Podcast appearances and mentions of austin chamber

In this episode of the Econ Dev Show, host Dane Carlson sits down with Arthur Jackson, Chief Economic Development Officer for Cedar Park, Texas. Arthur shares his unexpected path into economic development following a layoff from a sales director position, leading to his role with the Austin Chamber and eventual leadership in Cedar Park. Through their conversation, Arthur reveals how his sales background enhances his economic development approach, emphasizing the importance of listening and resilience. He also showcases Cedar Park's impressive achievements as the safest and most affluent city in the Austin area, while discussing the delicate balance of regional cooperation and local development in the greater Austin metroplex. Cedar Park is undergoing a remarkable transformation. Under Arthur's leadership, this rapidly growing suburb of Austin is attracting innovative businesses that are transforming the tech, aerospace and clean energy industries including rocket tester Firefly, Hyliion, which provides clean, flexible and affordable electricity production., and Hanyang. Cedar Park offers space, affordability and access to talent while capitalizing on its proximity to Austin. The City is also attracting talent and providing enhanced livability to its residents by investing in itself. Cedar Park, which was incorporated about 50 years ago, has 80,000 residents and experienced 44.2% growth in the last population Census, but it never had a downtown or gathering place. The City's approach to community development was to bet on big-box retail, a minor league sports and event arena (HEB Center), hotels, and 31 miles of trails and parks, along with housing. This presented an opportunity to build a modern-day downtown with resident buy-in. Cedar Park is currently building its first downtown with the Bell District—a $750 million development anchored by a $31 million state-of-the-art public library that opened this November. Like this show? Please leave us a review here (https://econdevshow.com/rate-this-podcast/) — even one sentence helps! Special Guest: Arthur Jackson.

As the President and CEO of the Austin Chamber, Jeremy Martin is advocating for what businesses need to survive and thrive in the 10th largest city in the U.S.  In this episode, ABJ Managing Editor Kathryn Hardison connects with Martin to cover a wide range of concerns.

Check out this 45th episode of BoomATX to hear Glenn sit down with long time Austin staple in the pest control and home services world, Bobby Jenkins!  Bobby is a proud Aggie, comes from and has continued on with a long lineage of Aggies and won the lottery by getting the Aggie territory in the friendly sibling rivalry that is the ABC Home & Commercial Services Texas empire!Bobby is a staple on the Austin airwaves for decades with as the owner and commercial spokesman for the ABC family business and continues to grow the company for the next generation of Aggies but Bobby doesn't stop there....Bobby help found and continues to play a big role at the Chamber of Commerce with Austin Gives which encourages corporate philanthropy and donation of 1% of company earnings thru time, talent and treasure donations.  Austin Gives is excited to partner with Silicon Valley based Pledge 1% as they look to encourage new tech companies in town to take the pledge!Bobby not only employs over 800 people offering a wide variety of services including pest and termite control, lawn care and mowing, landscaping and irrigation, tree trimming, air conditioning and heating, plumbing and electrical, pool cleaning and repair, handyman services, window cleaning and power washing, and appliance repair, but he is also incredibly active in so many aspects of the Austin community he calls home.Bobby was named the 2017 Austinite of the Year as well as served as past chair of the Austin Chamber of Commerce and past chair of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. He is a past president of both the Texas and National Pest Management Associations and a past chair of the Better Business Bureau, Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse and the Alzheimer's Association. Bobby currently serves on the Agricultural Development Council and Mays Business School Development Council at Texas A&M University. He is a past chair for Caritas of Austin and has served as a tri-chair for the bond oversight committee with AISD. He the past chair and current board member of the American Heart Association and has served as the co-chair for the Heart Walk.  Bobby is a past co-chair for the United Way Annual Campaign and current United Way board member.  Bobby and his family created the Moss Pieratt Foundation after the tragic loss of their grandson, one-year-old John “Moss” Pieratt, Jr., from a condition known as Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood (SUDC). During the summer of 2017, Bobby and his two brothers held a nationwide fundraiser and awareness builder by riding bikes over 52 days and 3,500 miles, from Seattle, Washington to New York City and are currently planning a similar ride again to raise funds and awareness for this issue so dear to their family.Give this episode a listen to learn more about this great Aggie Austinite, listen for his great jingle on the airwaves, give him a call whenever need some help around the house and plan on seeing him at his ABC Kite festival next summer in Zilker Park!BoomATX - Interesting Austinites Doing Interesting Things!

Happy New Year! For the first show of 2023, Bingham Group Associate Hannah Garcia and CEO A.J. discuss Austin Council staff picks (see below) and today's (at 6PM) Mayor Pro Tem vote. Episode 179 2023 COUNCIL STAFF PICKS (As of 1.6.2023) Mayor Kirk Watson Barbara Shack, Executive Assistant - Continues the role she served under Mayor Steve Adler's 8 years in office. Alexis Garcia, Title Not Announced - Most recently served a Director of Regional & Local Policy with the Austin Chamber of Commerce. Council Member Vanessa Fuentes - District 2 Jason Lopez, Chief of Staff - Most recently served as Policy Adviser to departing Council Member Ann Kitchen (District 5). Council Member José Velásquez - District 3 Lizette Melendez, Chief of Staff - Served as a Constituent Liaison and Policy Advisor (from November 2015 to February 2021) to Council Member Pio Renteria. Yuri Barragan, Policy Advisor - Most recently served as Policy Advisor to departing Council Member Pio Renteria (District 3) covering transportation, land use, public safety, animal services, and code enforcement. Dora Anguiano, Constituent Liaison - Most recently served as Constituent Liason to departing Council Member Anne Kitchen (District 5). Council Member Ryan Alter - District 5 Ben Leffler, Chief of Staff - Most recently a candidate for Austin's District 9. Prior Policy Advisor to Council Member Chris Riley. Michael McGill, Policy Advisor - Most recently Senior Policy Advisor to Mayor Steve Adler (since Jan. 2018). Michael has been with the city since 2011, where he served as Chief of Staff for the Council Member Sheryl Cole. Zohaib "Zo" Qadri - District 9 Sara Barge, Chief of Staff - Previously served as Chief of Staff to Councilwoman Vanessa Fuentes (District 2). She also served as Legislative Director to State Rep. Julie Johnson in the 87th Texas legislative session. Natalie Deller, Policy Advisor - Most recently served as Policy Advisor to Council Member Leslie Pool (District 7) covering land use matters. She is also a former Bingham Group intern. Melissa Beeler, Policy Advisor - Most recently served as a Transportation Justice Coordinator for Air Alliance Houston. She also has been a Transportation Planner at the City of Houston. ABOUT THE BINGHAM GROUP, LLC The Bingham Group, LLC is a Austin lobbying firm serving businesses, nonprofits and trade associations. Austin and Austin Metro lobbying and advocacy, along with Texas lobbying and advocacy are our largest service areas, covering municipal governments and the legislative and executive branches of Texas government. Check our Service Deck -> www.binghamgp.com/servicedeck We are a HUB/MBE-certified Austin lobbying firm. Follow us on LinkedIn for content updates and the BG Reads: www.linkedin.com/company/binghamgp CONTACT US at: info@binghamgp.com FOLLOW US: Facebook -> www.facebook.com/binghamgp Instagram -> www.instagram.com/binghamgroup Twitter -> twitter.com/binghamgp PART OFTHE BG MEDIA NETWORK Released by: BG Media Group for The Bingham Group, LLC (www.binghamgp.com)

