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The Power of Participation - Why Being Involved Matters show art The Power of Participation - Why Being Involved Matters

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

    In this episode of the Austin Tech Connect podcast, we dive deep into the transformative power of being actively involved in a trade association like ATC. Thom Singer, CEO of the Austin Technology Council, unpacks why participation is about more than just attending events—it’s about building connections, creating opportunities, and contributing to something bigger than yourself. Discover how involvement can accelerate your career, strengthen your company, and help drive innovation and collaboration across the entire industry. Thom...

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The AI Driven Leader with Geoff Woods show art The AI Driven Leader with Geoff Woods

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

This week's episode we talk to author Geoff Woods, author of The AI Driven Leader: Harnessing AI To Make Smarter, Faster Decisions.   In this interview we talk about the fast changes in AI and how leaders can use it to think strategically and make better decisions.  Plus, in a live demonstration... we ask AI for insights on how the Austin Technology Council can keep expanding to meet the changing needs of Austin.   About Geoff Woods Geoff Woods is the #1 international bestselling book, #1 international bestselling author of The AI-Driven Leader, host of the AI-Driven Leader...

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Pop Up Birthday - Tech Companies Giving Back show art Pop Up Birthday - Tech Companies Giving Back

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

This week on the podcast we talk with Kathi Haralson, the executive director of Pop-Up Birthday.  This local charity serves kids of all ages in the forster care system by making sure they are celebrated on their birthdays.  The non-profit is a favorite of many local tech companies who donate their time and money to support this cause.     Kathi shares the history of the organization, the need in our community, and a variety of ways local tech companies help them in their mission.       About Kathi Haralson:   Kathi Haralson is the...

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State of Funding For Growth Companies show art State of Funding For Growth Companies

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

This episode is the audio from the featured panel at the 2024 C-Suite Summit and Industry Think Tank.  The discussion is about the state of funding for Small and Mid-Sized Tech Companies.  The session was sponsored by MUFG.   The panelists brought sharp perspectives from the world of Banking, VC, Law, and company points of views.  Thanks to (MUFG), Smith (Latham & Watkins), (TalentGuard), and (Sapphire Ventures) for their great insights shared in this panel.   The Austin Technology Council's "C-Suite Summit and Industry Think Tank" took place on...

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Break Down Silos with Taylor Capito show art Break Down Silos with Taylor Capito

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

This week on the Austin Tech Connect podcast is one of the most fun conversations you will find on any tech blog.  Local entrepreneur Taylor Capito from GenRAIT joins host Thom Singer for a look at tech impacting humanity, innovation, mentors, inspiration, Star Trek, and the movie Flubber.   Taylor is the perfect example of leaders who make a difference in our Austin tech ecosystem.  She shares her story and her views of what makes Austin great.  She also goes deep into ways to "Go Change It" if you see things that need attention.  Taylor is a real "DOER".... and if...

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Dr James Truchard Shares His Wisdom show art Dr James Truchard Shares His Wisdom

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

In this captivating episode of Austin Tech Connect, host Thom Singer sits down with Dr. James Truchard, founder and former CEO of National Instruments, one of Austin's greatest homegrown success stories.   Dr. Truchard shares his journey from moonlighting Ph.D. student to tech industry pioneer, offering invaluable insights into building a sustainable company and fostering innovation. Listeners will be inspired by Dr. Truchard's tales of early entrepreneurship in Austin, his visionary approach to business strategy, and the critical role of community in nurturing a thriving tech ecosystem....

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Austin Tech Week 2024 with Jacqueline Hughes show art Austin Tech Week 2024 with Jacqueline Hughes

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

On this weeks episode of “Austin Tech Connect” we hear from Jacqueline and Hughes, the cofounder and co-producer of Austin Tech Week (Formerly Austin Startup Week).  Coming up October 28 through November ….. Austin Tech week is going to be an amazing conglomeration of events all over town.   (take note - the ATC “C-Suite Summit and Industry Think Tank Will take place on October 28 from 1 PM to 6 PM)   About Jacqueline Hughes   Jacqueline Hughes is a human-centric event producer with over 13 years of experience supporting innovation leaders through transformative...

