

Austinpreneur
Capital Factory
Double click on the stories that made Austin, Texas a global startup hub. Listen to startup stories from entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and technologists shaping the Austin startup community. Austinpreneur will give you a glimpse into how Austin made itself a tier 1 city for technology, creativity and startups. Takeaway key insights for building your own success story in topics like fundraising, building products, sales, investing and creating company culture.Austinpreneur is a podcast highlighting Austin’s startups, entrepreneurs, and innovators. Join in on candid conversations with leaders who have built companies from the ground up and visionaries creating the next wave of world-changing technology. Discover the importance of your network, meet the people supporting your journey, and connect with the community making it all happen.Episodes feature topics like: entrepreneurship, technology, startups, innovation, funding, coworking, mentorship, startup accelerators, VC funding, angel investing, innovation strategies, partnerships, and more.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 26, 2023 • 24min
May The X-Force Be With You
Part 5 in our special season on dual-use defense innovation is with cybersecurity expert Charles Henderson. After graduating from The University of Texas at Austin, Charles dove into the world of information security. Today Charles is Global Managing Partner and Head of X-Force at IBM. In this episode, we discuss the evolution of cybersecurity from the early days of DEFCON and BlackHat into modern cybersecurity challenges posed by artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. Charles shares tips on organizational security for defending against global threats using threat detection, incident response, penetration testing and other techniques.

Sep 19, 2023 • 18min
A Veteran Built Shield for Entrepreneurs
Part 4 of our special season on dual-use defense innovation is with guest David Rothzeid from Shield Capital. David is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force where he oversaw highly classified programs in side the Department of Defense. He also spent time at Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) developing acquisition pathways. David now invests in dual-use startups through Shield Capital with a focus on cybersecurity, space and AI.

Sep 13, 2023 • 20min
Accessing Government Funding as a Startup
Part 3 in our special season on dual-use defense innovation features Natasha Ahmed who is Vice President at dual use venture capital firm, Disruptive. Natasha brings insights on ways to access government funding, how the startup ecosystem in Hong Kong works as well as her outlook on the space economy. Natasha's background includes roles as Program Manager for the U.S. Department of Defense, Government Affairs for Toyota and leader of a startup accelerator based in Hong Kong for multiple years. Sign up for all Austinpreneur updates at capitalfactory.com/podcast

Sep 6, 2023 • 23min
Standing on the Shoulders of Hypergiants
Part 2 of our special season on dual-use defense innovation focuses on recently acquired Capital Factory portfolio company, Hypergiant. Quentin "Q" Donnellan, President of Hypergiant, shares insights on winning government grants, participating in a program of record, and growing their company to a meaningful private equity acquisition. Listen in to learn about breaking into the Department of Defense, building software for prosecuting national security objectives and raising venture capital along the way.

Aug 29, 2023 • 20min
NightDragon on Cyber's Battlefield
Part 1 in our special season on dual-use defense innovation features guest Dave Dewalt, CEO of NightDragon. Dave is no stranger to modern cybersecurity threats and how they evolved due to his time as CEO of McAfee, role as a Board Member at Delta Airlines and many other experiences. In this conversation, explore the reality of cyber warfare and international IP espionage. We'll trace the cybersecurity industry's root back to the early consumer internet. All episodes in this special season were recorded at Fed Supernova 2023. Learn more and become part of the next Fed Supernova at www.fedsupernova.com.Sign up for the best updates on Austinpreneur at www.capitalfactory.com/podcast

Aug 15, 2023 • 1h 6min
Austin's Boomerang Mayor
The Mayor of Austin, Texas gets interviewed by Joshua Baer, CEO of Capital Factory, in this special edition of Austinpreneur. This conversation about innovation and society, particularly innovation in Texas, was recorded live for Capital Factory's All-Access community and the highlights are featured in this episode. Listen to now to hear Mayor Kirk Watson share insights on how Austin's culture has propelled the city to tier 1 status.Sign up for the best Austinpreneur updates at www.capitalfactory.com/podcast

Aug 7, 2023 • 19min
His Majesty's Tech Envoy
The United Kingdom's top tech diplomat, Joe White MBE, stopped by Capital Factory during SXSW and recorded this episode of Austinpreneur. Learn about the new Tech Envoy position created at a critical time for The UK's tech industry. We also discuss Joe's entrepreneurial journey as a Founder as well as General Partner at Entrepreneur's First.Sign up for the best Austinpreneur updates at www.capitalfactory.com/podcast

Jul 31, 2023 • 24min
Lunar Logistics
Brought to you by HubSpot, get an inside take on the race to establish sustainable life on the moon from the CTO and Co-Founder of Intuitive Machines, Tim Crain. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Intuitive Machines (NASDAQ: LUNR) is the most NASA-awarded commercial lunar program. The company has three missions that will deliver NASA and commercial payloads into orbit and on the surface of the Moon.In this episode, we discuss aerospace engineering, government funding and venture capital as tools for becoming a successful space entrepreneur.

Jul 24, 2023 • 21min
Freaks, Geeks and Jocks
Brought to you by HubSpot, this episode dives into the journey of Dug Song, unicorn founder and cybersecurity expert. Dug shares invaluable insights into crafting the right company culture as a startup. From helping manage his father's convenience store in Baltimore, MD, to co-founding Duo Security, one of the world's fastest-growing cybersecurity startups, Dug's journey is nothing short of remarkable.Discover how Dug's entrepreneurial roots, combined with his education at The University of Michigan, led to the creation of Duo Security. Scaling the company from Detroit to a thriving office in Austin, Dug unveils the secrets behind building a successful startup. Don't miss this opportunity to gain inspiration and learn from the experiences of a true tech trailblazer, as he imparts wisdom on fostering a thriving work environment that fuels creativity, productivity, and unparalleled success.If you're an aspiring entrepreneur, a cybersecurity enthusiast, or simply someone hungry for knowledge about building a dynamic startup culture, this episode is not to be missed. Get ready to be inspired and enlightened by the wisdom of Dug Song.

Jul 17, 2023 • 15min
Preventative Wellness on Wheels
Tune in to learn how BodySpec is making preventative wellness easy and pleasant. In this conversation with Elaine Shi, Co-CEO of BodySpec, we cover topics from hardships in entrepreneurship to the day Kim Kardashian used BodySpec. Try BodySpec for yourself here!


