Texas-Squared Startup Newsletter #238

24 min readMar 22, 2020

Texas Startup News, Opinion & Events in the Lone StartUP State
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It has only been a week, but if you’re like me you’ve started to adjust to the ‘new normal’. Aside from watching the news, and reading every resource for ‘how to work at home with kids’, and figuring out ways you can help those impacted by the downturn. This virus outbreak is no joke, and it’s going to ravage the startup economy for months to come. Startups should take this time to re-evaluate every financial projection, customer relationship, and internal expense in light of the number one goal right now, ‘Survive’. We went from ‘Everything is Awesome!’ to ‘We’re Going to Need A Bigger Boat’ in the span of a few days. This situation feels a lot more like the aftermath of 9/11 than the economic crisis in 2008. The real problem is the uncertainty of when the health threat will be mitigated — it could be by the end of the summer or it could last until the end of 2021.
Everyone is affected, and that means both clients and investment dollars will dry up while we collectively figure out what’s next. Deals that were in the hopper could move forward, but I’m already hearing about several M&A deals that have been called off. Despite what you may see on Twitter, I believe that VC dollars will tighten immediately as their LP’s are hunkering down and watching their own stock prices and traditional investments wildly fluctuate. Investors with dry powder are particularly well-positioned right now if they can stomach the risk. Valuations will be dramatically lower as sales projections drop, and a small angel investment that would have been ignored a month ago, might be the difference in making payroll next month.
It’s not all doom and gloom — tech startups are built for remote work, and have the advantage of no physical inventory or supply chain issues. CPG startups can sell direct to consumers if their ability to produce products isn’t disrupted. You should be thinking about ways to extend your runway and that may mean deep cuts to your staff, discounts to your existing customers, or debt that you otherwise wouldn’t consider. Sales and marketing messaging will be delicate for the next few weeks, but because your customers are sitting in front of their screens all day it will be easier to target them. All events and meetings are going virtual which means that there’s no better time to connect with people outside of your physical location — it’s not the same as a handshake, but building relationships is about the exchange of ideas. It going to be interesting to see how the Zoom / Webex / Facebook Live become standard business and social tools in the months to come.
Hang in there, and just remember that many great companies and great exits were started in bad economic times. It’s also good advice to never waste a crisis.

Home diagnostics startup Everlywell is launching an at-home coronavirus test sample kit — Link

- Techcrunch’s Darrell Etherington

Everlywell Launches At-Home COVID-19 Testing Kits — Link
- American Inno’s Brent Wistrom
Texas startup launching first at-home test for COVID-19 — Link
- Culture Map’s John Egan
Dallas Native’s Everlywell Releases First At-Home COVID-19 Test Rollout — Link
- Dallas Innovates’ Lauren Hawkins
A San Francisco startup is shipping coronavirus home test kits to sick Californians for $167 — Link
- Tech Insider’s Katie Canales
Austin’s Everlywell Set To Offer Coronavirus Home Test Kits — Link
- Austin American-Statesman’s Hojun Choi

“Everlywell’s test kit includes swab-based collection equipment, as well as shipping materials that ensure safe transport of a person’s sample as outlined by the CDC and UN Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods to help prevent any possible risk to mail carriers or couriers actually moving the packages. The samples collected are then tested by labs certified for COVID-19 testing under the FDA Emergency Use Authorization issued to help build out America’s testing capacity.” — Techcrunch’s Darrell Etherington

