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: Karla Steinberg on the Groundbreaking for Jewish Family Service of Greater Dallas’ New Home

by | Oct 11, 2024
For nearly 75 years, Jewish Family Service of Greater Dallas (JFS) has provided critical services to those in need. The nonprofit—whose services include primary medical care, individual counseling and group support, career and financial coaching, a food pantry, and more—has been a cornerstone of the community since 1950. But lately it’s been “bursting at the seams” in its home in Far North Dallas. That’s about to change, though—thanks to the recent groundbreaking of The Karla and Larry Steinberg Building, JFS’ new 100,000-square-foot home at 16301 Quorum Dr. in Addison. 
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The Last Word: Jam Vino’s Chef Lorius on Winning a ‘Golden Ticket’ from Walmart
by | Oct 10, 2024
The signature Jam Vino gourmet wine-infused jam created by Keller-based Chef Lorius was one 92 brands to receive a Golden Ticket during the annual Walmart Open Call. Available online now at Walmart.com, it'll reach the discount giant's shelves in 2025. "Jam Vino combines the heart of the South with the elegance of wine country, and our partnership with Walmart allows us to fulfill our mission of providing Everyday Luxury for Everyday People," Chef Lorious (AKA Lori Rogers) said in a statement.
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The Last Word: From ‘I Do’ to ‘I’m Done,’ How Dallas-Based Divorceaversary Gives Divorce and Breakups a Positive Spin
by | Oct 9, 2024
Divorceaversary is a new Dallas-based startup that puts a positive spin on the aftermath of going from "I do" to "I'm done." Aiming to transform how people approach life after divorce and breakups, its e-commerce site offers cards that celebrate new beginnings—in humorous, edgy, even NSFW ways. Some cards offer great advice ("I know things are bad but don't get bangs"), others are supportive ("Divorce looks good as hell on you"), and others express relief ("No one ever liked that asshole anyway"). 
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The Last Word: Common Desk Alums Plan Kids-First ‘Boutique Country Club’ in Dallas’ Lake Highlands
by | Oct 7, 2024
Williams recently wrote on LinkedIn about working with his former Common Desk colleague, founder Nick Clark, to develop the "first boutique country club in the USA" in Dallas' Lake Highlands neighborhood. The twist: Unlike traditional country clubs—where space and programming for kids is a relative afterthought—Eastside Country Club will be aimed at prioritizing kids over adults "when it comes to design, indoor space allocation, amenities, and programming."
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The Last Word: MediaTech Ventures’ Paul O’Brien on Why North Texas Is “the World’s FinTech Hub”

by | Oct 2, 2024
North Texas grabbed the world's financial attention again this week with updates from the Dallas-based Texas Stock Exchange, which introduced its expansive leadership team and board members and said it had raised over $135 million to date. But as Austin-based Paul O'Brien noted in his LinkedIn Startup Studio post last month, the TXSE is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to North Texas' sprawling fintech and financial universe.
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The Last Word: Governor Abbott on the Impact of the Dallas-Based Texas Stock Exchange
by | Oct 1, 2024
In June, TXSE Group announced plans to launch the Texas Stock Exchange (TXSE), focused on enabling U.S. and global companies to access U.S. equity capital markets via a “fully electronic, national securities exchange." In the months since, that's led to endless discussion of the impact of North Texas' "Y'All Street." It was capped by yesterday's announcement that the TXSE had raised over $135 million to date as it named members of TXSE's board—including former Texas Governor and former U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry; former SEC Commissioner Rick Roberts; and Alex Bussandri, the global head of strategy at Citadel Securities.
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The Last Word: Starship Bagel’s Oren Salomon on Winning 3 Awards at the 2024 New York BagelFest
by | Sep 30, 2024
Salomon—who also founded the coworking space Dallas Fort Work and is the global director of the maps project for Open Coworking—has bagels in his blood. But unlike most Brooklyn-born Jews, he came to North Texas and did something about it, opening three locations of his Starship Bagels in downtown Dallas, Far North Dallas, and Lewisville. On Saturday, he proved he has the goods by schlepping back to NYC and winning three top prizes at the 2024 New York BagelFest—one year after winning "Best Bagel" there in 2023.
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The Last Word: On Dallas Getting Its 2nd Old Monk Pub 26 Years After First One Opened
by | Sep 27, 2024
Trendy new bar-restaurants seem to pop up every week in Dallas. But many fans prefer something cozy, tried, and true, like The Old Monk pub at 2847 Henderson Avenue. Fastidiously un-trendied since its opening 26 years ago, the pub has drawn crowds of happily laid-back patrons since McKinney, an Irish-American from Dublin, first opened it.
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The Last Word: Cosm Dallas GM On Its ‘VR Without the Goggles’ Experience

“It’s VR without the goggles.”