Host Olivia Aldridge brings a report from the recent annual Austin Chamber of Commerce Economic Outlook event. Plus, Community Impact reporter Taylor Cripe discusses a series of projects aimed at alleviating congestion along the Loop 360 corridor. The Austin Breakdown is a production of Community Impact. This episode was produced by Olivia Aldridge with assistance from Morgan O'Neal and editing by Marie Leonard. Weather and allergy reports are sourced from www.weather.com and AccuWeather. ***PATRON PROGRAM SIGN-UP: www.communityimpact.com/patron

The US and perhaps the world's economies seem to be headed for a rough patch. Given the growth of the Austin/Central Texas area over the past couple of years, the question is how resilient is the Austin economy, and are we ready for what comes next? Today, we're joined by Roland Pena, Senior VP Global Technology & Innovation with Opportunity Austin at the Austin Chamber of Commerce and we dive into the data to see how Austin might respond to this downturn. What's Next Austin? Episode Links Roland Pena Austin Historical Job Growth and Unemployment Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce Ecosystem Dashboard Austin Next Links Austin Next Website Austin Next Twitter Austin Next LinkedIn Michael Scharf LinkedIn Jason Scharf LinkedIn  Podcast Production Services by EveryWord Media Our music is “Tech Talk” by Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons 4.0 License

In this episode we interview E. Lee Walker, author of The Imagination House, first President of Dell Technologies through its formative years, professor at the University of Austin teaching entrepreneurship and civic engagement, and faculty at the Texas A&M International Honors Leadership Seminar in Castiglion Fiorentino, Italy. Lee graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor's of Science in Physics in 1963 and received NASA and National Science Foundation funding for his post-graduate work in nuclear physics. Lee received his MBA from Harvard Business School in 1967. After leaving Dell in 1990, Lee was asked to teach at the University of Texas at Austin. His graduate courses in Business Management have earned him three teaching awards. He currently teaches a Presidential First-year Signature Course, “Pathways to Civic Engagement” along with “Civic Viewpoints”, both in the Plan II Honors Program where he is an Adjunct Professor. Among other honors, Lee was named Austinite of the Year in 1998 by the Austin Chamber of Commerce. He also received the Texas Nature Conservancy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004. Lee's first book Imagination House: An Entrepreneurial Life was recently released in 2019 by Texas A&M Press.Lee resides in Austin, Texas, with his wife Jennifer and their two daughters. His two older daughters and his grandchildren also live in Austin. He splits his time between Austin and Umbria, Italy.

On today's episode, Amy and I discuss her career and how she went from marketing director to CEO. During this conversation Amy shares the skills she has honed and how her background in marketing has informed her approach to leadership and business. Amy Jones is President/CEO of O'Connell Robertson, a mission-driven architecture/engineering/interior design firm based in Austin and providing creative problem solving and design that positively impacts communities throughout Texas. Amy became the Firm's fourth president, and the first woman to serve in that role in the Firm's 70-year history, in 2016. She has been with O'Connell Robertson for 25 years and has been a Principal and Shareholder since 2004. As President, Amy leads corporate strategy & vision, guides talent and people issues, and manages finance and operational activities with the Firm's Senior Leadership Team. Throughout her career at O'Connell Robertson, she has been involved in and led the Firm's marketing and business development team and served in a project executive role for various clients. Amy's focus on client relations, business development & marketing, strategic partnerships, and community engagement has provided a strong foundation for the Firm's growth over the last decade. Throughout her career, Amy has been engaged in regional organizations and issues supporting youth and education, providing leadership to several local boards, committees and campaigns. She is currently a member of the Austin Chamber's Education and Talent Council; Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas Advisory Council (also past Board Chair); and a member and Education Chair of the Austin Area Research Organization (AARO). LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyjjjones/

The South by Southwest (SXSW) festival has been held every month of March since 1987 in Austin, Texas, and is considered one of the most important meetings worldwide related to music, film, and digital/interactive media. Hugh Forrest is the Chief Programming Officer at South by Southwest.In 2012, the Austin Chamber of Commerce named Hugh Forrest “Citizen of the Year” and the rest of his colleagues from the management of the SXSW festival. Ernst&Young named SXSW Entrepreneurs of the Year. In addition to his work for the festival, Forrest forms part of the National Board of Advisers of the Poynter Institute of St. Petersburg, Florida. Forrest graduated in English Literature from Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio. Before joining the SXSW team he founded a small alternative publishing company called The Austin Challenger and worked as a writer for different newspapers.We also discussed Eddy Zang and the New Breath Foundation: https://new-breath.org/Follow Hugh on Twitter @hugh_w_forrest and on LinkedIn

COVID stats continued tracking skyward as of Friday evening's numbers - hospitalization rate has risen past the peaks of both the first and third waves, over the summers of 2020 and 2021. Local school districts face staffing dilemmas caused both by teachers abandoning the profession altogether, and remaining staff suffering high degrees of COVID outages. Lines were long at AISD's vaccine clinic on Saturday, and a man was arrested after threatening attendees of a testing facility in Tech Ridge last week. A protest by Via 313 Pizza workers on Saturday at the chain's Guadalupe location draws about 40. Early voting starts today in the special election to replace outgoing District 4 Council Member Greg Casar - candidates will participate in another forum tonight. A TXDOT memo details new nuances to in-progress plans for the expansion and redesign of IH-35 in central Austin, while APD Chief Joe Chacon outlines his priorities for improving safety in the East Sixth Street bar district. Facebook parent company Meta has leased the entire commercial component of the still-incomplete Sixth And Guadalupe tower, which will be Austin's new tallest building once complete. The family of Rachel Cooke marks 20 years since her disappearance in January of 2002. Outgoing Huston-Tillotson University President Colette Pierce Burnett is named the Austin Chamber of Commerce's Austinite of the Year for 2021. Bon Jovi will play the new Moody Center at UT on April 23, tickets go on sale Friday. The Dallas Cowboys host the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday as NFL playoff action begins. Austin's Buddy's Burger plans to expand to Round Rock later this year. The third annual Bloody Mary Festival happens February 27th at Fair Market, to benefit The Boneshaker Project. A PBS reality show features a New Braunfels-area beekeeper. And cool weather continues thru tomorrow before a warmup to the 70's by Wednesday.

