Austin Next

How do we nurture and protect the most human endeavors of creation and discovery?  Zachary Levi joins us to discuss calling, technology, and a creative Ark in Austin. We move from one’s life mission to concrete plans for land and film incentives. The central question of our time is whether we ride the AI tsunami or get swept under it. Highlights00:00 Opening and Zachary Levi’s journey to Austin05:53 Calling vs discovery13:48 Build the ark and fix Hollywood25:13 Community, work, and purpose30:20 Why Bastrop for Wyldwood38:05 Austin’s energy and first principles46:57 Film incentives and ROI54:00 AI reshapes studio vs creatives1:10:40 Purpose through creation and discovery1:19:07 What’s Next Austin?Guest BioZACHARY LEVI has proven himself a triple threat- he is an accomplished actor, singer, and dancer that was displayed with his Tony- nominated performance for “Best Leading Actor in a Musical” in the critically praised Broadway production, SHE LOVES ME. In August 2024, Zachary starred in HAROLD & THE PURPLE CRAYON for Sony, based on the wildly popular children’s book written by Crockett Johnson. He will next star in both MGM/Amazon’s SARAH’S OIL as well as Joe Carnahan’s real-life survivor thriller, NOT WITHOUT HOPE. Zac is also set to appear in HOTEL TEHRAN, a new thriller from writer-director, Guy Moshe. In March 2023, Levi reprised his role as Shazam! in the Warner Bros. DC franchise, SHAZAM! FURY OF THE GODS. Directed by David F. Sandberg, this was the follow-up to the first installment, SHAZAM! which held the #1 spot at the box office for weeks following its April 2019 release. In 2021, Zachary portrayed iconic NFL MVP and Hall of Fame quarterback, Kurt Warner in AMERICAN UNDERDOG for Lionsgate directed by Andrew and Jon Erwin. Zac will return with the Erwin brothers for another Lionsgate film THE UNBREAKABLE BOY, based on the true story of the most inspiring boy who touched and changed the lives of those around him in theaters February 21, 2025. In a fan favorite recurring role, Levi took home a SAG Award for “Best Ensemble in a Comedy Series” for season two and three of Amazon Studios’ Emmy winning series, THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL. The first season of the show won six Primetime Emmys, two Golden Globes, as well as a Peabody Award and two Critics’ Choice Awards. The second season won one Golden Globe, three Screen Actor Guild Awards, one PGA Award, two Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards, one Critics Choice TV Award, and TV Program of the Year at the AFI Awards.Additional previous film credits include: CHICKEN RUN: DAWN OF THE NUGGET; TEDDY’S CHRISTMAS; APOLLO 10 ½: A SPACE AGE CHILDHOOD; THOR: THE DARK WORLD; ALVIN & THE CHIPMUNKS: THE SQUEAKQUEL; and TANGLED. The song “I See the Light,” written for TANGLED (performed by Levi & Mandy Moore) was nominated that year for an Oscar and Golden Globe for Best Original Song. The pair performed the duet at the 83rd Annual Academy Awards ceremony. “I See the Light” also won the Grammy Award for “Best Song Written for Visual Media” at the 54th Grammy Awards. Levi is best known for his fan favorite performance as Chuck Bartowski in the hit NBC series, CHUCK. Other previous TV credits include the Netflix mini-series ALIAS GRACE & HEROES REBORN. In June 2022, Levi made his author debut with his memoir, RADICAL LOVE: LEARNING TO ACCEPT YOURSELF AND OTHERS, which shares his emotional journey through a lifetime of crippling anxiety and depression to find joy, gratitude, and ultimate purpose Guest LinksZachary Levi: X, Instagram Wyldwood -------------------Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedInEcosystem Metacognition Substack

