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: Suzanne Palmlund on the Inspiration Behind Her ‘Enjoy Fun Fudge’ Truffles and Bonbons

by | Sep 25, 2025
Suzanne Palmlund is a third-generation fudge lover. Her grandmother's specialty was peanut butter fudge. Her mother perfected dark chocolate fudge. Now "over 80," Palmlund is fashioning a fudge renaissance of her own with Enjoy Fun Fudge, an e-commerce business offering over 14 varieties of handmade, small-batch peanut butter fudge and dark chocolate fudge rendered as elegant truffles, and bonbons dipped in many various varieties of chocolate. "I've been a fan of chocolate decadence for as long as I can remember," she said in a statement.
MORE
The Last Word: On the New Members-Only Club Hampton House in Downtown Dallas
by | Sep 24, 2025
Last March, we told you about the new four-story Hampton Social, a see-and-be-seen dining and socializing destination at 1520 Main Street in downtown Dallas. Now Chicago-based Parker Hospitality says one of those floors will open on October 1 as Hampton House, an invitation-only members club. “Hampton House is the darker, sexier alter ego of The Hampton Social,” says Brad Parker, founder and CEO of Parker Hospitality.
MORE
The Last Word: Dallas Plastic Surgeon on His ‘cleaVage’ Breast Implant Musical
by | Sep 23, 2025
The Last Word above ran through Friedman's mind in 2019, when he was seeing "Hamilton" on Broadway. The Plano-based plastic surgeon didn't just muse about it—he put his own music talent to work, collaborating with Laura Goodenow to create "cleaVage," a comedic musical "inspired by the trailblazing surgeons and brave patients who shaped the spectacular rise, equally spectacular fall, and ultimate resurgence of silicone gel breast implants—which were invented in Texas in 1962."
MORE
The Last Word: North Texas Bank CEO On the Fed’s First Rate Cut Since December
by | Sep 17, 2025
What does the Federal Reserve’s rate cut really mean? American National Bank of Texas CEO Robert Hulsey, who sits on the Dallas Fed board, weighs in.
MORE
Shane Scully behind the bar. [Courtesy: Caché]

The Last Word: On Dallas’ Newest Hidden Cocktail Lounge Above S&D Oyster Company, Coming Soon

by | Aug 19, 2025
Caché turns forgotten office space into a New Orleans-inspired sanctuary where every drink tells a story. Plus, take a look inside the Jones Baker-designed space.
MORE
The Last Word: On How Chili’s Has Become ‘The Hottest Restaurant Chain in the Country’
by | Aug 14, 2025
In June, Dallas Innovates wrote about how Chili's went viral on TikTok this year, snagging “over 200 million views" for videos about the chain's Triple Dipper menu offerings and stretched-out mozzarella sticks. Now Slate has taken a deeper dive into why the Dallas-based brand has become "the hottest restaurant chain in the country."
MORE
The Last Word: Dreamers of Day CTO On Small Website Misses That Lead to Big Problems
by | Aug 12, 2025
Your pretty website won't save you when technical missteps torpedo your revenue.
MORE
The Last Word: On the New Brand Look of the 2025 BMW Dallas Marathon
by | Aug 6, 2025
The BMW Dallas Marathon is gearing up for its 2025 race weekend, to be held in a long, winding course around White Rock Lake December 12–14. One way it's doing that is by unveiling "a bold new logo" featuring a modern take on the Pegasus—Dallas' celebrated icon—stretching its neck out toward victory. Along with a refreshed merchandise collection, the updated visual identity "reflects the organization’s evolution as a premier running event and its deep connection to the Dallas community," organizers said.
MORE

The Last Word: Fort Worth Engineer On a ‘Mind-Blowing Robotics Trend Alert’

by | Jul 17, 2025
Columbia’s breakthrough points to a new kind of autonomy—because as one researcher puts it, “robots must ultimately learn to take care of themselves.”
MORE
The Last Word: Shaq On His ‘Teammate Mentality’ — and Why He Follows Mark Cuban’s Investment Moves
by | Jul 16, 2025
The NBA legend invested in BeatBox after reflecting on a call from Cuban, as he told People in a recent interview. Just weeks earlier, Shaq told WFAA he’s “75% gonna move [to Dallas] full time.”
MORE
The Last Word: Tech FW on How Nanoscope’s ‘Watch Us’ Moment Could Help Blind Patients See Again
by | Jul 15, 2025
North Texas' Nanoscope just filed an FDA bid for its gene-agnostic therapy. If approved, it could help restore sight for people with inherited blindness, and potentially millions more with other retinal diseases.
MORE
The Last Word: On the Growing Power of Women in Wealth Management
by | Jul 10, 2025
BFS Advisory Group President Debra Brennan Tagg is just one of several high-achieving female financial advisers quoted in D CEO's recent story "The Future of Wealth Management is Female." The article notes that by 2030, women in the U.S. will control nearly five times more wealth than they did 10 years ago. And increasingly, women are among the wealth managers who advise them on how to grow and protect their money.
MORE

The Last Word: Entrepreneur and Investor Rogers Healy Says a Great Elevator Pitch Is ‘Sometimes Your Only Shot’

by | Jul 8, 2025
From knowing your "why" to nailing the follow-up, the Dallas-based investor who's backed over 100 brands took to LinkedIn to share tips for making those crucial 60 seconds count.
MORE
The 2025 Southwest winners and stakeholders gather on stage at the EY Entrepreneur of the Year awards last weekend. [Photo via Dennis Cail]
The Last Word: EOY Judge On What It Really Takes to Build Something Extraordinary
by | Jun 25, 2025
The 2025 EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Southwest Awards were judged by a powerhouse panel of past winners—including Zirtue's Dennis Cail. What he saw in the 18 standout founders and executives? The grit and vision it takes to make it.
MORE
The Last Word: On Preserving Turtle Creek’s Iconic Bridges Amid $2B in Development Projects
by | Jun 24, 2025
Dallas is known for its huge, skyscraping bridges over the Trinity River. But just a few miles north, eight small bridges along Turtle Creek have their own place in the history of the city and the hearts of its citizens. Now these low-key yet iconic bridges are being preserved and revitalized thanks to "The Bridges of Turtle Creek," an initiative launched by the Turtle Creek Association (TCA), Turtle Creek Conservancy (TCC), and the city of Dallas.
MORE
The Last Word: Pegasus Film Festival’s Madeleine Beck on Giving Young Creatives a ‘Taste of Hollywood’
by | Jun 12, 2025
The student-led fest returns June 20–22 with 64 bold short films from DFW and around the world—including zombie substitute teachers, culture-clash comedies, and Kiwi tales of friendship. Plus: red carpet moments and real-world connections with film pros.
MORE