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: Brinc’s Mark Lang On Why Suspects Surrender to His Company’s Drones

by | Jun 29, 2023
On Tuesday, Dallas County held a Drone & Robotics Demo Day featuring presentations by 10 trailblazing companies. The event showcased a range of high-tech solutions—from surveillance drones to cleaning robots—that were both practical and, at times, awe-inspiring.
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The Last Word: Susan G. Komen’s Paula Schneider on Nearly $20M in 2023 Breast Cancer Research Grants
by | Jun 28, 2023
Dallas-based Susan G. Komen said the $19.3 million in grants will support its mission to end breast cancer through funding two focus areas: advancing precision medicine and eliminating disparities in breast cancer outcomes, while continuing the organization's commitment to supporting the next generation of diverse leaders in breast cancer research.
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The Last Word: Texas Monthly on What the Lone Star State Is Spending To Attract Hollywood Productions
by | Jun 23, 2023
In its 2023 session, the Texas Legislature approved appropriations of $200 million for incentives to attract film production in the Lone Star State. The state is trying to compete with states like Georgia, who've gone full tilt to lure Hollywood productions to the local economy. 
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The Last Word: UTSW’s Brad Phelan on the Rise of North Texas’ Biotech-Plus Ecosystem
by | Jun 22, 2023
The Health Supernova conference at Dallas' Pegasus Park gave the stage to innovators in Texas (and beyond) who are shaking up the status quo in biotech. From neurotechnology to mental health therapies, AI to robotics, the conference highlighted how these fields are intersecting and pushing boundaries.
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The Last Word: Joshua Ingram on His 12-Hour Wednesday Concert for Alzheimer’s Research

“Playing for 12 hours straight wears on the body, and before it’s over I’ll have to superglue my fingers in order to keep playing.”

Joshua Ingram Fort Worth Performing Artist .…on his planned free 12-hour concert Wednesday in Grapevine to benefit the North Central Texas Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association.

Ingram is preparing to strum and sing for a cause Wednesday—but unlike a typical short set, this one’s slated to last 12 hours straight....

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The Last Word: RecNation’s Gary Wojtaszek Drops a Hint About Things to Come
by | Jun 15, 2023
In the wake of Dallas-based RecNation's securing a $500M debt facility to supercharge its national expansion of its recreational storage and rental service, founder and CEO Gary Wojtaszek gave a playful hint of things to come on LinkedIn. 
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The Last Word: BGSF’s Troy Chapdelaine on How Strongly Job Candidates Feel About Flexible Workplaces
The Dallas Regional Chamber conducted a Future of Work survey of its members in May to better understand the workplace arrangements of companies across the Dallas region. One key finding from DRC member BGSF: Job candidates are prioritizing hybrid and flexible workplaces above all else when considering their next placement.
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The Last Word: Rep. Giovanni Capriglione on How You’re Being Tracked and Why Texas Needs a New Data Privacy Law
Southlake resident Capriglione wants you to have a say in how your data is tracked every day, which is why he sponsored the “most consumer-friendly” data privacy law in the nation—the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act, which passed in the legislature on May 29 and now awaits Gov. Abbott's signature.
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Copper Breaks State Park is an international dark sky park located northwest of Dallas-Fort Worth in Quanah, Texas. [Image: AmitabhClickz/Shutterstock]

The Last Word: Lyda Hill On the Power of Parks

by | Jun 8, 2023
In a recent centennial state parks commemorative issue of Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine, Lyda Hill offers her take on the power of parks. "Where parks are well-maintained and inviting, the surrounding communities are often also flourishing," she says.
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Steve Dennis
The Last Word: Retail Expert Steve Dennis On the AI-Led Demise of ‘Mediocre Middle’
“The potential shifts made possible by generative AI (and related technologies) do seem fundamentally more game-changing, while illustrating that disruption continues to happen more exponentially than linearly," Steve Dennis said in an email promoting his "Retail Apocalypse" podcast.
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The Last Word: How an Iced-Coffee Kit from Keurig Got Rocked by The Rolling Stones
by | Jun 6, 2023
Frisco-based Keurig and The Rolling Stones announced the launch today of their limited-edition "Start Me Up" iced coffee kit. The bespoke kit was produced in partnership with Bravado, Universal Music Group's merchandise and brand management company. Keurig is hoping the kit will "channel the band's electrifying spirit" to help people "turn up their summer."
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The Last Word: Lucy Billingsley on Boosting Amenities at the Cypress Waters Development
by | Jun 5, 2023
The 1,000-acre Cypress Waters development built around North Lake in far northwest Dallas is already packed with amenities, from a free lunch shuttle to on-site fitness centers to outdoor ping-pong tables. There are also free yoga and boot camp classes plus restaurants and retail at The Sound that jut right out over the lake, and a new 9-hole putting green. But even more amenities are on the way, Lucy Billingsley tells the Dallas Morning News.
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The Last Word: Smokey John’s Brent Reaves on How Restaurants Pick Their Locations

by | Jun 1, 2023
A location can make or break a restaurant. So how do spots get picked for some of DFW's favorite eateries? Five Dallas-area restaurateurs talked with D Magazine about pinpointing their places, including Brent and Juan Reaves; Sawsan Abublan, co-owner of Shawarma Press; Tanner Agar, co-owner of Rye and Apothecary; Jon Alexis, the force behind TJ’s Seafood, Malibu Poke, Escondido, and Ramble Room; and Khanh Nguyen, who brought us ZaLat Pizza and DaLat.
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The Last Word: Why Six Flags Will Become the First Theme Park to Use Amazon’s ‘Just Walk Out’ Technology
by | May 31, 2023
Arlington-based Six Flags Entertainment wants to make it easier for its guests to buy food and drinks in a frictionless way. So it's partnering with Amazon and Coca-Cola on a joint venture to pilot Amazon's Just Walk Out technology at a New Jersey Six Flags theme park beginning June 1. 
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The Last Word: Dallas Jackals’ Rodd Newhouse on How Rugby Can Succeed in DFW
by | May 30, 2023
You'd think that Newhouse, who grew up in a football-focused home with the 12-season Dallas Cowboys fullback Robert Newhouse as his dad, would have eyes only for the NFL. But Rodd always had a thing for the sport of rugby, according to the Dallas Business Journal's David Moreno—preferring the helmet-less brawn of muscular scrums where a "try" is scored when you touch the ball down in the "in-goal" beyond the goal line. 
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The Last Word: OptiMIND Founder on Winning a $40,000 Award for Research Innovation at UTD’s Big Idea Competition
Associate Professor Chandramallika Basak entered UTD's recent Big Idea Competition in the alumni research commercialization category with OptiMIND, a series of brain training games designed to enhance brain and cognition across the lifespan. The games are designed to ensure that people stay sharp and focused at any age. After winning $40,000 in the competition, she recently tweeted that she's ready to start her startup.
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