Austin Tech Connect: The Podcast For The Austin Technology Ecosystem, Business Leaders, and Tech Entrepreneurs!

Austin Tech Connect is the go to podcast for all things Technology in the Austin, Texas region. The show is hosted by the CEO of Austin Technology Council, Thom Singer. For over two years this show has highlighted local tech leaders who make a difference in the Austin tech ecosystem. Each week Thom sits down with leaders in technology & business from the greater Austin area to explore success stories, business advice, and visions for the future of Austin Tech. The Austin Technology Council has been bringing people together and serving the local tech ecosystem for over 32 years. If you are looking for the "Whose Who" of the Austin Technology Community, you need to be listening to the Austin Tech Connect Podcast.The Austin Tech Community is vibrant ecosystem of companies, non-profits, universities, and government agencies that are committed to keeping Austin as a leading technology center. Over the past three decades the city of Austin, Texas has transformed from a college town tha

Austin Tech Connect: The Podcast For The Austin Technology Ecosystem, Business Leaders, and Tech Entrepreneurs! is a business podcast hosted by Austin Technology Council, with 157 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Austin Technology Council hosts Austin Tech Connect: The Podcast For The Austin Technology Ecosystem, Business Leaders, and Tech Entrepreneurs!, a business show with 157 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

• 

  Episode #23

  Austin at the Center of the Next 50 Years - With Heather Brunner

  Sep 30, 202640 minS4

  Heather Brunner, CEO of WP Engine, returns to Austin Tech Connect following her keynote address at the "2026 State of Tech Luncheon" , presented by the Austin Technology Council and the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce . For those who missed Heather's keynote, this episode revisits the ideas, stories, and observations that made her presentation such an important look at where Austin tech has been and where it is going. Heather shares her own Austin story, from arriving in the city in 1994 to her time at Trilogy and the network of leaders and entrepreneurs who helped shape Austin's technology ecosystem. She talks about the influence of people including Joe Liemandt, Chris Hyams, Brett Hurt, Josh Baer, Bill Wood, and Jason Cohen, and how relationships, mentorship, risk-taking, and a willingness to bet on people have played a major role in Austin's growth. The conversation then turns to what may be Austin's next great chapter. Heather believes Austin now sits at the center of five industries that could help define the next 50 years: space, quantum, defense, robotics, and biomedicine . More importantly, these industries are not developing in isolation. Austin's long-standing strengths in software, semiconductors, hardware, research, entrepreneurship, and talent create the opportunity for these sectors to intersect and converge. Heather and Thom discuss the role of the University of Texas, Austin's growing deep-tech companies, the importance of collaboration across industries, and why bringing leaders together remains essential as the ecosystem becomes larger and more complex. They also discuss something that has always differentiated Austin: people being willing to show up, help one another, take risks, and participate in building the community. Heather sums up her outlook for Austin simply: the state of Austin tech is strong, getting stronger, and we are just getting started. And her challenge for the city? Keep Austin Weird. Keep Austin Bold. And bring back Drive Friendly. In this episode: Heather Brunner's journey from fifth-generation Texan to Austin technology CEO How Trilogy helped develop a generation of Austin tech leaders The importance of mentors, relationships, and people willing to bet on others Heather's path to becoming CEO of WP Engine Why space, quantum, defense, robotics, and biomedicine could define the next 50 years Austin's opportunity to become a center for the convergence of deep technologies The role of UT, talent, capital, research, and commercialization Why Austin's future still depends on community and collaboration Creating more visibility and opportunity for women in technology leadership Why Austin needs to remain both weird and bold **************** Thank you to the sponsor of AUSTIN TECH CONNECT: Calavista Software

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #22

  Austin, Ireland, and the Future of Global Tech with Siobhan Hanley from IDA Ireland

  Sep 15, 202628 minS4

  The episode of Austin Tech Connect featured Siobhan Hanley, Territory Director for the US Midwest and South at IDA Ireland, discussing the organization's role in supporting global companies investing in Ireland. Siobhan explains IDA Ireland's 80-year history and its evolution from attracting low-cost manufacturing to supporting high-tech industries like AI, cybersecurity, and cloud computing. She highlights the strong synergy between Texas and Ireland, citing similarities in their pro-business environments and community spirit. Siobhan discusses the benefits of Ireland's talent pool, its EU membership, and the support IDA provides to companies looking to expand into Europe, including facilitating visits and sharing learnings from other companies. The conversation also touched on the growing tech ecosystem in Austin and the mutual benefits of the economic relationship between Texas and Ireland. She and Thom Singer also reflect on Austin's growth as an international tech hub and invited other economic development agencies to participate in future episodes. *************** If other economic development groups with offices in Austin would like to appear on Austin Tech Connect, please reach out. Austin is a global city, and we are looking forward to more international companies growting from Ausitn and opening offices in Austin.

