News
Edge Grand Challenge gives entrepreneurs connection to enterprise innovators
Entrepreneurs designing solutions using edge technology can get feedback, recognition and $20K from Tech Titans and enterprise companies on the cutting edge. In this year’s annual Grand Challenge, entrepreneurs submit an application which will be judged by representatives of technology companies, and finalists will be showcased for a live/virtual pitch in front of a panel of celebrity judges. Last year's celebrity judges included entrepreneur Mark Cuban, Dallas Cowboys CMO Charlotte Jones, and AT&T Consumer
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New members, spring
Thank you to the Tech Titans members who either joined or renewed their memberships in March, April and May. Our members are the lifeline of our organization and serve to make us stronger and more successful. We hope you will join us in welcoming these new members, doing business with them and referring other members to the Tech Titans organization. New members Champion's Circle Sunflower BankDallashttp://www.sunflowerbank.com Member nameCityWebsiteYearsConsultNetSalt Lake
Member profile: Commscope
https://www.commscope.com/ Now meets next CommScope is a global provider of essential infrastructure solutions for wireless, business enterprise and residential broadband networks. Its headquarters are in Hickroy, N.C. Its solutions and services for wired and wireless networks enable high-bandwidth data, video and voice applications. CommScope’s global position is built upon innovative technology, broad solution offerings, high-quality and cost-effective customer solutions and global manufacturing and
Member profile: Sunflower Bank
Sunflower Bank is a large financial institution that encourages its employees to give back to local communities. Sunflower Bank was founded in 1892. It operates as First National 1870 in New Mexico and El Paso to honor roots dating to 1870. Additionally, Guardian Mortgage, the residential mortgage division, has helped generations of valued customers realize their dreams of homeownership. Today, with approximately $5 billion in assets, the bank is headquartered in Denver, and provides a full range of
Awards nominations extended until Monday, Aug. 9
The 2021 Tech Titans Award nominations are winding down with an extended due date of Monday, Aug. 9. The prestigious annual contest recognizes outstanding technology companies and individuals in North Texas who have made contributions during the past year locally, as well as to the technology industry overall. “The Tech Titans Awards is a highlight for the region in tech, featuring those who are building solutions that will shape our lives in the future,” said Kathy Curry, chair of the Awards Gala
Corporate Tech Titans® members to discuss their development interests with smaller tech companies
In a twist on the entrepreneur pitch concept, corporate companies will talk about the ideas they are developing and what they are looking for when identifying smaller companies to work with. Tech Titans®, the technology association for North Texas, is hosting a ‘reverse pitch event,’ where corporate companies with an interest in and structure for investing in innovation will present their key interests for future development and growth. The virtual event will feature representatives from AT&T, CBRE, Cisco,
Appian helping intelligent automation course at UT Dallas
The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) is using the Appian Low-code Automation Platform for a new curriculum course on intelligent automation for the 2021/2022 academic year.Tech Titans member Appian helps organizations build apps and workflows rapidly, with a low-code automation platform. Combining people, technologies and data in a single workflow, Appian helps companies maximize their resources and improve business results.The course, led by assistant professor Gaurav Shekhar in the UTD Naveen Jindal
Tech Titans connects students to STEM career futures, virtually
By Melinda Guravich, staff writer The Tech Titans® STEM Workforce Initiative has delivered 15,000 inspirational experiences to students since its inception, through career panels, speed mentoring, STEM camps, facility tours and other face-to-face events. Last spring, dozens of scheduled events suddenly evaporated from school calendars in the wake of the pandemic shut down. The technology association’s Talent Team was determined to continue inspiring high school and middle school students to pursue STEM
Volunteers make things happen
