Austin Tech Connect: The Podcast For The Austin Technology Ecosystem, Business Leaders, and Tech Entrepreneurs!

In this episode of Austin Tech Connect, Thom Singer sits down with Ellen Wood, the co-founder and CEO of vcfo, and one of this year's inductees into the Austin Tech Hall of Fame. Ellen has been a cornerstone of the Austin business community for nearly three decades, quietly guiding thousands of companies through the challenges of growth, funding, leadership, and culture. Long before the term "fractional" became part of everyday business vocabulary, Ellen pioneered the concept with Virtual CFO (now vcfo), offering executive-level finance and HR support to companies that needed experienced guidance but weren't yet ready for full-time hires.

We talk about the early days of vcfo, when the whole idea of part-time strategic leadership was still unproven, and how the firm grew from a conversation over coffee to a trusted partner for more than 6,000 businesses. Ellen shares stories about some of her early clients, including garden.com and Vrbo, and how those experiences shaped the firm's ability to adapt through booms, busts, and everything in between.

Throughout the conversation, we explore the lessons she's learned about protecting equity, building strong cultures, and the importance of helping entrepreneurs see around corners. Ellen also opens up about why community service has always been part of her professional DNA, from leading the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce to decades of involvement in organizations like Opportunity Austin and AARO.

This episode is a celebration of quiet leadership, long-term vision, and the people who built the foundation of Austin's tech ecosystem long before it became the boomtown we know today. Ellen Wood has never chased the spotlight... but her impact on Austin business is undeniable.

Lowe's Style Studio and the Rise of Spatial Commerce

In this episode of Austin Tech Connect, Thom Singer speaks with Josh Shabtai, Senior Director of Spatial Commerce at Lowe's Innovation Labs, about the intersection of retail, real estate, and immersive technology.

Lowe's has just launched its newest innovation, Lowe's Style Studio—a virtual reality experience that empowers customers to design and visualize kitchen spaces in an interactive, high-fidelity VR environment. The very first market in the country to experience this cutting-edge technology? Austin, Texas.

The conversation explores how Lowe's Innovation Labs is thinking like a startup inside a Fortune 500 company, building in-house tools that blend spatial computing, customer experience, and the future of home design. With Austin's strong ecosystem of property tech startups and its culture of early adoption, the city provides a perfect testbed for this type of experimentation.

Josh shares how spatial commerce is reshaping expectations in home improvement, how the Lowe's team collaborates across disciplines to create customer-centric experiences, and why more companies need to think beyond traditional industry boundaries.

The episode also touches on the broader narrative that "every company is now a tech company", and how innovation at scale can emerge from legacy brands willing to embrace bold thinking.

To learn more about Lowe's Style Studio or to book a VR appointment in Austin, visit: [Insert link]

Listen now and discover how the future of home design is being built—right here in Austin.

To learn more or to schedule an appointment with Lowe's Style Studio.... https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=4379307-1&h=607178597&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.lowes.com%2Fl%2Fabout%2Fstyle-studio&a=Lowes.com

To Learn more about the Austin Technology Council...visit https://austintechnologycouncil.org

This week, the Austin Technology Council announced the Legacy / Foundational inductees for 2025. This is the second year of an eight-year launch. You cannot drop 70 names into a hall of fame all in one day, so we decided to add eight people a year so they can be adequately celebrated.

In addition to the Legacy/Foundational inductees, we will announce the 2025 inductee, and the first-time founder award winner will be announced at the May 7th cocktail reception.

Congratulations to Angelos Angelou, Joshua Baer, Bob Fabbio, Joe Liemandt, Pike Powers, Carol Thompson, John Thornton, and Ellen Wood.

If you do not see people you think should be honored, we invite you to participate in the program for next year. ATC is a grassroots organization --- which means you are invited to pull your chair up to the table. For a tech ecosystem to thrive, it cannot just be by invitation only.... it has to be an open place where people can feel they belong.

The Austin Technology Council is about YOU. Please support our cause and add your voice.

In this episode of Austin Tech Connect, Thom Singer sits down with Jean Anne Booth, founder and CEO of UnaliWear, for a dynamic conversation about her remarkable journey through Austin's tech ecosystem. From her early engineering days at NASA and AMD to building startups acquired by Apple and TI, Jean Anne shares insights on innovation, resilience, and what it means to be a "maverick" in the tech world.

They explore the origin story of UnaliWear's product; an award-winning wearable that empowers independence for seniors... and the passion behind creating tech that truly serves people. Jean Anne offers advice for entrepreneurs, reflects on the evolving Austin tech scene, and champions the importance of community and mentorship. Her story is equal parts inspiring, practical, and full of heart.

Jean-Anne is an example of successful leaders who continue to show up in the community to give back.

If you're an innovator, founder, or tech leader who believes in building with purpose, this is an episode you don't want to miss.

In this episode of Austin Tech Connect, Thom Singer sits down with Mat Kordell, Co-Founder and COO of CyberStreams, for a conversation that hits at the heart of entrepreneurship, community, and opportunity. Mat shares how his journey from working the help desk to running a multi-location MSP wasn't fueled by luck or algorithms... it was powered by human connections.