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #21

  Smaller Teams, Smarter Work with Robyn Fuentes from Improving

  Aug 11, 202629 minS4

  How AI Is Reshaping the Workplace What happens when AI makes a team dramatically more productive? Do companies simply get more done, or do they begin rethinking how many people it actually takes to do the work? In this episode of Austin Tech Connect , Thom Singer talks with Robyn Fuentes, President of Improving South Texas , about what companies are actually seeing as they implement AI, and what it could mean for teams, jobs, productivity, and the future of the Texas technology ecosystem. Robyn has spent years working with companies on technology implementation and organizational change. She shares examples of organizations experiencing significant productivity gains from AI, including some reporting improvements of several times their previous output. But she also points out that AI is not automatically a cost saver. In some cases, the expense of implementing and operating AI can exceed the value it creates. One of the biggest changes Robyn sees coming is the structure of teams themselves. Instead of traditional larger teams, she expects more organizations to operate with small groups of two or three people supported by AI agents and other technology. That raises an obvious question: What happens to the people whose jobs change or disappear? Robyn argues that companies need to address this directly rather than avoiding the conversation. Technology has eliminated jobs throughout history, but it has also created entirely new careers. The responsibility falls on both employers and employees to prepare for what comes next. For business leaders, that means being transparent about how AI may change roles while investing in training and upskilling. For employees, it means actively learning new tools and developing capabilities that will remain valuable as the workplace evolves. The conversation also explores the risks surrounding AI adoption, including overreliance on AI-generated information, data privacy, and organizations implementing technology without fully understanding the implications. Thom and Robyn also look at Texas as a growing technology ecosystem. Austin remains a major hub, but Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, and other Texas cities are developing increasingly important technology communities. With AI infrastructure, data centers, startups, and established technology companies expanding across the state, Robyn believes Texas is well positioned for the next phase of innovation, although she would like to see more attention and investment directed toward emerging companies and entrepreneurs. *************** Thank you to the sponsor of Austin Tech Connect - Calavista Software. ************* Austin Tech Connect is the official podcast of the Austin Technology Council, and a leading show about the Austin Tech Ecosystem. Hosted by ATC CEO, Thom Singer, this show looks at the changing face of Austin and Texas through the eyes of technology industry leaders.

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #20

  A Mature Tech Ecosystem

  Jul 24, 202618 minS4

  Fresh off the annual Technology Councils of North America (TECNA) conference, where the people running tech councils across the US and Canada compare notes, Austin Technology Council CEO, Thom Singer, looks at where Austin sits now. The city spent decades proving it belonged. That phase is over. But a mature ecosystem has a problem the scrappy one never had: momentum starts to feel automatic, and good people quietly assume somebody else has it handled. Nobody has it handled. Thom talks through what Austin's next phase actually requires, and makes a direct ask for engagement from companies and leaders across the community.

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #19

  AI, Tech, Spirituality, and Psychedelics with Brett Hurt

  Jul 9, 20261h 13mS4

  In this episode of Austin Tech Connect, Thom Singer sits down with Brett Hurt, one of Austin's most recognized entrepreneurs, investors, and technology leaders... and a recent inductee into the Austin Tech Hall of Fame. Brett has founded and led companies, had major exits, invested in more than 150 startups, and helped shape the Austin tech ecosystem for decades. But this conversation is not just about startups, venture capital, or the next wave of technology. It is about what happens when a successful entrepreneur begins asking bigger questions about meaning, purpose, consciousness, leadership, and the future of humanity. Brett shares the story behind his new book, Love Conquers Fear , and talks openly about the spiritual awakening and divine calling that changed the direction of his life. He discusses the role psychedelics played in that journey, while also making it clear that this is not about promoting one path for everyone. For Brett, psychedelics were a technology, a tool that helped him go deeper into questions about God, consciousness, love, fear, and the responsibility leaders have in a rapidly changing world. The conversation moves across a wide range of topics, including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, robotics, brain-computer interfaces, conscious capitalism, religion, meditation, prayer, psychedelics, leadership, abundance, and the dangers of worshiping money as the ultimate scorecard. Thom and Brett also talk about Austin, the importance of community, and the loss of Josh Baer, whose impact on the Austin tech scene continues to ripple through the lives of thousands of people. Brett reflects on what really matters in the end, not the exits, the houses, the cars, or the yachts, but how we show up for others. This is a different kind of Austin Tech Connect episode. It is a conversation about technology, but also about humanity. It asks whether the future we are building will be driven by fear, comparison, and profit at all costs, or by love, service, and a deeper sense of responsibility. Brett Hurt has been on Austin Tech Connect before, but this conversation captures a very different chapter of his life and work. It is honest, personal, wide-ranging, and at times challenging. If you care about Austin tech, AI, entrepreneurship, spirituality, psychedelics, conscious capitalism, or the question of what kind of future we are actually trying to build, this episode is worth your time.

  ListenShow Notes

Recent guests on Austin Tech Connect: The Podcast For The Austin Technology Ecosystem, Business Leaders, and Tech Entrepreneurs!. Study who booked and why before you pitch.

Based on semantic analysis of episode topics and host coverage, this show is a strong guest fit for executives in:

Industry fit is computed by PitchCentric using vector embeddings of the show's episode catalog.