Tech Titans® are leaders, innovators and thinkers who collaborate, share and inspire creative thinking that fuels tomorrow’s innovations. Their secret weapon? Volunteers. The Tech Titans board has recognized the work of several members, who continued to volunteer, sometimes in creative ways, throughout the unusual and uncertain 2020. Congratulations! Volunteer of the Year – Mary Elizabeth McNeely of McNeely Technology Solutions for heading up the Awards Gala Nominations Committee, which produced a record
Member profile: Armanino
Armanino is more than just a top 25 accounting and consulting firm in the U.S. Their company culture of collaboration, diversity and innovation drives them to serve their clients in a tremendously unique and personal way, leveraging their networking power and know-how both internally and globally. Jeff Owens, partner in the Texas office, firmly expresses, “My job is to be your business partner and trusted advisor.” “We have such breadth [of knowledge],” he said. “I want my clients to think of me when they
Mobile app puts member access at your fingertips
Your member access at your fingertips Our online database has a mobile app that members can use to access the Member Information Center—the directory, register for events, update your profile. To access the mobile app, go through your iOS or Google Play store. It’s called MemberPlus. Once you download it, you can log on using your regular credentials. There’s a ‘forgot your login’ in the app if you’ve forgotten your log in. If you’ve never received a log in to the Tech Titans system,
4/2/21 Legislative update
Austin SB7 was passed by the Texas Senate late this week. The “election integrity” bill would limit early voting hours, restrict the amount of voting machines available at countywide polling places and take power over election administration away from local officials. The bill moves to the Texas House. In that chamber, public testimony regarding HB6 was postponed due to parliamentary errors by committee chair Rep. Briscoe Cain of Deer Park. HB 3781 has been referred to the House Human Services Committee.
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New members from Jan/Feb
Thank you to the Tech Titans members who either joined or renewed their memberships in January and February. Our members are the lifeline of our organization and serve to make us stronger and more successful. We hope you will join us in welcoming these new members, doing business with them and referring other members to the Tech Titans organization. New members Champion's Circle ArmaninoDallashttp://www.armaninollp.com Trintech Addisonwww.trintech.com Member nameCityWebsiteYearsAndy
Nominations open for 2021 Tech Titans Awards
Nominations are open for the annual Tech Titans awards, with nominations due August 2 and hybrid in-person/virtual event Thursday, Oct. 21.The Tech Titans Awards Gala is the single-most prestigious event honoring North Texas companies and individuals that leverage technology in extraordinary ways, particularly during challenging times. The gala celebrates the creators, innovators and adopters alike—companies of all sizes, executives, individual employees, investors and teachers. Basically, the best of the
Legislative update: 3/26/21
3/26/21 Austin Spring has arrived and we’re half-way through the 87th session of the Texas Legislature. But legislators are not forgetting the weather-related power outages last month. The House will debate a series of PUC/ERCOT bills next Tuesday. The House State Affairs Committee last week approved a slate of bills: One bill would order the Public Utility Commission to adopt rules requiring power generators “to prepare generation facilities to provide adequate electric generation service during an
Student video contest winners show their AI intelligence
High school and middle school students were honored in Tech Titans fifth annual STEM video contest, sponsored by State Farm, that inspires students to truly 'show what you know' in fun ways. Of course, it doesn't hurt that the subject matter needs to be researched, hopefully inspiring these students stay in STEM fields for the long haul.This year’s videos describe engineering careers and artificial intelligence technologies, creating excitement about a future in technology and showing how students can play
High school teachers excel during pandemic, honored by Tech Titans STEM Award
