage tank inspections which eliminates the need to send humans into dangerous, confined spaces. About Pike Robotics Pike Robotics is a non-destructive testing (NDT) technology company dedicated to development of a Class 1, Division 1 certified Wall-Crawling Inspection Robot. This product will soon be able to perform in-service inspections of Floating Roof Tank Seals, satisfying API 653 and EPA 40 CFR standards. Pike’s patent-pending system eliminates Confined Space Entries (CSE), providing teams with reduced inspection costs, increased safety, and improved accuracy! This robot originated from a sponsored research agreement with Phillips 66 to help them improve operations at their midstream and downstream facilities.
This episode of "Austin Tech Connect" is a look at the upcoming "Midway to the Future" technology conference in Bryan/College Station, and a discussion about how the Brazos Valley is growing in population and innovation. Jermey Osborne, the co-organizer of "Midway to the Future" joins the discussion about how Texas A&M University and the Brazos Valley Economic Development Corporation are leading the way to help grow the technology business community and research efforts in the area. This matters to Austin's tech scene, not because the area would be competition, but because of how the whole Texas Technology Triangle (Austin, Dallas and Houston) are more than just those three cities. As Texas continues to grow, when the whole state works together, we become a more attractive place to move a business and grow a business. The Austin Technology Council is trying to facilitate conversations with tech leaders around the state to help us work together. Places like the Bryan/College Station area are important to Austin (and Texas) as we move from a place where "Tech Hubs" compete and more into a collaborative coalition throughout Texas. About Jeremy Osborne Jeremy Osborne is an attorney and serial entrepreneur based in College Station. He has started multiple award-winning companies with appearances on both the Inc. 5000 and Entrepreneur 360 lists as well as Inc. Magazine’s “Best Workplaces in America.” He has been interviewed or featured in The New York Times, Inc. Magazine and on CNBC’s “Closing Bell.”
He is civically active with tenures on the College Station Planning & Zoning Commission, the Arts Council of the Brazos Valley board, and the Brazos Valley Economic Development Corporation executive board. He was elected to the Texas Lyceum in 2024.
In 2014, The Association of Former Students named him one of “20 Young Aggies on the Rise.” In 2019, Jeremy was named an EY Entrepreneur Of The Year® Award regional finalist. Jeremy is a graduate of Texas A&M University and Georgetown University Law Center.
About Midway to the Future Midway to the Future will bring entrepreneurs, innovators, investors, academics, and other tech professionals to Bryan/College Station for informative speaker sessions and networking opportunities on April 16 and 17, 2024. Those attendees arriving early can enjoy an evening reception on April 15.
Midway was born out of the belief that innovation and entrepreneurship in secondary and tertiary markets are often overlooked. Although home to several high-profile companies, Bryan/College Station, located at the heart of the Texas Triangle, is no exception.
The organizers are seeking to highlight the creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship of this community to attendees during their inaugural event. For more information, visit m2tfsummit.com or on social media platforms at @m2tfsummit.
Gary Stephens joins the conversation on "Austin Tech Connect" - the official podcast of the Austin Technology Council. He is the co-founder of Vendidit (as well as several other companies). He, along with his co-founder John Paul DeJoria (serial entrepreneur and known to many for his successful haircare line Paul Mitchell) are looking to make returns in retail more efficient and positively impact the environment. You gotta hear this interview!! About Gary Stephens Gary is a visionary technology executive and is an industry thought leader in reverse logisitics. He is the imagineer of both Vendidit, launched in 2024, and Renew Logic, which he started from a single pallet of recyclables in 2016. His previous career includes work on the Windows 95 launch team, being head of Windows NT updates under Steve Ballmer and Bill Gates and building a third electronics recycling company from scratch to $400M. His positive contributions to ethical business practices and industry improvements led to testifying before Congress in 2018 about smart, diverse employment policies. Beyond tech, Gary's diverse passions include race car driving, piloting and philanthropy – particularly helping dog rescues. He's a proven leader, blending business acumen with a profound commitment to societal impact. About Vendidit Vendidit is a proprietary, end-to-end software platform that connects qualified secondary market buyers with retail returns sellers to drive maximum value for returns. The platform puts interested parties together seamlessly and simultaneously when returned products have the highest value. It was co-founded by renowned entrepreneurs John Paul DeJoria and Gary Stephens and other reverse logistics industry veterans who saw a problem to be solved: retailers have returns inventory they can't sell efficiently, and secondary market sellers (who can move inventory for them) don't have enough of it or an efficient way to procure it. In five words, Vendidit converts limited inventory
The Austin Technology Council is committed to supporting all-things that help our tech community. This interview is with the founder of F.I.E.S.T.A., a local organization dedicated to helping the newcomers to Austin find their place in our tech ecosystem. Cherie Werner is a natural community builder, and in this conversation you will hear her story, how she came to found FIESTA, and ways her group is impacting lives. About Cherie Werner Cherie Werner is a native Texan and a proud Austinite of 34 years. She finds great joy in making meaningful connections and helping others pursue their dreams and passions. In 1985, she embarked on a lifelong journey with her best friend, Jon Werner, the CTO for FIESTA. Together, they’ve mentored high school students, walked dozens of couples through premarital counseling, and collaborated on exciting startup ventures like Bones in Motion and KOYA Innovations. Her most memorable career accomplishment was raising and launching three daughters. This ultimately prepared her for her current role as "the startup mama," and provided her with many transferable job skills that she utilizes in all aspects of her work today.
She is the Founder and CEO - Chief Empowerment Officer of FIESTA, an inclusive community primarily focused on early-stage founders. She cares deeply about fostering meaningful connections, which she believes can only be accomplished through collaborating with other ecosystem builders. She helps founders be seen and navigate the Austin tech arena as every founder is on a unique journey, so they must find their tribes to succeed. She hosts two monthly events and provides helpful resources such as a community events calendar.About FIESTA FIESTA is the fastest-growing founder's Meetup in Austin. While FIESTA means party it also stands for Founders, Investors, Entrepreneurs, Startups, Techies, and Austin Newcomers, we’re like the Ellis Isle of Austin. You begin here, and we help you navigate this vast ecosystem to find valuable resources and connections and we always welcome you back. At FIESTA, you'll find a welcoming and supportive environment that embraces diversity and fosters collaboration. Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, a seasoned founder, or someone interested in the startup scene, FIESTA offers a dynamic space to learn, grow, and make meaningful connections. You might land here but we know the value of finding your tribe (s) in order to flourish.
FIESTA has hosted over 55 events and welcomed more than 7,500 attendees since July 2021 alone. Notably, the community achieved an impressive 65% growth in the last two years. Averaging close to 300 attendees monthly, FIESTA has grown to include a monthly women's event called GatHERing TogetHER. Given how large FIESTA is, we help folks find their tribes to help them succeed and thus partner with many of the community leaders in the fitness, CPG, AI, hardware space, etc. We also collaborate with other organizations to host one-off events. With so many founders visiting Austin and attending FIESTA, there is a steady request to bring the FIESTA experience to their hometowns. However, our greatest need is investment to hire individuals to help us build our resources and offerings. You can find us at https://www.fiesta.community/ and on LinkedIn and Instagram at fiesta community.
In this episode Thom Singer talks to Eric Sims from Leading Edge Connections - LEC. Eric recently moved his company from Florida to Austin and is working hard to get connected in the Austin tech community. Eric builds customer service and support models for brands all over the world. In this episode they chat about how he and his family wanted a fresh place, and how Austin offers the best for personal and professional opportunities. About Eric Sims
Meet Eric Sims, affectionately known as "The CX Cowboy." With a quarter century of trailblazing through the wild frontiers of CX design and execution, Eric's not just your average rodeo rider. He's the one you call when you need to wrangle unruly customer experiences into tip-top shape, ensuring every customer's journey is smoother than a sunset.
From the bustling streets of start-up towns to those sprawling corporate ranches, Eric's lassoed wisdom from a myriad of industries like Technology/SaaS, Retail/e-commerce, financial institutions, legal firms, the service industry, and more. There ain't a CX challenge he hasn't faced, nor a business industry frontier he hasn't roamed.
At the heart of Eric’s approach are the three T’s: Talent, Techniques, and Technology. Like a true cowboy relying on his trusty steed, a well-worn hat, and the guiding stars, Eric knows that the right mix of skilled folks, proven strategies, and cutting-edge tools are what make the difference between a thriving business and a ghost town.
About LEC – Leading Edge Connections
LEC is a cutting-edge virtual outsourced contact center that has established itself as the number one onshore player in the industry. As a fully remote organization and fully US based model, LEC leverages the latest technology and innovative strategies to deliver exceptional customer experiences for its clients. With a team of highly skilled and talented remote team located across the United States, LEC provides unparalleled customer support, sales, and technology services to businesses of all sizes and across various industries.
At LEC, the team is driven by a shared passion for excellence and a commitment to delivering unparalleled results. LEC has earned a reputation for its exceptional customer service, exceptional results, and industry-leading expertise. With a track record of success and a forward-thinking approach, LEC continues to revolutionize the contact center industry and set new standards for excellence.
About Austin Technology Council
Austin Tech Connect is the official podcast of the Austin Technology Council. ATC was founded in 1992 to help promote the growth of Austin technology companies and to help create more community in the growth tech ecosystem. Today the organization is a leading organization and a major voice for the continued growth of tech in Central Texas.
About Luke Fischer: Luke Fischer is the Co-Founder and CEO of SkyFi, an industry-leading Earth Observation marketplace headquartered in Austin, Texas. Luke began his career as a US Army Special Operations aviator where he led teams in the most demanding environments. After the Army, Luke was Head of Flight Operations at Uber and later led Government Operations at Joby Aviation. After Joby, Luke was an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Shield Capital where he focused on investing in Space, Autonomy, AI, and Cyber until he co-founded SkyFi. A decorated combat veteran, Luke received his Bachelor’s in Business from Xavier University, his Masters in Strategy and Policy from the U.S. Naval Command and Staff College, and his second Masters in Management from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He is husband to an amazing entrepreneur, Jessica, and a proud father of two brilliant young women, Evalynn and Makenna, and two lazy french bulldogs. About SkyFi: SkyFi is the pioneering geospatial data marketplace that revolutionizes how enterprise and government clients access, analyze, and leverage analytics, imagery, and datasets from around the globe. Our innovative dual-use approach simplifies the acquisition and utilization of Earth Observation data, offering users cutting-edge post-processing and analytics management tools. At the heart of SkyFi's mission is the ambition to construct the world’s largest virtual constellation of satellite and aerial imaging assets, achieved through our comprehensive and continuously growing global network of partners. SkyFi serves a diverse range of industries critical to global development and security, including agriculture, urban planning, environmental monitoring, defense and intelligence, energy, and infrastructure. By providing actionable insights into crop health, urban expansion, climate change effects, and resource allocation, we empower sectors to make informed decisions with unprecedented speed and accuracy. For the defense and intelligence community, our real-time data enhances situational awareness and operational readiness. In energy and infrastructure, our analytics support the management of assets and the monitoring of critical projects from inception to completion. As the world's premier geospatial hub, SkyFi is not just about data acquisition; it's about fostering a deeper understanding of our planet. Through their state-of-the-art analytic tools and a customer-centric approach, SkyFi is dedicated to transforming the way the world views and utilizes geospatial data, making it an indispensable resource for industries committed to innovation and sustainability. About Austin Technology Council
Austin Tech Connect is the official podcast of the Austin Technology Council. ATC was founded in 1992 to help promote the growth of Austin technology companies and to help create more community in the growth tech ecosystem. Today the organization is a leading organization and a major voice for the continued growth of tech in Central Texas.
This episode of "Austin Tech Connect" is a trip down memory lane to the early days of Austin tech. Bjorn Billhardt came to Austin as a 15 year old foreign exchange student at Pflugerville High School. He enjoyed his year here so much that he called his mom in Germany and asked to stay to finish his education. He remained in Pflugerville, then went to the University of Texas at Austin. After finishing his MBA at Harvard the came right back to Austin to launch his first company. This was in 2001 and the tech economy was the beginning of a three year slow down, so he had to bootstrap his new startup. But he looks back as that era as the best times in his career. Today he is the CEO of Abilitie, a fast growing company that is making an impact around the world. About Bjorn BIllhardt Bjorn Billhardt is co-author of The 12-Week MBA and the CEO of Abilitie, a leadership development company focused on teaching business acumen and management skills with team-based business simulations. Abilitie’s leadership programs have educated 100,000 learners in 50 countries, including rising leaders at many Fortune 500 companies such as Coca-Cola, Dell, GE, Marriott, Pfizer, and Southwest.