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Brilliant Things Happen When Smart People Spend Time Together with Razat Gaurav show art Brilliant Things Happen When Smart People Spend Time Together with Razat Gaurav

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

This week on Austin Tech Connect we are joined again by Razat Gaurav, CEo at Planview.  In this conversation we hear about his experience in Austin the last 3 years, the growth of Planview, and his outlook for our tech community.   Razat is also going to be the opening keynote speaker for the ATC "C-Suite Summit and Industry Think Tank" on October 28, 2024.  While we do not talk about the summit in this interview, you can see from this conversation why the Austin Technology Council asked him to speak at the event.    Be sure to share this episode with all your friends...

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Doing Good with Karen Gordon show art Doing Good with Karen Gordon

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

In episode 90 of "Austin Tech Connect", Thom Singer talks to Karen Gordon, CEO of  Dynamics.  Karen is a serial entrepreneur, who is passionate about helping people harness the power of differences to amplify outcome.   About Karen Gordon   Karen Gordon is the CEO of 5 Dynamics, a company that is focused on making the world a better place one relationship at a time. 5 Dynamics’ proprietary software, Simpli5, creates cultures fueled by self and interpersonal awareness to bolster productive collaboration, boost morale, accelerate timelines, and deliver better results....

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Austin Hall of Fame Inductee Admiral Bobby Inman show art Austin Hall of Fame Inductee Admiral Bobby Inman

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

This week we have a legend on the podcast - Admiral Bobby Inman.  Admiral Inman was recently inducted into the Austin Tech Hall of Fame. He has living and working in the Austin tech scene for over 40 years and has been an investor and advisor to countless companies.  His remarkable career spans both public service and private enterprise, leaving an indelible mark on our city's technological landscape. Born and raised in Texas, he graduated high school at age 15, received his BA from UT Austin at 19, and then joined the US Navy. The Admiral served with distinction in the U.S. Navy...

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This week on the "Austin Tech Connect" podcast we chat with Balazs Barna, Head of US Engineering and Austin Site Lead for Wise.  As Wise continues to grow their US presence, Austin has become a key location for the company.  Since 2017 Wise has grown from 500 people worldwide to over 5500 employees.  
 
In this interview we hear about Mr Barna's career journey (including being a 2x Kick Boxing World Champion), the growth of Wise, and his take on why Austin is such a great place to grow a company and raise a family.
 
About Balazs Barna
Balazs Barna is the Head of US Engineering and Austin Site Lead at Wise. At Wise, Balazs oversees the US engineering team, which is building the tech and infrastructure needed to facilitate instant, convenient and affordable cross border transactions. He also heads up our newly formed Austin office.  

Over his 7 years at Wise, Balazs has led and helped his team build the company’s historic direct access integration to the Hungarian banking sector’s instant payment system, the first of its kind for a company with a payment service license. He also oversaw and built Wise’s core infrastructure that enables the company’s European operations.

Prior to joining Wise, Balazs worked at MSCI and Morgan Stanley. He graduated from Corvinus University of Budapest in Business Information Systems (BSc), and Computer Engineering (MSc) from Pannon University.
 
About Wise
Wise is a global technology company, building the best way to move and manage the world’s money.

With Wise Account and Wise Business, people and businesses can hold 40 currencies, move money between countries and spend money abroad. Large companies and banks use Wise technology too; an entirely new network for the world’s money. Co-founded by Kristo Käärmann and Taavet Hinrikus, Wise launched in 2011 under its original name TransferWise. It is one of the world’s fastest growing, profitable tech companies and is listed on the London Stock Exchange under the ticker, WISE.

16 million people and businesses use Wise. In fiscal year 2023, Wise processed approximately £105 billion in cross-border transactions, saving customers around £1.5 billion.