By Melinda Guravich, staff writer Tech Titans presented its first STEM Excellence Awards to ten high school educators who demonstrate creativity and leadership during challenging times as they inspire students to pursue STEM careers. The awards and virtual celebration were sponsored by State Farm. Tech Titans recognizes these leaders as first responders. They’ve championed student needs and developed innovative approaches to STEM instruction for online and in-person learning during a global
Legislative update: 3/12/21
87th Texas Legislature More than 6,000 bills have been filed by today’s deadline for the 87th Legislature. Process check: after a bill is filed in its respective chamber, it typically is assigned to a committee. But with 6,000 to consider before the May 31 end-of-session deadline, the majority of bills will die in committee. Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dade Phelan have all placed addressing the power outages at the top of the priority list. But they still have to address the
Member profile: Mike Wilkinson, Paragon Innovations
by Suellen Price, contributing writer There’s a big void between an idea and reality. Paragon Innovations is the bridge. A long-time member of Tech Titans, Mike Wilkinson started Paragon more than 30 years ago to turn ideas into revenue-generating products. From start-ups to Fortune 500 clients, Paragon has helped deliver engineering and product development expertise to develop products and take ideas to market. Mike’s drive and determination have been evident his entire life: Eagle Scout at 13,
Tech issues in public policy in 2021 with Robert Atkinson
Robert Atkinson is an economist and president of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, a public policy think tank based in Washington, D.C., that promotes policies based on innovation economics.Rob presented to the Tech Titans board of directors in late January 2021. Rob spoke about privacy concerns, artificial intelligence (and minority biases), and what it means when it says that President Biden signed executive orders.Note that the beginning of the presentation was not recorded.View on
Tech Titans board approved goals for year
The goals for the Tech Titans organization in 2021. View our Tech Titans board. Innovation Develop a curated list of Collider resources and publish it to our audiences to add engagement by at least 20 new companies with the Collider programOffer quarterly Innovation Collider services during 2021, including another national Grand ChallengeSTEM Talent Produce inspirational STEM experiences for 5,000 North Texas school students in 2021.Raise $100,000 in STEM Fund revenue thru contributions and contractual
Tech Comes of Age in Dallas-Fort Worth
From Dallas Innovates, Dave Moore Dallas-Fort Worth has a spirit of optimism and checks the right boxes for tech companies, experts say. The region has earned its stripes as a top-growing global location for business technology. COVID-19 has amplified everything. Every expense, inconvenience, and pain point has raised one thought for company leaders: How the heck do we deal with this? The answer has accelerated a trend that’s been happening for years—the move of tech companies to Dallas-Fort Worth. The
Legislative update 1/20/21
The 87th Texas Legislature regular session is going to be fast and furious. It kicked off Jan. 12 with rules approvals and other formalities. It is now adjourned until Jan. 26. To refresh: the Texas Legislature meets every odd-numbered year for 140 days, as dictated by the Texas Constitution. While the governor can call special sessions to focus on specific issues, this session is the big one.At the top of the agenda will be approving the state budget, while navigating coronavirus health restrictions in the
2021 Legislative Agenda
These priorities address issues that are vital to North Texas technology businesses and citizens, especially in the areas of economic development, workforce development, education, transportation, water and local government. Tech Titans 2021 Legislative AgendaBusiness competitivenessRecommendations:Support the continuation of funding for economic development incentive programs such as: the Texas Enterprise Fund, Event Trust Fund, Texas Tourism, the Texas Music Office, and the Texas Film Commission at
#Tech Tuesdays is your connection to localized tech insights
Though you can’t contain technology to one day a week, at least you can count on learning something new from Tech Titans every Tuesday during Tech Tuesdays. The first event will be the Virtual Expo!, sponsored by Fujitsu. The keynote speakers will be Ed Kelly, Chief Data Officer for the State of Texas, and Laila Alequresh, Chief Innovation Officer for the City of Dallas. Tech Insights, the Tech Titans weekly compilation of news stories, is moving to every Tuesday. If you don’t already subscribe, sign up
