Austin Next

From cutting-edge chips to AI networks the disruption happening up and down the tech stack is upending invention and value. Everything is on the table. Tyson Tuttle, former CEO of Silicon Labs and current founder and CEO of Circuit, brings decades of experience building innovative products across multiple tech waves. In this conversation, Tyson shares insights on Austin's ecosystem past and present, the global tech competition, and how AI-powered knowledge networks that could finally deliver on the collaboration we have been promised.  Episode HighlightsAustin's Semiconductor LegacyGeopolitical Chip WarsA Million Transistors Per SpaceTaiwan's Silicon ShieldBalancing Risk and ProductionMoving Up the Technology StackRethinking Workflows with AINetwork Effects Beyond SocialAI-Powered Knowledge NetworksWhat's Next, Austin?"Tech is spreading everywhere. We've got to build great companies here, we have great talent, and we've got to make this a place that is affordable and where our quality of life doesn't diminish, but goes up" -------------------Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedInEcosystem Metacognition Substack

The Texas innovation ecosystem is accelerating at breakneck speed as technologies like AI and institutions such as the Texas Stock Exchange reshape what is possible. Samantha Lewis, Partner at Mercury Fund, recently relocated to Austin from Houston to strengthen the firm's presence in the region. Our conversation reveals how the founders and funders in the Texas Triangle are positioning themselves during this tech revolution, and why the connections between Austin, Houston, and Dallas are a superpower that is just getting started.Episode HighlightsMercury Investment ThesisExpansion to AustinAI Competition LandscapeImportance of Founder VisionGood Businesses vs VC Backable Bits Meet AtomsHealthcare Innovation FrontiersAustin Growth OpportunityTexas Stock Exchange Impact High Speed Rail vs AirportsTexas Innovation Triangle and CollaborationHouston Industry ChallengesTech Inspiration MomentsWhat's Next Austin?"We're so excited to just hang out and see everybody, meet entrepreneurs, hopefully build a big fintech community here as time goes on...The more VC firms that are here, the better. The more entrepreneurs that are getting funding here, the better"Samantha Lewis: X/Twitter, LinkedInMercury Fund: Website, X/Twitter, LinkedIn -------------------Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedInEcosystem Metacognition Substack

Technology is advancing rapidly, but our social systems and institutions struggle to keep pace. Janine Leger co-founded Edge City, a society incubator accelerating social innovation through popup and experimental communities, and they're bringing their next gathering to Austin March 2-7. We explore how rethinking the intersection of technology and agency can lead to human flourishing, and why Austin is emerging as the perfect laboratory for this experimentation. Episode HighlightsEdge City the Society Incubator Innovation in Temporary Spaces Building Default Healthy Environments Invisible Protocols and Personal Agency Edge City as Social Catalyst Austin's Innovation Ecosystem Edge City AustinKey Personas in a Thriving Ecosystem  Future City Projects and ExperimentsAustin's Next Decade of Growth What's Next Austin?"If you're interested in new society models, new ways of living, new towns, Austin is going to be a hub for that...There's so much happening around community dynamism"Janie LegerEdge City AustinEdge City: Website, X/Twitter -------------------Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedInEcosystem Metacognition Substack

A unicorn biopharma that ignores the traditional playbook, breaks development speed records, and chose Austin over the traditional biotech hubs.  Mallory Factor, Founder and CEO of IntraBio, joins us to share how his Oxford-born company created an FDA-approved drug in record time while doing everything differently. In this wide-ranging conversation, we explore how finding unconventional talent, maintaining ruthless focus, and embracing a different mindset has led to transformational success in an industry resistant to change. Episode HighlightsBuilding a Different Kind of Biopharma CompanyBreaking Speed Records in Drug DevelopmentFinding Unconventional TalentChallenging Traditional Pharma ThinkingWhy Austin Over Boston and San FranciscoThe Power of Focus in Drug DevelopmentAustin's Creative Collisions and FutureWhat's Next Austin?"Austin has some political problems that's going to have to clear up to make it a better city. Hopefully in time it will and it'll catapult it into the top five, six cities in America"Mallory Factor, IntraBio, Aqneursa -------------------Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedInEcosystem Metacognition Substack

A coffee conversation turned into a deep exploration and personal obsession about how we shape our world and how it shapes us. I had to invite my partner in that conversation, Dr. Gena Gorlin, on to the podcast to bring her perspective as a psychologist, professor, and founder coach to examine the interplay between agency, innovation, ecosystems, and technology.  Episode HighlightsAgency Mindset and Personal Choice Technology Impact on Human Agency Education Evolution in an AI World Gaming as a Window into Human Potential AI Tools for Self Discovery Understanding Innovation Ecosystems Psychology of City Culture Ecosystem Metacognition Principles Building Better Innovation CommunitiesWhat's Next Austin?"Really embracing Austin as this up and coming entrepreneurial cultural hub and participating in that evolution is something that I'm now way more excited about than I even was before"Gena Gorlin: Substack, X/Twitter, Founder Coaching, UT Austin Faculty Page -------------------Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedInEcosystem Metacognition Substack

