Austin Next

The space race runs through Texas now. All types of rockets, satellites, control software, and the underlying infrastructure of the industry are being created and grown here in Austin. Our Austin Sector Deep Dive Series continues with Melanie Stricklan, CEO of Slingshot Aerospace & Michael Ciannilli NASA's Director of the Apollo, Challenger, Columbia Lessons Learned Program. 

Is the final frontier...What's Next Austin?

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Austin is more than the live music capital of the world or the latest tech-wonderland. Central Texas has a notable and growing manufacturing base as well. Today, we’re going to go deeper into this part of our home and try to better understand where our manufacturing industry comes from and where it’s going. Joining us is Ed Latson, Executive Director of the Austin Regional Manufacturing Association.

We build things in Austin...What's next Austin

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Venture capital is just one source of funding available to early-stage companies. These sources both compete with and complement VC money. They range from existing methods such as angels and debt vehicles to new sources like crowdfunding. Austin is home to a growing variety of options for this alternative capital and so we are going to try something new with this episode. 

In this episode, we have 4 mini-interviews with individuals that are active in this space. Nick Spiller, fundraising coach and host of the Beta Business podcast; Rick Timmins, former board chair of CTAN; Elizabeth Jennings, Board Member for SWAN Impact Network;  and Kyle Robertson, entrepreneur, and free-agent investor. They provide a look at the organizations and players in town and also provide differing perspectives on the fundraising environment. 

With capital flowing we can move towards...What's next Austin? 

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

As we continue our look at the Austin capital environment, we turn to the newcomers to the region. Over the past 18 months, we have had numerous VC firms either opening up offices here or an outright move. This influx of capital is one of the many drivers for why 2021 has been a historic year in Austin startup fundraising.  

 In this episode, we talk with Garheng Kong, Founder and Managing Partner of HealthQuest Capital. HealthQuest is one of those new firms that has newly put a presence in the Austin region. Drawing new capital into the ecosystem is a driving force of...What's next Austin? 

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

The fuel that makes startups grow has always been capital. This is produced from revenue, debt, angels, crowdfunding, and venture capital. Austin has seen a record year in both funds being raised and companies raising rounds. Not only have the funds been flying, but new investors have decided to make the region their home. In this episode, we are starting our series on the Austin capital environment. How it evolved, where the funding is being deployed, and what the future holds. We start with a long-time local VC, Brian Smith Managing Director of S3 Ventures. Knowing where the capital is flowing will help us answer...What's next Austin?

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

We interview Amos Schwartzfarb, Managing Director of TechStars Austin about how private incubators support the innovation ecosystem here in Central TX. 

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

History has shown that a strong university is a key element for an innovation ecosystem to thrive. The good news is that Austin is the home of the University of Texas, one of the largest and strongest universities in the US, and I’m not just talking about football. 

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

The pandemic opened a lot of people's eyes to the importance of the life sciences industry. The 21st century is being called the bio century and Austin has the opportunity to be right in the middle of that next wave.  We continue our Austin Sector Deep Dive Series with Scott Collins, President BioAustinCTX The next generation of innovation in health will drive forward...What's next Austin? 

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

The Live Music Capital of the world is one of many slogans for our fine city. Music is just one of many forms of media that have been taking hold in the region. This includes film, gaming, and yes podcasting too. One fascinating collision between our growing media footprint and our technology hub is mediatech. We continue our Austin Sector Deep Dive Series with Paul O'Brien, CEO of MediaTech Ventures. This burgeoning sector helps shape the narrative of...What's Next Austin?

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

One of the strengths of the Austin innovation ecosystem is the wide sector diversification that plays within our region. All of these different industries provide multiple shots on goals for future unicorns, a hedge against a downturn in any single market, and opportunities for interesting and unique collaborations. We are going to break open the silos and provide a glimpse into each of these sectors. In today's episode, we are going to start with one of the newest technologies Blockchain/Crypto with Lee Bratcher, President of the Texas Blockchain Council. Each of these industries provides its own path to...What's Next Austin?

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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack