The Maverick’s Path: From NASA to Wearables That Save Lives with Jean-Anne Booth
Release Date: 04/02/2025
Bob Fabbio - Betting Big on Disruption
Austin Tech Connect: The Podcast For The Austin Technology Ecosystem, Business Leaders, and Tech Entrepreneurs!
In this episode of Austin Tech Connect, Thom Singer sits down with Austin Tech Hall of Fame inductee Bob Fabbio, a founder and leader whose career is woven into the story of our region’s tech ecosystem. Bob shares how a reluctant interview trip from Massachusetts to IBM Austin in 1987 turned into a one way ticket to a city he quickly fell in love with. After realizing he was “a fish out of water” in big corporate environments, he left IBM to launch Tivoli Systems, pursuing a then radical idea to manage heterogeneous computer networks as if they were a single machine. People told him he...
info_outline
Property Tech / Real Estate Tech with Greg Cooper
Austin Tech Connect: The Podcast For The Austin Technology Ecosystem, Business Leaders, and Tech Entrepreneurs!
In this episode of Austin Tech Connect, Austin Technology Council CEO, Thom Singer, sits down with Greg Cooper, president at Offerd, to explore how PropTech is reshaping commercial real estate and why Austin is a compelling place to build it. Greg’s Austin story spans three decades and a rare path. He grew up in Jamaica, spent time in England, went to high school in Houston, then earned a UT law degree focused on real estate. While in law school he co-founded Austin Java and ended up running a fast growing restaurant company with hundreds of employees, an experience that sharpened his...
info_outline
Tax Policy Matters To Austin Tech Companies
Austin Tech Connect: The Podcast For The Austin Technology Ecosystem, Business Leaders, and Tech Entrepreneurs!
Patrick Smith, Tax Principal with CLA... and new comer to the Austin tech ecosystem joins the conversation on the Austin Tech Connect podcast to talk about recent changes in the tax laws and how it impacts Austin companies. The Austin Tech Connect podcast is the official podcast of the Austin Technology Council and one of the premier podcasts in the Austin tech scene.
info_outline
Tyson Tuttle on Leadership, Innovation, and Austin’s Tech Evolution
Austin Tech Connect: The Podcast For The Austin Technology Ecosystem, Business Leaders, and Tech Entrepreneurs!
In this episode of Austin Tech Connect, Thom Singer sits down with Tyson Tuttle, the former CEO of Silicon Labs and one of the most influential figures in Austin’s technology landscape. Tyson shares an inside look at his remarkable journey from a hands-on engineer to a purpose-driven CEO who helped shape one of Austin’s most respected semiconductor companies. The conversation explores how curiosity, courage, and collaboration guided his leadership approach and how his experiences continue to inform his perspective on innovation and community today. Tyson reflects on the early days of...
info_outline
How AI Practically Impacts Business with John Hartigan
Austin Tech Connect: The Podcast For The Austin Technology Ecosystem, Business Leaders, and Tech Entrepreneurs!
John Hartigan, CEO of Lumineo, returns to Austin Tech Connect to share what has changed since his 2023 visit and how his team fully pivoted into AI for corporate learning. Host Thom Singer, talks to John about practical wins over hype, from improving content creation and microlearning workflows to blending live action with AI avatars, and what is coming next with interactive AI tutors. John explains where AI saves time, where humans add the creative spark, and why, in his words, “mediocrity is now free.” We dig into leadership, retraining teams, prompt skills, and ethical transparency...
info_outline
The Future of Work with Tom Alexander
Austin Tech Connect: The Podcast For The Austin Technology Ecosystem, Business Leaders, and Tech Entrepreneurs!
