New Houston Exponential CEO Natara Branch shares plans for new role - Link

"The new head of one of Houston’s innovation ecosystem organizations said she will continue to expand tangible resources to invest in entrepreneurs.

Natara Branch was named CEO of Houston Exponential on Oct. 27, replacing Lawson Gow, who had temporarily held the role since Gow Cos. acquired the company and transitioned it from a nonprofit to a for-profit company in May 2022.

“The fundamental mission of protecting and resourcing the entrepreneur will not change,” Branch said.

Branch told the Houston Business Journal that she had been looking to return to Houston, where she had split time in her previous role as a vice president of the NFL, the first Black woman to hold the position." - Houston Business Journal's Jishnu Nair

FIESTA 🎉 Founders, Investors, Entrepreneurs, Startups, Techies, Austin Newcomer

HEALTH TECH AUSTIN
The Convenient Care Summit

San Antonio Innovation Forum: Robotics

Austin Startup Week
November 14-18, 2022

• A Deep Dive with Bob Campbell, a Longtime Austin Leader - Link
  - Austin Next Podcast
   
• data.world Honored by Goldman Sachs for Entrepreneurship - Link
   
• Real-Time Charter Bus Marketplace CharterUP Raises $60M Series A Led by Tritium Partners - Link
   
• Certain Affinity on reaching "AAA quality on a AA scope" - Link
  - GamesIndustry.biz
   
• Rocket maker Firefly Aerospace looks to raise up to $300m - Link
   
• Argo AI Shuts Down Robo Taxis in Austin and Lays Off 78 Employees - Link
  - Silicon Hills News’ Laura Lorek
   
• 2023 PitchBook Report: 15 Years of SXSW Pitch Data - Link
  - SXSW
• Twitter's Evil MoPac Shares Secrets From Life Behind the Keyboard - Magazine - Link
   - Austin Monthly Magazine
   
• David J Neff of Ecliptic Capital: 5 Things I Need To See Before Making A VC Investment - Link
  - Authority Magazine’s Jason Hartman
   
• BoomATX: BoomATX Episode #28 with Roy Spence GSD&M - Don't Mess With Texas! on Apple Podcasts - Link
   
• ASPIRE project to bring affordable housing, business training to North Austin - Link
  - Austin Monitor
   
• Austin is No. 1 city where millennials are moving - Link
  - Austonia
   
• PW manager buys its way into passkeys, plans passwordless authentication solution - Link
• Baking Efficiency Into the Real Estate: How Jointly's Founder Is Reimagining the Industry - Link
• Wedy Plans to Raise Capital, Expand Its Wedding Platform to More States - Link
• These 5 Austin Tech Startups Raised a Collective $210M in October - Link
• These 2 Austin Companies Are Embracing Hybrid Work Life - Link
• Nomi Health's New Office, StoryFit's $5M Raise, and More Austin Tech News - Link
• Why Apply to inKind? Because Restaurants 'Depend' on It. - Link
  - Built in Austin
   
• The ultimate guide to website accessibility for small businesses - Link
• Metaverse fashion brands take off with limitless virtual possibilities - Link
• Elon Musk says the infamous blue checkmark will be overhauled - Link
• Purdue ramping up engineering program to up U.S. chip production - Link
• Elon Musk disbands Twitter’s board the day after acquisition - Link
• JPMorgan pres: “Recession may be ‘price to pay’ to beat inflation” - Link
• The latest on layoffs: Data on the companies making cuts - Link
• Elon Musk to cut 75% of Twitter’s workforce, employees protest - Link
• Why investors aren’t going green, despite calls for sustainability - Link
  - The American Genius
   
• UT Austin Ranks Among World’s Best for Producing Entrepreneurs - Link
• UT Alumni flourish in Austin’s venture capital ecosystem, give back – The Daily Texan - Link
• Space to Explore - Link
• Energy Policy Focus on ‘Pain at the Pump’ Ignores History of How We Got Here - Link
  - University of Texas
   
