It’s been a big year so far for North Texas—especially when it comes to innovation. And it’s already halfway over.

We took a moment to reflect on the stories behind the people and places that have been grabbing our readers’ attention the most this year. They span our six buckets of innovation (creative, education, enterprise, invention, social, and startup), have made waves in various industries, and have represented what’s new and next in Dallas-Fort Worth.

Here’s a Baker’s Dozen of the most-read stories on dallasinnovates.com in 2019 (as of right now).

1. New Gold Shipping Container in Klyde Warren Park is a ‘Portal’ to the Rest of the World

The global public art initiative launches in Dallas today. Through immersive audiovisual technology, a Portal gives the sense that you’re “face-to-face” with someone when they’re actually inside an identical container somewhere else on Earth.

Portals are located across the globe, in Afghanistan, Myanmar, Australia, Palestine, Germany, Honduras, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Mexico, Kazakhstan, Rwanda, Spain, and the U.S. [Screenshot: via Shared_Studios on Youtube]

2. Dallas-Founded Dating App, Vouch, Brings on a New Female CEO

Last year, Bachelor alum Sean Lowe announced he was launching a dating app where your friends could swipe for you. Now, Lowe and his team have revamped the technology and brought on a strong, local female voice to grow the platform: Christiana Yebra.

Christiana Yerba is the new CEO of Vouch. [Photo: Rebeca Posadas-Nava]

3. Dallas Sisters Create Female‑Focused Coworking Concept

Opening March 1 in the Design District, The Slate is equipped with everything a working mom might need, from a content creation studio to a wellness room to a boutique shop.

Shelly Slater (right) and her sister Jodie Hastings (left) co-founded The Slate as a female-focused coworking workspace. [Photo: Courtesy Shelly Slater]

4. Angie’s List Parent Acquires Dallas-based Fixd Repair

ANGI said that Fixd’s home warranty business was an attractive feature that made the company pursue an acquisition.

[Image: Courtesy Fixd]

5. 26 North Texas Innovators Who Are The Future Today

Here are the men and women forging the future of tech that has the potential to change the world.

[Images: via Dallas Innovates—The Magazine]

6. Bell Unveils its Full-Scale ‘Nexus’ Air Taxi Design at CES 2019

Called Bell Nexus, the air taxi, is powered by a hybrid-electric propulsion system developed by Safran.

Bell Helicopter has released its full-scale design for the Nexus air taxi. [Rendering: Courtesy Bell]

7. Mark Cuban Says There’s No Better Place for Entrepreneurs Than Dallas, so ‘Let’s Go to Work’

The Dallas billionaire, Shark, investor, and Mavs owner urged a crowd of startups, corporations, and companies to get out there and learn artificial intelligence immediately: “It will impact even the smallest business.” Plus, find yourself in the crowd or see who was there with DHD Film’s new DHD GIGA technology—360-degree view of the room where Mark Cuban talked.

[Photo: Rebeca Posadas-Nava]

8. ‘Premier Tech Hub of Texas’: Richardson Lays Tracks for Transit-Forward Innovation District

An upcoming block party will showcase the district’s potential with food trucks, activities, games, and examples of activated spaces.

[Image: Courtesy City of Richardson]

9. Texas Central High-Speed Rail Named One of World’s Top Infrastructure Projects

The Dallas-based private effort to build a high-speed rail line between Dallas and Houston was recognized in a report from CG/LA Infrastructure.

The Texas Central project has been named one of the world’s top infrastructure projects. [Rendering: Courtesy Texas Central Partners]

10. Medical Innovation District: Fort Worth Targets Near Southside for New Hub

City leaders hope to have the Near Southside neighborhood in the heart of Fort Worth designated a medical innovation district by the fall. The designation would have the potential of adding thousands of medical and technology related jobs.

[Photo: Courtesy Fort Worth Economic Development Department]

11. HCL Technologies Expands U.S. Operations, Launches CyberSecurity Fusion Center in Frisco

The company also launched a university-to-industry collaboration with Collin College and the University of North Texas.

[Image: sarayut/iStockphoto]

12. Go Time: Traffic-Control Signals Cut Stoplight Wait by 40% in Richardson

The self-syncing stoplight technology, developed at UTD, can be used in any city that deploys programmable traffic controllers with internet access.

[Image: nezezon2/iStockphoto]

13. Hidden Ridge: Verizon’s $1B, 5G-Enabled Development Rises From its Ranching Roots

The massive mixed-use development in Irving will be the home to Pioneer Natural Resources, which is relocating to a 10-story tower, as well as multifamily, retail, and office.

[Rendering: Gensler]

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