Fort Worth-based tech incubator TechFW announced it promoted Hayden Blackburn to executive director, effective Sept. 15. Blackburn will take over for Darlene Boudreaux, who had served as executive director since August 2006, and who will remain with the program as a coach for TechFW life sciences clients.

“I have been impressed with Hayden’s knowledge, work ethic and temperament. His ability to listen, understand and lead are qualities that are beneficial for TechFW, its clients and its partners,” Boudreaux said in a statement. “He has been a strong leader for the Cowtown Angels group and has enabled us to improve and expand our services for technology-based companies.”

“He has been a strong leader for the Cowtown Angels group and has enabled us to improve and expand our services for technology-based companies.”
Darlene Boudreaux

Blackburn joined TechFW in December 2016 as assistant director and had been engaged across TechFW’s entire slate of programs, with an emphasis on ThinkLab, Cowtown Angels, EpICMavs at the University of Texas at Arlington, TechNest, and M-Crew.

In 2014, he founded and served as director of IDEA Works FW and his background includes serving as a strategist, program developer, and organizer in the startup and entrepreneurial communities.

“We have all been working toward this day for the past couple years. Hayden has shown himself to be a thoughtful, capable, and visionary leader who will enable TechFW to continue to be an effective catalyst for innovative technology companies in our area,” Maxwell Lea, chair of the TechFW board of directors, said about the announcement.

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TechFW is a nonprofit supported by the University of North Texas Health Science Center, University of Texas at Arlington, the City of Fort Worth, and the local business community, with the goal of helping entrepreneurs launch and grow tech companies with a high potential for success as well as working to strengthen the North Texas startup ecosystem.

It pointed to ZS Pharma and Encore Vision as two recent client successes.

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