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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.
Patrick Brandt, CEO of Grata. [Photo: LinkedIn]
The Last Word: Grata’s Patrick Brandt on the Lure and Challenge of Running Startups
by David Seeley | Mar 7, 2023
In December, we told you about a $6 million seed funding round at Grata, a Dallas-based online platform that enables customers to deliver gratitude and recognition to a brand’s frontline employees in real time. With Grata now operating in Texas, Oklahoma, and Florida at companies like Tex-Mex restaurant Mesero and First United Banks, Brandt aims to start raising up to $25 million in a Series A toward the end of this year, D CEO says.
by David Seeley |
Mar 6, 2023
Many school and college programs in North Texas are focused on teaching students to become skilled workers. But Duncanville High School teacher Brian Duncan has bigger hopes for the kids in his entrepreneurship class—and some of them put his lessons to the test recently at Dallas Farmers Market.
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by David Seeley |
Mar 3, 2023
PS—formerly known as Private Suite—plans to operate a private 12,200-square-foot terminal at DFW Airport served by a fleet of luxury, chauffeur-driven BMWs. Deep-pocketed travelers who pay close to $5,000 a year for an all-access membership (plus more high-dollar extras) will avoid public terminals and go straight to PS DFW. There, a swanky "salon" and private suites will await them, along with cocktails and bites.
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by David Seeley |
Mar 2, 2023
On Wednesday, Dallas Housing and Neighborhood Revitalization Director David Noguera and other officials presented a plan called Dallas Housing Policy 2033 to the Dallas City Council. The policy aims to increase equity and affordability in Dallas housing options, and is built on seven pillars.
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The Frisco-based Dude Perfect team will be at Dickie's Arena. [Photos: Dude Perfect/Facebook]
The Last Word: Dude Perfect’s Coby Cotton on Jumping from YouTube to a $100M Theme Park
by Dallas Innovates | Staff Report | Feb 28, 2023
Dude Perfect told the Wall Street Journal they've sent out bid requests for their proposed $100 million theme park/HQ "to Frisco and other cities" and asked for responses within two months. Meanwhile, the team said, they've been talking with potential fundraisers for the project.
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by David Seeley |
Feb 27, 2023
Wold has an MBA from Harvard and is a graduate of the Dallas Regional Chamber’s Leadership Dallas Class of 2020. She approaches her GRIT Fitness brand with more brains than brawn—and has put "mindfulness" at the heart of its mission.
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by Dallas Innovates | Staff Report |
Feb 24, 2023
This week the Texas Motor Speedway announced the renewal of multiple commercial partnerships as well as two new partnerships with Texas-based companies.
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by David Seeley |
Feb 23, 2023
If you saw HBO's "The Last of Us" this week, you know all about the Death Zone—a perilous place full of zombies and murderous raiders. Well, we've all now entered our own real-life Death Zone, and it's on the calendar—the nearly 100-day stretch between President's Day and Memorial Day weekend is the longest 3-day weekend drought of the year.
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[Photo: Michael Samples]
The Last Word: VLK Architects’ Ori Matisse Evans on Why Dallas Inspires His Work
by David Seeley | Feb 21, 2023
Ori Matisse Evans uses high-tech software and cinematography to bring home designs to life for VLK Architects, which has offices in Fort Worth and Plano. “My job is to take what the client expects to see and make it beautiful for them to experience,” Evans told Candy's Dirt.
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by David Seeley |
Feb 17, 2023
In November, we told you about something amazing coming to North Texas: Cosm is bringing one of its first two immersive entertainment venues to Grandscape in The Colony, with state-of-the-art "shared reality" that seamlessly bridges the gap between the virtual and the real.
Today Cosm announced a partnership with the NBA that could one day drive lots of Dallas Mavericks fans (and OK, fans of other NBA teams too) to its Grandscape venue. The multi-year partnership will feature a new live game viewing experience unlike anything you've ever seen on your TV or a sports bar near you.
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by Dallas Innovates | Staff Report |
Feb 16, 2023
After DFW median home prices spiked to $429,000 around the middle of 2022, they fell down to earth a bit in the year's second half, dropping to $385,000 according to data from the Texas Real Estate Research Center. Realtor Joe Atkins told WFAA that has led to renewed interest lately—a sign that a cooled Dallas home sales market could be heating up again as interest rates have begun to dip too.
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by Dallas Innovates | Staff Report |
Feb 15, 2023
On January 25, the Dallas City Council approved a new infrastructure investment fund for Southern Dallas, part of a batch of new incentives to spur economic development and job growth in the area. Blair says the support is vital for the community's economic development.
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Nine business owners have been selected to receive funding as the first monthly cohort of the HSC SBIR Phase 0 Program. [Image: UNTHSC]
The Last Word: Dr. Adrian Denvir on Selecting Nine Startups for the HSC Next SBIR Phase 0 Program
by Lance Murray | Feb 13, 2023
The program is designed to help the owners of forward-thinking small businesses in Tarrant County. Through the program, they can apply for federal funds via mechanisms known as the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs, collectively known as America’s Seed Fund.
Meet the startups selected for the first monthly cohort—and learn how other companies can apply for the program each month through November 2024.
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by David Seeley |
Feb 10, 2023
Leafy greens is a multibillion-dollar industry. But before lettuce can get into salads across the U.S., it has to navigate coast-to-coast supply chain and distribution issues, says Eden Green Technology CEO Eddy Badrina, whose Cleburne-based ag-tech startup opened a new, two-acre vertical greenhouse in September as part of a planned $47 million vertical farm. Those issues have led to what Badrina calls "the 3,000-mile salad."
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by David Seeley |
Feb 9, 2023
SCAAA, an architecture firm based in L.A., announced Wednesday that it's expanding with new studios in Dallas and Osaka, Japan.
"SCAAA works in dynamic regions," Song said in a statement. "Osaka is a cosmopolitan city in the heart of one of the world's 10 largest urban areas, while the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex is in the midst of a renaissance as a cultural and commercial hub.
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by Dallas Innovates | Staff Report |
Feb 8, 2023
Last summer, Dallas nonprofit Dwell with Dignity offered its annual Thrift Studio pop-up shop, with 100% of sales benefiting its mission to change lives by bringing good design to families who can afford it the least.
Today the nonprofit announced big news: It's acquired a building in the Dallas Design District that will serve as Thrift Studio's permanent home.
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