• Austin businesses prepare to face recession with mix of pleasure and pain - Link
• Tens of millions in R&D funding, health care inventions galore: How Dell Medical School impacts Austin's economy - Link
• Apple and Amazon add to the dark clouds forming over Austin economy - Link
• Iron Ox lays off half the company, says Austin-area greenhouse to remain open - Link
• Continental Automotive's empire keeps growing with a focus on people first - Link
• Married couple turned hobby into sweet success with Madhu Chocolate - Link
• CMT Music Awards to move to Austin in 2023 after decades in Nashville - Link
• Time Insurance Agency has stood test of time by continuously adapting - Link
• Longevity, love and a little luck: Family Business Awards winners share stories of perseverance - Link
• M&A wrap: Restaurant chain Tumble 22 has new owners; HireBetter, Storable grow with buyouts - Link
• Facebook parent Meta won't fill downtown Austin skyscraper - Link
• Small Plates: Amy's Ice Creams expanding close to home; Makers of 'state's best' pastrami land in East Austin - Link
• Project Shamrock, $16M project from Fortune 500 fixture Builders FirstSource, headed to Kyle - Link
• Dozens of jobs lost in Austin as Argo AI shuts down - Link
• Journal Profile: Where fashion designer Kate Falchi finds inspiration — and what she thinks of Austin's style - Link
• 18 tech leaders to know in Austin, from new CEOs to a smart agriculture exec for John Deere - Link
• Hopdoddy losing CFO to Red Robin - Link
• Texas restaurants, bars can soon apply for state pandemic relief - Link
• Austin is a millennial magnet, with tens of thousands moving here last year - Link
• Why the best advice for your company may not always come from within - Link
• Turkey prices soar for restaurant owners while avian flu affects supply - Link
• Funding wrap: Spyderbat snags $10M from NTTVC, LiveOak Venture Partners, others - Link
  - Austin Business Journal & Austin Inno's Brent Wistrom
   
• Austin's best employers adapt to get the most from their teams - Link
• Austin's best places to work tend to make their employees feel valued - Link
• Top Workplaces of Greater Austin: Top large employers - Link
• Progressive's leaders 'want to invest in you,' Austin team members say - Link
• 2022 Top Workplaces of Greater Austin - Link
• Culture of coaching, comradery keeps Realty Austin among area's top workplaces - Link
• GM's vision, culture resonate with tech-focused Austin employees - Link
• At JBGoodwin, employees say training and mentorship are unmatched - Link
• Top Workplaces of Greater Austin: Top midsized employers
• Employees enjoy teamwork, sense of belonging at Talroo - Link
• At Endeavor, employees say company invests in their growth - Link
• Top Workplaces of Greater Austin: Top small employers - Link
• RealWork Labs aims to make fun a key piece of its startup culture - Link
• Austin's Spyglass Realty keeps focus on teamwork, training and support - Link
• At Austin's 360Partners, 'everyone roots for one another' - Link
• Facebook/Meta changes plans, won't move into space in new Austin tower - Link
• Signs of trouble: New reports show Texas economy is facing headwinds - Link
• As Argo AI shuts down, will its driverless tech leave Austin's streets? - Link
• As Elon Musk takes over, will some Twitter operations move to Austin? - Link
  - Austin American-Statesman

• NeuScience Launches Fundraising for Cancer Drug Discovery AI Platform - Link
  - Startups San Antonio’s Iris Gonzalez
   
• Local group with ties to Weston Urban set to buy minor league Missions baseball team - Link
  - San Antonio Report
   
• Fiesta San Antonio Commission unveils first-ever NFT Fiesta medal - Link
• Walmart launches grocery delivery service in San Antonio that brings food right to customers' fridges - Link
• Celebrate National Veterans Small Business Week with these San Antonio bars and restaurants - Link
  - San Antonio Current
   
• Tech trade school Codeup receives accreditation - Link
• San Antonio colleges show strong diversity gains as Supreme Court weighs affirmative action arguments - Link
• What salary do you need to buy a home in San Antonio? (Hint: Some ZIP codes are in the six figures) - Link
• Heavy hitters lined up to buy and operate SA Missions baseball team, pending stadium deal - Link
• San Antonio puts budget gains to work, details nearly $170M in planned sports and convention venue upgrades - Link
• Dura Software expands portfolio with 10th acquisition - Link
• San Antonio cancer biotech follows IPO with patent win in China - Link
• Black Bexar Coffee launches specialty coffee site - Link
• Texas restaurants, bars can soon apply for state pandemic relief - Link
  - San Antonio Business Journal

• #19: Practical VC seed investor explains the institutional funding game – John Francis - Link
  - Practical Founders Podcast's Greg Head
   