The Austin area has seen more proportionate growth from net migration than any other major U.S. even BEFORE COVID.  According to an analysis by the Austin Chamber of Commerce Director who analyzed the U.S. Census Bureau's Annual Population Estimates data, Austin Texas population has grown by about 150 per day in the last 10 years!  So what's going on with the real estate market here as a result?  I sit down with the Austin Texas Compass Founding agent Guy Oberg to discuss the state of this city, the real estate markets, and what his thoughts are in this business from the past to the future.  Follow Guy & his journey of life in Austin at @guyoberg3 & @theoberggroup on IG.  

As a leader, is it possible to see our struggles with COVID-19 as a gift? How about talking yourself into loving your job, even though you are struggling? My guest for this episode of True North Business is Phyllis Snodgrass, CEO of Austin Habitat for Humanity. She explains how this mindset has helped her grow and lead over the years. She is a Christian leader who is making a difference with her team, with aspiring leaders, and with one of our nation's biggest community issues: Affordable Housing. You can listen and subscribe to True North Business on Apple by clicking here, on Spotify here, on the Charisma Podcast Network, or any of the platforms where you typically listen to podcasts. More about my guest:  Phyllis Snodgrass has been a leader in community engagement for over two decades. She has served as CEO of three local chambers, VP of Chamber Relations for the Texas Association of Business, and COO of the Austin Chamber of Commerce. As CEO of Austin Habitat for Humanity, Phyllis works to address the critical need for affordable housing in the Austin region. Phyllis received the Executive Leadership Award from the Austin Chamber of Commerce in 2018 and was named CEO of the Year by the Austin Business Journal in 2019. Phyllis serves on the US Council for Habitat for Humanity International. You can connect with Phyllis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phyllissnodgrass/ More about your host:  Following a successful career as CEO, Bobby Albert sold his business to a publicly traded company.  In what he calls his "second half of life", Bobby seeks to pour Biblically-based principles into growth-minded business leaders.  Through Values-Driven Leadership, Bobby serves as an Executive Coach and Training Consultant for organizations.  He shares many of his principles and practices through a weekly blog, the True North Business podcast, and through three books he has authored: Principled Profits: Outward Success Is an Inside Job, True North Business: A Leader's Guide to Extraordinary Growth and Impact, and The Freedom Paradox: Is Unbridled Freedom Dividing America? Find out more at BobbyAlbert.com  

Welcome to Tulsa Talks presented by Tulsa Regional Chamber. I’m your host Tim Landes.  The saying goes if you can’t beat them, join them, but for the Chamber it was if you can’t beat them, recruit them to come here to ensure you get the big wins down the road. My guest on this episode is Arthur Jackson, who is fairly new to Tulsa having moved here from Austin a few months ago to become the new senior vice president of economic development for Tulsa Regional Chamber.  Jackson came to Tulsa having most recently served as senior director of economic development for the Austin Chamber of Commerce, where he helped recruit Elon Musk and his Tesla cyber truck factory to the Lone Star State, beating out Tulsa.  Shortly after arriving to the 918, Jackson was named a 2021 Economic Development 40 Under 40 Award recipient by Development Counsellors International (DCI) and Jorgenson Consulting. The award recognizes rising stars in the economic development industry. Mike Neal, president and CEO of the Tulsa Regional Chamber had this to say about Jackson: “Arthur has had great success as an economic development professional, and we at the Chamber are elated to see him receive this well-deserved recognition. It’s an honor to work alongside some of the best and brightest talent in the economic development profession, and Arthur has already shown himself to be a tremendous leader for our organization and for furthering northeast Oklahoma’s economic prosperity.” As you’ll hear in this conversation recorded over Zoom on May 18, Jackson has hit the ground running. We discuss how he’s settled into his new role and started working to recruit businesses to open shop in a Tulsa metro that recently surpassed 1 million residents.  He discusses the emerging sectors and how we’re doing with our foundational economic drivers in energy. We also discuss how he’s working with the tribes and what it means for the city from an economic development standpoint as all eyes are on Tulsa as we commemorate the centennial of the Tulsa Race Massacre.  I’m excited to see all that he accomplishes for our city in the coming years.  Following my conversation with Jackson, I’ll share a new single from Omaley B that will be featured on the new compilation album: 1921... The Black Wall Street Project. More on that later.  OK, let’s get this going.  This is Tulsa Talks with Arthur Jackson.  This past weekend, Tulsa musician Omaley B performed on the main stage at Black Wall Street Legacy Festival and instantly brought everyone to their feet as soon as he started performing “Kerosene” from the upcoming 1921...The Black Wall Street Music Project. The single includes rapper Steph Simon. On May 31-June 1, 1921, 35 city blocks in the Greenwood District were burned to the ground.  According to a recent press release announcing the album and single:  Omaleyb uses this lesson to fuel the passions of young people to achieve despite this dark stain on Tulsa and America's history. When he sings "My citys on fire!" it's less of a look backwards, than a look forward firing up the next generation. He declares "the proof is in the youth" -and he should know, given his recent crowning as "Teacher of the Month" by Tulsa Public Schools. The album is slated to drop this summer. It will also feature 3-time Grammy nominee Taylor Hanson, singer Branjae, Spoken Word poets Kode Ransom,  Jerica Wortham, and Sterling Matthews. It will also spotlight Dane Arnold from Dane & The Soup, Tulsa hip hop pioneers Dangerous Rob and Playya 1000, newcomer JANNAH, 80 year old jazz master Washington Rucker, and a posthumous premiere by bassist Wayman Tisdale. I can’t wait to hear the whole album.  And with that here is Omaley B with “Kerosene.” 