2020 Tech Titans update from Chair Amy Wheelus
Chair Amy Wheelus from AT&T gave an update for 2020 during the Tech Titans Awards Gala. View her message (understanding that the Gala had a Roaring 20s theme).View the video Tech Titans has an overarching why. We are a forum that connects the regional technology community to collaborate, share, and inspire the creative thinking that fuels tomorrow's innovations. In 2020, this has become more important than ever. And we have demonstrated our why, by adapting how we operate, and deliver programming
Qorvo inspires next generation through STEM initiative
By Melinda Guravich, staff writer Qorvo inspires employees and the next generation through the STEM initiative How do STEM careers start? Marvin Harris, foundry engineer with Qorvo, Inc. (photo at right), knew he wanted to become an engineer in seventh grade after attending a summer outreach program at Purdue University. “I fell in love with electrical engineering,” he said. He earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Purdue and master’s degree in electrical engineering from Georgia
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New/returning members for October
Thank you to the Tech Titans members who either joined or renewed their memberships in October. Our members are the lifeline of our organization and serve to make us stronger and more successful. We hope you will join us in welcoming these new members, doing business with them and referring other members to the Tech Titans organization. New members Champion's Circle Sales Enablement Strategies - Kay ShawRichardsonhttp://www.salesenablementstrategies.tech The Dubrof
Awards finalists announced for 2020
Tech Titans, the largest technology trade association in Texas, has announced its finalists for the Tech Titans Awards.This year's 20th anniversary of the Tech Titans Awards Gala has moved online in a virtual setting, heavy on high-quality video production and the latest in virtual events from partner MarketScale. The Roaring Twenties-style production will ramp up Friday, Oct. 23 with a slate of networking thought-leadership sessions at 3:15 pm. The awards preshow begins at 3:45 with presentation of awards
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Cisco’s Webex bridging the gap to reach diverse students in STEM effort
Melinda Guravich, Staff Writer Empowering students from diverse backgrounds is a passion for Lymari Ames, a project delivery lead at Cisco Systems, Inc., who herself came from a Hispanic background. When she talks to students about STEM careers, Lymari tells them that her job is to break things and then fix them. Kids relate to her personal story which included entering college as an undeclared major, graduating with a degree in electrical engineering and working on the cutting-edge technology that we
UT Dallas knows STEM-love starts before the university level
by Melinda Guravich, staff writer “I cannot tell you how energized I am every time high school students come to the UTDesign Makerspace studio for a Tech Titans workshop, and every time I talk to kids about STEM careers,” said Rod Wetterskog, assistant dean of corporate relations for UT Dallas. Tech Titans’ STEM partnership with the Tier One university is essential to the success of the STEM initiative. Rod, an “engineering physics guy” by training and six-year member of the Talent Team, has hosted
Volunteering at every career and life stage, even during a pandemic
by Melinda Guravich, STEM writer Lynn Mortensen is passionate about getting kids engaged with STEM. “If we don’t show them what they can be, especially girls and minority children, they often don’t have a clue.” While vice president of engineering at Raytheon, Lynn served as the company’s Tech Titans corporate representative. At retirement, she joined the newly formed STEM committee, committing her time and energy to inspiring a new generation of engineers from diverse backgrounds. She was recognized as
The Talent Team strikes back: STEM inspirations go digital
by Melinda Guravich, Tech Titans contributor Dave Galley, director of the STEM workforce initiatives for Tech Titans, was looking forward to the Talent Team’s biggest year yet in 2020: more events scheduled, in more schools for more kids and the launch of new events, all powered by a growing volunteer base and committed corporate sponsors. By the first week of March, volunteers had already logged a thousand-plus STEM inspirations for the year, for a total of nearly 15,000 since the initiative began.
