Celebrating the Real Stories Behind Austin’s Tech Growth
In a time when national headlines occasionally question the momentum of Austin’s tech scene, we’re flipping the script… with stories from the people who live it every day. The Austin Technology Council has invited members of our extended tech community to share their “Austin Tech Story”. Theses are personal essays that highlight why this city remains a powerful place to build a career, a company, and a life.
These stories aren’t just about billion-dollar exits (though we’re happy to feature those, too). They’re about the individuals, teams, and everyday wins that keep our ecosystem vibrant. In this edition, we hear from two colleagues at the same company… one based here in Austin, the other returning often now that their business is expanding its Central Texas presence.
The future of Austin tech isn’t just a headline. It’s a human story.
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From George Cummings –
MesoAmerican SDG17 Coalition Program Spokesperson SDG 14 Ocean Ambassador Mission Blue Project Alliance Partner: SXSW,EarthXOcean,DEMA,Explorers Club,and many more
My connection with Austin began in 1967, during a medical school interview, an early encounter that subtly anchored the city in my professional consciousness despite pursuing my medical career elsewhere at that time. Nearly two decades later, in 1986, after an extensive global career within the medical technology industry that included pioneering the establishment of a computer retail business in 1980 (which I successfully divested six years later), I found myself drawn back to Austin. Following a sabbatical dedicated to exploring the Great Barrier Reef, I made the deliberate move to this burgeoning tech hub.
Upon arrival, I joined a dynamic multimedia team, a pivotal role that involved supporting marketing initiatives for emerging technology products. This immersion in Austin’s tech ecosystem culminated in a landmark collaboration in 1993, when, alongside Hugh Forest and Dewey Winburne, I co-founded SXSW Interactive. Our vision was clear: to stimulate job creation in Austin by fostering an “open kimono” (open source) approach to innovation, championing technology for the betterment of society. This foundational principle, “Technology for Good,” has guided my subsequent endeavors. A testament to this commitment, in 2016, I was honored to be asked by my lifelong mentor, Dr. Sylvia Earle, to lend my expertise and resources to UNESCO’s Decade of Ocean Action program, an initiative uniting 7,000 ocean experts in the critical mission to restore humanity’s sole life-supporting ecosystem.
Building a career and life in Austin has been profoundly rewarding. The city genuinely embodies its celebrated slogan, “City of Ideas.” I often describe Austin as a global epicenter of technological influence; in my travels across diverse cultures, I am consistently struck by how much the world looks to Austin for inspiration and a model of success. To underscore this impact for aspiring entrepreneurs who choose to build their ventures here, I consistently emphasize that all Austin-born innovations must be rooted in our core principle: “Technology for Goodness.”
Looking ahead, Austin’s tech ecosystem is once again demonstrating global leadership, particularly in the nascent fields of Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Computing, and Space Technology. These domains, while promising transformative advancements, inherently carry profound ethical considerations and immense societal responsibilities, which our community must proactively address as we continue to innovate.
I recently add another hat to wear, an ambitious undertaking merging technology industry collaborations between Ukraine and TX. ASAP 25+ Ukrainian tech start ups will be coming to ATX. I have the honor and privilege to have asked by Ukraine friends to be their primary ATX coordinator for this win win endeavor, “The Day After” Creating the New Peaceful Nation of Ukraine as soon as this horrible war ends.
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From Robb Bush – Founder & CEP at INDUSTRY 5
They say Austin’s lost its mojo.
That the dream dried up, the unicorns rode off, and the sizzle turned into sweat. But some of us were born here, and we know better.
I came into this world with a UT shirt on—my dad played for the Longhorns. Austin’s in my bones. I’ve watched this town grow from laid-back and scrappy to tech-glossy and headline-worthy. And I’ve watched the headlines change.
Now they say we’ve peaked. That the real action’s moved on. That we’re just another warm-up act for the big coasts.
Well, bless their hearts.
Austin was never about the party. It’s always been about the work. Quiet revolutions. Real systems. Technology that actually keeps things moving.
That’s what we’re building with INDUSTRY-5 (industry-5.net). Not an app. Not a gimmick. We’re developing a system purpose-built for live orchestration across global supply chains—where thousands of decisions, transactions, and data points need to align in real time. The architecture is agentic at its core: distributed, adaptive, and designed to act autonomously within defined bounds. It doesn’t just show what’s happening—it moves with it.
Because in Austin, we don’t wait around for headlines. We get things done. We solve the hard problems, the ones that don’t fit on a pitch slide. The kind of work that speaks for itself.
So let the critics chirp. We’ll keep building.
And if you think Austin’s done, you probably never understood what made it cool to begin with.
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What is your Austin Tech Story? We would love to share your 250-300 word essay about what makes Austin great for you. Why is Central Texas still the place for tech? Why come and why did you stay? How can Austin’s best days be in the future? Send you stories to Thom@AustinTechnologyCouncil.org