In this episode of Austin Tech Connect, Thom Singer sits down with Tom Alexander, co-founder and CEO of Holistic, for a candid conversation about the future of work and what a great employee experience really looks like. Tom shares lessons from working in Chicago's tech scene at "1871" and the mayor’s office, and explains why many executives say people are their most important asset yet lack the language and systems to manage the people experience with the same rigor as revenue. They dig into the pendulum swings in today’s workplace, the role of DEI as an integrated part of culture rather...
info_outline
Like Clockwork with Sam Goodner
Austin Tech Connect: The Podcast For The Austin Technology Ecosystem, Business Leaders, and Tech Entrepreneurs!
Austin Tech Connect is sponsored by Calavista Software: Software Development without the Drama. In this episode of Austin Tech Connect, Thom Singers sits down with long-time friend and Austin tech leader, Sam Goodner. Sam arrived in Austin in 1992 after growing up in Europe and serving in the Swiss Army Special Forces. He cut his teeth at Dell, then co-founded what became Catapult Systems. Along the way he helped launch product companies like Inquisite, guided Catapult to be Microsoft’s top global partner, and sold the firm in 2013. After a family year of world travel, he returned to scale a...
info_outline
Barriers to Bridges, Building an Inclusive Austin Tech Ecosystem with Michael Ward Jr.
Austin Tech Connect: The Podcast For The Austin Technology Ecosystem, Business Leaders, and Tech Entrepreneurs!
In this episode of Austin Tech Connect, the official podcast of the Austin Technology Council, Thom sits down with returning guest Michael Ward Jr., the social entrepreneur behind Universal Tech Movement. Formerly known as Austin Urban Tech Movement, UTM is an EdTech nonprofit on a mission to connect communities to the tech industry through workforce readiness, innovation, and economic advancement. Michael shares how his own journey into tech began with a simple nudge from a recruiter, and how that spark fuels his commitment to help more people discover meaningful careers in technology. The...
info_outline
The Age of Abundance for All with Brett Hurt
Austin Tech Connect: The Podcast For The Austin Technology Ecosystem, Business Leaders, and Tech Entrepreneurs!
In this episode of Austin Tech Connect, host Thom Singer welcomes back Brett Hurt, one of Austin’s most recognized serial entrepreneurs. Brett first appeared on the show in December 2022, and now returns following the recent sale of his company, Data.World, to ServiceNow. Known for his lifelong dedication to technology and community, Brett shares candid insights into the journey that brought him here and the bold vision that is now guiding his next chapter. Brett reflects on the timing of the acquisition, ServiceNow’s ambitions in enterprise AI, and why Data.World’s knowledge graph and...
info_outline
The Power of the Pivot: Product Management Across Industries with Carlisha Robinson
Austin Tech Connect: The Podcast For The Austin Technology Ecosystem, Business Leaders, and Tech Entrepreneurs!
In this episode of Austin Tech Connect, Thom Singer sits down with Carlisha Robinson, a seasoned product leader, consultant, and longtime Austinite whose career journey mirrors the rise of Austin’s technology ecosystem. Carlisha describes herself as a “serial product manager,” but her story reveals so much more... she is a connector, a problem solver, and a mentor who has played a pivotal role in shaping companies through decades of change. Carlisha’s path began at Grambling State University in Louisiana, where she earned her degree in computer science before joining IBM in the early...
info_outlineIn this episode of Austin Tech Connect, Thom Singer sits down with Jean Anne Booth, founder and CEO of UnaliWear, for a dynamic conversation about her remarkable journey through Austin's tech ecosystem. From her early engineering days at NASA and AMD to building startups acquired by Apple and TI, Jean Anne shares insights on innovation, resilience, and what it means to be a “maverick” in the tech world.
They explore the origin story of UnaliWear's product; an award-winning wearable that empowers independence for seniors... and the passion behind creating tech that truly serves people. Jean Anne offers advice for entrepreneurs, reflects on the evolving Austin tech scene, and champions the importance of community and mentorship. Her story is equal parts inspiring, practical, and full of heart.
Jean-Anne is an example of successful leaders who continue to show up in the community to give back.
If you're an innovator, founder, or tech leader who believes in building with purpose, this is an episode you don’t want to miss.