No in-person events until further notice

As a confirmed extrovert, this situation is maddening, but clearly necessary

The True Cost of Canceling SXSW — Link
- Omar L. Gallaga
Capital Factory Family Supports Stand With Austin Fund — Link
How Online Gatherings Are Filling The Gaps Left By Canceled Events — Link
- Texas Tribune’s Shelly Brisbin
Datical Earns AWS Advanced Technology Partner Status With Proven Database CI/CD Solution — Link
Patreon Announces Weird Stream-A-Thon to Help After SXSW Cancellation — Link
- Austin Chronicle
Vinder Launches New Austin, Texas Initiative, A ‘Restaurant-Fueled Farmer’s Market,’ Allowing Restaurants To Sell Surplus Produce, Meats And Other Goods To The Public Amid Covid-19 Outbreak — Link
Austin Restaurants Innovate With Curb-Side Pick-Up And New Delivery Options
- Tribeza’s Trishelle Lee’s — Link
Five Things to Make Your Business Coronable — Link
AFWERX’s Virtual Conference Previews What’s Next for Our Startup Scene Amid Coronavirus…We’re… — Link
Top tips for hosting an effective remote presentation — Link
Beyond the blockchain and onto the enterprise — Link
- Austin Startups
City looks for funds, including hotel tax, to cushion COVID-19 economic impact — Link
Lime and Wheels to pause shared mobility services — Link
Parks remain accessible, but playscapes cause community concern — Link
After emergency orders, Austin seeks more money for housing and small businesses — Link
Homeless advocates organize against petition to reinstate anti-camping laws — Link
Updated: Austin closes bars, prohibits dining in at restaurants and limits gatherings in response to COVID-19 — Link
Doctors, first responders see need for more resources — and distancing — before COVID-19 cases rise — Link
- Austin Monitor
Austin Startup Yonder Lays Off 18 Employees, Citing Coronavirus Disruptions — Link
After 17K-Plus Votes, Here’s the Sweet 16 of Austin Inno’s Tech Madness — Link
How Hackers Target Food Deliveries During the Coronavirus Pandemic — Link
Favor Drops Restaurant Commission Fees for On-Demand Deliveries — Link
Funding Slowdown Ahead? 3 Austin Startup Leaders on Coronavirus Impact — Link
- Austin Inno’s Brett Wistrom — Subscribe Here
Gov. Cuomo first to issue 90-day moratorium on commercial, residential evictions — Link
in 2021 the EU will enforce ‘right to repair’ for phones and tablets — Link
France sues Apple for $1.2B over the mistreatment of resellers — Link
COVID-19: Answers to everything employers are asking right now — Link
3D-printed medical valves are helping the COVID-19 outbreak in Italy — Link
Will remote work become a staple after the pandemic passes? — Link
In Texas, even some self employed folks can get COVID-19 relief benefits — Link
Sequoia ‘Black Swan’ memo could steer companies off of the COVID-19 cliff — Link
Uber Eats waives delivery fees during COVID-19 quarantine — Link
Facebook sues Namecheap for allegedly deceptive domain names — Link
While many companies expect to slow down, Amazon ramps up hiring — Link
COVID-19: Open letter to employers struggling with sending staff home or not — Link
COVID-19: Are we sending our workers into a viral petri dish? — Link
Is facial recognition being used to repress India’s citizens? — Link
COVID-19: What new supply chain strains mean for all businesses — Link
COVID-19: List of Austin tech companies *not* sending workers home — Link
- American Genius
UT Austin Has 48 Top 10 Graduate Programs and Specialties in Latest Rankings — Link
These free resources are available to help students in their transition from classroom to online — Link
7 films to watch while quarantined — Link
Texas, national blood banks experience donation shortages due to coronavirus outbreak — Link