Prior to founding Abilitie in 2015, Bjorn was the CEO of Enspire Learning, a custom e-learning development company he co-founded in 2001 while studying at Harvard Business School. Before business school, Bjorn worked as a consultant and corporate trainer for a Dutch software company and McKinsey & Company. Bjorn holds a BA from the University of Texas and an MBA from Harvard Business School. Bjorn has served on the boards of The Magellan International School, Spa Partisan (the parent company of the milk + honey spa), and the Advisory Board of the University of Texas at Austin School for Undergraduate Studies and the UT-HDO Program. He lives in Austin, TX with his wife and three boys. A native of Hamburg, Germany, Bjorn came to the United States as an exchange student, attending Pflugerville High School outside of Austin, TX.
About Abilitie Abilitie has reimagined business education by creating hands-on leadership development programs, including The 12-Week MBA, for rising leaders and executives around the world. With 500+ global clients – including Dell, Coca-Cola, Garmin, Marriott, and Southwest Airlines – and 100,000+ learners, Abilitie is a rapidly growing innovator in the leadership development and edtech markets. You can buy his new book (that was just released) anywhere books can be purchased. Order your copy today (or walk into a Barnes & Noble and get a copy the old fashioned way).
This is a special episode that is a rebroadcast from the Austin Forum Upload podcast. In this episode Thom Singer (CEO at Austin Technology Council) sits down with Jay Boisseau (Austin Forum Upload podcast) and Jason Scharf (Austin Next podcast) to discuss technology trends facing the world in 2024, and what Austin's impact, role, and ecosystem opportunities and challenges as we head into 2024. Join us for a great conversation about technology and society, and learn about Austin's place in tech and the lessons it has for other tech hubs.
About Austin Technology Council
Austin Tech Connect is the official podcast of the Austin Technology Council. ATC was founded in 1992 to help promote the growth of Austin technology companies and to help create more community in the growth tech ecosystem. Today the organization is a leading organization and a major voice for the continued growth of tech in Central Texas.
If you company does a good job of mentoring employees, you may have up to 25% better retention. People want to see a path toward success in your company and industry, and when you align them with leaders who can help them thrive... you and your employees win. This week's podcast guest is Janice Omadeke, the founder of The Mentor Method. She is now the author of "Mentorship Unlocked" that will be released by Wiley Publishing in April (pre-orders are now available). About Mentorship Unlocked: As the workplace evolves, our mentorship strategies need to keep pace. Mentorship Unlocked offers new insights on establishing and nurturing mentor relationships in today's fast-changing environment. This essential guide helps you quickly find your network of mentors who can boost your career path. Loaded with templates, scripts, personal anecdotes, and real-world examples, it's a comprehensive, step-by-step tool for building meaningful connections with mentors who match your lifestyle goals, helping you reach your career goals faster. Authored by a top mentorship expert and groundbreaking entrepreneur, Mentorship Unlocked focuses on aligning personal values with professional achievements. About Janice Omadeke: Janice Omadeke is a visionary leader, renowned for her unique approach that combines compassion, empathy, and direct strategic guidance. Her expertise, which transcends traditional leadership paradigms, has garnered attention in prestigious platforms such as Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, and Inc. Beyond her entrepreneurial journey with The Mentor Method, which played a pivotal role in reshaping company cultures, Omadeke's impact extends far beyond, earning her a spot among Entrepreneur magazine's Women of Influence. Her philosophy centers on empowering others to believe in their potential with the same conviction and passion she brings to her work and mentorship.
Clint Davis from Capsll joins the conversation on AUSTIN TECH CONNECT. Clint has lived all over the world, but now calls Austin home. He did not come here to launch a tech business, but that is where he finds himself in 2024. His digital legacy and memory app is different from the public forum social media. This is a way to preserve and pass down your memories and create a legacy. About Clint Davis: Clint Davis, a storyteller born in South Africa during the apartheid era, embarked on a life's journey spanning diverse cultures and continents. After a transformative six years in Dubai, where he and his wife lived in the rich tapestry of 200 nationalities, Clint dedicated two years in Australia, offering support to friends in need.
The fulfillment of a decade-long dream to live in America came when he won the green card lottery, defying the slim 0.73% odds. After a resilient start in Los Angeles he and his wife established roots in Austin Texas. Clint has wholeheartedly pursued the American dream.
Professionally, Clint is a master of reinvention, with a 17 year career as a radio and tv host in each of the countries he’s resided, to audiences of over 5 million people. As a speaker and MC he has connected multinational crowds to a single shared moment. Simultaneously, he indulged his passion for high-performance driving, spending 15 exhilarating years as a racetrack instructor, skillfully merging adrenaline and precision.
His perspective of humanity and the human condition, morphed Clint’s journey into entrepreneurship. Today, as the founder and CEO of Capsll, and its groundbreaking app which empowers individuals to preserve, share, and pass on cherished memories privately, Clint passionately advocates for a collective shift in our approach to personal content, recognizing the profound value of past memories.
About Capsll: Capsll, a revolutionary app, is out to transform the way we engage in our meaningful content, fostering deeper connections and enhancing mental well-being. In a world saturated with likes and public spaces, Capsll stands out as a haven for genuine, private interaction. The app prioritizes authenticity, steering clear of ads and data selling, ensuring a secure and personal environment.
From Cave Drawings, family photo albums, and memoirs, humanity has always passed valuable insight generationally in the form of story, and we now have a way to do this in the digital age.
However, while Capsll provides a platform for digital legacy; it also enriches current relationships by providing a sacred space for sharing moments with those who truly matter. Users can curate digital time capsules with photos, videos, and audio, keeping memories organized and accessible. With customizable permissions on each capsule, individuals can tailor their sharing experience, fostering deeper trust and connection.
Moreover, Capsll recognizes the positive impact on mental health when people approach content in this way. When we value our memories, we find insight, wisdom and unique perspectives from our own human experience, and in turn, the value of our life journey.
Save your memories at www.capsll.app
About Austin Technology Council
Austin Tech Connect is the official podcast of the Austin Technology Council. ATC was founded in 1992 to help promote the growth of Austin technology companies and to help create more community in the growth tech ecosystem. Today the organization is a leading organization and a major voice for the continued growth of tech in Central Texas.
Welcome to 2024 at Austin Tech Connect. In this episode Thom Singer sits down with long-time Austinite George Bonelli. George moved to Austin 25 years ago with Motorola, and soon went out on his own to consult with companies on program and project management and growth. Along the way he started a shared asset sailboat company, and worked to help companies understand the complex and consultative sales process. Today he is the managing director at Acceleratize, a boutique consultancy focused on helping aerospace, marine, and emergency services companies with growth. In this episode he shares his eclectic career and an outlook on why being engaged in the community and building long-term relationships is both beneficial and fun. About George Bonelli George is a natural leader who thrives in challenging, ambiguous environments with a unique blend of sales, corporate, entrepreneurial, and consulting experience. George brings senior management-level skills, high EQ proven leadership, team-building experience, business acumen, and sound decision-making with energy and enthusiasm. George is a big fan of working in an environment that fosters creativity, integrity, dynamic decision-making, and excellence in business execution. About Acceleratize Acceleratize is a boutique consulting firm that will accelerate and prioritize your revenue enhancement, cost reduction, and operational effectiveness. We bring a deep bench of subject matter experts with decades of real-world problem-solving to quantify and address your mission-critical business problems. Currently, we are focused on the aerospace, EVTOL, marine manufacturing & leisure, shared economy, and emergency services industries through consulting, fractional executive, and Senior and SME staffing services About Austin Technology Council
Austin Tech Connect is the official podcast of the Austin Technology Council. ATC was founded in 1992 to help promote the growth of Austin technology companies and to help create more community in the growth tech ecosystem. Today the organization is a leading organization and a major voice for the continued growth of tech in Central Texas.
In this episode we talk to an local entrepreneur and former Marine who is building a company in the CyberSecurity space. Tom Pace is the co-founder and CEO of NetRise. In this episode he talks about all the work it takes to launch a tech company, and his reasons for being here in Austin About Tom Pace Prior to founding NetRise, Thomas Pace spent 16 years working in security across multiple roles and disciplines. From serving in the United States Marine Corps, being responsible for ICS security within the Department of Energy and most recently serving as Global Vice President for Cylance, Thomas has been a proven leader and innovator within cybersecurity. Thomas has also responded to hundreds of security incidents globally and shared his experience at multiple security conferences such as RSA and Black Hat. About NetRise The NetRise Platform is a next-generation product security solution for XIoT devices. Through ML-driven binary analysis, our platform generates industry-best Software Bills of Material (SBOMs), identifies and prioritizes vulnerabilities, and uncovers non-CVE risk that would otherwise go undetected. NetRise is here to help you ship more secure products and simplify your product security strategy. About Austin Technology Council
Austin Tech Connect is the official podcast of the Austin Technology Council. ATC was founded in 1992 to help promote the growth of Austin technology companies and to help create more community in the growth tech ecosystem. Today the organization is a leading organization and a major voice for the continued growth of tech in Central Texas.
In this episode the Austin Technology Council CEO, Thom Singer, sits down with Lonnty Stern from Movability. As Austin grows we often hear people complain about traffic... but that person in the car IS THE TRAFFIC. What can we do as a community, and a tech community to help lessen the traffic, support other modes of transportation, and do our parts to keep Austin poised for more economic success? Lonny Stern has ideas, and he is very passionate about helping find the solutions. ABOUT LONNY STERN
Commutes: MetroBus, MetroRapid, MetroBike, telework, flex time, bike
Lonny Stern is an Enterprising Austinist focused on the economic vitality of Central Texas. A resident of Austin since 1999, he is serving as the Executive Director of Movability after serving the Community Engagement team at the Austin Transit Partnership, which is designing and building Austin's first light rail system. Lonny has worked in a variety of roles, including as a Community Engagement Administrator for Capital Metro, Senior Director of the STEM Council at Skillpoint Alliance; as an Outreach Director at Empower Texans (formerly CPPP) and Communications & Outreach Director for Hope Street Group -- both nonpartisan policy organizations. He has held additional roles at aGLIFF, 91.7FM - KOOP Radio, and Project Transitions, and he has been a member of Movability's board of directors since 2019. Lonny earned his Masters at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at UT-Austin. He earned a BA in English & Communications at Florida State University.
He has been recognized with various awards, including: IAP2 - Core Values Award "Project Connect" (2022); ACT - Commuting Options - Public Transit - "Transit Adventures" (2019); Austin Under 40 Award for Community Service & Non-profit (2015); The Austin American-Statesman - Fortunate 500 (2006); and Austin Chronicle " Mover & Shaker" (2002) & "Hardest Working Man in the Non-Profit Business" (2001).
In his spare time, Lonny loves international travel and hiking. Among his favorite trips was a 4-day hike along the Inca Trail to Macchu Picchu, camping for three nights at the Indian Garden campsite in the Grand Canyon, and an off-trail exploration of Pigeon Valley in Cappadocia, Turkey.
For more: https://linkedin.com/in/lonnystern
ABOUT MOVABILITY
Movability is Central Texas’ first and only transportation management association (TMA), working hand-in-hand with individuals and organizations to improve the region through commuter options that save time and money. We envision leading our region to a culture shift toward stress-free, affordable commute options.
As the Central Texas region grows, so too does its traffic congestion. While mobility improvements from the City and new service offerings from Capital Metro all help improve the efficiency of our transportation networks, many employers and their employees still feel the strain that congestion puts on their time, their bottom lines, and their health. Movability works with employers all over Central Texas to help them make connections and learn best practices, and to develop and implement custom mobility plans. That means that employers don’t have to wait for new infrastructure – they can make changes right now that maximize productivity and help boost recruiting and retention rates. And that means the economic engine of Central Texas keeps accelerating.
