Innovate Fort Worth

Every entrepreneur knows that finding funding is difficult. And sometimes, investors want you to give away tons of equity in exchange for their capital. That’s where “America’s Seed Fund” or SBIR grants, come in! In this episode, Dr. Robert McClain, Assistant Vice President of Research and Innovation at HSC, explains his findings around the lack of SBIR grants awarded in Tarrant County. He dives into the details around why Tarrant County is not winning more of these awards, and what can be done to change this. He believes that assisting entrepreneurs to tap into these grant awards will catalyze innovation in Fort Worth.

The producers who work behind the scenes of the podcast join our host to look back on 2022. Kendel Rogers from HSC Next and Rob Upchurch of RobMakesPods share their experiences of making Innovate Fort Worth and growing it to 80+ episodes. They also share stories of their favorite guests that stood out throughout the year. Cameron, Kendel, and Rob discuss what Innovate Fort Worth has grown into and what it means for the community. They will also share a sneak peek of what is to come in 2023!

Cam Sadler, an Innovate Fort Worth alum and founder of NewCraft, is back in the hot seat to answer questions around his exit experience. Cam shares what he has been up to since his move back to Fort Worth from San Francisco, what trends he has seen in the startup space from coast to coast, and what he plans to do next.

It takes a big heart to tackle a big problem. Meet Munatsi Manyande, the executive director of the DASH Network, an organization with an innovative approach to helping asylum seekers. People seeking asylum arrive with nothing and aren’t eligible for government benefits, and this is where the DASH Network steps in. They provide housing, food, language training and more in one of the largest program serving asylum seekers in the country. Munatsi explains the difference between asylum seekers and refugees, how the DASH Network is holistically serving people who are often overlooked, and what is next for the nonprofit.  

When it comes to making Fort Worth a world class city, Carlo Capua has some ideas. He is the Chief of Strategy and Innovation at The City of Fort Worth, and has already found ways to infuse innovation into the culture of Cowtown. He discusses how the bitcoin mining operation that has opened Fort Worth to be a “living laboratory” by trying new things and not being afraid to fail. Carlo is also exploring how to innovate current infrastructure and processes to strengthen and improve various communities in Fort Worth. He also shares how Fort Worth is embracing and changing for the better by taking on new opportunities in media, education, sports, technology, and global relations.

How do you scale our food supply for the future? Eddy Badrina from Eden Green Technology is doing just that. Redefining how produce is traditionally grown, Eden Green uses greenhouses, powered by the Texas sun and tons of technology, to provide local, nutritious, and sustainable leafy greens. Using their patented hydroponic system to ensure quality, flavor and freshness, Eden Green lettuce is grown with no pesticides or preservatives in their controlled environment. Eden Green is innovating how to grow food for the masses faster, healthier and more efficiently than ever before.

The first class of the Techstars physical health accelerator program has arrived in Fort Worth. Meet two of the companies that are improving the physical, mental and whole health of patients through their innovative startup companies. This episode features Brendan Sullivan from Zama Health and Alex Theodorou from Neurofit.

The first class of the Techstars physical health accelerator program has arrived in Fort Worth. Meet two of the companies that are improving the physical, mental and whole health of patients through their innovative startup companies. This episode features Dave Sekowski from Wellest, Stefan Weiss from Straffr, and Hamza Shaikh from Stabl.

The first class of the Techstars physical health accelerator program has arrived in Fort Worth. Meet two of the companies that are improving the physical, mental and whole health of patients through their innovative startup companies. This episode features Josh Rabinowitz from Articulate Labs and Anna Shuford from BOOMROOM.

The first class of the Techstars physical health accelerator program has arrived in Fort Worth! Meet three of the companies that are improving the physical therapy industry, mental and whole health of patients through their innovative startup companies. This episode features Dr. Celeste Austin from GoManda, Peter Weisz from Pulsewave and Jonathan Truong from Recovr Health.