Justin Renville General Manager Cosm Dallas …via Inclusion Cloud’s Jayme Byrd after touring the newly opened Cosm Dallas at Grandscape.

Cosm Dallas, the new immersive entertainment venue at Grandscape, is turning heads. In a LinkedIn post, Jayme Byrd shared her impressions after a recent tour with the Dallas Regional Chamber’s Innovation Task Force....

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The Last Word: Why the New York Times Put Irving’s Simply South on its 2024 America’s Best Restaurants List
by | Sep 24, 2024
The New York Times is out with its 2024 list of America's Best Restaurants, and a spicy, meatless destination off I-635 in Irving has made its colorful way onto the list. Simply South opened only last December in a former Tex-Mex restaurant location at 1001 MacArthur Park Drive—but the word is definitely out. The Times says the wait is 3 hours on Sundays for  dishes from Andhra Pradesh in southern India "that tastes like home cooking from the chefs Venkatesawara Rao Muttavarapu, Manikandan Ramalingam, and Anoop Muraleedharan."
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The Last Word: Mike Ablon on the Planned $350M Redevelopment of Dallas’ Bank of America Tower
by | Sep 23, 2024
Ablon and Mike Hoque of Dallas-based Hoque Global have the iconic 72-story Bank of America Plaza tower and four surrounding city blocks under contract, and are planning a $350 million redevelopment that includes a luxury hotel, street-level enhancements, and a potential new financial district in downtown Dallas, according to an exclusive report by D CEO's Christine Perez. 
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The Last Word: Six Flags’ ‘Chief Fright Officer’ on Turning Hit Movies into Fright Fest Attractions
by | Sep 20, 2024
It's scary enough to tiptoe through a regular haunted house. But when something pops out that gave you a heart attack during a movie—and sent your popcorn flying—the chills really kick up a notch. That's the idea behind Fright Fest, going on now through Nov. 3 at Six Flags Over Texas. Along with park-wide spooky vibes and "scare zones," there are new haunted mazes inspired by horror brands come to life: including Lionsgate and Twisted Pictures’ SAW franchise, Netflix’s Stranger Things, Warner Bros. Discovery’s The Conjuring, Legendary Entertainment’s Trick ‘r Treat, and Netflix & Legendary Entertainment’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
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The Last Word: HOK’s Kay Sargent on the New ‘Neuroinclusive’ Workspaces from Dallas-Based MeSpace

by | Sep 18, 2024
MeSpace—a new Dallas-based company that manufactures "neuroinclusive" workstations that allow users to create their ideal work environment through sensory customization—was launched recently by Founder and CEO Travis Hollman. Sargent, who's a neuroinclusive consultant, lauded MeSpace for designing "an innovative workstation that enables individuals to tailor their environment to fit their unique needs."
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The Last Word: DFW Sports Stars & Legends Team Up for North Texas Giving Day
by | Sep 17, 2024
Texas Rangers first baseman Nathaniel Lowe leads a star-studded sports team of players and legends from the Dallas Cowboys, Dallas Stars, Dallas Mavericks, FC Dallas, and Dallas Wings in encouraging even more donations on North Texas Giving Day.
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The Last Word: Innovating Brunch with ‘a Thai Twist’ at Grandscape’s Tande Thai
by | Sep 16, 2024
Imjard and Tande Thai Executive Chef Matt Baum have launched a new weekend brunch that offers guests "a unique fusion of brunch favorites infused with vibrant Thai flavors" from Imjard's roots in Thailand.
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The Last Word: On the Founders of Fort Worth’s Goldee’s BBQ Making Food & Wine’s 2024 ‘Best New Chefs’ List
People wait in line up to 5 hours to get into Goldee's, a BBQ restaurant in a rough-hewn wood shack in Fort Worth. So you know something special is smokin' up there. But now the line may get even longer—because Goldee's three co-founders made the 2024 Food & Wine Best New Chefs list this week. 
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