For more: https://movabilitytx.org/
Welcome to Austin Tech Connect. Today's episode looks at the upcoming UN World Logic Day in Austin, Texas. This is an international event that will take place in 33 countries in the month of January.... and like all things Austin....our event is unique and we want the whole tech community to participate. In this episode we visit with the Austin hosts and one of the Austin co-chairs for the event. Emily Gupton and Chris Fronda have both been on this podcast in the past, and they are joined by Chelsea Toler. Listen to this episode and register for World Logic Day. Aout World Logic Day: Despite its undeniable relevance to the development of knowledge, sciences and technologies, there is little public awareness on the importance of logic. The proclamation of World Logic Day by UNESCO, in association with the International Council for Philosophy and Human Sciences (CIPSH), intends to bring the intellectual history, conceptual significance and practical implications of logic to the attention of interdisciplinary science communities and the broader public. World Logic Day is hosted in 33+ countries around the world during the month of January as a reminder of the importance of UN SDG 16 around world peace and UN SDG 17 around better collaboration. Logictry looks forward to serving as the only corporate host in the US for UN World Logic Day in Austin, TX on January 21st. They expect over 1,500+ attendees that will gather in Austin’s beloved Long Center for the Performing Arts. Over 50+ community local and global partners have already committed to celebrating and joining us for UN World Logic Day in Austin, TX this year. We are thrilled to announce our Local Co-Chairs Anika Chokhavatia (UT McCombs & 2023 World Logic Day Award Winner) & Emily Gupton (Austin Women & Technology) & our Global Co-Chairs Nisaa Jetha (Founding Chief UK Member), Olivia Dell (Cometa Collective & NOVA Impact), Brandyn Keating (CEO & Founder of YOUnify), & Sofia Sunaga (Intergen.Family) who embody and champion logic and impact in their professional and personal lives. Join us this year to engage, collaborate with, and learn alongside the decision makers building a brighter future together About Chelsea Toler: Passion for supporting impact movements and accelerating impact journeys through technology has been the driving force behind Chelsea Toler’s career. Chelsea has always been excited about lifelong learning and helping the learner’s journey to ensure they have access to the mentorship, capital, technology, and tools they need to succeed. Chelsea serves as the Co-Founder & Chief Impact Officer for Logictry alongside Chief Logic Officer, Chris Fronda, and is a Founding Partner at NOVA Impact along with her co-founder Olivia Dell. A true Longhorn, Chelsea grew up in Austin, TX where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Texas. Chelsea has been able to help move $100+ million towards impact initiatives in alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and served as the first fundraising team member for I Live Here I Give Here where she helped to raise $20+ million in 24 hours for 750 nonprofit organizations. It is most important to Chelsea that people have access to the information, education, technology, communities, resources, and platform’s necessary to reach their full potential and to share their purpose with the world. For those that are ready to take the next leap in their purpose, UN World Logic Day is for you. About Chris Fronda: Chris Fronda is the creator of the LOGIC MOVEMENT, empowering others to make better decisions while making logic accessible for everyone. Natural born teacher and educator, former Product Manager at a Fortune 1000 organization, and a self-taught software developer and entrepreneur, Chris is considered an expert on logic and deep tech. His goal is to democratize access to knowledge, education, expertise, and opportunity.
In 2018 in search of a deeper meaning beyond just building technology, Chris started researching Formal Logic and its importance in education. This research focused on the issues we face in society regarding the growing mis-information problem, the growing wealth and education gap, and the future of education. Through this, Chris found his purpose- to empower anyone with a desire to learn, to provide the tools and resources they need so they can thrive with equal opportunity. LOGIC should be free and accessible to all- this is why Logic.Wiki exists. Chris looks forward to hosting UN World Logic Day annually to help drive better public awareness of the value of Logic.
About Emily Gupton: Emily Gupton resides in Austin, and is the COO of a local technology company FOLIO, a platform that allows commercial real estate, architecture and design, and furniture providers align with their clients on furniture budgets, aesthetic, and more, early on in a commercial real estate project life cycle. She serves on the board as Director of Community Partnerships for Austin Women in Technology and the Director of Technology for The League of Women Voters of Texas. Community involvement and giving back are integral to Emily's day-to-day life. This passion began early in life. Throughout high school and college, she volunteered for many years with various organizations championing equity and inclusivity, including the Design Industry Foundation Fighting AIDS, Legacy Counseling Center, and many other impactful, grassroots organizations. Emily is one of the Austin co-chairs of UN World Logic Day, working with the team to bring together the Austin community to be part of this amazing event. The event and its initiatives align with Emily's passion and commitment to community, the power of collaboration, and sharing knowledge to drive a better future for all - locally and globally.
In this episode we talk to Ross Meglathery, the CRO at Integritek. Ross moved to Austin with Integritek eighteen months ago, and is enjoying getting connected in Austin. In this conversation Thom Singer talks to Ross about his career Journey from the Marines to the CRO role in a growing tech company. They also discuss the state of tech in Austin and a look to the future. About Intergitek Founded in 2007 and headquartered in Austin, Texas, Integritek was created for one simple goal: to combine “integrity with technology.” Integritek is passionate about helping its partners achieve their business goals.
Integritek simplifies technology by providing best-in-class managed services at the right price. Integritek frees up time and resources so partners can focus on what they do best. Integritek facilitates the success of businesses as a strategic thought partner.
Integritek provides local support across Texas, Southern California, and Wisconsin.
Further, Integritek is able to provide nationwide support through its partner ecosystem. Integritek is available 24/7 with certified technicians that are here to help.
About Ross Meglathery
Ross Meglathery was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and spent his formative years there and in New York City. Following graduation from Trinity College, he served in the Marines where he deployed to Western Sahara, Africa as a United Nations Military Observer and served two combat tours in Iraq (where he was wounded in action).
Following active-duty, he transitioned to the Marine Corps Reserve, where he continues to serve, and concurrently began his civilian career. He initially began his civilian employment as a National Defense consultant where he worked with Federal Sector clients. During this time, he earned a Masters of Science in the Management of IT from the University of Virginia.
While working as a consultant at the Department of Homeland Security, he was selected to go back on active-duty to be a 2010 Congressional Marine Fellow. Following a year on Capitol Hill, and seeking to contribute further in the public policy realm, he earned a Masters in Public Administration degree from Harvard Kennedy School. He then ran a Veterans Service Organization where he lobbied for veterans and their caretakers and testified before Congress on veteran and disability issues. He was later hired to lead the Public Sector practice at Berlitz Corporation.
Interested in furthering his knowledge of business and hoping to transition into the technology sector, he earned a Masters of Business Administration from University’s Darden School of Business. In 2022, he moved to Austin, Texas and is now the Chief Revenue Officer of the Managed Service Provide, Integritek.
About Austin Technology Council
Austin Tech Connect is the official podcast of the Austin Technology Council. ATC was founded in 1992 to help promote the growth of Austin technology companies and to help create more community in the growth tech ecosystem. Today the organization is a leading organization and a major voice for the continued growth of tech in Central Texas.
This episode is the third panel from the Austin Technology Council "CEO/C-Suite Summit" on November 6, 2023. This panel looks at the changes in culture happening around workforce changes, and the introduction of AI into how we do business. This panel featured the following local leaders: Joyce Durst, Founder and CEO at Growth Acceleration Partners
Darin HIcks, CEO at Litlingo
Linda Ginac, Founder and CEO at TalentGuard
Joel Trammell, Founder and CEO at CEO-S (Moderator)
(This panel is sponsored by Growth Acceleration Partners)
For the audio recording from all the panels at the Summit, please check out the last two episodes of this podcast.
The Austin Technology Council host the CEO/C-Suite Summit each year to bring leaders in the community together to have conversations that matter as we work to keep Austin's tech ecosystem growing.
This episode is the recording from the 2nd panel at the ATC 2023 CEO/C-Suite Summit on November 6th. "Building Inclusive Employment Practices: Addressing Biases and Promoting Diversity". The panel was sponsored by CRUISE, and hosted / facilitated by Austin Women in Technology. Panelists include: Joy Wiggins, Founder and CEO, Equity and Inclusion Consulting LLC Ronnie Sheth, CEO, Senen Group Vaishali Jadhav, Leadership and Team Development Facilitator, Sanrekhana, LLC and Kendra Scott Women's Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute Kitty McLeod, Chief Solutions Officer & Master Facilitator, Illumine Wellness Nicole Pletka, Director of Programs, Austin Women in Technology (moderator of panel) Please enjoy this special episode from our Summit. Be sure to make you plans now to be at the 2024 ATC C-Suite Summit. About Austin Technology Council
Austin Tech Connect is the official podcast of the Austin Technology Council. ATC was founded in 1992 to help promote the growth of Austin technology companies and to help create more community in the growth tech ecosystem. Today the organization is a leading organization and a major voice for the continued growth of tech in Central Texas.
This episode is the recording from the keynote panel at the 2023 CEO/C-Suite Summit on November 6, 2023: "Austin: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow". This panel is a conversation between some of the legends that have helped shape the Austin tech scene over the past 30+ years. At the summit for this panel we were joined my Laura Kilcrease, Bill Bock, Cotter Cunningham, Krishna Srinivasan, and James Beecham (panel moderator and ATC Board Member). From the 1990s through the present, Austin's tech ecosystem has been built by company leaders and civic entrepreneurs how not only created companies, but created a community that is recognized around the world. But the future will not happen by accident. LIsten to this episode, and please share your thoughts with the Austin Technology Council.
We hear a lot around Austin about how many people live here and work for companies with no presence in Austin. Working from home is often great, and choosing the city where you want to live is a wonderful thing for your lifestyle, but there is more to it than there seems. To thrive in a community you need to find some ways to make friends, connect with people in similar industries (like tech), and to keep connected to your company's HQ so you don't get passed over for opportunities. In this week's episode of Austin Tech Connect we talk with Jake Pusch, Regional Sales Manager at Dealer Image Pro. Jake has been in tech sales for many years, and has worked remotely from Austin for three different companies. In the conversation he shares "Why Austin?" and what someone working far from their boss and co-workers needs to do to have a balanced life, and be successful in their career. About Jake Pusch Over the past decade, Jake Pusch has been on the front lines of the sales world, working tirelessly to empower critical players in various industries to transform their business operations with cutting-edge technology. But that's not all – Jake's real passion lies in the automotive industry, where he's made remarkable strides in improving everything from time to market to the quality of merchandising. With a unique blend of industry insights and an unyielding commitment to excellence, Jake has helped guide businesses toward peak performance and outstanding results. On the side, Jake hosts the Pusching Limits show, where he explores the vibrant city of Austin, Texas, delves into travel adventures, and gets a taste of the thrilling entrepreneur lifestyle. The Pusching Limits show is under renovation and will return in 2024. About Austin Technology Council
Austin Tech Connect is the official podcast of the Austin Technology Council. ATC was founded in 1992 to help promote the growth of Austin technology companies and to help create more community in the growth tech ecosystem. Today the organization is a leading organization and a major voice for the continued growth of tech in Central Texas.
This week on Austin Tech Connect we chat with Zach Wright, co-founder of Syft. Zach spent the early days of his career in sales at a major global tech company, and is now working to make a mark in the sales tech space with his new company. The company is growing fast, and Zach has a unique perspective on making connections in the local tech scene, finding mentors, and helping others. He realizes that the people side of business is as important as ever, even in our digital world. Also...just as the startup was starting to take off, Zach and his wife had a new baby, so he currently has TWO startups! About Zach Wright Zach Wright is a seasoned enterprise sales professional and cofounder of Syft AI. Prior to co-founding Syft, Zach held leadership roles in sales at Oracle and Informatica. Zach has been living in Austin for 10 years, recently married his wife Marion Wright, and they recently welcomed their son, Charlie, into the world. About Syft Syft AI is a SaaS application that automates and scales Value Selling for B2B revenue teams. Their vision is to accelerate the connection of companies around value. Syft AI generates what they call a "value matrix" that creates a relationship between problems, solutions, and value created. Syft guides its users to focus on the right accounts where there is a value match, understand the problems their prospects are facing, and how they could add value. They take this value matrix to create value-based content that will guide a user to create meaningful interactions with the right audience. About Austin Technology Council
Austin Tech Connect is the official podcast of the Austin Technology Council. ATC was founded in 1992 to help promote the growth of Austin technology companies and to help create more community in the growth tech ecosystem. Today the organization is a leading organization and a major voice for the continued growth of tech in Central Texas.
John Oberg moved to Austin with his fintech startup in 2005. Over the years he has been active in the Austin tech scene, and is committed to giving back to the community that gave him so much. John is the Founder of Precina Health, an adjunct professor at USC, and serves on the boards of several companies. Check out this episode as John and Thom Singer go down "memory lane" of Austin and look to the future successes that are in the future of Central Texas. About John Oberg
Dr. John Oberg is a Founder, CEO, Board Director, Advisor, Professor and Investor trusted by organizations to navigate growth, conflict, and change. He founded two Austin-based healthcare innovators: Sedera, a community-based medical cost-sharing organization (#193 on Inc 500, #26 in Financial Times Western Hemisphere), and Precina Health, a first-of-its-kind chronic care virtual medical practice. John serves on the board of directors for both organizations, along with the boards of OnlineMedEd (which writes curriculum for Medical and Physician’s Assistant schools globally) and Point Health. Through John Oberg Advisory, John advises large institutions, healthcare industry leaders, professional services firms, and nonprofits. John received his doctorate from the University of Southern California (Social Work) and his MBA from the University of New Mexico (Policy & Planning and Management of Technology). He is currently an adjunct professor at USC. He has started companies and managed teams larger than 1,000 people. Over the last three decades, he has studied the behavior of individuals, communities, and systems. He now catalyzes improved behaviors to create best-in-class outcomes, not to mention happier people. John was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. He currently lives with his family in Austin, where you’ll find him engaging in many outdoor activities. When traveling, he also enjoys SCUBA diving and golf and has recently taken to hunting and fishing. He holds a second-degree black belt in orthodox karate. About Precina Precina helps patients feel better, faster. Our chronic care practice monitors patients’ diabetes every day - just as they do. Our practice combines medical care with social workers to address the complex challenges of controlling diabetes and related comorbidities. We meet with patients consistently and give them unlimited access to our clinicians for any question - all from home. Together with their doctor’s guidance, we make small changes that lead to big improvements in how patients feel - updating patients’ doctors every step of the way. Our practice works to improve quality and length of life for everyone, especially those with low income or in rural areas.