Hugh Forrest is the Chief Programming Officer for South by Southwest (SXSW), where he oversees content for the SXSW Conference and the SXSW Music Festival, the SXSW Film Festival, and SXSW EDU.He was named "Austinite of the Year" in 2012 by the Austin Chamber of Commerce (along with fellow SXSW Directors Roland Swenson, Louis Black, and Nick Barbaro). In 2014, they were named Austin Entrepreneurs of the Year by Ernst & Young. He received an honorary doctorate of humane letters in 2018 from Kenyon College, his alma mater.In addition to his work at SXSW, he has previously served on the National Advisory Board for the Poynter Institute in St. Petersburg, Florida. Hugh is currently part of the Board of Directors for Austin Habitat for Humanity and serves on the Board of Directors for the Austin-based accessibility company Knowbility.Before joining the SXSW team in the dark ages of 1989, he founded a small monthly alternative publication called The Austin Challenger. He also wrote for several other newspapers and publications, including the Austin Chronicle, the Texas Sports Chronicle, the West Austin News, Willamette Week, and the Seattle Weekly.Photo credit: Dylan O'Connor SXSW Conference & Festivals | March 16–20, 2021"Creativity Without Frontiers" is now available at Unknown Origins Books and all relevant book retailers.Stay in touch:Web: https://www.unknownorigins.com/Twitter: Unknown Origins (@UnknownOrigins9) / TwitterInstagram: Unknown Origins (@unknownoriginsuo77)Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Unknown-Origins-112791887004124LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unknown-origins/YouTube: Unknown Origins - YouTube Music composed and performed by Iain Mutch@ 2021, Unknown Origins. All rights reserved.Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/unknownorigins)Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREEDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/unknownorigins)

Aimy Steadman is the Co-Founder and COO of Future/Proof, a cutting-edge company focused on developing innovative beverage brands for the next generation of drinkers. Future/Proof is the creator of BeatBox Beverages, a popular beverage brand that mixes fun, friends, and flavor into something that makes everyone party better together. Future/Proof was recently awarded one of Inc. Magazine's Top 5000 Fast-Growing Privately-Owned Companies in America and is considered as a disruptor in the beverage alcohol market that provides innovative solutions that drive incremental profit in high-growth categories. Aimy is a founding Board Member and 2021 Board President of the emerging CPG group, Naturally Austin, and has received a handful of national and global accolades—most recently Austin Chamber's A-List 2020. Aimy is considered a powerhouse in the beverage industry and her unique twist on alcoholic drinks has taken the world by storm. In this episode… Do you ever wander the aisles of a liquor shop in search of some wine, only to see the same boring boxes on every shelf? Are you looking for a drink that will shake things up and bring more life to your social events? If you answered yes to both questions, then you will definitely love the beverages brands that Aimy Steadman's company, Future/Proof, has come up with. From a small idea in college to a successful company, Aimy Steadman and her team at Future/Proof have created some of the alcoholic beverage industry's leading brands, including BeatBox Beverages, Brizzy Seltzer Cocktail, and Corkless. Future/Proof aims to quell all your worries about beverage brands becoming static and one-note, targeting the next generation of drinkers. Their unique twist on the alcoholic drink industry has taken the world by storm, and Aimy is here to tell their story. On this exciting episode of Pitcher This!, Darren Fox talks with the Co-Founder and COO of Future/Proof Aimy Steadman about all things drinks. Aimy shares what it was like to start her own company at 23, how they closed a million-dollar deal, the marketing strategies they're using to appeal to younger generations, and much more. Stay tuned!

The Austin Chamber of Commerce is a nonprofit membership organization that helps create jobs so people can find work, provide for their families and achieve prosperity. They invest in a broad range of programs that build, support, and diversify Austin's regional economy.

Karyl Fowler talks with Kent about why and how she founded Transmute, how supply chains currently work and what the far-reaching implications are for Blockchain technology, lessons she learned from a recent fund-raising round, what being a female founder is like in the tech space, surveillance capitalism, international trade agreements and more.  --- Karyl is co-founder & CEO of Transmute, a startup in Austin TX that is implementing trust that scales by leveraging blockchain technology to streamline and enforce identity authorization via key-based signatures, verifiable credentials, and immutable logging.  She has been an advisor for tech startups involved in Blockchain and Crypto, as well as being the economic development manager for the Austin Chamber of Commerce.  She holds a BA in English and Political Science from Southwestern University as well as an MS in Technology Commercialization from Texas McComs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin. --- If you're enjoying this podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 45 seconds, and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests as well as new listeners. Click here: https://tinyurl.com/vfv2vgw​​​​ Thx! --- ABOUT the Kent Lapp Podcast: » The KLP features long-form, in-person conversations that explore and inform.   » The KLP Trailer: https://youtu.be/TVFsBJlbUJ4 » About the KLP: https://www.kentlapp.com/aboutklp » About Kent Lapp: http://kentlapp.com/about/   WATCH/STREAM The Kent Lapp Podcast: » Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/thekentlapppodcast » Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/vfv2vgw » Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/y8yd2gcc » Overcast: https://tinyurl.com/y8veuoxl » Castbox: https://tinyurl.com/y8vwheqt » Stitcher: https://tinyurl.com/y75uy96u » Google Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/yburnrld » Amazon Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/y7lszt2f   FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: » Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kentlapppodcast/ » Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KentLappPodcast  » Twitter: https://twitter.com/Kentlapp   CONTACT The KLP » Email: TheKentLappPodcast@gmail.com