Last June, SXSW announced they would no longer allow military and defense companies as sponsors. This sparked strong reactions from Austin's defense tech community, with one of those reactions leading to the creation of Austin4America. I'm joined by Luke Fischer, one of the summit's creators, to discuss why this matters and how it fits into Austin's broader innovation story. Episode HighlightsSXSW's Military Sponsor Ban and Austin's ResponseModern Defense Tech Beyond WeaponsSkyFi: Building an Earth Intelligence PlatformWhy Austin Leads Defense InnovationAustin4America: From X/Twitter to RealityInnovation & Defense Tech AgendaConvergence of Veterans, Health, and National SecurityWhat’s Next Austin? “A gravitation of some of the best companies in the world coming to Austin, where we see across all the industries, bio, defense, healthcare, manufacturing.”Austin4AmericaLuke Fischer: X/Twitter, LinkedIn, SkyFi -------------------Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedInEcosystem Metacognition Substack

This past November, the University of Austin hosted their Inaugural SOMA Summit to explore the amazing transformation in space right now, especially how the commercial space era is decentralizing access. I had the privilege to moderate a fascinating panel titled "Science in the Commercial Space Age" featuring Chris Sembroski from Blue Origin, along with University of Florida space biologists Dr. Rob Ferl and Dr. Anna-Lisa Paul.As space becomes more accessible, it's evolving beyond merely a frontier to explore into its own innovation platform and ecosystem. This opens up a whole galaxy of possibilities. Episode HighlightsMission ExperiencesSpace PeppersUnderstanding Human AdaptationSpace as an Innovation Frontier Manufacturing in MicrogravityPlants' Role in Future ExplorationEthical ConsiderationsWhat's next for science in the commercial space age?Rob Ferl: “More scientists flying to do their experiments in space.”Anna-Lisa Paul: “More research in how we effectively take our biology off the planet to have long-term existence elsewhere”Chris Sembroski: “Recognizing that it's not going to end with us, that we have to keep inspiring that next generation”Chris Sembroski: X/Twitter, LinkedInRob Ferl: UF Faculty PageAnna-Lisa Paul: UF Faculty Page -------------------Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedInEcosystem Metacognition Substack

AI is becoming the biggest force multiplier for human talent in history. Austen Allred shares how Gauntlet AI is reimagining engineering education for this new reality and why Austin's is the perfect place to build this ambitious program. This is was quick turnaround episode as Gauntlet AI applications close January 4th (application link below). We also go deeper on the 2nd and 3rd order effects of this transformation on engineering, learning, kids, and Austin. Episode HighlightsWhat is Gauntlet AI?How AI transforms the engineering craft Building $100M engineers Breaking traditional talent signals & building new ones AI's impact on adaptive learning Developing spiky points of view Austin's emergence as an edtech hubWhat's Next Austin?"Austin just found a home for all of the people who think a little bit differently and see the world a little bit differently...And historically, if there's a place where all of the independent thinking vagabonds go with a lot of ambition, that's going to be a really cool place, and that's a place you want to be."Gauntlet AIAusten Allred: X/Twitter, LinkedIn -------------------Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedInEcosystem Metacognition Substack

Space is becoming our next great innovation frontier as we move from 700 astronauts spending days or months to tens of thousands spending years. What does that do to the human body? What does it mean for our species? Eliah Overbey, Assistant Professor of Bioastronautics at the University of Austin, joins the podcast to explore topics in the increasingly blurred line between science fiction and science fact. Episode HighlightsWhat is Bioastronautics? Space's Impact on Human Biology Current Space Medicine and Healthcare Challenges The Commercialization of Space and NASA's Evolving Role UATX's Unique Approach The SOMA Summit and Space Research Community Genetic Modification for Mars Human Evolution with Space ColonizationWhat's Next Austin?"I'm working on building at UATX is I'm getting a bioastronautics lab started up...More and more people go to space, we're going to have more and more people that we want to sequence to...answer these questions in a more scientifically rigorous way, get our end value higher than before in a single experiment."Eliah Overbey: LinkedIn, X/TwitterUniversity of Austin: Website, LinkedIn, X/TwitterBioAstra: Website, LinkedIn, X/Twitter -------------------Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedInEcosystem Metacognition Substack

Austin is rapidly emerging as a significant edtech hub, attracting not just innovative startups but also established industry leaders. In this episode, Udemy's Chief Revenue Officer Rob Rosenthal joins me to explore what skills are in-demand and how technology is transforming both what we learn and how we learn it.Episode HighlightsGenerational Changes in Professional LearningThe Rise of Skills-Based OrganizationsFoundational vs Transitory SkillsAI as a Teaching Tool, Not a ReplacementThe Power of Learning MarketplacesWhy Austin is Becoming an EdTech HubWhat's Next Austin?"It's always been one of my favorite places in the world to spend time. I know you've had a lot of growth, you have a lot more coming."2025 Global Learning & Skills Trends ReportQ3 2024 Global Workplace Learning IndexRob RosenthalUdemy: Website, LinkedIn, X/Twitter -------------------Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedInEcosystem Metacognition Substack