On this week's "Austin Tech Connect Podcast" we focus on economic development in an in depth conversation with Gary Farmer. Gary has been the chair of Opportunity Austin for many years, and served as the interim CEO for the past several months.
Since the early 2000s, Opportunity Austin has been focused on helping Austin grow, attract business, grow the workforce, etc... In this interview Gary talks about how Austin has changed since his early days in business in the 1980s, and how we need to continue to plan for the future and plant the seeds for growth. He also talks about how the time is coming (again) for the seasoned leaders to pass the baton to the next generation of civic minded entrepreneurs. If you are not familiar with Opportunity Austin and the efforts this group has made over the past 20 years, be sure to listen to all of this interview. About Gary Farmer Gary S. Farmer is President of Heritage Title Company of Austin, Inc., a commercially oriented title insurance agency operating throughout the major markets of Texas. He has been in the title insurance business since 1985. During Gary’s tenure, Heritage has been recognized for its excellence in the commercial title insurance arena as it has grown to be among the largest independently owned title agencies in Texas. Gary is involved in a variety of civic and charitable endeavors. Currently, Gary serves as Chairman of the Greater Austin Economic Development Corporation, Opportunity Austin 4.0 Campaign and Co-Chair of the Waller Creek Conservancy Capital Campaign. Additionally, Gary serves as a Board Member of the following organizations: The University of Texas Chancellor’s Council, The University of Texas Development Board, the President’s Council of The Real Estate Council of Austin, the National Multi Housing Council, The Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce and The Greater Austin Crime Commission. Gary founded the Greater Austin Economic Development Corporation in 2003 and has served as its Chairman for thirteen (13) years. Gary is the Past Chair of Opportunity Austin (1.0, 2.0 and 3.0), Past Chair of Advantage Austin III, Co-Founder and Past Chair of The Real Estate Council of Austin, Past Chair of Capital Area Transportation Coalition, Past Chair of Take on Traffic Initiative, Past Chair of Caritas Community Advisory Board (two terms) and has served as a Board Member on numerous other civic and charitable boards. He has chaired/co-chaired eight (8) Capital Campaigns which have raised approximately $145,000,000 for community endeavors. Additionally, Gary has served on three (3) Mayoral Task Forces dealing with the economy, the environment and healthcare. Gary and his wife, Susan, are graduates of The University of Texas, the proud parents of three daughters and members of Tarrytown United Methodist Church. What does opportunity Austin do?
Opportunity Austin is able to provide confidential support for projects, including real estate research, and the facilitation of all aspects of the site selection process. They work to boost economic diversification to proactively strengthen the economy, deepen the talent pool through development and attraction, and helping to keep the Austin region attractive to entrepreneurs, business leaders, and site selectors. Opportunity Austin targets key industries for future economic development, including advanced manufacturing, automotive, semiconductors, creative and digital media, clean technology, financial services, life sciences, data management, space technology, and corporate headquarters and regional offices.
"Don't Be Complacent and Stay Hungry". This week on Austin Tech Connect Thom Singer sits down with Martin Martinez from Founder Institute. In this chat he shares his journey and the history of Founder Institute. He also gets real talking about the future of our tech ecosystem. Martin has a long history in Austin and is a big fan of the best tech events, and has been known to host several memorable technology gatherings. About Martin Martinez Martín Martinez is the Entrepreneur in Residence for the Founder Institute, the world’s most proven network to turn ideas into fundable startups, and startups into global businesses, helping over 6,500 companies across 6 continents build businesses since 2009. He is the Host and Producer of the online show Global Startup Report and the FounderX Conference Series, featuring the top Founder Institute Alumni, Mentors, Investors, and Leaders from around the world.
Since 2017, Martín has served as the Executive Director of the Founder Institute Texas programs, overseeing events, operations, partnerships, and graduate success across chapters in the Lone Star State. In that span, the program has launched 125 companies statewide, with top companies raising over $25 million dollars in venture capital
A serial entrepreneur, he spends time working with startup founders and serving on boards for multiple entrepreneurship programs, including the University of Southern California, the Cambridge University, and the University of Texas at Austin. He's founded and exited 3 companies, produced high-profile events across the country in multiple industries, and serves as an advisor to the South by Southwest (SXSW) Conference and Music Festival.
This week on "Austin Tech Connect" is a conversation with Autumn Manning. She is an entrepreneur, investor and teach executive for over 20 years. Many of you many know her from her role with Motley Fool Ventures, but she has now gone back into the world of Startup Entrepreneurship (listen to this interview to get the first glimpses into her new company). About Autumn Manning Arkansas Razorback at heart, Autumn Manning dove into the corporate world with a psych degree, focusing the first decade on reshaping organizational culture and leadership, enabling enterprise organizations with modern talent management, workforce effectiveness, and leadership strategy. From assessments to transformative models, she went broad and deep across the organization to create irresistible companies with extraordinary people.
Fast-forward a bit: Autumn Co-founded and led YouEarnedIt—a SaaS employee engagement, culture, and performance management platform. She exited the business to Vista Equity Partners in 2018, which allowed her to then immerse herself in the consumer world as President & COO of Cratejoy, focusing on community-centric eCommerce. From there, she served as Partner at Motley Fool Ventures championing early-stage entrepreneurs with founder-friendly capital for a handful of years. Mentoring and advocacy are top priority for Autumn, especially helping underestimated founders and emerging leaders. Board member at Scholarship America and a seasoned CASA advocate for kids in the system. You can find her thoughts in: The New York Times, HuffPost, Business Insider, Entrepreneur, and the Economist. And, proudly: named as Austin's Best CEO (2018), received the Stevie Award for Best Female Executive of the Year (2018) Oh, and the most important part of all. Mom to Miles (16) and Marin (14).
In this episode of Austin Tech Connect (the official podcast of the Austin Technology Council), Thom Singer talks with Jess Ross from Austin Free-Net. They provide services to help eliminate the "Digital Divide" in Central Texas. Those of us who work in tech do not often think about people in our community who do not know how to use computers and smartphones, and as our society goes more digital, these people are being left behind. Austin Free-Net works to empower people through technology. About JESS ROSS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF AUSTIN FREE-NET Jess Ross is the Executive Director of the legacy non-profit Austin Free-Net. When not dedicating her passion and efforts to digital equity and inclusion in Austin, Jess is a singer-songwriter and enjoys performing live in central Texas. Her voice transcends a variety of different genres including blues, soul, pop, rock, jazz, latin and country. Inspired at an early age by her public grade school music teacher and strong female artists including Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, Whitney Houston and Alanis Morissette, Jess Ross has been performing for an audience since 1995. Jess attended Berklee College of Music in 2003 and later was employed by Berklee to lead management of academic performance facilities in various locations on campus. Her shows offer a variety of musicianship including full band, trio and duet compositions. Jess Ross moved to Austin, Texas in 2011 to immerse herself in the music scene of the Live Music Capital of the World and later worked alongside executives at the local iconic establishment Strait Music Company before shifting gears during the 2020 pandemic to help marginalized community members easily access digital resources to improve their lives with Austin Free-Net. Jess Ross was selected by Austin Free-Net's Board of Directors to serve as Interim Executive Director in 2021 and accepted the role of Executive Director in 2022. She created and launched the Learn & Earn Program in March 2022 to great success and was recognized by The Texas State Library and Archives Commission in the same year. Austin Free-Net was named finalist for Best Non-Profit in Austin in 2023 and their digital literacy programs were nationally recognized by the Community Broadband and Digital Equity awards in 2023 for Digital Equity Project of the year. Jess was also selected to co-chair the National Digital Inclusion Alliance's Digital Inclusion Week Committee 2023. Jess Ross is committed to helping improve the quality of life for everyone in Texas by empowerment through technology, creating and performing music and reconnecting communities so that we may all thrive together. About AUSTIN FREE-NET Austin Free-Net is a legacy non-profit organization dedicated to bridging the digital divide and promoting digital inclusion in Central Texas. Founded in 1995, Austin Free-Net has been a cornerstone in the community, providing essential digital literacy training, internet access, and technology resources to underserved populations, empowering individuals with the skills they need to thrive in the digital age. We have the unique distinction of being the first organization to provide wired internet and computers into Austin Public Library branches. 26 years later, we are the first organization to introduce free, bilingual Digital Navigator services to Austin Public Library branches. As technology continues to evolve, we are thoroughly committed to trailblazing digital inclusion efforts in Central Texas and nationwide.
Austin Free-Net's mission is empowerment through technology. At the heart of our mission is the belief that access to technology and digital literacy is a fundamental right. We provide a safe and judgement free space to ensure that everyone in the Austin community, regardless of their socio-economic background, has equal opportunities to access and use digital tools, thus empowering them to improve their lives and participate fully in the digital world. We serve all residents under the Texas sun.
About Austin Technology Council
Austin Tech Connect is the official podcast of the Austin Technology Council. ATC was founded in 1992 to help promote the growth of Austin technology companies and to help create more community in the growth tech ecosystem. Today the organization is a leading organization and a major voice for the continued growth of tech in Central Texas.
At the beginning of 2023 there was a lot of talk about recession and layoffs. While there have been many layoffs across the country, Austin seems to have not been hit too hard so far, and the economy continues to move along. But the "Macro Economic Uncertainty" is still impacting hiring. Wade Allen, President and CEO at Cendea joins the conversation to talk about hiring for tech companies in our new world. About Wade Allen: Wade Allen has a keen, innate ability to apply his extensive experience and deep understanding of business and technology to help companies secure the right executive talent to take them to the next level. The unique 3-D Analysis™ process he developed and refined over the last 30 years at Cendea® establishes the Partners as invaluable advisors to their clients.
He has built and mastered the critical executive recruiting and retention principles companies need to drive success and maximize ROI, and that’s TLC - Talent-Leadership-Culture. Executive ROI is maximized by understanding what is required on all three legs of the TLC stool and then securing true Impact Leaders™ who meet those requirements!
From Fortune 50 to startups and turnarounds, Wade has helped drive company growth by applying his blend of executive management, board participation, strategy, product, sales, marketing and development skills. He holds an Executive MBA from the University of Texas and a Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in EE, CS, and Math Science from Rice University.
About Cendea:
Cendea® believes that building great organizations is not the result of blind luck. Alignment is required to take steps forward toward greatness. Our 3-D Analysis™ assesses and then articulates a company’s needs, including culture and chemistry.
We think differently:
· have avoided the traditional recruiting methodology because we know better results are achievable
· can help navigate through this critical process because the Partners have been executives in multiple industries
· determine the culture and chemistry required, and then secure a match
· allow companies to choose from several candidates who all clear the bar – anything less should be unacceptable
· deliver an Impact Leader who can help take a company to the next level
We are Retained but firmly believe in pay-for-performance to get the job done right. We partner with our Clients to make a significant difference! We focus on C-Suite to key management to high-end individual contributors, and our reputation and referrals take us nationwide across a wide range of industries.
In this episode, Thom Singer has a conversation with a local Austin entrepreneur who cares deeply about how technology can positively impact the economy, education, and people. Chris Fronda is the founder and CEO (and Chief Logic Officer) for Logictry. Check out this interview where he talks about technology for impact in the world. About Chris Fronda
Chris is a dedicated individual driven by a lifelong commitment to simplify complex subjects and share knowledge. Inspired by his mother's dedication to education and the belief that unequal access to resources fuels global disparities, Chris strives to ensure equitable learning opportunities for all.
His journey began at age 11 when a fascination with programming was sparked by a desire for a TI-83 calculator. This ignited a mission to bridge global opportunity gaps exacerbated by resource limitations. Chris's teaching prowess was evident as he tutored math and served as a physics TA, eventually earning him the title of Teacher of the Year at National Instruments. Excelling as a Product Manager for a $25 million product line further demonstrated his dedication.
Driven by an entrepreneurial spirit, Chris founded a successful systems integration firm and served as a fractional CTO for startups, exploring varied interests including social media apps, video streaming, and cryptocurrency. In 2019, he founded Logictry to democratize Logic and Logical Intelligence, aiming to empower individuals, break barriers, and provide universal access to opportunities. Chris's visionary mission through Logictry is a testament to his passion for teaching, thirst for knowledge, and commitment to creating a more equitable world.
About Logictry
Logictry’s vision is providing global access to agency and opportunity.
