The Building Texas Show

Welcome to the Building Texas show! We're in San Marcos, Texas, for an exciting *interview* with Professor Nadim Adi from **txst**.

This conversation began at South by Southwest, highlighting the professor's engaging discussion on design impact at the *university**. It's always great to connect with thought leaders in the **austin* area, bringing you the latest *news* from Texas State.

55 million people worldwide live with dementia — and almost none of their homes are designed with their condition in mind. ‪@txst‬ Professor Nadim Adi is researching how intentional architecture, color contrast, and spatial design can help aging loved ones stay safer, eat better, and live with more dignity.

From the plate color that helps dementia patients recognize their food, to the layout choices that reduce fall risk, to what AI actually can (and can't) do for the future of architecture — this conversation covers what most designers never talk about publicly.
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@MentalDesignLabs

@thebuildingtexasshow

15 years in Silicon Valley. 15 years Building Texas. Startup Economist Paul O'Brien says the metric most cities use to measure startup success is completely wrong — and he wrote the book on what actually works.
At SXSW 2026, Justin McKenzie visits with Paul O'Brien, author of Startup Ecosystems: Understanding Why Startups Thrive and Ecosystems Fail — the book that updates Brad Feld's Startup Communities with 15 years of new frameworks on funding, policy, and what actually moves the needle for founders and city leaders.

📗 ORDER THE BOOK: → on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Startup-Ecosys...

In this episode, we feature an engaging interview with Paul O'Brien, an entrepreneur attending South by Southwest in Austin. The discussion covers various aspects of business and development, offering an interactive look into the festival experience in Austin, TX. It's a must-watch for anyone interested in the intersection of creativity and commerce.

→ Why job creation is a poor measure of startup ecosystem health
→ "Optionality" — the hidden metric that actually predicts founder success
→ The real reason most startup ecosystems quietly fail
→ How to navigate SXSW like an insider: plan months ahead, don't sell, don't pitch
→ Why "collisions and immigration" are the real fuel for entrepreneurship
→ Texas + New Mexico: Converging on AI, aerospace & clean tech — and what it means
→ How to work with universities, policy, and venture studios to build ecosystems that last

About Paul O’Brien 
 @PaulOBrienSEOBrien  is the Startup Economist. After 15 years in Silicon Valley — including multiple acquired startups and an EIR role in venture capital — he moved to Austin and brought Founder Institute, Mass Challenge, and Techstars to Texas. His new book, Startup Ecosystems, is the definitive guide for ecosystem builders, economic developers, and city leaders who are done guessing.
🌐 seobrien.com 📗 Startup Ecosystems — available now on Amazon and Barnes & Noble

The Building Texas Show 
Hosted by Justin McKenzie,  @thebuildingtexasshow  features the founders, innovators, and civic leaders shaping the future of Texas — from fast-growing startups to the communities being built for tomorrow.

Thank you,  @Chisos  for being Damn Comfortable Cowboy Boots. The only way to walk across Austin with your boots on.
Subscribe for weekly conversations from the front lines of Texas innovation.

Marble Falls is pioneering direct potable water reuse — turning 800,000 gallons of wastewater per day into clean drinking water, and Mayor John Packer says it's the future every Texas city will have to face. Sitting in the heart of the Texas Hill Country, just far enough from Austin, this fast-growing city is also breaking ground on a lakefront hotel conference center and running its economic development strategy without a single financial incentive package.
In this conversation with Justin McKenzie on The Building Texas Show, Mayor John Packer pulls back the curtain on what it actually takes to lead a Texas Hill Country city through rapid growth — from aging infrastructure built in the 1950s to a visionary water recycling system that could become a model for Central Texas.
Topics covered:
— Why Marble Falls doesn't chase businesses with financial incentives (and why that's working)
— The lakefront hotel conference center now under construction on Lake Marble Falls
— How the city built a public beach on a flood-prone lake
— Direct potable reuse: turning wastewater into drinking water
— What a comprehensive city plan actually looks like when it's not just sitting on a shelf
— The 35,000 vehicles/day problem on Hwy 281 — and what's being done about it

Whether you're curious about Texas small town leadership, Hill Country growth, or the future of water in Texas — this one is essential viewing.

🔔 Subscribe for new episodes every week:    / @thebuildingtexasshow  

🌐 Learn more: https://www.buildingtexasshow.com
📲 Follow The Building Texas Show: @buildingtexasshow

San Angelo is the largest city in Texas without an interstate — and it's building a $400–600M future anyway. Mayor Tom Thompson sits down with Justin McKenzie to break down how this 100,000-person West Texas city is quietly outpacing expectations through data centers, water reclamation, airport expansion, and the Ports to Plains corridor.