From networking events to industry meetups, Mat's biggest business moves came from showing up. He didn't meet his co-founder, business partner, or acquisition targets through cold emails... he met them in person. Now based in Austin, Mat talks about the value of being part of a thriving tech community, what makes Austin special, and why entrepreneurs need to get out of their silos and into the room where things happen.

Whether you're building your first company or thinking about your next move, this episode will inspire you to invest in real relationships and think long-term about your role in shaping the future of your city.

In this special episode of Austin Tech Connect, host Thom Singer takes listeners behind the scenes of the Austin Tech Hall of Fame ... a community-driven initiative launched by the Austin Technology Council to celebrate the individuals who have shaped Austin into a world-class tech hub.

With the second annual celebration on the horizon, Thom shares the "why" behind this important program, how it was inspired by a brief start in 2013, and why the current version is being thoughtfully rolled out as an 8-year launch. Each year, eight foundational figures from Austin's tech history will be inducted, honoring the more than 60 leaders who helped build the ecosystem we enjoy today.

Thom explains the nomination process, the addition of an annual current-year inductee, and the special First-Time Founder Award... which highlights up-and-coming entrepreneurs making waves in the local scene. He also emphasizes the grassroots nature of this program and encourages everyone in the community to get involved, from nominating candidates to attending the event in May.

If you care about the past, present, and future of Austin's innovation economy, this episode is your roadmap to how the Hall of Fame is helping weave a stronger, more connected tech community.

In this episode of Austin Tech Connect, Thom Singer sits down with Pat Dixon, President of DPAS, to discuss the intersection of operational technology (OT) and cybersecurity in industrial facilities. Pat shares insights on the evolution of industrial tech, how automation has shaped industries like water treatment and manufacturing, and the security risks unique to critical infrastructure.

Key topics include:

• The 4th Industrial Revolution and how industrial facilities were ahead of mainstream tech in digital automation.
• The growing threat of cyberattacks, not just from the internet but from physical vulnerabilities like USB drives.
• The challenges of maintaining legacy systems, with many facilities still relying on outdated tech.
• Why securing industrial operations requires a different mindset compared to financial or traditional IT security.
• The importance of cross-disciplinary learning, how industrial tech can influence mainstream technology, and what Austin's future growth might look like.

Pat also shares his journey in engineering, the founding of DPAS, and his perspective on the future of Austin's tech infrastructure, particularly around power and water security.

In this episode of Austin Tech Connect, host Thom Singer sits down with Joe McCall and Nikolas Kairinos, co-founders of Melelem, a groundbreaking AI company redefining how Large Language Models (LLMs) learn and evolve. Melelem continuously refines itself in real-time, eliminating the need for multiple AI subscriptions.

The conversation dives deep into the future of AI, exploring how advancements in machine learning and self-learning AI models are reshaping industries. Nikolas shares his perspective on the rapid acceleration of AI capabilities, the shift from traditional neural networks to transformer-based architectures, and how Melelem's real-time learning model represents the next step in AI evolution. They discuss the challenges of AI hallucinations, data security, and the need for more personalized, context-aware models that can continuously improve without massive retraining. Joe and Nikolas also touch on the broader implications of AI on businesses, workforce development, and how Austin—long a hub for AI innovation—can position itself at the forefront of the next AI revolution.

Joe shares insights from his decades of experience in Austin's tech scene, from founding the Austin Software Council to witnessing the city's rise as a global innovation hub. Nikolas, a lifelong AI expert, discusses the rapid advancements in AI, the limitations of current LLMs, and how Melelem's meta-learning approach is set to change the game.

If you're curious about where AI is headed, how it's impacting industries, and what's next for Austin's booming tech community, this is an episode you don't want to miss!

In this episode of Austin Tech Connect, the Austin Technology Council CEO, Thom Singer, sits down with Piyanka Jain, CEO of Aryng, to cut through the AI buzz and get to the real impact of artificial intelligence in business. With over 20 years of experience,,, building AI models long before it was trendy... Piya shares her insights on:

✅ The biggest hiring mistakes companies make when bringing on AI talent ✅ Why most AI investments are wasted (and how to avoid it) ✅ The role of first-principles thinking in driving business growth ✅ How Aryng is changing the game with Enola, a 24/7 AI-powered business analyst

If your company is thinking about AI strategy, hiring an AI expert, or just trying to keep up with the rapid changes in tech, this episode is packed with must-know insights.

🔗 Connect with Piyanka Jain: Aryng.com | or on LinkedIn.

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All Companies are Tech Companies: In the modern era, all companies are tech companies. We used to have a line between traditional business and tech.... but now that line has blurred. People do not often think about how businesses in all industries rely on, create, and utilize technology.

In this interview, Thom Singer talks to Harsha Bellur, the CIO at Texas based James Avery Jewelry. This 70 year old company now uses tech in design and manufacturing, as well as all other aspects of their business. Harsha has had an interesting career journey, from working in his fathers business in India as a teenager to begging a CIO with a masters degree and an MBA.

Tune into the Austin Tech Connect podcast to hear his story and his advice.