BY SARAH TALAAT — If there’s one thing Deb Gabor needs people to know about her it’s that she is compelled to brand. “I live and breathe brands, ” Gabor says as she runs from her standing desk to her small white meeting table. Gabor says that for people to understand how she got here,…
Joe Troyen
PHOTO AND STORY BY ESTELITA HASS CARAZZAI — No more than a thousand people live in the small ski city of Dillon, Colorado, at the base of snowcapped mountains mirrored in a lake. In the winter of 2014, Joe Troyen was one of them. Recently back in the United States after a nine-month trip to…
Higinio Maycotte
BY JAKE LOESSIN — In the data-driven world of the 21st century, many people and companies struggle to keep track of the vast amounts of information they accumulate from customers. Companies monitor data to increase sales but the copious amount is hard to sort. The Austin-based software firm Umbel is aiming to manage customer information…
Louis Black
STORY AND PHOTO BY JENN LEWIS — An attentive gaze. Vivid conversation. A warm smile. In the comfort of his home, Louis Black is natural and down-to-earth. Yet he still provides gentle reminders of how he fits into a town known for its quirkiness. Black is a cultural icon in the Austin community, and one of…
Casey Smith
STORY AND PHOTO BY ESTELITA HASS CARAZZAI — The sun has not even risen yet when Casey Smith gets her water bottle, starts her car and drives to her weekly meetings from Cooking Up Cultures – an Austin-based startup that fosters language learning through cooking lessons. It is exactly 6 a.m. when she joins with…
Joah Spearman
STORY AND PHOTO BY SARAH TALAAT — “It’s a dream come true to be able to work with JetBlue.” Localeur CEO Joah Spearman announced in February, ahead of SXSW, that the company will partner with JetBlue Airways to combine the application’s locally sourced reviews and travel suggestions with JetBlue’s most popular destinations. “There were five…
Lloyd Armburst
BY JAKE LOESSIN — In the crowded tech-centric world we live in, many media companies have difficulties reaching consumers through suitable advertisements. The Internet dominates the way advertisements are placed on sites, and many businesses are failing because they aren’t accurately reaching potential customers through traditional print and television advertisements. However, one Austin-based company has…
Rodney Rice
STORY AND PHOTO BY JENN LEWIS — The first thing San Angelo-native Rodney Rice spoke about was his family. His infectious smile beamed as he reminisced. But he then reflected on a common issue for many Americans – insufficient amount of family time and consequently, an inadequate record of memories. “We don’t live life’s moments. We…
Jacobo Bergarache
BY JULIA COLLADO LAINEZ — Companies are born and die every day, and in the fast-paced world of the tech startup scene, it happens in greater volume. In fact, nine out of ten startups fail according to brilliant entrepreneur Neil Patel. Failure happens, but it is often synonymous with learning experience. As an entrepreneur, Jacobo…
Brian Sharples
STORY BY SARAH TALAAT & PHOTO BY JENN LEWIS — Brian Sharples, CEO of HomeAway, Inc., is not your typical 20-something tech guru. But he said that is exactly why HomeAway, an online vacation home rental service, is successful. Both Sharples and his co-founder, Carl Shepherd, were well over 40 when they started the company….
Kevin Morris
BY JACKSON HARRIS — In 1972, Atari created Pong, a table tennis simulator that would go on to become the first widely popular video game. Installed originally as an arcade game, Pong was said to bring in $35 to $45 in revenue each day, a mark that was unheard of at the time. In 2015,…
Paul Adrian & Jade Kurian
BY JAKE LOESSIN — Austin is one of the fastest growing cities in the United States and currently leads the country in business startups. Out of the countless startups in the Austin area, one video transferring company is leaving a successful mark on the Austin business scene. Latakoo, Inc. was cofounded in 2009 and is…
Innovators of Austin 