Logictry’s mission is scaling the world’s wisdom to give everyone the power of choice.
Logictry is a Knowledge Logic Management SaaS platform (like confluence and notion but with an added logic layer) helping mid-market to large enterprise organizations with complex processes systematize and scale their institutional wisdom. For example, they help sales teams build next-generation curated and actionable sales playbook(s) that ramp new hires into instant experts making them profitable faster.
Logictry partners with startup founders and small businesses to help them jointly commercialize their idea and scale their business. They act as the CTO, shortcutting the development process by over 50% and delivering a fully managed solution on Logictry's already enterprise-trusted secure platform.
Logictry has recently launched Logic.Wiki, a consumer search decision engine, where they are partnering with experts to build curated and actionable content that helps others make better decisions. They have also incorporated Generative AI and solve problems such as prompt engineering with their logic layer.
Lastly, Logictry runs a yearly conference called World Logic Day in partnership with the United Nations to highlight the importance of Logic and Logical Intelligence. About Austin Technology Council
Austin Tech Connect is the official podcast of the Austin Technology Council. ATC was founded in 1992 to help promote the growth of Austin technology companies and to help create more community in the growth tech ecosystem. Today the organization is a leading organization and
a major voice for the continued growth of tech in Central Texas.
In this episode Thom Singer talks to Kevin Koym, the founder and CEO of Tech Ranch. Tech Ranch is a twenty year old "Entrepreneur Support Organization" that helps discover talent and connect entrepreneurs so they can scale. In this conversation we cover a lot of ground about Entrepreneurship and the history of Austin Tech. About Kevin Koym Kevin Koym's distinguished career fuels his passion for advising startups, which has seen two $0-to-$1 million startups and four others that made the $500,000 mark, and a number of “firsts” including the development of the first internet banking application in 1995 and the first large-scale e-commerce application engine, which generated over $2 billion in revenue for Dell Computer in the late 1990s. Kevin was at the forefront of exploring profile-driven commerce, the use of Linux to secure networks and exploring the feasibility of Affective Computing. And, his experience working with technology luminary Steve Jobs at NeXT influences his ability to inspire the global entrepreneurs he supports.
In 2010, the Association of Information Technology Professionals, Austin Chapter, honored Kevin as “Technology Community Leader of the Year”. Prior to founding his own companies, and in addition to NeXT, Kevin worked for the UT Health Science Center, Southwest Research Institute, Motorola, and IBM, earned a degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Texas, and is an Eagle Scout.
About Tech Ranch
Tech Ranch® is a venture accelerator comprised of a global ecosystem of entrepreneurs, businesses, investors and community leaders. They equip entrepreneurs and ecosystems with insights, proven techniques, tools and processes that develop the business, their community and their global impact. They provide the social capital, personal development, professional knowledge and communal support necessary for entrepreneurs around the world to create companies that positively impact their local communities and solve pervasive global social challenges.
Tech Ranch believes that innovative entrepreneurs who are well-supported can create a positive impact not only locally but also globally. They provide that support by helping them acquire the relationships, resources, and knowledge they need to succeed.
Their mission is to support entrepreneurs to gain access to the markets, resources, and relationships so that they may solve local problems with global insight. They prepare pioneers to take on global challenges together.
About Austin Technology Council
Austin Tech Connect is the official podcast of the Austin Technology Council. ATC was founded in 1992 to help promote the growth of Austin technology companies and to help create more community in the growth tech ecosystem. Today the organization is a leading organization and
a major voice for the continued growth of tech in Central Texas.
In this episode Thom Singer talks to leaders of Technology Councils across the United States and Canada to hear what is happening in their regions and what they are doing to prepare for the future. Oftentimes we examine what is happening in the tech world in the Silicon Valley, but we may not always be thinking about how tech companies (local homegrown companies and large international organizations) are impacting every city and state around the world. Thom spent three days at the TECNA Summer Conference in Seattle last week and spent time with the leaders of over 50 technology councils from cities of all sizes. He interviewed many of them in short 3-4 minute conversations for this episode of "Austin Tech Connect". Please enjoy this virtual dialogue with people from some tech centers you know, and some you may not have thought about as being active leaders in the growth of the tech sector across North America. ATC is happy to introduce our local member companies to the technology councils in any other part of North America. If you are doing business, or would like to do business, within other communities represented by a TECNA Council, please reach out to the Austin Technology Council to be connected with the leadership of that regions council. About TECNA TECNA (Technology Councils of North America) represents 66 IT and Technology trade organizations that, in turn, represent more than 22,000 technology-related companies in North America. TECNA empowers regional technology organizations and serves as their collective voice in growing the North American technology economy. They strive to deliver valuable services to member organizations fostering collaboration, innovation, and the exchange of ideas. About Austin Technology Council
Austin Tech Connect is the official podcast of the Austin Technology Council. ATC was founded in 1992 to help promote the growth of Austin technology companies and to help create more community in the growth tech ecosystem. Today the organization is a leading organization and
a major voice for the continued growth of tech in Central Texas.
About Laura Patterson If you're looking for a practical, no-nonsense proven approach to accelerate customer-centric growth, create customer value, and improve business performance, then you've connected with the right person. Laura Patterson is a recognized and trusted authority for enabling companies to take a customer-centric outcome-based approach to organic growth by enabling them to use data-driven insights, strategy, performance management, operational excellence to attract, retain and grow the value of customers. Laura began her 25+ year career in sales and had the great fortune of working across functions spanning customer relationship management, strategic and product marketing, analytics, and marketing operations. Today she is at the helm of VisionEdge Marketing, a growth strategy firm, founded in 1999. She received a patent for the Accelance® methodology designed to help organizations connect activities and investment to business results. She has published four books, with the recent Fast-Track Your Business: A Customer-Centric Approach to Accelerate Market Growth receiving industry acclaim. Laura is frequently asked to speak and facilitate workshops for educational institutions, associations, and company meetings. Laura was recently inducted into the CX Hall of Fame and has been recognized for her thought leadership and has won numerous awards, including Engati’s Top 30 Marketing Influencers and Top 200 Thought Leaders, Piktale’s Top 100 Influencers, and 20 Women to Watch in Business by the Sales Lead Management Association.
CC Mullen is the Founder and CEO of Abilities Amplified and CEO of Compensation and Organization Solutions. She is a Certified Master Modeler of Excellence, a Certified Neuro-linguistics Master Practitioner, and a Partnership in Business Trainer. She is a graduate of Boston University with an MBA from Pepperdine University and has loved living in Austin since 2000.
CC is passionate about helping companies and the people in them succeed together.
For over 30 years, CC and her colleagues in Compensation and Organization Solutions helped companies implement strategic total compensation infrastructures that increased engagement, productivity,and company profitability.
CC founded Abilities Amplified in 2022 to focus on helping individuals, teams, and companies amplify abilities and “level up” by capturing and replicating the excellence, the genius, the “secret sauce” under the key abilities of the superstars to grow the performance of the rest. Everyone wins.
About Abilities Amplified
Abilities Amplified helps organizations improve performance and increase engagement, productivity, and profits by leveraging the excellence of their best performers to amplify the abilities and performance of the rest.
Abilities Amplified has a proven methodology and processes for successfully decoding the “secret sauce” under the key abilities of the superstars, their mastery, and distilling that pivotal information into easily implemented Models of Excellence (Mastery Practice Sets) that help others replicate and grow those high-performing abilities.
These Mastery Practice Sets improve performance and provide training and development assets for the entire life cycle of Talent Development through acquisition, development, engagement programs, and succession planning.
Companies are able to duplicate proven success unique to their culture and specific to their business and improve learning agility, performance, and profits. Abilities are amplified and engagement, productivity, performance, and profits increase.
About Austin Technology Council
Austin Tech Connect is the official podcast of the Austin Technology Council. ATC was founded in 1992 to help promote the growth of Austin technology companies and to help create more community in the growth tech ecosystem. Today the organization is a leading organization and
a major voice for the continued growth of tech in Central Texas.
In this episode of Austin Tech Connect, Thom Singer sit down with Clay Scovill from Wells Fargo Technology Banking Group. In this conversation, they talk about the state of banking for tech companies in Austin, Texas. A lot has happened in the world of banking over the past year, and every technology leader should listen to this conversation to make sure that you were in a banking relationship that is serving you at your current stage and beyond. About Clay Scovill Clay Scovill is a Sr. Technology Bank in the Wells Fargo Commercial Banking Group, based in Austin, TX. He has a 15-year career in banking and private equity in New York and more recently Austin, TX. Clay’s focuses on software, fintech, internet platforms and semi-conductor companies mainly based in Texas. Key areas of expertise include debt and equity capital markets, cash management and payment structures. Clay focuses on tech companies from Series A through IPO and mid-corporate companies post-IPO. Clay lives in Austin with his wife and three kids (7, 4, 2).
About Wells Fargo Technology Banking Group
The Technology Banking Group (TBG) team is a Specialized Industry banking team focused on providing banking services to technology companies. Clients generally have venture capital (VC) investors or were formerly VC backed. The group focuses on companies from early stage (less than $25 million in equity raised and minimal revenues) to mid-corporate (greater than $100 million in revenue). Companies may be private or public and are characterized by rapid growth. With over 25 years of lending history and more than 1,000 clients, the TBG team has developed the pattern recognition to quickly evaluate opportunities and provide the right solutions. The team also leverages a deep network of investors, non-bank lenders, and other centers of influence (COI) in the technology ecosystem.
TBG primarily acquires new clients through:
- Strong relationships with investors and an established referral network.
- Connectivity with strategic partnerships and information technology (IT) sourcing to evaluate, buy, and invest in new technology.
- Its ability to accelerate strategic dialogue between the client and Wells Fargo
About Austin Technology Council
Austin Tech Connect is the official podcast of the Austin Technology Council. ATC was founded in 1992 to help promote the growth of Austin technology companies and to help create more community in the growth tech ecosystem. Today the organization is a leading organization and
a major voice for the continued growth of tech in Central Texas.
We hear a lot about AI, but this is much more than ChatGPT. Stephen Straus looked at the coming of the Age of AI as being similar to when Netscape went public in the 1990s and launched the Age of the Internet. Five years ago he founded KUNGFU.AI. In this interview Stephen and Thom Singer talk about his career, AI, and the future of tech in Austin. About KUNGFU.AI KUNGFU.AI partners with clients to realize the real business value of Artificial Intelligence to help them compete and lead in the age of AI ethically and responsibly. Our team of AI-native experts deliver strategy, engineering, and operations services to achieve AI-centric transformation. We deliver return on AI (ROAI) by increasing revenue, increasing profits and increasing overall company valuation for our clients.
About Stephen Straus
Stephen Straus is co-founder and Managing Director of KUNGFU.AI, an artificial intelligence professional services firm based in Austin that strategically partners with clients to help them achieve AI-centric transformation to compete and lead in the age of AI ethically and responsibly. Stephen is a serial entrepreneur and former venture capitalist who has started, ran, and successfully sold two companies. He was also a Kauffman Fellow and General Partner at Austin Ventures, at the time the largest venture capital between the two coasts, during the dot-com boom and bust. He is a graduate of Colgate University and received his MBA from Harvard Business School. He is founding Chair of Impact Dyslexia, a non-profit focused on creating bold solutions to the dyslexia crisis, serves on the Engineering Advisory Board of the Cockrell College of Engineering at the University of Texas and is a former member of the Board of Directors of Sustainable Food Center and Austin Film Society. He is also currently spearheading The Startup Diversity and Inclusion Pledge and is a partner and mentor at Capital Factory. Stephen lives in Austin with his terrific wife and they have four great kids.
About Austin Technology Council
Austin Tech Connect is the official podcast of the Austin Technology Council. ATC was founded in 1992 to help promote the growth of Austin technology companies and to help create more community in the growth tech ecosystem. Today the organization is a leading organization and
a major voice for the continued growth of tech in Central Texas.
In this episode you will hear everything about the vibe of connections in Austin's tech scene. Thom Singer sits down with Marc Nathan (arguably the most connected person in Austin) to talk about the state of networking in the Texas capital city. Both Thom and Marc are connectors, and they share their views of why Austin has a good community, and what are some areas where we can all improve in getting the human connection side of business back to the forefront. About Marc Nathan Marc is an experienced connector in the startup community who supports all forms of entrepreneurship across Texas. Throughout his career, Marc has assisted hundreds of companies with business strategy, capital acquisition, marketing, customer development, strategic partnerships and product development.
Marc founded T-Squared Agency (www.tsquaredagency.com), a boutique consulting firm that supports selected clients with comprehensive funding strategies and the means to execute growth. Through T-Squared, Marc launched the Texas-Squared Startup Newsletter and the Texas-Boxed CPG Newsletter which cover startup news, opinions, and events that affect the startup tech and Consumer Packaged Goods communities respectively. Marc also hosts the monthly OpenCoffee Club (Tech) and Wake Up! Meetups (CPG) that gather entrepreneurs, investors, and service providers in a casual morning setting.
