It’s official. On Thursday night, hundreds gathered with us in downtown Dallas to celebrate the launch of Dallas Innovates. Seeing all of the hundreds of tweets and images on social media, we are reminded of the collaboration it took to make it happen.

Outside, the Dallas skyline glowed with purple lights. Inside, on the 19th floor of St. Paul Place in downtown Dallas, there was music, small bites, and forward thinkers talking about the innovation that’s happening here in our region. You could feel the excitement in the air, as creatives and educators, technologists and futurists, startups and the C-suite came together.

Wick Allison, chairman and president of D Magazine, captivated the crowd with a short speech before introducing Dale Petroskey, president and CEO of the Dallas Regional Chamber.

Petroskey told the crowd there’s no better place to be in this country than Dallas-Fort Worth. Whether you’re a startup, inventor, small business, large corporation or someone with a dream, the Chamber’s goal is to continue attracting and retaining the talent that has helped create an innovative region and its strong economy.

Earlier this week, we brought you the story about Sir Joey McGee, a 3-year-old Chihuahua, who was born with deformities to his front legs that made it impossible for him to walk properly. Dialexa created a tiny wheelchair that has given him a new lease on life.

Thanks to Sir Joey’s owner, Ken Hanson, the little pup made a special appearance at the event. And let’s just say, he was quite a hit.

Finally, we at Dallas Innovates want to thank everyone who joined us for the celebration, as well as our advisers, voices, partners, sponsors, local businesses and the entire community for supporting our efforts and welcoming our new media platform.

“Innovation isn’t just a word, it’s a way of life, it’s how we solve big problems” – Hussain Manjee, CEO #DallasInnovates @DRChamber

— DHD Films (@dhd_films) February 25, 2016

We’re excited about telling the stories that make our region a hub of innovation. You are invited to send us your story ideas and follow us social media.

And, of course, share your purple skyline photos on social media using #DallasInnovates.

In the coming days, we’ll have a full gallery of photos from our event, so be sure to keep visiting the site.

For a daily dose of what’s new and next in Dallas-Fort Worth innovation, subscribe to our Dallas Innovates e-newsletter.