What we cover:
Why San Angelo is aggressively pursuing data centers ($400–600M 10-year revenue projection)
"You can build it and get the tax revenue — or watch one go up over the fence and get nothing."
How San Angelo is solving water before it becomes a crisis (14–21M gallons/day consumption)
The airport expansion bringing Canadian Air Force training pilots twice a year
Why I-27, I-14, and the Ports to Plains corridor are about to change everything for West Texas
Angelo State University: one of the most recognized cybersecurity programs in the nation
The $31M privately funded legacy trail coming to downtown San Angelo
San Angelo calls itself "a little diamond in the rough" — Mayor Thompson is making sure the rest of Texas notices.

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The Building Texas Show | Hosted by Justin McKenzie Website: www.buildingtexasshow.com
Instagram: @ thebuildingtexasshow

#SanAngelo #TexasEconomicDevelopment #WestTexas #MayorTomThompson #BuildingTexas #TexasEconomy #DataCenters #PortsToPlains #TexasGrowth #SmallCityBigFuture

A third-generation family has handcrafted stained glass windows for thousands of churches, basilicas, and sacred spaces across America — for over 70 years. Adrian Jay, owner of Cavallini Art Glass, opens the doors to his studio where every piece of stained glass art is still made entirely by hand, the same way his family has done it since the 1950s.

Cavallini Art Glass began as a mosaic studio before transitioning to stained glass making in the late 1960s. Today, the company is one of the few remaining studios where traditional craftsmanship drives every project — from initial design sketches to the final installation inside a church or cathedral. Adrian walks us through the full stained glass process, explaining why this is an "architectural art" that must work with the light, the space, and the community it serves.

Adrian also shares the story behind restoring a mosaic at Basilica San Juan after a devastating fire — and the emotional personal plea from the pastor that brought him to the project. We explore a massive 55,000 square foot mosaic project in Dallas that most people have never seen, and discuss why passing these glass art skills to the next generation matters more than ever for sacred art preservation.

This is Episode 1 of a 5-part docuseries from The Building Texas Show exploring the history, craftsmanship, and people of Cavallini Art Glass — one of the most storied stained glass studios in Texas.

A third-generation family has handcrafted stained glass for thousands of churches across America — for over 70 years. Adrian Jay, owner of Cavallini Art Glass, takes us inside the studio where light, color, and sacred artistry come together by hand, the same way they have since the 1950s.

In this episode of The Building Texas Show's special docuseries "Visiting Texas Studio," host Justin McKenzie sits down with Adrian to explore:

🔹 How the Cavallini family transitioned from mosaics to stained glass in the late 1960s
🔹 The craftsmanship behind every window — from design to installation
🔹 Why stained glass is an "architectural art" that must work with the space it inhabits
🔹 The emotional and spiritual impact of this art in sacred spaces
🔹 Restoring a mosaic at Basilica San Juan — and the pastor's personal plea to Adrian
🔹 The 55,000 sq ft mosaic project in Dallas most people have never seen
🔹 Why passing these skills to the next generation matters more than ever

Cavallini Art Glass has served thousands of churches, basilicas, and sacred spaces across the country. Their work is designed to outlast the artisans who create it — a multi-generational investment in beauty, faith, and community.

This is Episode 1 of a 5-part series celebrating the history, craftsmanship, and people of Cavallini Art Glass.

📍 Learn more about Cavallini Art Glass: https://cavalliniglass.com/?srsltid=A...

​‪@Mr.StainedGlass‬ 
‪@AdrianCavallini‬ 
‪@CatholicTVSA‬ 

📍 Subscribe to The Building Texas Show for more stories of Texas innovation and craftsmanship.

Texas is rapidly emerging as one of the most powerful innovation ecosystems in the world. At America House inside the Texas Capitol, leaders from across the state gathered to discuss the future of entrepreneurship, venture capital, and startup collaboration across Texas.

In this special episode of The Building Texas Show, host Justin McKenzie moderates a panel with ecosystem builders and investors who are shaping the next generation of startups in Austin, Houston, Dallas, and beyond. ‪@WeAreDivInc‬  ‪@TheFoundersArena‬

The conversation explores the growth of Texas as a national innovation hub, the challenges founders face when raising capital, and why collaboration between cities, universities, investors, and corporations will determine the future of entrepreneurship in the Lone Star State.

Panelists discuss topics including venture funding, corporate innovation, diverse founders, regional collaboration, fintech growth in North Texas, and emerging industries like AI, space, climate tech, and defense technology.

This discussion was recorded during the America House innovation gathering at the Texas Capitol on March 12, bringing together ecosystem leaders from across the country.

If you care about the future of entrepreneurship, startup ecosystems, and the economic development of Texas, this conversation offers valuable insight from leaders working on the ground across the state.

Subscribe to The Building Texas Show for conversations with entrepreneurs, mayors, investors, and leaders building the future of Texas.