Austin exports culture the way it exports tech. Terry Lickona, longtime executive producer of Austin City Limits, argues Austin is a music incubator, not the music industry, and that’s a feature. We map venues, economics, the tech crossover, and what keeps the scene original.  Highlights01:12 Austin Music Today: vibrant, original, authentic.06:49 Streaming’s role, why touring pays.11:30 Arena bookings, pricing, club spend 18:30 Venue design and experience25:55 Music districts and competition for your dollar36:25 How ACL books talent and stays eclectic.44:31 The “Live Music Capital” narrative and exports.53:25 AI in music: Tool vs crutch58:55 What’s Next Austin?Guest BioSince 1978, Terry Lickona has been the producer, now executive producer, of "Austin City Limits." Celebrating 38 years on PBS, ACL is the longest-running popular music series in American television history. In 2003, the President of the United States awarded ACL the National Medal of Arts, the nation's highest honor for artistic excellence. In 2012, ACL received a rare institutional Peabody Award for excellence and outstanding achievement. Terry has also produced other specials and series for public television, cable, domestic and foreign syndication, home video, and DVD - over 800 programs, with artists ranging from Ray Charles and Johnny Cash to Juanes, Coldplay and Neil Young to Willie Nelson, Arcade Fire, Radiohead and Pearl Jam.  October 2012 also marks the 11th anniversary of the Austin City Limits Music Festival, one of the most successful music festivals in the country. In 2011 Austin City Limits Live at The Moody Theater opened its doors in downtown Austin as a world class live performance venue combined with a state of the art studio soundstage.Lickona has been the co-producer of the Grammy Awards Show on CBS since 2012.  He served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences from 2005-2006. He also currently serves on the Board of the Latin Recording Academy.A native of Poughkeepsie, New York, he has lived in Austin, Texas since 1974.Guest LinksAustin City Limits: Website, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, X -------------------Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedInEcosystem Metacognition Substack

How do you go from a cultural icon like the yellow wristbands to building AI products?  Livestrong’s CEO Suzanne Stone argues that the through line is a focus on survivorship, the life you live from diagnosis onward. This is the leap from story to community to software and back again.Highlights01:34 Mission: Survivorship Over Cures06:18 The Wristband as Community Signal12:39 Fertility Program and Real Cost of Cancer14:34 Copycats and What Persists 25:20 From Guidebook to Ellis, a Trusted Closed-Loop AI38:56 Guardrails, Swim Lanes, and Safety51:35 Revenue Engines and Scaling01:02:40 What’s Next Austin? Guest BioSuzanne Stone is a Texas Christian University graduate and Louisiana native whose career began in television, earning a regional Emmy Award for her work in Dallas. In 1998, she transitioned from producing television to teaching it in the nonprofit sector, leading public access television initiatives in Naperville, Illinois, and later in upstate New York.Beyond media, Suzanne spent four years as Head Coach of a New York Community college women’s basketball team while simultaneously managing a local TV station. Her passion for impact-driven work led her back to Texas, where she has since dedicated her career to leading nonprofit organizations across the state, including Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), Children’s Miracle Network, Lake Travis Education Foundation, and Susan G. Komen Greater Central and East Texas.In 2019, she joined Livestrong to spearhead its mission initiatives, and in November 2023, she was named President & CEO. Today, she leads the organization in its commitment to ensuring that anyone affected by cancer has the resources and support they need to live the highest quality of life possible, regardless of the diagnosis.Guest LinksSuzanne Stone: LinkedInLivestrong: Website, X, Ellis, Livestrong Challenge 2025 -------------------Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedInEcosystem Metacognition Substack

Poppi is a fashion brand that happens to be soda. Stephen Ellsworth, Co-founder of Poppi, joins us to walk through the operating choices behind turning a vinegar problem into a modern soda badge. It’s how you build, scale, and exit a consumer brand. It’s another signal that Austin’s flywheel is real and accelerating.  Highlights01:48 Dark days, PMF before funding08:05 Farmers market to Whole Foods14:50 Rebrand beat Shark Tank awareness24:58 Poppi as Fashion33:46 Make healthy default via taste38:54 AI palate mapping46:48 Austin needs cross-sector collisions51:40 What's Next Austin?Guest LinksStephen Ellsworth: Instagram, LinkedInPoppi: Website, X, Instagram  -------------------Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedInEcosystem Metacognition Substack

