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The Last Word: DLA Piper’s Danny Tobey on the Shift From Chatbot AI to Agentic AI

by | Apr 16, 2026
“The old human-in-the-loop rules really don’t work as well when you’re looking at ubiquitous, automated AI agents that are acting 24/7 as digital workers.”

Danny Tobey, M.D., J.D. Chair, AI and Data Analytics DLA Piper …speaking at Convergence AI Dallas on March 31

We’re moving “from an era of chatbot AI, where there is always a human at the receiving end of recommendations, to agentic and physical AI,” a world, Danny Tobey said, where AI “takes actions and makes decisions on behalf of humans” and “does so in ways that don’t always stop for human intervention, permission and understanding.”...

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Raytheon Nails First Flight Test for Its North Texas-Produced RAIVEN Sensing System
by | Apr 15, 2026
Produced at Raytheon's campus in McKinney, north of Dallas, the RAIVEN Staring system delivers a next-gen “electro-optical intelligent-sensing” capability that can identify threats both optically and spectrally simultaneously in real-time—creating greater situational awareness and survivability for military pilots conducting combat missions.
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Southwest Airlines Names Former Hilton Exec as Its First Chief Digital & Marketing Officer
by | Apr 15, 2026
In the newly created role, Sabrina Callahan will help shape the strategic path for Southwest's marketing and digital strategy, enhancing the relationship between the airline's customers and its brand in an "authentic, distinctly Southwest way," the airline said.
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Coltala Aerospace Names Former Aspire MRO CEO as Its New President
by | Apr 15, 2026
Phil Bathurst will help support the continued national growth and expansion of Fort Worth-based Coltala Aerospace, which was created in February 2025 through Coltala Holdings' acquisition of Mansfield-based AeroParts Group.
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Tempur-Pedic mattresses on a Tempur-Ergo Smart Base. [Photo: Tempur-Pedic]

Dallas-Based Somnigroup Inks $2.5B Deal to Acquire Leggett & Platt

by | Apr 15, 2026
Created in 2024 via Tempur Sealy International's $5 billion acquisition of Mattress Firm, Somnigroup is now paying billions in stock for Carthage, Missouri-based Leggett & Platt, a NYSE-listed, 1883-founded manufacturing company that happens to be one of its leading suppliers.
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The Last Word: USPTO Director on the Patent Backlog’s ‘Tipping Point’ Toward Applicants
by | Apr 15, 2026
Shorter patent application wait times translate to company value, according to USPTO Director John Squires.
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Patented: AT&T’s Quantum Security and More North Texas Inventive Activity
by | Apr 15, 2026
Dallas-Fort Worth ranked No. 9 for patent activity out of 250 metros for the week of March 17 with a total of 140 patents granted.
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North Texas’ Segway U.S. Launches Its First Short-Tail Utility e‑Bike
by | Apr 14, 2026
The Beijing-based company moved its U.S. HQ to McKinney in 2024 before recently relocating to bigger digs in Plano. Since its 2015 acquisition by Ninebot, Segway has gone beyond "Mall Cop" to offer a wide array of electric personal transportation devices—including today's launch of the MUXI.
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One way Dallas' new poet laureate Kristoddie Woods, known as Black Ceasar, reaches audiences is through his TikTok account. He recently invited them to vote on their favorite slide, including this one, in an "Urban Cowboy x Poet" series. [Screenshot: Ceasar's Poetry Corner/TikTok]

The Last Word: Dallas’ New Poet Laureate Kristoddie Woods—aka Black Ceasar—on Turning Readers Into Poets

by | Apr 14, 2026
Dallas' third poet laureate Kristoddie Woods steps in alongside youth poet laureate Cadence Diggs, a 17-year-old Booker T. Washington High School student, for a two-year term.
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American Airlines To Launch Electronic Boarding Gates at DFW Airport
by | Apr 14, 2026
Created by Switzerland-based dormakaba Group, the new gates will be installed at American's new Terminals A and C pier expansions—automatically validating boarding passes as passengers pass through to board their aircraft.
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East Meets West: 2026 Japan-Texas Economic Summit in Arlington May 11‑13
by | Apr 14, 2026
First launched in 2018, the invitation-only summit is returning as an "annual signature event" for strengthening U.S.-Japan economic ties, with Arlington serving as host city for three consecutive years. Topics include everything from biotech to next-gen mobility to sports & entertainment—and, of course, AI.
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VertexOne Appoints Former Vertafore Exec as Its New CEO
by | Apr 13, 2026
Tracey Brown joins VertexOne—a leading provider of cloud software "designed to revolutionize the customer experience within the energy and utility industry"—with more than two decades of executive leadership experience. Her most recent post was at Vertafore, an Ohio-based global tech company serving the insurance industry.
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Bestow CMO Meagan Ward [Composite image: Photo, Bestow; Background DI Studio]

Bestow Appoints New CMO as It Expands Its Platform and Deepens Partnerships

by | Apr 9, 2026
Dallas-based Bestow said Meagan Ward strengthens its senior leadership team as the company expands its "product offerings, platform capabilities, and strategic partnerships" following the 2025 close of its $120 million Series D round.
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o9 Solutions Names Former Lattice and Workday Exec as CFO
by | Apr 9, 2026
Founder and CEO Chakri Gottemukkala said Gabe Cortes "brings a unique combination of strategic financial and operational experience to the CFO role that will help us scale our global impact and realize our fullest potential." Known for its AI-powered Digital Brain platform, Dallas-based o9 was valued at $3.7 billion in 2023.
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Spectral AI Names Former Solo Brands Exec as Its Next CFO
by | Apr 9, 2026
CEO Vincent S. Capone called the hiring of David McGuire "another important step in strengthening Spectral AI’s financial leadership and strategic readiness as we prepare for commercialization of the DeepView System."
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Pecan Deluxe Candy Co. Expands Dallas Facility, Doubling Its ‘Popping Boba’ Capacity
by | Apr 9, 2026
Founded in 1950 in Dallas by an ice cream retailer who specialized in candy and nut-based "ice cream inclusions," Pecan Deluxe says it's the largest U.S. domestic producer of popping boba—those tiny juice-filled spheres in bubble teas and desserts that pop when you bite into them.
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