Episode 613 of the “Making Waves at C-Level” podcast (formerly the “Cool Things Entrepreneurs Do” podcast) is co-produced in partnership with the Austin Technology Council, the largest tech industry organization in Central Texas. ATC empowers members through insights, resources, and connections so their members can succeed and thrive. This episode is an in-depth interview with Joyce Durst, co-founder and CEO of Growth Acceleration Partners (GAP). Check out this conversation about leadership, company growth, and the city of Austin.   About Joyce Durst   Growing up, Joyce Durst refused to accept that girls don't do math and kids from her hometown don’t pursue college degrees. After graduating from Texas A&M University with an engineering degree, she began her engineering career at IBM, where her experience served as a springboard for a lifetime of professional growth. In the 90’s, she became one of the few women to rise to the executive ranks at a $1 billion enterprise software company, before pivoting into the role of CEO of a venture-backed software startup. She successfully navigated the company through the 2001 tech bust, raising over $21 million in funding over six years. In 2007 she co-founded Growth Acceleration Partners (GAP), and has since guided it through 13 years of profitable growth. GAP has been recognized by Inc. 5000 and Austin Fast50 as one of the fastest growing nearshore software companies. Joyce’s biggest passion, however, is helping others. She is a servant leader, mentoring young entrepreneurs and women executives. A sought-after speaker on leadership and women in business, Joyce contributes to Inc. Magazine’s Springboard Enterprises, Special Olympics Texas, and serves on the board of the Austin Chamber of Commerce. She is a member of WPO - Women Presidents’ Organization, and Hipower - an organization focused on accelerating women’s professional success.   About GAP     GAP provides an exceptional experience in analytics, cloud, and QA Automation services. Their business model is built on strategic, long-term client partnerships, achieved through a deep understanding of their clients’ business, and offering a vastly superior experience and quality compared to offshore. They fully integrate their engineering teams into our clients’ organization, providing continuous delivery with uncompromising, transparent communication. GAP allows companies to find, afford, and keep world-class engineering talent at the perfect balance of quality and cost, helping them scale smarter and more economically, transforming objectives into data and software solutions that drive business outcomes.   https://thomsinger.com/podcast/joyce-durst

About the Episode On this episode, I’m joined by tech entrepreneur, and founder of Yodle Inc and OJOLabs, John Berkowitz, a man who is revolutionizing how consumers make decisions with what he calls “the most expensive refrigerator magnet for agents.” After starting Yodle in college and growing it to a tech brand that sold for over $300 million, and dealing with some of the challenges and stresses that come with being a first-time founder, John decided to build a business that could allow him to make a bigger impact, and he found something that fulfilled his priority for a high-magnitude opportunity.     Building meaningful business platforms that defy the status-quo has long been in John’s DNA. Fueled with the vision to build a product that would truly meet and serve consumers’ needs for valuable information, John co-founded and launched OJO Labs in 2015. OJO Labs has quickly become a leader in conversational AI technology with a powerful team working toward developing the best product possible, and a sizable opportunity meeting the perfect set of resources along key partnerships at the right time. John’s dedication to establishing a positive work environment has resulted in OJO Labs being recognized among the best places to work nationally by Inc. Magazine, Fortune Magazine, Built In and Comparably, and regionally by the Austin Chamber of Commerce and Austin Business Journal multiple years in a row. Recently, John was named to Swanepoel’s SP200 and The Most Powerful Technology Executives in The Residential Real Estate Brokerage Industry list.   Understanding the pains of what it means to run your own business and be fully accountable, and the level of responsibility to serve the end user is what drives him, and that’s what drove the creation of OJO.    There are so many challenges that come with running a business, and what people don’t talk about is how much long-term stress the people who run these businesses take on. In order to overcome the stress, it’s important to have a greater goal or purpose behind the business because that’s what will fuel them through all of the phases, and fuel them to stay focused on what matters.     The thing about business is, whether you run a small company or a large operation; no matter what reason you have for being in business, the journey is not easy. Companies are really hard to build and maintain, and what makes it easier is really having a North star that guides you, and being driven by the mission to solve a problem, not the outcome. If we’re driven by that we’ll always focus on what will benefit the end-user. In Today’s Episode, We Talk About; - John’s journey as an entrepreneur prior to real estate and starting Yodle at 21.  - Exiting Yodle and the importance of being led by value not the goal to exit the business.  - Entrepreneurial PTSD and the challenges founders face  - The journey of OJOLabs and why John chose it as his next venture after Yodle. - The difference between real AI and what people say AI is. - Scaling and its connection to a lack of entrepreneurial desire.  - What John is excited about, what he has changed his mind on and something surprising about him.  - The value of earned trust, and why it’s what makes a real difference in business.  What doesn’t exist today is a consumer trusting a product or company  Guest Info   John Berkowitz is the Co-founder and CEO of OJO Labs, an Austin-based company that has quickly become a leader in conversational AI technology. With the application of its patented AI, OJO empowers people to make better decisions through the fusion of machine and human intelligence by automating lead conversations for agents and creating data-driven, personalized experiences for consumers. John’s track record of building and scaling successful, mission-driven technology companies with award-winning workplaces paved the way for the formation of OJO in 2015. John’s dedication toward building a positive work environment led to OJO being named to Comparably’s 2018 Best Company Culture list, and Built In Austin’s Best Places to Work in 2019.    Prior to founding OJO, John co-founded Yodle, and was instrumental in building it into a $200M+ revenue leader in the online marketing space with more than 50,000 SMB customers and over 1,400 employees. In February 2016, Yodle was acquired by Web.com in a $342 million all cash transaction. Recently, John was named to Swanepoel’s SP200 and The Most Powerful Technology Executives in The Residential Real Estate Brokerage Industry list. John is actively involved in nonprofits, and currently serves as CASA’s board president, using his entrepreneurial background and resources to fight for the welfare of children in the communities he operates in.

Prior to founding AngelouEconomics, AE’s Principal Executive Officer, Angelos Angelou, spent nearly 12 years with the Austin Chamber of Commerce as Vice President of Economic Development and Chief Economist and brings a practitioner’s approach to AE’s Economic Development Consulting Practice. During his time at the chamber, Angelos handled the recruitment of 800 technology companies and some 70,000 employees, including IBM, Apple, Samsung, Motorola, AMD, Cypress Semiconductor, Applied Materials, Tokyo Electron, and Sematech. He is a founding member of the Site Selector’s Guild, an association of the world's foremost professional site selection consultants. Angelos has sited over $18 billion in capital investment projects, from high tech to health care to governmental clients around the world. His record of achievements includes the attraction of $26 billion in capital investments and the creation of over 285,000 direct and indirect jobs. A highly visible leader in the field of economic development, Angelos is widely regarded as an expert on technology-based economic development, public policy, investment attraction, marketing and entrepreneurship. The national and international media regularly seek his comments and insights in the technology sector and on economic development issues. He is also widely regarded as the chief architect in the establishment of Austin as a nationally recognized high-tech center. Angelos is also the Founder and Chairman of the Board of the International Accelerator in Austin, Texas, which is focused exclusively on foreign born entrepreneurs and launching their technology startup businesses in the US. Angelos is an angel investor in half a dozen startups in Texas. Angelos recently received a Proclamation from the Texas Governor and the Mayor of Austin in recognition for his 30-year leadership and contribution to economic development in the State of Texas and Austin. Mr. Angelou is the Governor’s appointee to The CPRIT Oversight Committee (Texas Governor Appointee), a $3 billion Texas Grant Program specializing in Cancer Prevention, Research and Commercialization. He is a Fellow at the IC2, an international think tank on venture capital and entrepreneurship. Current Board appointments include Advisory Board of The College of Natural Sciences at the University of Texas at Austin (largest college at UT). Angelos is also President of Schoox.com, and President of Gridmates, member companies of the International Accelerator. Past appointments include board and advisory posts at the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), the Social Sciences Department at St. Edwards University and the World Information Technology Conference. Angelos was awarded the US Economic Development of the Year award by Site Selection Magazine.