Marc serves as VP of Client Strategy for Technology and Venture Capital practice group in the law firm of Egan Nelson, LLP (www.egannelson.com). As a deeply experienced and connected consultant in the Texas technology startup community, Marc assists E/N’s early-stage clients with fundraising strategy, including connecting with angel and VC investors, structuring financing rounds, and general strategic advisory with respect to seed and early-stage fundraising. Marc also enjoys facilitating connections between founders and other advisors, executives, and service providers throughout the various ecosystems in which he works. About Austin Technology Council
Austin Tech Connect is the official podcast of the Austin Technology Council. ATC was founded in 1992 to help promote the growth of Austin technology companies and to help create more community in the growth tech ecosystem. Today the organization is a leading organization and
a major voice for the continued growth of tech in Central Texas.
The Austin Technology Council June event featured a full house of 60+ people at Calavista Software for a presentation on "presentation skills" for business. The session was lead by the CEO at ATC, Thom Singer. Thom has experience as a professional speaker and has coached hundreds of executives on how to give a better speech. Regardless of if you are speaking inside your company or at an industry conference, having great skills as a speaker can be your secret weapon for success. In this hour-long session. Thom covered the "5 Tips For Business Speaking" and had an engaging and interactive session. After the program some in the room asked if it had been recorded, as they wanted to share it with their teams at the office. Also in the next two days several people who were not at the event asked for a link to the recording. Thus for this episode of Austin Tech Connect, Thom has recreated the presentation with the tips you need to be more effective when you present. Check out this episode and share it with your team. About Austin Technology Council
Austin Tech Connect is the official podcast of the Austin Technology Council. ATC was founded in 1992 to help promote the growth of Austin technology companies and to help create more community in the growth tech ecosystem. Today the organization is a leading organization and
a major voice for the continued growth of tech in Central Texas.
"Austin is better because St Edward's is here". This episode is a great conversation with the President of St Edward's University, Dr. Montse Fuentes. She is a mathematician and a problem solver who has spent her career helping people through education to help elevate the next generation. In this conversation we hear about her career and how she came to Austin to lead this 138 year old institution. She believes in community and bringing people together, and she is passionate about workforce development. About Dr. Montse Fuentes Dr. Montserrat “Montse” Fuentes began her tenure as the 24th President of St. Edward’s University on July 1, 2021, serving as the first Hispanic and second female president. Dr. Fuentes also holds an appointment as Professor of Mathematics. Before this appointment, she served as executive vice president and provost and professor of Statistics and Actuarial Science at the University of Iowa. President Fuentes has a rich history of academic and administrative leadership in higher education. She is a first-generation college student and received a dual bachelor’s degree in mathematics and music (piano performance) from the University of Valladolid in Spain and a Ph.D. in statistics from the University of Chicago. Dr. Fuentes has authored more than 100 scientific publications and served as principal or coprincipal investigator on more than 20 research grants, with total funding of more than $28 million. President Fuentes is actively involved in the greater Austin community, serving as a member of the Austin Community Foundation Board of Governors, Austin Area Research Organization (AARO), Austin Diocesan School Advisory Board, Ballet Austin Board of Directors, Austin Symphony Advisory Council, Frost Bank Board of Directors, the Austin Catholic Cemeteries Board of Directors, and the Ascension Seton Board of Trustees. About St. Edward’s University St. Edward’s University is a private university in the Catholic, Holy Cross tradition with approximately 3,600 students. Located in Austin, Texas, it is one of the top universities in the state and offers more than 55 undergraduate and 8 graduate programs. St. Edward’s delivers a premier, highly personalized education that provides students distinctive academics and extensive internships, research and service learning opportunities on a vibrant and inclusive hilltop campus in a world-class city. St. Edward’s has been recognized for 20 consecutive years as one of “America’s Best Colleges” by U.S. News & World Report. In the 2022-2023 Best Colleges rankings, St. Edward’s remains in the list of top 10 Best Regional Universities in the West for the 4th consecutive year. About Austin Technology Council
Austin Tech Connect is the official podcast of the Austin Technology Council. ATC was founded in 1992 to help promote the growth of Austin technology companies and to help create more community in the growth tech ecosystem. Today the organization is a leading organization and
a major voice for the continued growth of tech in Central Texas.
In this episode we talk to Hugh Forrest, the Co-President and Chief Programming Officer at SXSW. Hugh joined SXSW in 1989 (you gotta hear his story of how he got there and the early years of the organization). SXSW has clearly had an impact on the growth on Austin's global tech footprint, and this interview we talk about our past, present, and future. About Hugh Forrest Hugh Forrest serves as Co-President and Chief Programming Officer for South by Southwest (SXSW). For his role of Chief Programming Officer, he oversees content for the SXSW Conference, as well as the SXSW Music Festival, the SXSW Film Festival, the SXSW Comedy Festival and SXSW EDU. Forrest was named "Austinite of the Year" in 2012 by the Austin Chamber of Commerce (along with fellow SXSW Directors Roland Swenson, Louis Black and Nick Barbaro). In 2014, Forrest and these other SXSW Directors were named Austin Entrepreneurs of the Year by Ernst & Young. He was awarded a Key to the City in January 2023 by Austin Mayor Steve Adler. He received an honorary doctorate of humane letters in 2018 from Kenyon College, his alma matter. In 2021, he was awarded Diversity Champion of the Year by the Austin Black Business Journal. In addition to his work at SXSW, he has previously served on of the National Advisory Board for the Poynter Institute in St. Petersburg, Florida. He has also served on the Board of Directors for Austin Habitat for Humanity. He currently sits on the Board of Directors for the Austin-based accessibility company Knowbility. Via his decades of work with the Austin Reggae Festival, he has helped to raise more than $1 million in funding for the Central Texas Food Bank. Before joining the SXSW team in the dark ages of 1989, he founded a small monthly alternative publication called The Austin Challenger. He also wrote for several other newspapers and publications, including the Austin Chronicle, the Texas Sports Chronicle, the West Austin News, Willamette Week and the Seattle Weekly. For 2024, SXSW is scheduled March 8-16. About Austin Technology Council
Austin Tech Connect is the official podcast of the Austin Technology Council. ATC was founded in 1992 to help promote the growth of Austin technology companies and to help create more community in the growth tech ecosystem. Today the organization is a leading organization and
a major voice for the continued growth of tech in Central Texas.
This week we are hosting a special "Crossover Episode" with the "Austin Next Podcast". Do you remember the excitement when two of your favorite TV Shows had a "Crossover" (when characters from one appeared on the other show and vice versa). Depending you age you might recall the 6 Million Dollar Man and Bionic Woman.... or When the cast of Mad About You walked into Central Perk on Friends, or when Hanna Montana was on the Suite Life with Zach and Cody? This episode involves the hosts of both shows, Thom Singer from Austin Tech Connect, and Michael and Jason Scharf from Austin Next conducting one interview. In this crossover episode of Austin Next and Austin Tech Connect, we welcome Lou Senko, the Chief Availability Officer at Q2 Software. Lou, an industry veteran with over two decades of experience in spearheading enterprise-wide solutions, enlightens us about Q2's mission-driven approach. We explore Q2's dynamic role in innovation, its extensive engagement with the vibrant Austin community, and its strategic focus on fostering a sustainable future for digital banking. Check out this episode and be sure to learn more about Austin Next if this is your first exposure to the show. About Austin Technology Council
Austin Tech Connect is the official podcast of the Austin Technology Council. ATC was founded in 1992 to help promote the growth of Austin technology companies and to help create more community in the growth tech ecosystem. Today the organization is a leading organization and
a major voice for the continued growth of tech in Central Texas.
Collaboration for the success of Austin means all the different non-profits working together for the common good of the community. The team at Austin Women in Technology has been a great friend to the Austin Technology Council, and we work together to help promote both organizations. In this week's episode, Thom Singer sits down with Heather Trumpfheller and Emily Gupton from AWT to hear about all they do to serve the Austin community. AWT: Austin Women in Technology (awtaustin.org) is a 501c3 non-profit organization that empowers women in the technology industry in Austin. AWT was founded in 1992 with the goal of helping women in tech advance their careers, build professional networks, and develop leadership skills. AWT hosts regular events and workshops, as well as a mentorship program, to connect women in the technology industry with resources and opportunities to help them succeed in their careers. Additionally, AWT promotes diversity and inclusion in the tech industry and works to increase the representation of women in leadership positions.
Heather: Heather Trumpfheller, President of Austin Women in Technology, is connector and advocate of women. In her day job, she works as a Delivery Manager at TEKsystems, a tech consulting company, where she supports the growth of TEKsystems' state government work.
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/heathertrumpfheller/
Emily: Emily Gupton, Community Partnerships Director of Austin Women in Technology, is passionate about driving collaboration and connection in the Austin community. In her day job, she works as COO of a local tech startup, FOLIO, where she manages day-to-day operations, product, development, and customer experience.
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-gupton/
About Austin Technology Council
Austin Tech Connect is the official podcast of the Austin Technology Council. ATC was founded in 1992 to help promote the growth of Austin technology companies and to help create more community in the growth tech ecosystem. Today the organization is a leading organization and a major voice for the continued growth of tech in Central Texas.
James Beecham is a Founder and the Chief Executive Officer at ALTR, an innovator of automated data access control and security solutions. He has over a decade of experience leading technology and engineering teams in computer architecture design, database and operating system drivers, database security and data governance and privacy system design. James holds multiple software patents and a degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin.
About ALTR ALTR is the only automated data access control and security solution that allows organizations to easily govern and protect sensitive data wherever it lives – to get more data to more users more securely in less time. Hundreds of companies and thousands of users leverage ALTR’s SaaS platform to gain unparalleled visibility into data usage, automate data access controls and policy enforcement, and secure data with patented rate-limiting, real-time alerting and tokenization-as-a-service, all in minutes instead of months. ALTR’s data ecosystem integrations with leading databases, data catalogs, ETL/ELTS and more enable scalable on-premises-to-cloud data governance and security for a single source of data access truth. To learn more, visit http://ALTR.com. To get the ALTR Free plan for Snowflake, https://get.altr.com/free.
About Austin Technology Council
Austin Tech Connect is the official podcast of the Austin Technology Council. ATC was founded in 1992 to help promote the growth of Austin technology companies and to help create more community in the growth tech ecosystem. Today the organization is a leading organization and a major voice for the continued growth of tech in Central Texas.
Mike Staples has over 15 years of experience in operations, stemming from his time in the Army as a Blackhawk pilot. Prior to Cruise, he brought two early stage tech startups to market, launched a non-sortable facility for Amazon, and launched remote markets for Uber. Mike is passionate about empowering people through tech and super pumped to scale the future of transportation, starting in Austin. Mike has a BS in Systems Engineering from West Point and an MBA from Duke (Fuqua).
About Cruise Founded in 2013 in San Francisco, CA, and in partnership with General Motors and Honda, Cruise is building the world’s most advanced self-driving vehicles to safely connect people with the places, things, and experiences they care about.
Suzi Sosa is the co-founder and CEO of Verb, a social enterprise dedicated to unlocking human potential. Verb's breakthrough platform supports employees in their journey of human-centered leadership development through online practice-based learning. The capabilities employees develop on Verb include self-awareness, empathy, supporting others, collaboration, inclusive leadership, having difficult conversations and building trust. Suzi is a serial social entrepreneur and loves to build businesses with the goal of creating positive social impact. She is the recipient of the 2014 Ernst & Young Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award and the co-author of Social Impact: Adventures in Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Prior to Verb she built the social entrepreneurship program at the University of Texas at Austin. Suzi has a Masters in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School, and a B.A. in the Plan II Honors Program from UT Austin.
About Verb Verb is a people development platform that empowers L&D teams to quickly design, launch and track their soft skills training programs. Through expertly built, ready-to-go programs and flexibility to adapt and customize, it's easy for customers to address the various learning needs across their company. With the support of Verb’s customer success team, customers also get L&D expertise throughout program strategy, design, and implementation. Verb measures the results that matter, giving a deeper understanding of learners’ behavioral data and personalized recommendations to ensure they are giving the best learning possible to their learners.
Austin Tech Connect is the official podcast of the Austin Technology Council. ATC was founded in 1992 to help promote the growth of Austin technology companies and to help create more community in the growth tech ecosystem. Today the organization is a leading organization and a major voice for the continued growth of tech in Central Texas.
Razat Gaurav is chief executive officer of Planview, joining the company in 2021. Razat has over 20 years of experience in the enterprise software space, with a proven track record of driving innovation-based growth and scaling up technology businesses. He is a trusted advisor to leading executives, boards and investors on topics related to digital transformation initiatives.