Championing the STEM cause: Lisa Frey
By Melinda Guravich Corporate champions play a critical role in the success of Tech Titans’ STEM initiative by making the effort visible to others, creating connections to volunteers and getting executives to buy-in within their organizations. The Tech Titans corporate champion at State Farm is Agile Coach Lisa Frey. The company has been an active partner since 2014, when Lisa led the relocation of the IT team to Richardson from corporate headquarters in Bloomington, Illinois.“The dark horse of
Mitel employees serve up STEM inspiration
Written by Melinda Guravich Mitel employees around the world recently celebrated the company’s 46th anniversary by giving back on Mitel Serves Day. Employees from the company’s Plano headquarters spent the day providing STEM career inspiration–and pizza–during a Tech Titans panel presentation for 132 middle and high school students attending a STEM Coding camp at UT Dallas. Led by president and CEO Rich McBee, Mitel was the first corporate investor in the Tech Titans STEM workforce initiative. “We owe our
Talent Team wraps school year with hands-on, engineering design challenge
The last week of school was particularly busy for volunteers in the Tech Titans STEM workforce initiative. They delivered “Can You Float Your Boat,” a hands-on, engineering design challenge to approximately 200 sixth- and rising-fifth graders at three RISD elementary schools. The “Can You Float Your Boat” event starts with a conversation about what an engineer does. The volunteers talk about their own engineering careers with obvious enthusiasm and in relatable terms. Lynn Mortenson, who retired as a
Panelists inspire kids toward STEM fields
Stand back, Lady Gaga and Beyoncé! Engineers are the new rock stars for middle school students attending Tech Titans’ “Successful Women in Technology” and “You Can Be an Engineer” panels. These engaging and diverse panelists are creating a sensation and inspiring kids from all backgrounds to imagine STEM careers of their own. It’s all part of the Tech Titans Talent Team’s initiative to inspire students to pursue STEM education in high school and beyond. To date, they’ve provided 10,000 STEM inspirations
Talent Team helps students donate equipment to developing countries
Fifty Richardson ISD (RISD) students participated in a Talent Team workshop hosted by the UTDesign Makerspace. Juniors and seniors from Buckner High School and J.J. Pearce High School spent the day-long STEM education experience touring the UTDesign Studio, talking with engineering students, participating in a design workshop and assembling heart monitor kits that will be used for training in developing countries. (photos by Shirley Wilson, Mitel)The event was sponsored by State Farm Enterprise Technology.
Speed mentoring: face-to-face engagement with students
Have you been inside a high school recently? Fifty professionals from Samsung have. They spent their Employee Volunteer Day participating in Tech Titans speed mentoring events at three area high schools.How it works Speed mentoring is an intimate, small-group experience where students talk face-to-face with employees working in the technology sector. Volunteers meet with juniors and seniors to explain their jobs and talk about what it takes to work in specific roles. Students ask questions about what it’s
Tech Titans creates hands-on activities during SMARTgirls STEM Camp
Tech Titans and Qorvo sponsored three days of SMARTgirls summer camp at Davis Intermediate in Wylie during the summer. The focus of the week-long camp was building awareness of STEM opportunities and careers among rising fifth, sixth and seventh grade girls. Thanks to the talent of several Tech Titans volunteers and the generous sponsorship of Qorvo, 29 girls learned about aerospace engineering, robotics, coding, electrical engineering and engineering design principles through presentations, exercises and
Wylie camp encourages girls to pursue STEM careers
Tech Titans recently hosted a STEM camp sponsored by the Wylie ISD Foundation and Girls in Tech, which included activities and tours at Qorvo’s Richardson plant. The four-day camp was created to get young girls excited about STEM. “The highlight of the camp for me was watching the girls in the activities and realizing they have what it takes to solve a real-world problem,” said Lymari Ames, volunteer and project manager at Cisco Systems. Students spent three days learning about various STEM fields by
Tech Titans STEM camp drives interest in tech fields
Tech Titans recently hosted one of their largest STEM camps of the summer at Coppell ISD’s Richard Lee Elementary School with the help of volunteers from member organizations such as AT&T and Ericsson. Students learned about the unique and exciting challenges that occur in STEM fields when designing an autonomous vehicle. “This is a really great opportunity to teach kids about all of the interesting [fields] in STEM,” said Dave Galley, director of STEM workforce initiatives at Tech Titans. Students were
Tech Titans Hall of Fame inductee announced
Digital telecom giant Jim Donald selected as 2014 inductee to Tech Titans Hall of Fame James (Jim) Lee Donald has been selected as The Metroplex Technology Business Council’s 2014 inductee to the MTBC Tech Titans Hall of Fame. This honor recognizes a technology visionary from the DFW Metroplex for outstanding leadership in assisting, advancing and accelerating the performance of the technology industry and/or adoption of technology in North Texas. These accomplishments must span more than one decade and