Older professors take extra precautions amid coronavirus pandemic — Link
UT-Austin moving all classes online, requiring students to leave residence halls — Link
Co-op provides free online course materials — Link
President Fenves tests negative for COVID-19 — Link
- University of Texas
SpaDash On-Demand Haircut Model Enables Social Distancing During the Coronavirus Pandemic — Link
2 Austin Startups Are Working to Speed Up, Deploy COVID-19 Testing Nationwide — Link
SF Startup Airtable Opens Austin Office, Plans to Make 100 Hires — Link
Weekly Refresh: Ground Labs’ New CEO, The Zebra Adds to C Suite, and More — Link
A Day in the Life of Austin Engineering Managers — Link
- BuiltinAustin
Empathy, resourcefulness & timing: An Austin VC’s advice for entrepreneurs during COVID-19 pandemic — Link
62 Austin-area companies where revenue is growing like mad — Link
In the money March 16: Deal flow remains low as companies report nearly $25M raised — Link
H-E-B, Whole Foods, others on frontline of pandemic boost pay — Link
Coronavirus causes dire economic predictions but there’s reason to be optimistic about Austin — Link
Dell Med infectious disease chief talks social distancing, promising COVID-19 treatments — Link
How space startup Firefly went from the brink of folding to ready for liftoff — Link
‘We are going to fight tooth and nail:’ Austin retailers scramble to survive during unprecedented pandemic — Link
Economist breaks down how coronavirus will impact Austin — Link
Letter from the publisher: There’s no stopping the news — Link
Margaritas to go: As restaurants scale back in Austin & across Texas, booze delivery could be a lifeline — Link
How Austin businesses are giving back during coronavirus pandemic — Link
COVID-19 pandemic highlights why telemedicine companies are critical to public health — Link
These are the best MBA programs in Texas, the nation — Link
Pittsburgh startup to expand to Austin — Link
Favor won’t charge local restaurants commissions for deliveries amid COVID-19 pandemic — Link
Bars & restaurant dining rooms are shut down — what does that mean for Austin offices, construction sites? — Link
How one local chain is handling an Austin with no sit-down restaurants: Layoffs & pivot to 24/7 bread baking — Link
Bars must close, restaurants must shutter dining rooms because of COVID-19, Austin orders — Link
Many Austin restaurants adapt, close in face of coronavirus threat — Link
Austin companies at forefront of race to boost coronavirus testing — Link
Amazon to hire 100,000 more workers to address demand amid coronavirus pandemic — Link
Worries about Italian marble, Chinese steel: How COVID-19 is impacting Austin construction supplies — Link
SBA disaster loans could help businesses hit hard by coronavirus — Link
Hospital network opens drive-thru testing for coronavirus — Link
M&A wrap: Earthmoving merger, app acquisition — Link
- Austin Business Journal
As coronavirus spreads, Austin tech companies adjust — Link
What is Austin without SXSW? — Link
SXSW is canceled: Austin tech events and other meetups go virtual in fest’s absence — Link
California-based Airtable opens Austin office, plans to hire 100 — Link
Austin restaurants struggle to survive as options dwindle — Link
As coronavirus spreads, Austin retailers face tough decisions — Link
As coronavirus impact spreads, oil price slide to bite Texas economy — Link
A recession has probably begun. How bad will a coronavirus-triggered downturn be? — Link
Dell still atop server market despite slippage — Link
Texas hemp farmers begin applying for licenses — Link
Texas biotech community joins coronavirus fight — Link
- Austin American-Statesman

