Every Last Word

Dallas Innovates’ signature series capturing what leaders across North Texas are saying — in their own words — about innovation, impact, and what’s next.

The Last Word: Daniel Oney on Concentrating Efforts for DFW’s Economic Future

Oney was a panelist at a 2024 Economic Outlook event organized by the Dallas Business Journal on January 25 at the Tower Club. During the event—which featured discussions on DFW’s robust job creation record and the ongoing challenges of talent retention and workforce development—Dallas Citizens Council CEO Kelvin Walker, Bush Institute-SMU Economic Growth Initiative Director Cullum Clark, and John Stephens, former CFO of AT&T and current Dallas Economic Development Corp. board president ,discussed the importance of not just creating jobs but ensuring they lead to sustainable economic development.
MORE
The Last Word: Hillwood Communities’ Fred Balda on the Planned 4,000-Home Ramble Development in Celina
by | Jan 31, 2024
Hillwood Communities announced its fourth master-planned development in Celina, one of the fastest-growing areas in North Texas. Ramble by Hillwood is planned just north of downtown Celina. with 4,000 homes slated to "wind through an immersive nature experience" a short drive from Frisco and McKinney in Collin County. 
MORE
The Last Word: Artist Dora Reynosa on Her New Mural in Downtown Dallas
by | Jan 30, 2024
A vacant storefront across from Neiman Marcus is now the home of a 2,000-square-foot modernist mural filled with explosions of color and expressive glyphs, transforming the heart of the city, thanks to a team-up of artist Dora Reynosa, FGIII Fine Art Productions, and Downtown Dallas Inc.
MORE
The Last Word: American Airlines on Creating Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce-Themed Flights to Super Bowl LVIII
by | Jan 29, 2024
Fort Worth-based American Airlines loaded up on new flights from Kansas City to Las Vegas for Super Bowl LVIII after Sunday's Kansas City Chiefs AFC Championship win over the Baltimore Ravens. And they're tailor-made for fans of Taylor and Travis. 
MORE

The Last Word: Total Eclipse DFW’s Jo Trazila on Why You Should Get Safe Viewing Glasses Now

In just 10 weeks, Dallas-Fort Worth will have a front-row seat for the April 8 total solar eclipse, when the moon will cover the sun and offer, for many, a once-in-a-lifetime celestial sight. But Jo But Trazila says 10 weeks from now is not when you should be thinking about getting safe viewing glasses.
MORE
The Last Word: ‘B-Weezy’ Weiss of Goliath Games on a Big Toy Secret
Goliath Games—a Netherlands company with North American headquarters in Richardson—is known for its popular games such as Rummikub, Sequence, and Pop! the Pig. But now it's getting into toys, too, and Weiss is heading up the play.
MORE
The Last Word: Saint Vincent de Paul’s Luis Gonzalez on Closing the Gap for Uninsured North Texans
by | Jan 23, 2024
North Texas' nonprofit Saint Vincent de Paul Pharmacy has worked to fill the gap for thousands of uninsured local people. The pharmacy provides free prescription medication for those in need, including those dealing with homelessness. 
MORE
The Last Word: Jordana Dahmen on Sparking STEM Passions With Barbies and the IF/THEN Initiative
In 2021, Dallas saw the launch of an extraordinary exhibition under the banner of the IF/THEN initiative, aimed at promoting women in science, technology, engineering, and math. The centerpiece: a collection of 120 life-sized, 3D-printed statues representing a diverse group of women STEM professionals.
MORE

The Last Word: Resilient Healthcare’s Jackleen Samuel on Hospital-at-Home Programs

by | Jan 17, 2024
Samuel is just one of several healthcare CEOs and executives interviewed about federally sanctioned hospital-at-home programs in a new article by Texas CEO Magazine.
MORE
The Last Word: LG’s Alec Jang on Empowering Clean Energy and Local Jobs with New EV Charger Facility in Fort Worth
by | Jan 16, 2024
LG’s new 100,000-square-foot Fort Worth plant will have an annual capacity of 12,000 units, while operating with “100% green power,” the company said, adding that it will bring “dozens of new tech jobs” to North Texas—reinforcing LG’s commitment to the region as an innovation and manufacturing hub of the future.
MORE
Dallas-based Mynd Immersive, in collaboration with AT&T, HTC VIVE, and the CTA Foundation, has launched the 'Great American Elderverse' at CES 2024 in Las Vegas, a groundbreaking campaign poised to revolutionize the lives of millions of older adults across the nation.
The Last Word: Mynd Immersive’s Chris Brickler on Launching the ‘Great American Elderverse’ at CES 2024
by | Jan 12, 2024
This week at CES 2024 in Las Vegas, Dallas-based Mynd Immersive launched the "Great American Elderverse," a virtual destination filled “with love, care, and compassion for older adults,” with exercises and experiences to promote mental, physical, emotional, and cognitive health.
MORE
The Last Word: The Trust for Public Land’s Robert Kent on the Dallas Greening Initiative
by | Jan 11, 2024
Today the Dallas City Council was set to learn the locations of the first five green spaces to be created through the mayor’s Dallas Greening Initiative, the DMN reported—with a new green space slated for all 14 city council districts over the next few years.
MORE
The Dallas skyline, led by the illuminated Reunion Tower, shone in gold on Monday, January 8, as a tribute to the late Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson.

The Last Word: President Biden on the Life and Legacy of Eddie Bernice Johnson

by | Jan 9, 2024
Former longtime Dallas Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson died on New Year's Eve at the age of 89, and President Biden was one of those who paid their respects at a prayer service honoring her Monday night.
MORE
The Last Word: Plug and Play’s Sherif Saadawi on Opening Two North Texas Offices
by | Jan 8, 2024
“I think DFW represents such a strong market for Plug and Play,” Saadawi told Dallas Innovates. “it’s kind of remarkable that we haven’t been there this whole time.”
MORE
The Last Word: Rob Upchurch on His Favorite ‘Innovate Fort Worth’ Podcast Guest of 2023
by | Dec 21, 2023
Cameron Cushman, Assistant VP of Innovation Ecosystems at HSC Fort Worth, is host of the "Innovate Fort Worth" podcast, Powered by UNT Health Science Center, the podcast shares the stories of the city’s leading innovators, entrepreneurs and investors—and highlights the resources available to bring ideas to market.
MORE
The Last Word: Integrity Foundation’s Mary Elyse Farah on 26K-Plus Toys Donated To Children’s Health Patients
For the third year in a row, the employees of Dallas-based insurtech company Integrity have supported the “Integrity Gives Back” Toy Drive to replenish the stuffed animals, toys, games, and books that are given to children who are patients at Children’s Health in Dallas and Plano. This year, Integrity invited the public to join the toy drive. For every single toy donated, Integrity donors matched the donation with two additional toys for a total presentation of over 26,000 donated items.
MORE