Mark Cuban, the billionaire owner of the Dallas Mavericks and an investor on the hit ABC television show Shark 
Tank, was in the news over the weekend for his appearance in Austin near the South by Southwest Conferences and Festivals.
Cuban was in Austin to appear at the Brand Innovators Summit sponsored by Dallas-based AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) and other companies. Although he did talk technology, entrepreneurship and innovation, Cuban caused quite a stir on social media and in the press with his political commentary.
You can read what he had to say about two of the top presidential candidates.
Cuban is well known for his entrepreneurial ways, having backed numerous tech startups, including Cyber Dust.
And, while we’re reading about Mark Cuban, the Dallas Morning News also had a feature on the 28-year-old who coaches all of his consumer goods and services startups from Shark Tank.
Rachel Kuhr emailed Cuban two years ago after watching an episode of the television show and told him that he needed her expertise in product innovation and development. She sent Cuban her resume.
And, as they say, the rest is history.
For a daily dose of what’s new and next in Dallas-Fort Worth innovation, subscribe to our Dallas Innovates e-newsletter.
R E A D N E X T
-
The Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company is building an $11M, 22,000SF drug manufacturing plant in Dallas' Deep Ellum, aiming to "disrupt and disable big pharma." The startup plans to launch an online pharmacy selling 100 of the most commonly prescribed generic prescription drugs at a 15 percent markup plus a $3 dispensing fee. "Our only goal is to push down the pricing of drugs for every American," the company pledges.
-
The Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company aims to "disrupt and disable big pharma" by offering more than 100 generic drugs "at striking savings" direct to consumers on a cash-pay basis. As a pharmaceutical wholesaler, MCCPDC says it can "bypass middlemen and outrageous markups" by simply charging a flat 15% margin and pharmacist fee. With an $11M plant going up now in Deep Ellum, Cuban clearly means business.
-
The $11 million, 22,000-square-foot facility is expected to produce low-cost generic versions of traditionally overpriced drugs—and aims to be a designated site for producing drugs which other companies see as unprofitable to make. Two weeks ago, the MCCPDC launched its online pharmacy, offering 100+ generic drugs at manufacturer cost plus a flat 15% margin and a $3 pharmacist fee.
-
Illuno is a staffing and scheduling platform that co-founder Luke Guthrie calls an “officer on-demand system.” It helps departments and officers coordinate moonlighting work with transparency, including rental payments for police cars used for after-hours security work. With backing from the Mark Cuban Companies, Illuno is now looking to expand nationwide.
-
Sherwood Bedding, which was acquired by Tempur Seal for $40 million in 2020, aims to pair handmade craftsmanship with advanced automation. The firm and its third-generation founders are expanding to a customized, 234,395-square-foot facility to be built near the Grandscape complex west of the North Dallas Tollway.