Prior to joining Planview, Razat was the CEO of LLamasoft, the leader in AI-based supply chain design and decisioning software. At LLamasoft, he drove an expanded product vision combined with a purpose-driven culture enabling the company to more than double its revenue in three years and resulted in a successful $1.5 billion acquisition by Coupa in November 2020. Prior to LLamasoft, Razat held leadership positions at Blue Yonder, i2 Technologies and Ernst & Young’s management consulting practice. He also served on the Board of Directors of Sparta Systems and LLamasoft. Razat was recognized by Goldman Sachs as one of the 100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs of 2020.
About Planview
Planview helps leading enterprises transform strategy to delivery with market-leading portfolio and work management solutions for connected work.
Joyce Durst is the CEO and co-founder of Growth Acceleration Partners, a strategic technology solutions partner headquartered in Austin, TX. An engineer by trade and visionary leader by nature — leveraging 30+ years of experience in the software and technology industry — Joyce started GAP in 2007 as a values-based company built on strategic, long-term client partnerships.
Joyce received a degree in computer science from Texas A&M University as a first-generation student and became one of few women to rise to executive ranks at a $1B enterprise software company. She later pivoted to the role of CEO of a venture-backed startup, where her passion for building teams flourished.
She’s a member of the Austin Chamber of Commerce, the Women Presidents’ Organization and Springboard Enterprises. Joyce has won several prestigious awards, including the Greater Austin Business Awards Top CEO in 2022, the Profiles in Power award from the Austin Business Journal, and the Stevie Award for Achievement in Developing and Promoting Women.
GAP is a strategic technology solutions partner providing an exceptional experience in Digital Transformation and the Delivery of Software and Data Solutions via world-class consulting and engineering teams. By building strategic, long-term partnerships with clients, we develop extensive domain knowledge combined with deep technical expertise. We have the architectural skills to design next-generation solutions utilizing the latest cloud-based technologies. Our talented engineering teams are agile, transparent, accountable and focused on customer success, with one of the highest satisfaction scores in the industry. GAP helps you scale smarter, transforming your objectives into data, and delivering software solutions that drive business outcomes.
Brent Wistrom is senior editor at Austin Inno and a reporter at the Austin Business Journal. He covers startup news and tech trends through Inno’s daily newsletter, The Beat, and news stories on the Inno and ABJ websites. Prior to joining Inno in 2015, he covered state politics, city hall and crime at The Wichita Eagle, Kansas City Star and Wichita Falls Times Record News. He graduated from the University of Texas in 2003, and he grew up in Minnesota.
Austin Inno is the metro area’s leading source of startup and tech news. Launched in Austin in 2015, it is part of the broader American Inno network that covers emerging trends across local markets in the U.S. Inno is also a sister publication of the Austin Business Journal and part of the American City Business Journals network. Inno also publishes a daily newsletter called The Beat, which goes out to more than 14,000 subscribers each afternoon. Sign up here.
Krishna Srinivasan is a co-founder of LiveOak Venture Partners and has been investing in early-stage Texas based companies and entrepreneurs since 2000. His active board involvements at LiveOak include DISCO (NYSE: LAW), Eventus Systems, Homeward, Iris Plans, Imandra, Ojo Labs, Rollick, SchooLinks, Talent Guard, and Virdee. His notable past investments include Digital Pharmacist (acquired by K1), Hive9 (acquired by BrandMaker), Mavenir Systems (NYSE: MVNR), Opcity (acquired by Newscorp), StackEngine (acquired by Oracle), Telestax (acquired by Mavenir)
Prior to co-founding LiveOak, Krishna was a Partner at Austin Ventures and previously he was with Motorola where he wrote large scale optimization software for supply chain planning and worked with a variety of business units on strategic and operational issues. He started his professional career at SEMATECH.
Krishna received his MBA from Wharton where he graduated with highest academic honors as a Palmer Scholar. He also has an MS in Operations Research from the University of Texas at Austin, and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, where he graduated with high all-round honors.
About LiveOak Venture Partners:
LiveOak Venture Partners is a venture capital fund based in Austin, Texas. With over 20 years of successful venture investing in Texas, the founders of LiveOak have helped create nearly $5 billion of enterprise value. While almost all LiveOak's investments begin in the early stages, LiveOak is a complete life cycle investor focused on technology and technology-enabled service companies based in Texas. With close to $500M under management, LiveOak Venture Partners has been the lead investor in over 50 exciting high-growth Texas-based companies in the last decade, including DISCO (NYSE: LAW), Digital Pharmacist, Eventus, OJO Labs, Opcity, Homeward, and TrustRadius. The firm was recognized as the Venture Capital Firm of the year in Austin in the 2022 inaugural A-List awards by the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce.
Rob is a serial software entrepreneur having built, scaled and exited multiple B2B and B2C venture-backed technology businesses. Most recently, Rob was co-founder and CEO of Convey, a pioneer in logistics and supply chain visibility software for some of the largest global retailers such as The Home Depot, Costco, Walmart and QVC. Convey was acquired by project44 in 2021 for $255M. Prior to Convey, Rob was President of BlackLocus, another retail SaaS software business that was acquired by The Home Depot for $55M within eighteen months of taking on the first venture capital investment. Rob then spent two years building Home Depot's Innovation Lab in Austin, TX. Prior to BlackLocus, Rob served as EVP & GM of TrueCar, an online technology business reinventing how cars are purchased & sold on the internet. TrueCar completed its IPO in 2014 after raising several hundred million dollars over the preceding four years. Chris is a dad, husband, serial entrepreneur, CEO advisor, and bootstrap evangelist. Chris founded Square Root in 2006 after a 10 year career at Trilogy Software. He bootstrapped Square Root for 15 years until he sold it to an automotive strategic, CDK Global in 2021. Now Chris helps other entrepreneurs overcome their challenges and celebrate their wins.
Square Root’s SaaS platform, CoEFFICIENT, helped the world’s leading automotive brands use data science to drive dealership performance. Culture is a huge focus for Chris, and Square Root received many culture accolades including being named the 2nd best US workplace by FORTUNE, a top innovator by Fast Company, and one of PEOPLE magazine’s top companies that care.
Chris graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Carnegie Mellon with degrees in Computer Science, Mathematics, and Cognitive Psychology.
Outside of entrepreneurship, Chris enjoys adventuring with his wife and two daughters, cycling, and a nice glass of wine.
In his role as CEO and Founder of SailPoint, Mark brings almost 35 years of experience in technology, with over 20 years as a founder and leader of innovative identity management companies. Under Mark’s direction, SailPoint has grown into the leader in identity security for the modern enterprise with over 2K employees worldwide, operating in 155 countries. Last year, SailPoint was acquired by Thoma Bravo, a leading software investment firm, in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $6.9 billion. Mark directs and drives the overall vision and strategy for SailPoint, which is underpinned by his commitment and passion for building topperforming teams, creating a collaborative and innovative work environment, and focusing continuously on the needs of customers.
Teaming is a concept that Mark promotes throughout the company: teaming with forwardthinking customers to understand their needs, with partners to ensure customer success, and ultimately within SailPoint to develop innovative, market-leading solutions. Mark is passionate about maintaining the spirit of teamwork, even as SailPoint grows its employee base and its global presence to offices around the world.
Prior to SailPoint, he co-founded Waveset Technologies, which was ultimately acquired by Sun Microsystems. Mark’s career also includes diverse experience in international sales and marketing with Hewlett-Packard and IBM/Tivoli Systems.
Following 4 years of R&D at the University of Cambridge in England, CEO and founder Angela Hood returned to Austin, Texas to build ThisWay Global Inc., a company that converges technology with talent networks (not job boards) to unlock human potential.
Today, ThisWay is one of the fastest growing SaaS automation companies in the world, serving over 5000 company customers. ThisWay provides unbiased talent matching and sourcing through its proprietary network of over 8,500 unique, diverse community partners. Hood is a well respected thought leader and international keynote speaker on the topics of mitigating bias using artificial intelligence, the ROI of diversity and human-centric automation. While many know ThisWay through their acceleration by Google, Hood is also the technology advisor for the Board of Directors of Consort Institute at Clark Atlanta University (HBCU). Her groundbreaking work is covered in Simon & Schuster’s book, Hack Recruiting, and she was also recognized by ideaSpace - University of Cambridge and Texas A&M University as Outstanding Alumni in 2021.
“As a serial entrepreneur there is no greater accomplishment than to solve a problem that positively affects the world. Our agnostic approach enables us to truly ‘match all people to all jobs in all systems’. I’m proud that through technology, ThisWay is bringing candidates, employers and our network partners together to make meaningful change.“ - Angela Hood.
Richard Walker is the CEO and co-founder of Quik!.
Having started 10 companies since age 12, host of The Customer Wins podcast, author of two books, and father to three boys, Richard empowers people to do their best work. Prior to starting Quik!, Richard was a financial advisor with Financial Network and a business consultant with Arthur Andersen. He started Quik! in 2002 to help people spend less time on paperwork and more time on what they do best.
Quik! is the industry leader in enterprise forms automation service and provides an extensive library of fillable forms. Quik! eliminates handwriting on forms which translates to fewer errors and faster processing for paperdriven transactions. As an added benefit, Quik! saves a tree every hour of every day.
For more… Visit www.quikforms.com or find Richard as “QuikFormsCEO” on LinkedIn to get a free copy of his book, “It’s My Life! I Can Have The Job I Want”.
John has founded and led multiple startups and early growth projects to successful exits by identifying market value gaps, matching innovative technology solutions. Early in the ATM technology curve he started Hartigan ATM and built a network of ATMs across CA and Arizona later selling to Marathon ATM/ Cord Financial. He then launched Mobile Cloth®, a CPG brand leveraging the touch screen device growth explosion, distributing to over 30 countries, and later selling to The Clouser Group. Over the past seven years, he has focused on learning technologies and practical business applications of blockchain. As CEO of Intiva Health he launched "Ready Doc" the first decentralized (blockchain) application for healthcare provider credentialing. John has served in C-level roles in private and public companies and is frequently invited to speak around the world to share and discuss the practical impact of information technologies. John sits on the board of the Round Rock Area Serving Center, a community-based food pantry and financial assistance organization serving over 60,000 individuals every year. He received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from California Polytechnic University, Pomona and currently resides in the greater Austin area, Texas. Domain-U is a complete SaaS solution delivering a video based, on-demand, interactive, “hands-on” training platform. Domain-U is purpose built for training the Hybrid workforce no matter where or when they are!
Matt Stephenson is the CEO and Co-Founder along with his wife of Code2College (www.code2college.org), an Austin, TX based nonprofit that is building a national network of diverse, college-going technical talent. Through its skills-based, volunteer-driven program model, high school students – who are primarily Black, brown and girls – develop coding and professional skills, gain exposure to a variety of STEM industries through case competitions and workshops, and build competence, confidence and a deep network through mentorship relationships with industry volunteers.
Under Matt’s leadership, Code2College has become the national leader in preparing girls and students of color for STEM undergraduate majors and careers through paid, technical high school internships. These highly competitive technical internship placements continue to be one of Code2College’s key differentiators as these students are able to launch their careers in software engineering, AR/VR and other technical fields at leading companies including Atlassian and VMware prior to entering college.
For over 30 years, Lawrence Waugh has been rethinking the way that software is developed. After graduating from MIT, he spent 7 years flying combat jets for the Navy before leaving to pursue his MS in Computer Science at Stanford. Recruited to Austin by Trilogy Software, Lawrence spent the next several years with various Enterprise Software companies, becoming progressively frustrated by their poor product quality and lack of sound development process. By 2001, his passion for efficient and reliable software development led him to found Calavista Software. An early pioneer in continuous integration and delivery, Lawrence holds some of the early patents on software tools and methodologies in these fields. Over the past 20 years, Calavista has served both as a development resource for its customers - delivering high-quality Enterprise software on time and on budget - as well as helping companies improve their own software organizations by transforming their development and delivery processes. In addition to Calavista, Lawrence serves on the Board of the Austin Technology Council and several other organizations and companies.
Maren Miller is Americas EY Private Business Development Leader. She works with high growth companies on how to navigate success through the services offered by EY in the areas of tax, audit, and consulting. She works to provide high-growth, private or IPO-bound companies with the best EY services for their unique needs. Maren is committed to delivering exceptional client service and bringing expert go-to-market advice for the companies served by EY. Link to apply for EY Entrepreneur of the Year: https://www.ey.com/en_us/entrepreneur-of-the-year/central-south/overview
Tom Kieley graduated from Texas A&M in 2004 and co-founded SourceDay in 2015 after launching his first tech startup, RG in 2008. Earlier in his career, he started as a manufacturing supervisor at Dell and later into enterprise selling with software companies like Boomi and Pervasive.