SAN ANTONIO

Marketing Strategies to Use During a Pandemic — Link
Employees Working Remotely? Here’s 4 Steps to Protect Your Business From Cyber Threats — Link
4 San Antonio Startups Win Air Force SBIR Grants to Fund Innovation — Link
- Startups San Antonio
How to Cope with Coronavirus Panic, According to Mental Health Experts — Link
Even After Business Shutdown, Most City Employees Not Working Remotely — Link
Layoffs Due to Pandemic Closures Overwhelm State, Area Workforce Agencies — Link
Commentary: We Are All Homeschoolers Now — Link
Google Classroom and Chromebooks: San Antonio School Districts Ready Distance Learning Plans — Link
Getting Out: At a Time of Social Distancing, People Look to Nature — Link
Commentary: While We Are Apart, Reading Can Help Us Better Connect With Each Other — Link
Stuck At Home? Here’s How to Help During a Public Health Crisis — Link
With Fundraiser Cancellations, Emergency Relief Becomes a Focus — Link
In Self-Isolation, San Antonio Artists and Art Educators Go Digital — Link
Amazon, H-E-B Add Short-Term Jobs to Handle Surge in Sales Amid Coronavirus — Link
San Antonio Restaurateurs Fear Fallout if Shutdown Ordered — Link
‘It’s All About Your Level of Privilege’: Families Struggle to Maintain Normalcy During Coronavirus School Closures — Link
Rush to Stock ‘Pandemic Pantries’ Tests H-E-B’s Disaster Plans — Link
Benched Spurs Organization Will Pay Its Part-Time Workers — Link
Health Crisis Hits Home at USAA; Company Donates $1M to Relief Effort — Link
Internet Providers Prepare for Spike in Residential Use as Workers Stay Home — Link
- Rivard Report
Geekdom temporarily shutting down due to coronavirus — Link
Local civic tech startup rebrands to reflect its vision for the future — Link
Local medical tech startup shuts down operations — Link
Local bankers responding to the pandemic, eager to work with customers — Link
Scaleworks company exits portfolio by way of acquisition — Link
Amazon delivery contractor to close doors, lay off entire staff — Link
SBA rolls out $2M loans for Texas small businesses — Link
H-E-B launches solution for seniors as coronavirus spreads — Link
Workforce Solutions Alamo preparing for unemployment storm — Link
Coronavirus a challenge never seen before for restaurant veteran — Link
Texas Gov. Abbott waives regulations for alcohol delivery, telemedicine, more — Link
WSJ: Oil executives request relief from Texas Railroad Commission — Link
Texas unemployment claims skyrocket as service industry shuts down — Link
SA tourism industry taking huge hit due to pandemic — Link
San Antonio hotels averaging 10% occupancy due to coronavirus, city says — Link
Publisher’s Note: Navigating uncharted waters together — Link
PenFed CEO: San Antonio ‘exceeded expectations in all areas’ — Link
Toyota extends closure of plants, including in San Antonio — Link
Bracing ourselves: Examining the impact of coronavirus on business and life in San Antonio — Link
Spurs pitching in to help workers affected by coronavirus — Link
San Antonio extends closure of bars, restaurant dining rooms — Link
SA Current lays off staff as advertisers cease operation — Link
Local colleges asking students to move out — Link
San Antonio arena to serve as COVID-19 testing site — Link
How Meals on Wheels ensures vulnerable are fed amid pandemic — Link
County to fund small business loans, grants to combat pandemic downturn — Link
Noted SA restaurateur warns coronavirus a lingering threat to business — Link
Amazon suspends shipments of nonessential items to its fulfillment centers — Link
Here who’s changing hours, operations or closing due to coronavirus — Link
H-E-B commits millions to community support, coronavirus research — Link
South Texas Military Contracting Roundup: SA company competing for a $49M contract with Corps of Engineers — Link
IT tips for working remotely as coronavirus pandemic hits business — Link
SBA disaster loans could help businesses hit hard by coronavirus — Link
NuStar chairman invests millions in hard-hit stock — Link
XPEL reports record Q4 revenue growth despite concerns over China market — Link
Financial experts on what to do with your investments in coronavirus scare — Link
Manufacturers ponder how to combat the coronavirus — Link
- San Antonio Business Journal