Austin Chamber of Commerce says some other Austin businesses may take up contact tracing, Gov. Abbott calls for more testing in nursing homes, and the government is working on another possible stimulus package.

If you’ve ever considered adding additional services, this is the episode for you! Bobby Jenkins is one of the most genuine beings you’ll ever meet, and we had the chance to sit down and chat with him about how he created a successful formula around offering a wide range of services. His list of accomplishments is lengthy, ranging from 2017 Austinite of the Year to a Philanthropic Leadership award from the Austin Chamber of Commerce, and he’s also the owner of ABC Home & Commercial Services in Austin, Texas.

About the Episode On this episode, I’m joined by tech entrepreneur, and founder of Yodle Inc and OJOLabs, John Berkowitz, a man who is revolutionizing how consumers make decisions with what he calls “the most expensive refrigerator magnet for agents.” After starting Yodle in college and growing it to a tech brand that sold for over $300 million, and dealing with some of the challenges and stresses that come with being a first-time founder, John decided to build a business that could allow him to make a bigger impact, and he found something that fulfilled his priority for a high-magnitude opportunity.     Building meaningful business platforms that defy the status-quo has long been in John’s DNA. Fueled with the vision to build a product that would truly meet and serve consumers’ needs for valuable information, John co-founded and launched OJO Labs in 2015. OJO Labs has quickly become a leader in conversational AI technology with a powerful team working toward developing the best product possible, and a sizable opportunity meeting the perfect set of resources along key partnerships at the right time. John’s dedication to establishing a positive work environment has resulted in OJO Labs being recognized among the best places to work nationally by Inc. Magazine, Fortune Magazine, Built In and Comparably, and regionally by the Austin Chamber of Commerce and Austin Business Journal multiple years in a row. Recently, John was named to Swanepoel’s SP200 and The Most Powerful Technology Executives in The Residential Real Estate Brokerage Industry list.   Understanding the pains of what it means to run your own business and be fully accountable, and the level of responsibility to serve the end user is what drives him, and that’s what drove the creation of OJO.    There are so many challenges that come with running a business, and what people don’t talk about is how much long-term stress the people who run these businesses take on. In order to overcome the stress, it’s important to have a greater goal or purpose behind the business because that’s what will fuel them through all of the phases, and fuel them to stay focused on what matters.     The thing about business is, whether you run a small company or a large operation; no matter what reason you have for being in business, the journey is not easy. Companies are really hard to build and maintain, and what makes it easier is really having a North star that guides you, and being driven by the mission to solve a problem, not the outcome. If we’re driven by that we’ll always focus on what will benefit the end-user. In Today’s Episode, We Talk About; - John’s journey as an entrepreneur prior to real estate and starting Yodle at 21.  - Exiting Yodle and the importance of being led by value not the goal to exit the business.  - Entrepreneurial PTSD and the challenges founders face  - The journey of OJOLabs and why John chose it as his next venture after Yodle. - The difference between real AI and what people say AI is. - Scaling and its connection to a lack of entrepreneurial desire.  - What John is excited about, what he has changed his mind on and something surprising about him.  - The value of earned trust, and why it’s what makes a real difference in business.  What doesn’t exist today is a consumer trusting a product or company  Guest Info   John Berkowitz is the Co-founder and CEO of OJO Labs, an Austin-based company that has quickly become a leader in conversational AI technology. With the application of its patented AI, OJO empowers people to make better decisions through the fusion of machine and human intelligence by automating lead conversations for agents and creating data-driven, personalized experiences for consumers. John’s track record of building and scaling successful, mission-driven technology companies with award-winning workplaces paved the way for the formation of OJO in 2015. John’s dedication toward building a positive work environment led to OJO being named to Comparably’s 2018 Best Company Culture list, and Built In Austin’s Best Places to Work in 2019.    Prior to founding OJO, John co-founded Yodle, and was instrumental in building it into a $200M+ revenue leader in the online marketing space with more than 50,000 SMB customers and over 1,400 employees. In February 2016, Yodle was acquired by Web.com in a $342 million all cash transaction. Recently, John was named to Swanepoel’s SP200 and The Most Powerful Technology Executives in The Residential Real Estate Brokerage Industry list. John is actively involved in nonprofits, and currently serves as CASA’s board president, using his entrepreneurial background and resources to fight for the welfare of children in the communities he operates in.

Jonathan Packer from the Austin Chamber talks about a step by step member experience. Full show notes are at: chamberchatpodcast.com/episode45 Please support this podcast by supporting our sponsors.  Both of the sponsors for this podcast provide value to your Chamber at no cost and can even add to your non-dues revenue. Community Matters, Inc. for your next Chamber publication: chamberchatpodcast.com/cmi Swypit for a great credit card processing affinity program: chamberchatpodcast.com/cc

In this episode, Monique teaches us how to redefine conflict for success. Request a Custom Workshop For Your Company Connect With MoniqueLearn more about Monique: Articulate PersuasionMore about Conflict: Thomas KilmannDownload Your Negotiation Preparation GuideMonique Maley, is the president and founder of Articulate Persuasion. She is an experienced, sought-after Consultant, Coach and Speaker who works at the intersection of Leadership and Language and delights in helping professionals scale their companies and careers through Rapid Growth by scaling their leadership alongside their organization. Monique began her professional life as a classically trained actor, yet understands entrepreneurs and CEOs because she has experienced the challenges of successfully leading organizations first hand.Monique provides current and future leaders with the insights, skills and strategies to connect with others, articulate their vision and value and embody a strong and authentic leadership style.She worked for more than 15 years in the theater and film industry in both the U.S and in London. Monique has also founded and grown two successful companies before deciding to start Articulate Persuasion. Since founding the company in 2011 she has been fortunate to consult with Fortune 500 companies and high profile professionals from around the world. Some of her clients include Whole Foods, HP, Spredfast, Dress for Success, TechStars, Tufts University, Dunkin Brands and the Austin Chamber of Commerce. She has a particular passion for elevating female executives into the C-Suite and the Boardroom.Bilingual and bicultural, Monique is a fluent Spanish speaker. She graduated from Tufts University in Boston and currently resides in Washington DC, although her business spans the globe.