Tom and his co-founder, Clint, started SourceDay to transform how manufacturers, distributors, and retailers collaborate with their suppliers to solve supply chain challenges they experienced early in their careers.
At the time of publishing, SourceDay has helped over 250 customers and 16,000 suppliers globally improve visibility and collaboration in their supply chains.
Tom is a husband, father of three, and exercise fanatic who loves cars, boating, and anything outdoors.
And About SourceDay : As much as 70% of your supply chain problems occur before your parts ever ship. Stop supplier misses with SourceDay. Align with your suppliers on orders and changes. Know where your parts are and when you are going to get them. Late parts will shut down your production line.
Our supply chain collaboration software integrates with most ERPs and connects with your suppliers to automate direct materials PO changes and orchestrates actions to keep supplier execution continuously aligned for continuity of supply.
In 2022 alone, SourceDay has connected over 12 thousand companies, managed 11.6M PO changes, orchestrated receipt of 16.6B parts on-time and protected $755M in revenue on average for 250+ customers.
Dave Parks has over 25 years of experience in the digital strategy and transformative solutions arena. Beginning his career as a software developer, he eventually transitioned into technology management, technical sales and solution sales roles. Dave founded Adjacent Technologies, Inc. in 2002, and was acting CEO until merging Adjacent with enChoice in late 2019. Dave holds a bachelor’s degree in Business from Texas A&M University.
Founded in 1993, enChoice®, Inc. is an award-winning Enterprise Content Management (ECM) and Digital Transformation solutions company, with 29-years’ experience helping customers improve business processes and protect critical information with software and solutions that accelerate their path to digital efficiency.
With offices across the United States and Europe, enChoice is an IBM Platinum Business Partner, 2015 IBM Business Partner of the Year, Microsoft Partner and OpenText Technology Partner.
Justin Fischer has over 20 years of financial technology experience, with a heavy focus on community financial institutions and user experience. Before RiskScout, Justin was the founder and principal consultant of Launchy Consulting, which provided MSB and scale consulting to start-ups and financial institutions around the country. Launchy also worked with VC and PE groups for buy-side reviews of emerging technology companies.
Previous to Launchy, Justin served as the CEO and CPO for Student Loan Genius (SLG), a Prudential Financial-backed company with clients such as Voya, John Hancock, and New York Life. Prior to SLG, he served in various executive roles with Q2ebanking, including Senior Vice President of Operations, in the approach to their hugely successful IPO in 2014. Before Q2, Justin worked in the enterprise banking and international payments company S1, where he led senior development teams providing FinTech solutions for large financial institutions and payments processing. Justin was also the co-founder and CTO of CoreTrac, Inc., who developed some of the first CFI CRM and marketing solution software, and was later acquired by Aptean
About RiskScout
After decades of developing enterprise software for financial institutions, pioneering cloud banking and infrastructure, and writing regulatory compliance as part of the FFIEC, our team of experts came together to solve a big problem for financial institutions (FI) compliance.
Traditional FI tools are too broad in scope to effectively address the increasingly interrelated risk environment that FIs are forced to manage. Currently available tools tend to stop at basic scoring and evaluation, forcing FI staff to perform duplicative time intensive work when qualified staff are more difficult to find than ever. Think: the TSA line at the airport on a good day. RiskScout is a modern compliance system that automates the onboarding, business verification, and ongoing compliance required to handle all higher risk businesses and entities. RiskScout is the Clear terminal at the TSA line - not less compliance, just done in a better way!
How can someone thrive as an entrepreneur with their startup, not only once, but many times over? CEO of Austin Technology Council, Thom Singer sits down with the Founder & CEO of Gembah Henrik Johansson and discuss his entrepreneurial journry here in Austin, TX. \
Henrik Johansson is a serial entrepreneur who co-founded and built the product company Boundless into a $100M company. Currently he is the co-founder and CEO of Gembah, a product development platform and marketplace, and the Executive Producer of Final Product, a reality TV show incubated at Gembah. He was previously a co-founder and board member of OutboundEngine, and before that the president of EverydayWealth, and co-founder and president of Creditland.
Johansson specializes in technology-enabled services, marketplaces, and software as a service. He is an expert on scaling startups, building world-class teams, culture, and scalable processes and infrastructure and has been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur, Austin Business Journal, and was named Counselor's 2017 Person of the Year.
Gembah- The 1st Marketplace for Product Development
Gembah is a product development marketplace specializing in bringing new products to market through all stages of development. Gembah connects creators with its global network of designers, engineers, and supply chain specialists and oversees production at factories in China, Southeast Asia, Mexico, and South America. Founded on the belief that humans are natural inventors, the company’s goal is to empower creators and make product development accessible to anyone. Gembah was established in 2018 in Austin, TX and has been featured in Forbes and Entrepreneur. To learn more, visit Gembah.com, or find us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube.
AI is a major focul point in the world right now. Austin Technology Council CEO, Thom Singer sits down with the Founder of Macami.ai and discusses the quickly changing world of AI and how it's impacting the Tech world, specifically in Austin.
Carlos Martin is the CEO of macami.ai, a company focused in bringing efficiency to the enterprise by leveraging Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and AI. Formerly Director of Strategic Alliances for Brazil for the company Blue Prism, which pioneered the RPA market, and where he worked for 5+ years. Carlos has a degree in Computer Science and a Master’s in Technology Commercialization from UT Austin. He has more than 20 years in IT with a solid experience in technology, systems, problem solving, research and business strategy.
Carlos is the author of the upcoming book “The Efficient Enterprise”, which will discuss topics on how to leverage these technologies for bring exponential benefits to business.
Carlos' company macami.ai is an AI consultancy headquartered in Cedar Park, Texas that demystifies the use of artificial intelligence and robotic process automation to make businesses more efficient and allow them to scale effectively. The founders have trained and mentored the top consulting firms on best case use of AI and practices of automation. macami.ai analyzes companies’ financials and the cost of business processes with a top down approach to recommend and execute simple financial and software methodologies that incorporate AI and RPA technology. The company will also be providing free trainings online and within local communities on spotting financial scams.
As co-founder and CEO of BP3, it's my job to help our clients find a faster way. Our clients want a specific business outcome, and they want it in the fastest way possible, and that's what BP3 is here to deliver. We deliver those outcomes because we bring a more focus, more foresight, and more followup approach to every single client engagement. We leverage our experience in Process, Design, Robotics (RPA), AI, Machine Learning, Decision Automation, and Software Engineering to deliver Intelligent Automation Solutions for our clients. Prior to BP3, I was Chief Architect and Director of Technical Services and the Lombardi On Demand Assistance program at Lombardi Software, which was an early and innovative entrant in the Business Process Management (BPM) software space, later acquired by IBM in 2010, and becoming the cornerstone of IBM's offering in that space. Prior to Lombardi, I started Westslope Software, LLC to manage my independent software consulting efforts. Prior to Westslope Software, I worked 7 years with Trilogy in several different senior technical, management, and leadership roles - from Development to Consulting to Technical Sales.
This week Austin Technology Council's CEO sits down with the founder & CEO of data.world Brett Hurt and they discuss what startups need to grow, how the pandemic has impacted business, and so much more.
Brett Hurt is the CEO and co-founder of data.world, an Austin-based Certified B Corporation and public benefit corporation. data.world makes it easy for everyone—not just the "data people"—to get clear, accurate, fast answers to any business question. data.world's cloud-native data catalog maps its customers siloed, distributed data to familiar and consistent business concepts, creating a unified body of knowledge anyone can find, understand, and use. data.world is also home to the world’s largest collaborative open data community, including public COVID-19 datasets. In 2017, 2018, and 2019, data.world was honored on the “Best for the World” list by B Lab that recognizes the top 10% of all B Corps globally. And in 2020, data.world was named by the Austin Business Journal as one of the top-three companies to work for. Brett is also the co-owner of Hurt Family Investments (HFI), alongside his wife, Debra. HFI are involved in 115 startups, 31 VC funds, and multiple philanthropic endeavors. Brett co-founded and led Bazaarvoice as CEO, through its IPO, follow-on offering, and two acquisitions. Bazaarvoice became the largest public SaaS (Software as a Service) business in social commerce and was named by the WSJ as one of the top IPOs of 2012. Brett also founded and led Coremetrics, which was rated the #1 Web analytics solution by Forrester Research and, like Bazaarvoice, expanded into a global company and leader. Coremetrics was acquired by IBM in 2010 for around $300m. In 2017, Brett was given the Best CEO Legacy Award by the Austin Business Journal. He is a Henry Crown Fellow and Braddock Scholar at the Aspen Institute. Brett began programming at age seven and doing so on the Internet at age eighteen. He finished his book, “The Entrepreneur’s Essentials”, in August 2019 (available at databrett.medium.com for free).
The future of technology and the future of Austin are entangled. In this episode we hear from Whurley (Will Hurley), the founder and CEO of Strangeworks. He is a leader in the quantum computing field and serial entrepreneur. Hear his take on quantum computing’s role in the future, and his predictions and advice for the Austin.
About Whurley:
whurley is founder and CEO of Strangeworks, a quantum computing startup that makes the power of quantum computing easily accessible and available to all. He is an Eisenhower Fellow, Innovator in Residence for the Legatum Center for Development and Entrepreneurship at the Sloan School of Management at MIT, A Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), Chairman of the Quantum Computing Standards Workgroup at the IEEE, the first Ambassador to CERN and Society, a regular contributor to TechCrunch on the topic of Quantum Computing, and the co-author of "Quantum Computing For Babies”. Prior to starting Strangeworks he was a Managing Director at Goldman Sachs [NYSE: GS]. He came to Goldman Sachs via the acquisition of his second startup, Honest Dollar. Prior to Honest Dollar whurley founded Chaotic Moon Studios which was acquired by Accenture [NYSE: ACN].
This week, we sit-down with the CEO of Ticketbud Kayhan Ahmadi
Ticketbud was built on the idea that anyone, anywhere in the world wanting to organize an event should have the tools to do easily. We promote this idea everyday through the dedication of a team based out of Austin, Texas.
We make the focus of our efforts the event organizers, who work hard to ensure that their attendees have a great experience. We share their passion for bringing people together to create memories and enrich lives.
On this episode of Austin Tech Connect we talk to Linda Ginac, CEO and Founder of TalentGuard. Linda has been active in the Austin Technology Community for thirty years, and believes that growing connections and community are the key for all business leaders (of both home grown companies and those who have relocated to Austin). Hear her story of success and her advice on how to be more engaged in the local community.
About TalentGuard:
TalentGuard’s Workforce Skills Management solution brings together data, software, and ecosystem to unlock complete visibility of skills, intelligent data insights to make informed decisions and help companies develop the highest potential in their workforce.
About Linda Ginac:
Linda is the Founder and CEO of TalentGuard. Before TalentGuard, she founded a successful career development franchise, The Ginac Group, serving clients across the U.S. and Canada since 1999. Prior to this, Linda was Vice President of Product Strategy at Cofiniti, where she was instrumental in pioneering Cofiniti’s global entry into collaborative financial planning using cloud-based technology and helping to prepare the company for a successful exit. Linda also served as marketing executive at pcOrder collaborating with the team that led the company from an start-up to a NASDAQ-listed public corporation. In prior leadership roles, Linda served as Vice President of Marketing at EPSIAA, where she led global expansion of the brand through acquisition by Fiserv, Vice President of Business Development at Computer People and numerous leadership roles at Digital Equipment Corporation. Linda sits on the Board of the Austin Technology Council and several other community organizations. Linda holds a Master’s Degree in Career Development from John F. Kennedy University, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Arts from Norwich University.
On the first episode of the Austin Tech Connect, our host and CEO Thom Singer sits down with the Presidnet of NetSpend, one of the most successful FinTech companies in Austin.
Kelley Knutson serves as the president of Netspend. Previously, Knutson served as Executive Vice President of TSYS and President of International Issuer Solutions, based in London since 2003. He was responsible for TSYS’ strategic execution, global sales, business development, relationship management, local product partnerships and new growth initiatives outside North America (United States, Canada, Mexico and Central America). Prior to TSYS, Knutson served as CEO and acting chairman of Clear Money Ltd. (Clear), a provider of Electronic Bill Management Services to UK billers and financial institutions; SVP of GE Capital’s Global Consumer Finance (GCF) cards business, where he was responsible for developing and executing GCF’s cards strategy and driving card-based consumer finance initiatives in more than 15 markets around the world. Prior to GE Capital, he was SVP at Visa International, where he was responsible for developing/marketing Visa’s debit products and introducing e-commerce solutions (security, chip and remote banking) throughout Europe.
This podcast is hosted by the CEO of the Austin Technology Council. It sits down with leaders in Austin, Texas who are pushing technology forward.