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: Purpose Tea’s Chi Nguyen on Finding the Tea Behind Her Brand’s Mission

by | Oct 19, 2023
Nguyen founded Dallas-based Purpose Tea in 2017, launching a purple tea beverage company that's "powered by social purpose." Its mission: LIfting from poverty some of the world’s most impoverished women, by giving female tea pickers the opportunity for economic empowerment so they can improve their lives.
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The Last Word: Avara’s Emily Wickard on Leading the Fastest-Growing e-Commerce Business in the U.S.
by | Oct 18, 2023
in August, Dallas-based women’s fashion retailer Avara was ranked the No. 1 fastest-growing e-commerce business in the U.S. on the 2023 Inc. 5000 list. Achieving 1,089% three-year revenue growth, Wickard's company made the list for the second year in a row, Avara also ranked as the No. 4 fastest-growing women’s retailer in the nation and the 20th fastest-growing among Dallas-Fort Worth companies overall.
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The Last Word: UTD’s Dr. Shalini Prasad on the THC Level Rapid Test Her Team Developed
by | Oct 16, 2023
We told you last month about CannibiSenS, the hand-held rapid saliva test developed by Prasad and her team at UT Dallas. The device can measure THC levels with 94% accuracy, the team says. According to the researchers, the “electrochemical sensor” is more sensitive than over-the-counter tests, which typically can detect THC but don’t determine its concentration.
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The Last Word: Velvet Taco’s Clay Dover on AI as an R&D Tool
by | Oct 12, 2023
In July, we wrote about Dallas-based Velvet Taco launching a new “Chat GPTaco” as part of its weekly taco feature. Now using AI to help create menu items seems to be catching on nationwide. According to Business Insider, more restaurants—from local spots to big national chains—are taking the AI plunge.
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The Last Word: UNT Dallas’ Teresa Espino on Wednesday’s ‘Walk a Mile in Her Shoes’ Event

UNT Dallas is hosting a “Walk A Mile In Her Shoes” event to enable people to take a stance against sexualized violence. It will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday October 11 on the university campus at 7300 University Hills Blvd. in Dallas. The public is invited to participate or attend the free event, with no registration required. 
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The Last Word: Briana Wucinski on TechFW’s Impact Showcase, and the Night’s Big Winners
by | Oct 6, 2023
TechFW's Impact Showcase "embodied the spirit of innovation, the essence of progress, and the promise of a better tomorrow" at Dickies Arena's  Simmons Bank Pavilion Thursday in Fort Worth.
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The Last Word: Mizzen+Main’s Bethany Muths on Brand Experiences
by | Oct 5, 2023
Founded in Dallas in 2012, Mizzen+Main says it created the world’s first "performance fabric dress shirt" over a decade ago. Since then, the brand's flag has been flown with help from innovative marketing, like getting brand ambassador and pro golf superstar Phil Mickelson to do a "dad dance" in the company's shirt, as we noted in our story here.
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The Last Word: Duro Hospitality’s Chas Martin on Dallas as a Food & Beverage Destination
by | Oct 4, 2023
Duro Hospitality recently opened Mister Charles (above) in the former home of the historic Highland Park Soda Fountain in Dallas' Knox Street District. He spoke with Forbes' Benjamin Liong Setiawan about why Dallas has become an emerging food & beverage destination. 
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The Last Word: Jennifer Sanders on DIA’s Eight-Year Smart Cities Journey

by | Oct 2, 2023
Sanders recently marked the eighth anniversary of the Dallas Innovation Alliance by posting on LInkedIn, eight years to the day after DIA "formally launched at the White House during President Obama's $168 million commitment to smart cities across several agencies."
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The Last Word: Jared Drinkwater’s Easy Sell for Low and Slow Snacks
by | Sep 29, 2023
Drinkwater, who previously worked at Frito-Lay and as VP of national marketing at Pizza Hut, co-founded Low and Slow Snacks in 2019. The barbecue junkie told the Dallas Business Journal the idea struck when he doused a bag of corn chips in BBQ rub and smoked them in his backyard smoker—and his family gobbled them down in 30 seconds. 
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The Last Word: DRC’s Kelly Cloud on the Kickoff of the BioNTX iC3 Summit
by | Sep 28, 2023
With a theme of “Innovation, Capital, Collaboration, Commercialization”—or iC³—the summit unites researchers, entrepreneurs, investors, corporations, and support organizations to forge the relationships that drive progress.
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The Last Word: Republic Title’s Scott Rooker on Property ‘Seller’ Scams and AI
by | Sep 27, 2023
Rooker's firm has seen so many fraudulent property sale attempts lately—via Docusign and text messages from "fake sellers"—that it has created a fact sheet to warn clients, Rooker told April Towery of Candy's Dirt.
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The Last Word: Peter Brodsky on the Vogel Childcare and Family Center at The Shops at RedBird

by | Sep 25, 2023
RedBird is donating the space for a 15,000-square-foot childcare facility run by Vogel at the reimagined and revitalized The Shops at RedBird. Called The Rita Sue and Alan Gold Child and Family Center in recognition of the Golds’ longtime support of and service to Vogel, the center will expand Vogel’s reach and offer onsite access to anyone working at RedBird, as well as the community at large.
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The Last Word: Nirav Tolia on Going from Yahoo! Employee No. 84 to Founding His Own Game-Changing Companies
by | Sep 22, 2023
The tech entrepreneur and investor, who moved from the West Coast to the Dallas region in 2021, went on to found Epinions and Nextdoor after leaving Yahoo! during its meteoric rise in the late '90s. Seeing the success of the Web juggernaut firsthand—despite a blunt warning from its co-founder—gave Tolia the courage to branch out on his own.
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The Last Word: Celebrating North Texas Giving Day and Inviting You to Give to Nonprofits Across the Region
by | Sep 21, 2023
Posting on LInkedIn, the Communities Foundation of Texas shared the above photo of Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson and the Dallas City Council after the official proclamation declaring today North Texas Giving Day across the city of Dallas.
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The Last Word: Spacee’s Skip Howard on His HoverTouch Tech in Action at Sam’s Club
by | Sep 20, 2023
The company's original groundbreaking HoverTouch technology has found a new use case at Sam's Club. The giant touchscreen is replacing theft-prone iPads with HoverTouch tech that turns any surface into an interactive experience — walls, glass, tables, and more become engaging consumer touchpoints with no power to the surface.
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