• Mark Cuban’s key to success: ‘Somebody’s got to be the luckiest guy’ - Link
  - Dallas Morning News
   
• Episode 75: Techstars Part 3 – Wellest, Straffr, and Stabl - Link
• Episode 74: Techstars Part 2 – Articulate Labs and BOOMROOM - Link
• Episode 73: Techstars Part 1 – GoManda, PulseWave, and Recovr Health - Link
• The FoundHers Club: The Empire BuildHer – Sarah Castillo (FoundHer of TacoHeads) - Link
  - Innovate Fort Worth Podcast
   
• Business Hall of Fame honors Gachman as Fort Worth’s Executive of the Year - Link
• Big chance: ‘Mattress Mack’ bets $10M on Astros to win World Series - Link
• Executive of the Year: Arnold Gachman has built a proud legacy in business and community - Link
• Arnie Gachman: Genuine, warmhearted and a quiet, persistent force - Link
• Fort Worth food blogger influences local cooking scene - Link
  - Fort Worth Business News
   
• DI People: Dynata, AMN Healthcare, Mary Kay Announce Moves at the Top - Link
• Trust for Public Land Receives Over $5.7M in New Commitments for Five Mile Creek Greenbelt - Link
• The Last Word: Matthew Randazzo on The Dallas Foundation Crossing the $1B Mark in Giving - Link
• The Dallas Foundation Crosses the $1 Billion Milestone in Giving - Link
• The Last Word: UNT’s Calvin Henard on Engineering a Bacteria that “Eats” Greenhouse Gases - Link
• Meet the Finalists: The Innovation Awards 2023, Presented by Dallas Innovates and D CEO - Link
• The Dallas 100: SMU Cox Unveils Its Ranking of the Fastest-Growing Private Companies in DFW - Link
• Two DFW Companies Named Primary Suppliers for Virgin Galactic Spaceships - Link
• Dallas Is Pedaling Toward a New Citywide Bike Plan - Link
• Cooper Smith Agency Rebrands to Multistory Media, Announces Office Move - Link
• Dallas Connectivity Startup Aerwave Raises $20M for ‘the Last Wi-Fi Network’ Multifamily Operators ‘Will Ever Have to Connect to’ - Link
• In-Seat Ordering App StadiumDrop Finds a Home in McKinney - Link
• With New Center, UT Dallas Researchers Are Looking into the Molecular Causes of Pain - Link
• CodeLaunch is Bringing its Seed Accelerator Competition Finals to Dallas for the First Time - Link
• The Last Word: Scott Hudson on TXU Energy’s ‘100% Free’ Home EV Charging Offering - Link
• Fort Worth’s City Hall Bitcoin Mine Went Viral—and Companies Nationwide Have Taken Notice - Link
• RCS Secure Completes Series A Round, Rebrands as Third Wave Innovations - Link
• Dallas Invents: 137 Patents Granted for Week of October 18 - Link
• Mary Kay Ash’s Grandson to Take Reins of Cosmetics Giant She Co-Founded - Link
• The Last Word: Committee Chairman Bernard Poussot on BioLabs and Others Winning 2022 Prix Galien Awards - Link
• Co-Founders Behind Fort Worth’s Rollin’ n Bowlin’ Launch Snacking Brand realsy to ‘Disrupt’ the Industry - Link
• Seeing Shelves Remotely: Dallas’ Spacee Launches Virtual Store Walkthrough Feature - Link
• Garland-Based Innovative Composite Ammunition Maker Set to Go Public with Expected $1.21B Valuation - Link
• The Last Word: UT Dallas’ Dr. Jung-Mo Ahn on Creating a New Cancer-Fighting Molecule - Link
• Follow the Money: ParkHub Acquires Parking Software Startup, UpSmith Raises $3.3M, Maverick Bancshares Seeks $17M for new Fort Worth Bank, and More - Link
• New Dallas Nonprofit NRVE Set to Launch with Focus on Mental Health - Link
• Local Innovators, Fastest-Growing Company Honored at Annual Tech Titan Awards Gala - Link
• Irving’s Flowserve Partners with Chart Industries on Hydrogen as Alternate Fuel Source - Link
• UT Dallas to Host Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers’ 2023 Conference - Link
• Dallas Newcomer and Relocation Guide: The Insider’s Guide to Dallas-Fort Worth - Link
  - Dallas Innovates
   