Autonomy’s moment is now as the operating stack goes live across software, hardware, availability, and insurance. Outdoorsy Group CEO Jeff Cavins joins the show to unpack how RoboTaxis integrate with marketplaces, city systems, and the consumer experience. Austin’s talent, technology, and risk appetite are making it the Autonomy Capital. Highlights 01:31 Why Outdoorsy Group is betting on RoboTaxis 05:44 Software must command the car 10:40 RoboTaxi as the default transpiration benchmark 15:30 FSD & the Airport 25:39 Coverholder status and dynamic underwriting 32:26 Austin’s autonomy flywheel 41:50 Safety is the X-factor 45:52 Cargo, errands, agentic ops 51:29 Autonomy in air and ground 58:44 What’s Next Austin?Guest BiosJeff Cavins is a distinguished technology veteran with over 22 years of senior-level experience leading and transforming emerging growth technology, software, Internet, and digital media companies. His illustrious career has been marked by significant value creation, contributing to over $32 billion in total market capitalizations. As the Co-Founder and CEO of Outdoorsy Group, he steers a global leader in mobility and accommodations, encompassing Outdoorsy, the largest and most trusted peer-to-peer RV rental platform, and its pioneering insurtech arm, Roamly.Jeff's leadership at Outdoorsy Group is rooted in a deep understanding of market dynamics and a relentless pursuit of innovation. This is exemplified by Roamly's recent achievement of Lloyd's Coverholder status, a testament to its specialized underwriting expertise in complex, niche markets. This strategic move positions Roamly to enable the future of shared mobility across RVs, campervans, carsharing, and even emerging transportation like cybercabs.Before co-founding Outdoorsy in 2015, Jeff served as Chief Executive Officer of Fuze, a cloud communications company recognized by Inc. 500 as the 125th fastest-growing private company in America in 2013. His tenure at Fuze included overseeing the development of "Fuze for iPad," a product personally used by Steve Jobs and featured in Apple's 2011 "We Will Always" global iPad TV ad campaign.Prior to Fuze, Jeff was President and CEO of CallWave (NASDAQ: CALL), a leading provider of internet and mobile-based unified communications solutions. He also served as CEO of Loudeye Corporation (NASDAQ: LOUD), a global leader in digital media distribution technology, which was subsequently acquired by Nokia. At Loudeye, he masterminded the company's global expansion and forged strategic partnerships with industry giants such as Apple, AT&T Wireless, Nokia, and Virgin, ultimately growing shareholder value by over 1700 percent.Jeff's extensive experience also includes serving as a Venture Advisor at Azure Capital Partners in San Francisco, and as Senior Vice President for Exodus Communications, where he managed over $1.3 billion in revenue and 1,900 employees. There, he established crucial strategic partnerships with industry leaders like Google, Yahoo!, eBay, and MSN.Earlier in his career, Jeff founded, presided over, and led CSI Digital, an advanced digital media technology software company specializing in visual effects for the TV and film industries. CSI Digital earned recognition from Inc. Magazine in 2007 as the 100th fastest-growing private company in America and was awarded first place in the inaugural Deloitte and Touche Fast-50 Program in the same year. He began his career with nearly a decade in the broadcast division of Sony Corporation, where he held sales management and engineering roles, and notably designed and developed the Instant Replay system for the NFL, leading its deployment across the league.Guest LinksJeff Cavins: LinkedIn Outdoorsy Group: Website, LinkedIn, InstagramRoamly: Website, LinkedIn, Instagram -------------------Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedInEcosystem Metacognition Substack

Rankings aren’t just a scoreboard. They’re a map. Dealroom’s Yoram Wijngaarde and StartupBlink’s Eli David Rokah join the show to unpack ecosystem momentum, enterprise-value growth, and the business-environment factors that move founders, corporates, and capital. We read the global rankings with Austin as a live case study, setting its momentum against incumbent hubs to find the signal in the noise.  Highlights00:59 Momentum as design choice in rankings 03:22 Enterprise-value growth vs VC funding07:30 Austin’s outlier growth among peers11:15   Rankings: conversation starter, decision tool 23:22 Policy mistakes become tailwinds29:05 Clusters, super-regions, friction costs37:15  Austin ranked 4th US, 5th global42:47 AI shocks ecosystem volatility 44:06 What's Next Austin?Guest BiosYoram Wijngaard:  Founder of Dealroom.co which was launched in 2014 to provide intelligence about the world’s most promising startups and ecosystems. Before founding Dealroom, Yoram was an investment banker at Lehman Brothers, Nomura Securities and NOAH Advisors in New York and London. Yoram has a cum laude Master’s degree in Economics from the University of Amsterdam.Eli David Rokah:  Founder and CEO of StartupBlink, advising governments and corporates worldwide and publishing the Global Startup Ecosystem Index.Guest LinksYoram Wijngaard: X, LinkedInDealroom: Website, The Global Tech Ecosystem Index 2025Eli David Rokah: X, LinkedInStartupblink: Website, The Global Startup Ecosystem Index Report 2025 -------------------Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedInEcosystem Metacognition Substack

