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.

Social entrepreneur Byron Sanders, a former nonprofit exec, is CEO of Arete Health, launched in January 2025. [Photo: Michael Samples]

The Last Word: Arete Health CEO On a First-of-Its-Kind Health and Wellness Program for Dallas Creatives

by | Oct 28, 2025
Creatives Care Dallas brings virtual care, behavioral health, 2,000+ medications with zero copay, and more to Dallas County's gig workers. The community initiative is powered by Arete Health Shield in partnership with the Dallas Music Office.
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The Last Word: Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker On Film Becoming the City’s Next Great Industry
Fort Worth’s film industry has boomed with nearly $1 billion in impact, 50,000 jobs, and Taylor Sheridan's 101 Studios planning to move its HQ to the city, NBC DFW reports.
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ENO8 Founder on Why Abe Lincoln Had the Best AI Advice
The Last Word: ENO8 Founder on Why Abe Lincoln Had the Best AI Advice
Dallas tech studio founder Jeff Francis says one of the best quotes about artificial intelligence comes from the 19th century. And it captures exactly what's wrong with how companies rush into AI coding.
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The Last Word: On ‘The Big Hat’ Installation in Garland, Texas’ Cowboy Hat Capital

by | Oct 2, 2025
Hats off to Garland, the Cowboy Hat Capital of Texas. It got that title from the Texas Legislature in 2013 in recognition of the city’s three hat manufacturers, HatCo, Master Hatters of Texas, and Dorfman Milano. Together, they roll out more than a million cowboy hats each year with labels including Stetson, Justin, Resistol, and Scala. The city only needed one more thing—a really big hat—and now it's got that, too.
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ABC 20/20 co-anchor Deborah Roberts (left) in conversation with moderator Sara Madsen Miller at the "Leading the Lone Star State: Texas Women in Public Service Summit." Roberts shared hard-earned wisdom with the audience: "Be self-assured. Know your story. Don't doubt who you are." [Photo: Leo Gonzalez/TWU]
The Last Word: ABC’s Deborah Roberts on Barbara Walters’ Advice—and Outlasting Your Critics—at TWU’s Public Service Summit
by | Oct 1, 2025
Roberts and NY Times best-selling author Jen Hatmaker headlined the Jane Nelson Institute for Women's Leadership summit in Denton on Sept. 19. The conference brought together women in public service and featured an award for retired Texas Rep. Myra Crownover.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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NYSE Texas Launch: Texas Governor Greg Abbott rings "The Closing Bell" at AT&T Stadium in Arlington with Lynn Martin, Jerry Jones, John Stankey, and Texas founding members on August 20, 2025. [Photo: NYSE]
The Last Word: NYSE Texas Kicks Off From the 50‑Yard Line of AT&T Stadium
by | Aug 20, 2025
NYSE president says Texas tops all states in listings with $4 trillion market cap, as Abbott rings the bell from "Y'all Street."
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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.
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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."
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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.
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The Last Word: North Texas Financial Exec Breaks Down the AI Track at DFW Startup Week
Everyone’s talking about AI. But what do companies actually need to hear? Here’s what one veteran exec thinks startups and leaders really need to focus on—straight from the front lines at DSW25.
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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.”
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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.”
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