• DFW Scores Another HQ Relocation With Stadium Food Delivery App StadiumDrop - Link
• Michele Wheeler: The True Meaning of Texas Hospitality - Link
• Scenes from D CEO’s Corporate Counsel Awards 2022 - Link
• A Look at the Housing Needs of Dallas-Fort Worth’s Growing Tech Sector - Link
• Finalists Announced: The Innovation Awards 2023 - Link
• Teachers Are Quitting. Convincing Them To Stay Will Take More Than Money. - Link
• Judge Agrees: Dallas Was Within Its Rights to Shut Down a Poker Room - Link
• Why Social Media Matters in the Age of Social Commerce - Link
• OpTic Gaming Founder Takes Back the Reins - Link
• Get to Know Baylor Scott & White Medical Center’s New President Kyle Armstrong - Link
  - D Magazine
   
• CMT Music Awards to move to Texas in 2023 - Link
• Dallas advisory firm BKM Sowan Horan merges with CohnReznick - Link
• Darling Ingredients has agreed to purchase Polish rendering company - Link
• Tech firm and health care disrupter ShiftKey rises to top of SMU's Dallas 100 - Link
• NexBank appoints Scott Studenko to DFW market president - Link
• Dallas 100: Inside SMU's rankings of North Texas' fastest-growing private companies - Link
• Waco-based Neighborly acquires California-based Junk King - Link
• Dallas-based private equity firm CenterOak Partners to sell Wetzel's Pretzels for $207M - Link
• These 16 billionaires from North Texas landed on the Forbes 400 - Link
• Cosmetic giant Mary Kay appoints founder's grandson, Ryan Rogers, to CEO - Link
• Blucora to sell tax software business in $720M deal - Link
• Dallas data firm Dynata has appointed Mike Petrullo as new CEO - Link
• AMN Healthcare replaces retiring leader, appoints Cary Grace as president and CEO - Link
• Dallas-based Flowserve announces partnership to support growth of hydrogen as alternative fuel source - Link
• Dallas-based Kibo sells personalization business to New York-based Centre Lane Partners - Link
• Dallas tax lawyer Joseph Garza charged in alleged billion-dollar scheme - Link
• How ChildCareGroup creates a support system for the workforce - Link
  - Dallas Business Journal & NXT Inno

• AGGIE 100 - Link
   
• DOSS, a Conversational Real Estate Marketplace, receives an investment from the Amazon Alexa Fund - Link
   
• Creating Space for All with Maggie Segrich of Sesh Coworking - Link
  - Entreprenista
   
• Texas Startup Solugen Wants to Make Greener Chemicals — and Profits - Link
  - Bloomberg
   
• Houston SaaS company raises $15M series B, announces latest release - Link
• Innovative Houston company forms partnership to test tech on lithium mining - Link
• 5 most popular innovation stories in Houston this week - Link
• UH team lands $4.7M grant for discovery linking origins of two aggressive cancers - Link
• Overheard: Why these 3 startups relocated to Houston - Link
• Pumps & Pipes relaunches in-person event — here's what's on tap - Link
• Houston research: Can predictive tools help forecast the stock market? - Link
• TMC Innovation names 9 companies to its latest bootcamp - Link
• Houston tech company earns worldwide patent for LED disinfectant product - Link
• New HX leader strives to unlock Houston's potential - Link
• Overheard: Houston-based BIPOC, female founder finalists share challenges overcome - Link
• Houston expert: The insurance biz is ripe for innovation — here's how to tap into it - Link
• Houston-born wind energy technology is gearing up for climatetech impact - Link
• 10+ can't-miss Houston business and innovation events for November - Link
• Houston founders recognized as influential women - Link
• 3 Houston energy innovators to know this week - Link
  - Innovation Map Houston’s Natalie Harms
   
• Top university entrepreneurship centers, programs announced at annual Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers Conference - Link
• First annual Rice Business DEI report shows action toward fostering culture of respect, opportunity - Link
• Rice partners with Greentown Labs to create student-driven entrepreneurship ecosystem in Houston - Link
• New catalyst can turn smelly hydrogen sulfide into a cash cow - Link
• OpenStax announces 10 schools participating in this year’s Institutional Partner Program - Link
  - Rice University
   
