Texas Business Minds

The COVID-19 crisis forced businesses across Texas and around the world to improvise overnight. With millions transitioning to an at-home work environment, it left the door wide open for cyber criminals. In this episode, San Antonio Business Journal Tech Reporter Jeannette Garcia welcomes cybersecurity expert Bret Piatt, Chairman & CEO of Jungle Disk. 

Few anticipated that COVID-19 would sweep the world and transform our lives. But Austin's issue-focused virtual incubator PandemicTech started preparing four years ago. Co-founded by the husband-wife MD team of Andrew Nerlinger and Lisa McDonald, PandemicTech relies on a community of innovators backed by a network of resources dedicated to fighting pandemic infectious disease threats. In this...

When the coronavirus hit Houston, National Signs CEO Cody Johnson and his management team transformed their business model in a matter of hours. Instead of cutting plastic for signs, they quickly reset to produce face shields. National Signs is now providing this critical PPE component to hospitals and first responders across Houston and around the country. In this episode, Johnson joins HBJ Manag...

As businesses across the state come to grips with the emergency stop in economic activity, Dallas Business Journal Managing Editor Rob Schneider calls on the state's most trusted expert, Dr. Ray Perryman for his insight. In this episode, Dr. Perryman shares why the Texas economy is more resilient than past downturns. He also offers opportunities for Texas business leaders in the midst of the...

One of the most dynamic and inspiring leaders in San Antonio, Paula Gold-Williams leads a team of 3,000 at CPS Energy. Gold-Williams describes herself an "extroverted introvert"- a CPA who in 14 years at CPS worked her way to the top. In this episode, Gold-Williams sits down with SABJ Energy & Manufacturing Reporter Jessica Corso to share her business insight and "People First&q...

COVID-19, the coronavirus, is putting the transformation of American healthcare delivery on fast-forward. Austin's Remedy is at the forefront of that technological shift, offering a blend of good old fashioned house calls, traditional clinics, and the latest applications in telemedicine. In this episode, Austin Business Journal Managing Editor Will Anderson profiles former ER doc, Founder &am...

The coronavirus cut short a successful opening season for the XFL's Houston Roughnecks, and ultimately forced the league to file for bankruptcy. In this episode, team President Brian Cooper sits down with Houston Business Journal Managing Editor Jonathan Adams. Cooper shares the Roughnecks formula for success, and reflects on an unbeaten season that could've led to a championship celebra...

How did a high school teacher grading papers poolside transform the pre-mix cocktail industry? In this episode, Dallas Business Journal Managing Editor Rob Schneider features Merrilee Kick, founder of BuzzBallz. Kick shares how she took her idea and built a multi-million dollar business from scratch. As any small business owner can relate, it wasn't easy. But Kick and her close-knit team are...

A decade ago XPEL was struggling and on the brink of bankruptcy. After a brief break from the company, Ryan Pape accepted the challenge to rejoin it as CEO. In this episode of Texas Business Minds, Pape sits down with San Antonio Business Journal Managing Editor Tony Quesada to share the drastic steps he took to lead the automotive paint protection film manufacturer back to profitability and posit...

From owning his own natural grocery store to helping run a worldwide chain that changed the way we think about and eat food, Walter Robb has been at the forefront of grocery innovation and sustainability for decades. These days, he's busy connecting entrepreneurs across the state. In this episode, Robb joins Austin Business Journal Managing Editor Will Anderson to reflect on the past, present...