How do 100X engineers, cheap development, and AI-everywhere workflows flip slow-moving industries and legacy business models? AffiniPay CEO Dru Armstrong joins to discuss how vertical fintech and generative AI reshape professional services, the evolution of a new small-business software stack, and Austin’s climb to a top five tech cities.  Highlights00:00 AffiniPay overview & mission02:57 Why solo firms need vertical SaaS05:45 Unified platform vs best-in-class tools08:26 AI’s early impact on law and accounting11:39 Billable-hour model under pressure14:20 Where AI in services is heading next17:03 Culture change: adopting AI at work20:14 Automating routine legal workflows30:19 Manufacturing Cost crashes & roles31:40 Austin emerging as a FinTech frontier34:54 Building a legal-payments platform locally39:34 Generative AI’s effect on big-law practice45:55 Faster product cycles with AI tools48:35 How engineering roles are evolving53:34 What's Next Austin" “I want Austin in the top five."Guest BioDru Armstrong is the Chief Executive Officer of AffiniPay, LLC, a leading financial technology software provider for professionals, since July 2021, where she has implemented and executed a new strategic direction for the business, including its transformative acquisition of MyCase. Prior to joining AffiniPay, Ms. Armstrong served as Chief Executive Officer of Grace Hill, LLC, a real estate technology and software provider, from June 2016 to July 2021, and as Chief Product Officer from September 2015 to May 2016. Ms. Armstrong received a Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, a Juris Doctorate from the University of Chicago Law School, and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Columbia University.Episode LinksDru ArmstrongAffinipayKaleidoscope September 2-4, 2025 -------------------Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedInEcosystem Metacognition Substack

We live in an age of unprecedented creative tools, from generative AI and design platforms to open access to code, capital, and talent. Joining this episode is John Roescher, Founder and CEO of Raw Materials, the design firm behind the public-facing strategies of Anduril, Saronic, and Meta, to explore why design should not be treated as decoration, but as a cultural and strategic function. Because in the end, with all this power, the outcome still comes down to a choice: Will we design with intention or default to slop?Chapters01:13 Design as Product04:51 Outsourcing vs Partnering08:04 The Creative Process and Why “I Like That” Isn’t Enough11:30 AI, Craft, and Care: Tools vs Slop16:52 Efficiency or Excellence23:19 Unlocking Core Creativity Inside Companies28:01 Design as Strategy32:39 From Founders to Cities: Owning the Narrative40:28 Intentionality vs Accident45:04 What You Ship Says Everything46:45 What’s Next Austin?John Roescher: X/Twitter, LinkedInRaw Materials: Website, Instagram, X/Twitter, LinkedIn -------------------Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedInEcosystem Metacognition Substack

Mushrooms, coffee, and diapers. It’s not the start of weird joke, but the the innovation arc of Tero Isokauppila, one of the most uniquely disruptive founders at the convergence of bio and consumer goods. From building the $2B mushroom coffee category at Four Sigmatic to launching HIRO, the world’s first fungi-based diaper, Tero’s work reflects something deeper; how Austin’s convergence of culture, capital, and cross-sector energy is creating the next innovation frontier.02:18 – From Farm Kid to Mushroom Category King05:45 – The Biology of Fungi as Platform Tech09:03 – Why America Is Mushroom-Illiterate10:38 – Product Before Mission: Lessons from Tesla and HIRO16:35 – CPG vs Biotech: Funding, Moats, and Returns25:57 – Why Austin Became a CPG Powerhouse31:39 – Tech and CPG: Still Separate Worlds in Austin35:41 – Frontier Cities Need Cultural + Sector Convergence1:01:15 – Manufacturing’s Real Bottlenecks (and Myths)1:05:06 – “What’s Next Austin?”: Ego Death, Rebirth, and Maturity Tero Isokauppila: LinkedIn, YouTubeFour SigmaticHIRO -------------------Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedInEcosystem Metacognition Substack

What does it mean to build the future of Bio & Health at the frontier, and why is Austin the place to do it? Recorded live at Health Supernova, this episode explores the deep structural shifts underway in bio, health, and tech. From trillion-dollar ambitions to FDA bottlenecks, from digital-first hospitals to the rise of cowboy talent in Bio & Health, Austin is staking a claim not as a follower but as the system and stack that comes next.  Episode HighlightsAustin’s Bio & Health Frontier ThesisCan Austin build what healthcare won’t?FDA still runs on PDFsWhat would it take to build a trillion-dollar bio company?Frontier talent are cowboysCost of the biotech winterDigital-first hospital as a living labWhy bio needs platforms, not just transformational assetsIntegration is the real bottleneckWhat's Next, Austin Bio & Health?Steve Hahn: “The next major company that disrupts medicine and brings us 20, 30 years advanced over the next year.”Charley Taylor: “Re-envisioning what healthcare, academic medicine can look like”Micha Breakstone: “Make Austin into a real hub at the intersection of AI and biotech” -------------------Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedInEcosystem Metacognition Substack