• Ribbon cutting ceremony held for Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine - Link
  - University of Houston
   
• Arnold Ventures awards grant to Texas Southern University’s Center for Justice Research - Link
• Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner announces new initiatives, gives updates on city progress - Link
• Cryotherapy provider iCryo names new COO, chief innovation officer - Link
• HR and payroll provider GoCo.io raises $15 million in VC funding - Link
• 2022 Best Places to Work: Meet the top medium companies - Link
• 2022 Best Places to Work: Meet the top large companies - Link
• 2022 Best Places to Work: Meet the top extra-large companies - Link
• 2022 Best Places to Work: Meet the top small companies - Link
• Mayor Sylvester Turner reveals he was diagnosed with cancer, underwent surgery and radiation - Link
• Academy Sports & Outdoors opens Meyerland store as part of national growth - Link
• 94-year-old entrepreneur and grandson create upscale smokehouse, beer garden, music venue and event space in EaDo district - Link
• Weaver acquires Louisiana accounting firm, expands national footprint - Link
• Houston prepares to host its fourth Final Four in 2023 - Link
• Texas restaurants, bars can soon apply for state pandemic relief - Link
• Greentown Labs launches new entrepreneurship initiative for Houston-area universities - Link
• Houston Business Journal names new innovation and health care reporter, data reporter - Link
• Sysco Corp. announces double-digit earnings growth, preparations for recession - Link
• Moneyball for real estate: How one Houston co. uses data technology to create an ‘unfair competitive advantage’ - Link
• Young people face mental health crisis. Here’s how you can provide support. - Link
• Here’s the key to successfully investing in real estate - Link
• Feds finalize offshore wind areas near Galveston, Lake Charles for potential leasing - Link
• How $2.3 billion Big 12 TV deal affects University of Houston - Link
• Houston Area Urban League receives its largest single donation ever from MacKenzie Scott - Link
• Here's how Houston's Latino-owned businesses compare to those nationwide - Link
  - Houston Business Journal

• AfroTech Conference heads to Austin for first in-person event since 2019 - Link
• Wang leads Amazon Climate Pledge fund plan to back female founders - Link
• How to land investors who fund game-changing companies - Link
• How to Successfully Implement Cultural Change After Buying a Business – Kirk Coburn - Link
• Less Vision, More Questions - Interview with Deanna Brown - Link
• 500 Global, GIZ establish bootcamp for accelerators in Africa to help them define sustainable business models - TechCrunch - Link
• Privilège Ventures launches $20M fund investing in women-led startups - TechCrunch - Link
• Angel Investors - 19 Best Angel Investor Groups - TRUiC - Link
• Sevetri Wilson Defies Odds As Black Woman Startup Founder, Leads Resilia To $35 Million Capital Raise - Link
• Hello Divorce Closes $3.25M in Oversubscribed Seed Round to Disrupt the Broken Divorce Process - Link
• Uber whistleblower says company’s investors stayed silent as the company ‘broke democracy itself’ - Fortune - Link
• Early Adopters for a Better Business Idea - EarlyBirds - EarlyBirds Open Innovation Ecosystem - Link
• The Art (And Science) Of Valuation: Here's How Venture Capitalists Value Your Startup - Link
• The Council Fund Launches Its $5 Million Debut Fund To Back Businesses Disrupting Legacy Industries - Link
• Revere is creating a ratings system for the venture capital industry | TechCrunch - Link
• PitchBook Universities: Top 100 colleges ranked by startup founders - PitchBook - Link
• Building Substack - Sachin Monga (Substack, Facebook) - Lenny's Podcast: Product - Growth - Career - Podcast on Spotify - Link
• Synota Raises $3 Million in Seed Financing - Business Wire - Link
• Carter Reum Is Taking Young Businesses to the Next Level - Link
• An A For Allstacks: North Carolina startup lands $12.3M for its growing SaaS platform - Hypepotamus - Link
• HubSpot’s Brian Halligan launches $100 million investment fund focused on climate change - The Boston Globe - Link
• Share Of Angel Funding For Female Startup CEOs Drops Despite Surge In Dollars In 2021 - Link
• Aramco announces $1.5bn Sustainability Fund - Aramco - Link
• Uplinq Secures $1.25 Million Investment For SMB Credit Assessment and Scoring Platform - Fintech.ca - Link