MONDAY, DEC. 21, 2020

PROPTECH
Richardson-Based RealPage Is Acquired by Thoma Bravo in $10B Deal

The real estate software and data analytics provider expects to continue operating under Chairman and CEO Steve Winn and his existing leadership team in Richardson. Winn founded the company, which now serves some 12,200 clients worldwide, in 1998.

In an earnings call in February, Winn said, “This is a good time to be in the real estate technology space.” The company is committed to the “North Star of Innovation and simplification,” he said at the time. 

VACCINE ROLLOUT
Irving-Based McKesson Begins Distributing Moderna’s COVID-19 Vaccine

Irving-headquartered McKesson has fulfilled the U.S. government's initial orders for Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine and the ancillary supply kits needed to administer them. The first order from the CDC was filled on Sunday, Dec. 20, with shipping partners delivering vaccine orders at administration sites nationwide on Monday, Dec. 21.

PLUS: Meet the woman who—six weeks into a new role at McKesson when the pandemic hit—reprioritized overnight to scale systems and pivot tech teams to prepare to distribute the vaccine. 

JOINING THE TEAM
Hypergiant Industries Adds Former WiPro CEO Abidali Neemuchwala to Executive Advisory Board

Neemuchwala will be joining an all-star advisory team that includes Bill Nye, a former astronaut, and a retired four star general among its ranks. A transformational leader, he brings extensive experience in enterprise tech and building platforms that scale to mass adoption. 

Hypergiant hints at a new launch called Hyperdrive—an AI Services Integration Platform ripe for massive market growth. Neemuchwala calls the AI SaaS platform “unlike anything I’ve seen.”

SOCIAL GOOD
NBA Foundation Awards Seven Grants to Nonprofits Supporting Black Communities, Including Dallas’ Marcus Graham Project

The Marcus Graham Project will use the money to expand its training, mentorship, and professional development programs for talent of color in media, advertising, and sports marketing.

⓵ EXPANSION: Lockheed Martin has acquired Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings Inc. in a deal valued at $4.4 billion, reports the Dallas Morning News. The acquisition is expected to expand its space travel and missile defense capabilities as Aerojet is a supplier of propulsion systems for missiles, along with other space and defense applications.

⓶ APPLY NOW: Real estate advisory firm Building Solutions has announced the “Building Solutions for Brighter Futures” program, in which schools can be nominated to receive facility equity assessments from the company. 3,000 hours will be donated to 30 North Texas schools with the goal to close the gap in academic achievement for underserved students.

⓷ ACQUISITION: Technology, analytics, and engagement solutions provider HMS will be acquired by Veritas Capital-backed Gainwell Technologies, which will result in an enterprise value for HMS of approximately $3.4 billion, per a statement. The Irving-based company's solution set is expected to be used by Gainwell and fellow Veritas-backed company Cotiviti, Inc.

EXPERT ROUNDTABLE
Music to Your Ears: The Beauty of Art, Innovation During a Pandemic

In the fourth installment of a five-part series, Capital One shines a spotlight on nonprofit innovation in 2020.

"We want every little girl to see herself in one of these women."

Nicole Small
CEO, Lyda Hill Philanthropies
Co-Founder, IF/THEN Initiative
...on the 3D-printed display of all female statues, the most statues of women ever assembled in one location at one time.
 

The exhibit—from Lyda Hill Philanthropies' IF/THEN Initiative, a first-of-its kind coalition that celebrates women in STEM—was originally meant to launch on May 10, but the pandemic derailed these plans.

Visitors of the #IfThenSheCan – The Exhibit can interact with audio and videos that highlight the stories of IF/THEN Ambassadors, a group of successful female professionals in STEM.

“We deeply believe that, ‘IF she can see it, THEN she can be it’ and this exhibit is just one of the ways—albeit a very striking and fun one—that IF/THEN is promoting positive portrayals of women in the images young people see in everyday life to pique their interest in STEM careers,” Small says.

After pivoting to create a 10-statue pop-up exhibit in Dallas' NorthPark Center in September, Lyda Hill Philanthropies has announced another pop-up—this time at the Dallas Love Field airport.

Holiday travelers can catch a glimpse of 15 of the statues from now until March 9. And, the full 3D-printed display of 122 female statues is set to debut in 2021.