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: On UTD Being Redesignated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity

by | Apr 10, 2025
The University of Texas at Dallas has been redesignated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity for cyber research for its “innovative and impactful” research contributions and its educational programs that train new generations of cybersecurity professionals. 
MORE
The Last Word: On Lyda Hill Philanthropies’ Redesigned ‘IF/THEN’ Website
by | Apr 9, 2025
The IF/THEN initiative from Lyda Hill Philanthropies has had a major impact on spectators who've viewed its installation of 3D-printed statues of women “STEM rockstars." Now a new push is underway to make an impact online through IF/THEN's website, which has been newly redesigned by Dallas-based Tegan Digital. 
MORE
The Last Word: Dreams Experience Academy President on The D.O.C. and What Dallas Needs Now
by | Apr 8, 2025
“Welcome to the private debut of the Dreams Experience Academy—or as we call it, somewhat provocatively, DEA,” said Chris Gannett at the launch event at the Kessler in Oak Cliff last week. The student-powered, purpose-driven nonprofit, co-founded by hip-hop icon The D.O.C., aims to unlock creative talent and open doors into the $3 trillion media, entertainment, and tech economy.
MORE
The Last Word: On the Purpose Behind a Stunning Origami Display at Galleria Dallas
by | Apr 3, 2025
An art installation of 250 large, hand-made origami stars will appear later this month over the ice rink at Galleria Dallas. The vibrant work aims to advance the mission of Paper for Water, a nonprofit that's raising awareness of the global water crisis and the nonprofit's mission to bring clean water to communities worldwide. The charity was founded in 2011 by sisters Isabelle and Katherine Adams—then 8 and 5 years old—after they learned that a child was dying every 15 seconds from unclean water and that millions of girls like them were spending their day hauling water rather than attending school. 
MORE

The Last Word: Cardi B Reveals Her Skincare Secret From Raising Cane’s

by | Apr 1, 2025
Cardi B revealed her biggest skincare secret on Instagram Tuesday—and it has a North Texas connection. "Everyone always asks me how my skin looks so beautiful, so shiny, so amazing at the age of 32 with three kids, a job that stresses me out, and sleepless nights," the rapper said. "I've been using this new cream—it's the Cane's 'Moisturizing Sauce.' It's non-greasy, non-sticky, and it smells just like chicken."
MORE
The Last Word: On the Opening Day Debut of the New Rangers Sports Network
by | Mar 27, 2025
It's opening day across Major League Baseball, and the Texas Rangers began the season at 3:05 p.m. with a 5-2 loss to the Boston Red Sox at Globe Life Field. Meanwhile, on screens across North Texas, viewers got to see the first-ever regular season broadcast by the team's new in-house Rangers Sports Network.
MORE
The Last Word: Honoring Cancer Survivors with Public Art in Downtown Dallas
Later this spring, an inspiring work of public art is going up in downtown Dallas, honoring cancer survivors from its placement above the Cancer Survivors’ Plaza. The installation—originally conceived by artist and Aurora co-founder Joshua King in 2016—tells the deeply personal stories of four cancer survivors.
MORE
The Last Word: When AI Rewrote the Famous “Barbie” Speech for Nonprofits
by | Mar 20, 2025
When AI rewrote the Barbie speech for nonprofits, it hit uncomfortably close to home from impossibly tight budgets to donor expectations. Social entrepreneur Suzanne Smith says it's time for leaders to dive in and try Gen AI for themselves.
MORE

The Last Word: DRC’s State of the Region Event Addresses High-Speed Rail and More

by | Mar 18, 2025
At the Dallas Regional Chamber's State of the Region event held in December, regional leaders addressed the opportunities and challenges of growth in North Texas—from mobility and high-speed rail to prioritizing green space over highways to ensuring health care for the uninsured.
MORE
Michael Gorton’s latest book, “Tachyon Tunnel 2,” picks up the story of the Tranquility team as they take on a galaxy-spanning empire—blending in theoretical physics about particles that outrun light.
The Last Word: Teladoc Founder Michael Gorton on His Latest Frontier—Time Travel Sci-Fi
by | Mar 13, 2025
The Dallas entrepreneur’s new novel, “Tachyon Tunnel 2,” launches readers into space—built on the same big thinking that’s fueled more than 15 ventures.
MORE
The Last Word: The TRA’s Victor Fishman on Why Advanced Mobility Is a Key North Texas Mission
by | Mar 12, 2025
The Texas Research Alliance helps businesses, public agencies, and governments engage with North Texas’ robust higher education research infrastructure to advance a wide range of goals. And yes, that includes mobility—which is why the TRA developed the North Texas Center for Mobility Technologies, a collaboration among industry, the North Central Texas Council of Governments, UNT, UTA, SMU, and UTD to develop advanced mobility technologies in North Texas.
MORE
The Last Word: On the World’s First ‘Biolumenescent’ Flower, Going on Sale Friday at Calloway’s
by | Mar 11, 2025
They’re one of the first signs of summer: fireflies blinking out lime-green signals to their friends, potential mates, and spellbound humans. But you don’t have to go outside to watch a nightly light show. Now you can bring that biolumenescent magic inside your own home—in flower form—with Light Bio's Firefly Petunia, The glow-in-the-dark flower goes on sale Friday at Calloway's Nursery locations across North Texas, along with a special after-hours event.
MORE

The Last Word: On Dave & Buster’s Launching a ‘Human Crane’ Experience and 6 New Arcade Games

by | Mar 5, 2025
Coppell-based Dave & Buster’s Entertainment is gearing up for spring break by dangling new enticements for visitors—including a new game that literally dangles guests up in the air. The all-new "Human Crane" experience is a life-sized version of the classic arcade claw machine—except here, guests act as the claw. Available in select Dave & Buster's locations nationwide, the Human Crane gently lowers guests into "a sea of oversized prizes," plus additional surprises throughout the year. 
MORE
The Last Word: On the Center for BrainHealth’s Partnership With GoMo Health, 21 Impact Labs, and Virginia’s VHP
by | Feb 27, 2025
The Center for BrainHealth at UT Dallas has announced three "major new partnerships" it says will enhance its mission to empower people at all ages and circumstances with science-backed approaches for proactive brain health and fitness. The center will be working with 21 Impact Labs, Gomo Health, and Virginia High Performance to advance proactive brain health and fitness approaches.
MORE
The Last Word: Inside the ‘Trick Shot’ World of Dude Perfect’s Epic New Frisco Headquarters
by | Feb 25, 2025
What do you get when you combine a giant smoke-ring cannon, a chocolate-covered bone-in ice cream, and an 80,000-square-foot facility that its CEO describes as a "sports lover's Barbie Dream House"? The answer: A tour of Dude Perfect's jaw-dropping new headquarters in Frisco at The Star Business Park.
MORE
The Last Word: TCU’s Chief University Strategy and Innovation Officer Puts Down Roots
by | Feb 19, 2025
Last May, TCU named Tom Wavering as its first chief university strategy and innovation officer. The former executive director of the Tom Love Innovation Hub and entrepreneurship faculty member at the University of Oklahoma took up his post in July. But in order to advance TCU's mission and vision—focusing on fostering innovation and academic excellence—he wanted to put down roots of his own. He has since done that, with a home that already had its Fort Worth sense of place literally set in stone.
MORE