About Texas Mutual: Texas Mutual Insurance Company is the state's leading workers' compensation provider. The company insures 43% of the Texas workers' compensation market. More than 70,000 business owners rely on Texas Mutual to meet the needs of their 1.5 million workers every day. Texas Mutual answer the call by providing exceptional safety services, top-notch medical care if an accident occurs, claims handling processes designed to get employees well and back to work, and a zero-tolerance fraud policy. Texas Mutual also has the financial strength to deliver on its promises. Last year alone, Texas Mutual wrote over $1 billion in premium. The company’s financial strength is underscored by an A.M. Best rating of "A” and its listed among the Ward’s 50 highest performing insurance carriers in the company. Texas Mutual has also been named one of the Best Companies to Work for in Texas, as one of the Healthiest Employers in Austin, participates in the Austin Energy Green Business Leader program and recently won an Austin Gives Generous Business Award for community involvement.   About Jeremiah:   Jeremiah Bentley is the vice president of Marketing & Community Affairs at Texas Mutual Insurance Company insurance. He oversees the company’s marketing, public relations, advertising, community relations, education, digital media and customer outreach efforts. He previously worked in corporate communications and government affairs over his 20 year career with the company.   Jeremiah is on the Board of Directors and executive committee for the United Way for Greater Austin, on the executive committee of the Greater of Austin Chamber of Commerce, on the board of the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and serves in a variety of other roles in community organizations throughout the Austin area. Jeremiah was a member of the McBee Fellow class of 2018 with the Austin Area Research Organization and is a 2015 graduate of the Leadership Austin Essentials program. He was also a Volunteer of the Year for the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce in 2018.   Jeremiah lives in northwest Austin with his wife Brandy and two young boys. He’s active in the local elementary school, the Austin soccer community, Bethany United Methodist Church and on the board of his sons’ neighborhood swim team. He’s a graduate of the University of Texas-Arlington with a BS in University Studies.

On BG Podcast episode 47 we speak with Bobby Jenkins, owner and CEO fo Austin's ABC Pest Control. He and Bingham Group CEO A.J. Bingham touch on growing and sustaining a company culture, planning for expansion and service development, and customer service, among other topics. Bobby is a well established figure in Austin's and civic and service community, being a past chair of the Austin Chamber of Commerce, title sponsor of Austin's ABC Kite Festival and supporter of the Moss Pieratt Foundation, to name a few involvements. At the state level he is past chair of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, and currently serves on the Agricultural Development Council and Mays Business School Development Council at Texas A&M University. ABC Home & Commercial Services maintains offices in Austin, San Antonio, College Station, Bell County and Corpus Christi.  The firm employs over 800 people and offers a wide variety of services including pest and termite control, lawn care and mowing, landscaping and irrigation, tree trimming, air conditioning and heating, plumbing and electrical, pool cleaning and repair, handyman services, window cleaning and power washing, and appliance repair. Click here to learn more about Bobby -> https://www.abchomeandcommercial.com/austin/about

Gain a deeper insight on event planning for a large Chamber of Commerce membership based organization.  Lacy Roesler, Manager of Partner Events and Engagement at the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce, talks about the wide range of events and initiatives she manages for the Chamber. She shares insights from years of event management experience including working at the Long Center for the Performing Arts.

Callie Taylor is the Economic Development Director for Clean Technologies at the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce. She joins hosts Kyle Frazier and Tim Duffy to explain why Austin is a clean tech hub, share Austin's secret to attracting businesses, and show us how Opportunity Austin 4.0 is creating a better future for the region.

Hailing from Houston, TX, Ben Sabin is a Graduate of Edwards University where studied Communication, Advertising, PR, and Marketing. A few years after graduation Sabin did some independent contracting before bartending and managing at the Whip In. Sabin spent the next 5 years serving Thirsty Planet Brewing Company in numerous roles. In 2015 Sabin joined forces with friend and business partner Devon Ponds and they founded Friends and Allies Brewing Company, where the Austin Chamber of Commerce awarded them for Outstanding Business Growth and first time entrepreneurs in 2017. Show notes… Favorite success quote or mantra: "Go get it. It's not going to fall out of the sky, and if you don't show up, it is not going to happen."  In this episode with Ben Sabin, we discuss:  Getting after your dreams. Dreams won't just happen on their own. You gotta go get them! The importance of first impressions and first experiences.  Telling the story behind your business.  How to approach people to get their business. Take an interest in your guest or client and they'll take an interest in you.  Slow, steady growth. Stick with your core products and don't get too distracted.  Why self-distribution is the best approach, in reference to breweries. Creating and selling your brand before you have a physical product to sell. Create some hype!  Being as loud as you can on social media when you're growing your brand.  How to prioritize the scaling process. Today's sponsor: EthicsSuite.com -provide a safe, secure, simple and anonymous communication channel between you and your employees to help you protect your hard-earned reputation and assets. Demonstrate to your team that you are committed to providing a workplace that operates with the highest ethical standards. Staying informed about important issues will help you resolve them internally before they spiral into larger, costly, or public problems. Cashflowtool.com  A simple powerful and predictive cash flow companion for Qickbooks. Simple, because it requires no data entry, is always up to do and works on any device, anywhere. Powerful, because with it's built-in cash flow calendar, activitiy feed and anomaly detector, you instantly know all aspects of your cash flow with no surprises. Predictive, because you'll know your cash flow today and anticipate it tomorrow. Knowledge bombs Which "it factor" habit, trait, or characteristic you believe most contributes to your success? Being in front of his clients as much as possible.   What is your biggest weakness? Breaking into the North Austin Market.  What's one question you ask or thing you look for during an interview? Are you from North Austin?  What's a current challenge? How are you dealing with it? Staying relevant in a market that always wants the next new thing.  Share one code of conduct or behavior you teach your team. Be on time. Do someone else's job as much as you possibly can.  What is one uncommon standard of service you teach your staff? Help organize someone elses' product What's the one thing you feel restaurateurs don't know well enough or do often enough? Get in front of the people  What's one piece of technology you've adopted within your four walls restaurant and how has it influence operations? Ecos  If you got the news that you'd be leaving this world tomorrow and all memories of you, your work, and your restaurants would be lost with your departure with the exception of 3 pieces of wisdom you could leave behind for the good of humanity, what would they be? Do whats right. Do it often. Do it again.  Contact info: @benthererunthat @friendsandalliesbrewing www.friendsandallies.beer Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for joining today! Have some feedback you'd like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of the post. Also, please leave an honest review for the Restaurant Unstoppable Podcast on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and I read each and every one of them. And finally, don't forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. Huge thanks to Ben Sabin for joining me for another awesome episode. Until next time!   Restaurant Unstoppable is a free podcast. One of the ways I'm able to make it free is by earning a commission when sharing certain products with you. I've made it a core value to only share tools, resources, and services my guest mentors have recommend, first. If you're finding value in my podcast, please use my links!