Texas is the 8th largest economy in the world — and it's governed by a part-time legislature that meets just 140 days every two years. State Rep. Donna Howard (HD-48) has served since 2006, sits on the powerful 27-member Appropriations Committee, and has watched the legislature navigate everything from COVID unemployment surges to multi-billion dollar budget battles.

Thank you, Representative Howard for supporting America House this week during ‪@SXSW‬ It is amazing to see everything happening across Texas.

In this conversation, Rep. Howard breaks down how the Texas House actually works — from the role your representative's office plays between sessions (her staff helped 500+ people during COVID alone) to why primary elections, not November, often decide who represents you. She also shares what's ahead for 2026: wildfire mitigation, public education funding, and healthcare access.

Whether you're a first-time voter or a lifelong Texan, this is how to vote like a Texan.

Texas is rapidly becoming one of the most powerful innovation economies in the world. From venture capital and startup growth to space exploration, robotics, energy, and AI — the momentum building across the state is extraordinary.

In this episode of The Building Texas Show, Justin McKenzie sits down with Luis Martinez of Capital Factory to explore why founders, investors, and innovators are choosing Texas. They discuss the $20B venture capital surge, the rise of the Texas startup ecosystem, and why the Texas Triangle may become one of the most important innovation regions in the global economy. 

This conversation explores how Texas is attracting talent, building startup infrastructure, and developing industries that will shape the future of the 2020s and 2030s.

Topics include venture capital growth in Austin, the rise of the Texas space economy, the power of angel investor networks, emerging technologies like robotics and AI, and how collaboration across Texas cities is helping founders compete on a global stage.

If you are interested in the future of innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic development in Texas, this episode offers a rare inside look at how the ecosystem is evolving.

Subscribe to The Building Texas Show for conversations with leaders shaping the future of Texas.

550 billion in Japanese investment is flowing into the U.S. — and Texas is the #1 target. ‪@AmericanKaterra‬  a Japanese-affiliated green steel fabrication company, is establishing its U.S. headquarters in San Antonio, Texas with plans to open a fully automated steel factory by 2028. ‪@cityofsanantonioeconomicde7147‬ ‪@TexasEconomicDevelopment‬  ‪@txedc‬ 

Welcome to The Building Texas Show, where we're in San Antonio, Texas, discussing American Katerra with Malaya Amani. This conversation explores the company's expansion into the city, highlighting the vibrant San Antonio real estate market and its appeal for businesses. Join us as we consider what makes San Antonio a prime location for new ventures, exploring its rich cultural attractions like the riverwalk and the alamo, and why it's a top destination for those moving to Texas.

What you'll learn:
🔩 What green carbon steel fabrication is and why it matters
🤖 How robotics welding is transforming U.S. steel manufacturing
🏗️ How BIM software measures greenhouse gas emissions from factory to job site
🇯🇵 Why Japanese companies are choosing Texas over other U.S. states
🎓 San Antonio's workforce pipeline through Alamo Colleges
📈 American Katerra's 2028 factory plans and expansion to Pittsburgh and the UK

American Katerra is actively hiring engineers, designers, and fabrication professionals. Search "American Katerra" on LinkedIn or visit their website to learn more.
🔗 Connect with Milea Amanai on LinkedIn:   /milea-amanai  
🔗 More episodes: www.buildingtexasshow.com

Topics: 

Japanese investment in Texas
green steel fabrication
San Antonio manufacturing
US-Japan trade
Robotic welding 
steel supply chain decarbonization, 
Texas business
Sustainable construction technology

#TexasBusiness #GreenSteel #JapaneseInvestment #SanAntonio #SteelFabrication #BuildingTexas #Manufacturing #USJapanTrade

Arlington, Texas sits right between Dallas and Fort Worth — and it's quietly becoming the innovation corridor of North Texas. In this interview captured at America's House during SXSW 2026 in Austin, Pam breaks down why she moved to North Texas in 2023, how Arlington's strategic location is breaking down regional silos, and what resources like UTA and the Arlington School District are doing to fuel the ecosystem.

Pamela Cytron, President of The Founder's Arena, shares her journey to North Texas, joining Justin at America's House during SXSW. This interview explores her insights into the business landscape and the growing entrepreneur community in the DFW area. Her move marks a significant contribution to the regional development.

🔑 Topics: Arlington as the "North Texas Corridor," building an innovation ecosystem from scratch, why location matters for startups, the Grand Prix's role in convening innovators, and connecting buyers with sellers across DFW.

🎙️ Recorded live at America's House, South by Southwest (SXSW) 2026 — Austin, Texas

#ArlingtonTexas #NorthTexas #SXSW2026 #InnovationHub #BuildingTexas #TexasStartups #dfw