1. Neurology® Clinical Practice: Safety and efficacy of plasma exchange in pediatric transverse myelitis2. Clopidogrel and aspirin in acute ischemic stroke and high-risk TIA (POINT study)Dr. Stacey Clardy talks with Dr. Benjamin Greenberg about his paper on therapeutic plasma exchange in a cohort of pediatric transverse myelitis patients. Next, Will Rondeau interviews Dr. Clay Johnston about findings from the POINT study on clopidogrel and aspirin in acute ischemic stroke.DISCLOSURES:Dr. Clardy has received research support from Western Institute for Biomedical Research (WIBR).Dr. Greenberg has received travel funding from the Transverse Myelitis Association; has filed has filed patents on the use of antibody biology in multiple sclerosis; has consulted for Novartis, Alexion, and EMD Serono; and has received research support from Medimmune, Chugai, Medday, Genentech, NIH (RO1 NS071463), Unviersity of Texas Southwestern, Guthy Jackson Foundation, PCORI, Transverse Myelitis Association, and the National MS Society.Dr. Johnston has received travel reimbursements from the National Academies of Sciences, US News, Austin Chamber of Commerce, Johns Hopkins, UT Health Science Center, University of Utah Medical School, Medtronic, Astrazeneca, University of Rochester NY, and Duke University; has received research support from AstraZeneca, NIH/NCATS (UL1 RR024131), UCSF Clinical-Translational Science Institute, and NIH/NINDS (U01 NS062835-01A1, U01 NS062835).Mr. Rondeau reports no disclosures.

Alex is the Founder of Good Joo Joo, an Austin-based marketing agency specializing in multi-channel digital advertising and automation for people who sell (awesome) stuff online. They're experts at helping brands implement & scale advertising as well as automating marketing into a well-oiled machine. Some clients include Onnit, Animal Flow, 10th Planet Austin, Black Swan Yoga, Innovative Results Gym, and the Austin Chamber of Commerce. Enjoy the show! Sam & Jess

Tarek Morshed is an expert on all things Austin, Texas. He is known for impactfully navigating business leaders, entrepreneurs and creatives through the city’s rapidly changing real estate market – as well as its cultural scene – as a Platinum Top 50 Realtor and purpose-driven entrepreneur.   One of Sotheby’s market leaders in Austin, Morshed represents clients buying and selling premiere residential real estate in Central Texas. A resident of Austin for over 20 years, he bought his first investment property as a student at University of Texas. Before graduating, Morshed had invested in a handful of single-family homes and a small apartment complex. These experiences gave him an acute sense of Austin’s dynamic economy and the challenges of buying and selling across multiple types of real estate.   In addition to his Austin Platinum Top 50 status, Morshed is a Texas Monthly 5-Star Professional, a member of the Institute of Luxury Home Marketing, a Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist, a member of the Austin Chamber of Commerce and a member of the board of the Greater Austin Asian Chamber of Commerce.  

Many of you are asking the question, “how can I get into this business? I don’t have the money to get started.” That’s a fair question but I’m here to tell you the toughest issue is not the money. The biggest challenge is to success in this business is what’s going on in your head. Today you’re going to hear from a man who was not born in the United States, moved here when he was twelve, did not have an opportunity just handed to him but instead went out and created his own opportunity. He bought his first investment house when he was still a sophomore in college. He didn’t have the money to fix it and didn’t know how to make the repairs himself. So he taught himself. He did what he had to do. Today Tarek Morshed is an expert on all things Austin, Texas. He is known for impactfully navigating business leaders, entrepreneurs and creatives through the city’s rapidly changing real estate market – as well as its cultural scene – as a Platinum Top 50 Realtor and purpose-driven entrepreneur. One of Sotheby’s market leaders in Austin, Morshed represents clients buying and selling premiere residential real estate in Central Texas. Drawing on a client base of more than 500 Austinites, he works by referral only, which allows him to devote his time at a very high level toward meeting client needs before, during and well beyond closing. Before graduating, Morshed had invested in a handful of single-family homes and a small apartment complex. These experiences gave him an acute sense of Austin’s dynamic economy and the challenges of buying and selling across multiple types of real estate. His experience as a real estate client left him wanting, and he knew he could do better. Now, as a real estate agent himself, Morshed operates as a strategic advisor to his clients, delivering proprietary market analysis and forecasting. Rather than sell, he shares his passion for real estate and architecture, a deep understanding of the local market and is an unparalleled connector within and beyond real estate. He is a Certified Negotiations Expert, a certification held by less than 1 percent of realtors. Morshed is passionate about finding hidden gems in the Austin area, from the city’s newest spots for drinks to the best place for art. He has developed nearly 20 projects, from modern speculative construction to mixed-use buildings. Morshed is deeply involved in the Austin builder and architect community, and continues to invest in – and repurpose – commercial properties, and support the city’s collaborative and artistic culture. In addition to his Austin Platinum Top 50 status, Morshed is a Texas Monthly 5-Star Professional, a member of the Institute of Luxury Home Marketing, a Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist, a member of the Austin Chamber of Commerce and a member of the board of the Greater Austin Asian Chamber of Commerce. He is passionate about volunteering – from his weekly work with Meals on Wheels to various entrepreneur mentorships. Morshed has a bachelor's degree in accounting from the University of Texas, perennially ranked as a top three program in the world. For more information, please visit www.tarekmorshed.com.

On Engage, we examine why Austin TX is growing fast, it's not oil!  Austin Chamber's Drew Scheberle joins us: industry clusters, tech and education are key!