Entrepreneur’s Survival Guide in the Age of the Coronavirus — Trey Bowles — Link
How This On-Demand McKinney Pet Waste Removal Service Grew From Lawncare to Regional Franchise — Link
McKinney Social Impact Business Launches Free Volunteer Connection Service to Help During Outbreak — Link
Introducing the Elite 8 of NTX Tech Madness — Link
VitalTech Offers Free Services to Health Care Providers During Pandemic — Link
‘Startups Aren’t Insulated:’ DFW VCs and Mentors Warn Entrepreneurs to Leverage Financial Lifelines — Link
StackPath Lands Largest Funding Round in DFW of 2020 So Far — Link
UNT Gathers International Knowledge to Fight COVID-19 Symptoms — Link
Favor Drops Restaurant Commission Fees for On-Demand Deliveries in Texas — Link
- North Texas Inno’s Kevin Cumming
Dallas startup pairs unemployed restaurant workers with nonprofit gigs — Link
- Culture Map Dallas’ Teresa Gubbins
Fidelity Investments Exec: Don’t Panic — Link
DFW’s Service Industry: In a Battle to Survive — Link
The Reason Why Fighting Coronavirus Will Be So Difficult In North Texas — Link
United Way of Metropolitan Dallas Creates Coronavirus Response and Recovery Fund — Link
What the Emergency Coronavirus Law Means For Employers — Link
EarthX 2020 Going Virtual — Link
In the Minds of Dallas Chefs and How They’re Coping Amid a Pandemic — Link
These Dallas Studios Are Now Offering Virtual Workouts — Link
Now Is a Great Time to Send Some Snail Mail — Link
COVID-19: What Employers Can Ask — Link
Texas Joins States Allowing Restaurants to Sell Booze with Takeout or Delivery Food Orders — Link
How to Stock Your Pantry with Local, Dallas Goods — Link
Coworking During the COVID-19 Era — Link
How Retailers Inadvertently Prepared For the Current Health Crisis — Link
Mark Cuban: A Time For Business Leaders to Step Up — Link
How to Respond to the Coronavirus Situation From an Investments Perspective — Link
Get Your Bread, Milk, and Wagyu Delivered — Link
Metro by T-Mobile Moving Headquarters to Frisco — Link
Oddfellows, Better Block Transform Restaurant into Outdoor Market — Link
A Homeschool Expert Discusses How To Transition From Parent to Teacher — Link
The Dallas Restaurant Community Also Rises — Link
These Local Butchers Are Still Open for Business — Link
Dallas Observer (And Every Other Media Outlet) Hammered by Advertising Downturn — Link
Team Better Block Will Help Restaurants Set Up Makeshift Drive-Thrus — Link
The White House Asked Dallas-based Signify Health to Join the COVID-19 Task Force — Link
With Grocery Stores Slammed, Here Are More Dallas Markets to Consider — Link
How to Shop Small From Home While Social Distancing — Link
An Expert’s Guide to Working From Home — Link
Here Are Some Pointers For Properly Deep Cleaning Your Home — Link
How to Talk About COVID-19 Without Freaking Out — Link
Axxess Expands Home Health Services to California, Michigan, and Ohio — Link
The City of Dallas Will Shut Down Bars and Restaurants, Outside of Takeout — Link
A List of Dallas Restaurants Running Takeout and Delivery Specials — Link
With Tours and Festivals Canceled, Musicians Turn To Online Stages — Link
Here’s What I Saw When I Went Grocery Shopping This Morning — Link
Coronavirus’ Effects on Local and National Real Estate Markets — Link
Hospitals Begin Drive-Through Testing and Screening at Limited Entrances — Link
After Event Cancellations, Dallas’ Freelance Creative Community Leaps Into Action — Link
3 Reasons Why Small Retail Looms Large — Link
I Don’t Think We Should See Other People — Link
- D Magazine
Health Wildcatters CEO Launches Health Hacking Crisis Network to Put Community Skills and Ideas to Action — Link
Discovery: UTSW Studies Existing Drugs to Fight COVID-19, UTA Researches Economic Abuse — Link
United Way Launches COVID-19 Response Fund With $1.2M From Partners — Link
IT Company Auticon Hires Local Exec as CEO to Set its ‘Sites’ on DFW — Link
Won’t You Be My Neighbor: VOMO’s Volunteer Management Platform is Now Free Due to COVID-19 — Link
Get Growing: Dallas’ Gardenuity and Alto Will Deliver a Garden to Your Door — Link
COVID-19 Crisis: A Roundup of Resources for Small Businesses — Link
Traffic Patterns: How We Use Our Mobile Devices Has Changed in Just a Week, AT&T Stats Show — Link
‘We are All in This Together’: EarthX2020, the World’s Largest Environmental Gathering is Going Virtual — Link
Follow the Money: Predictive Fitness Nets Almost $800K, Jacobs Completes Nuclear Acquisition — Link
Get Shift Done: New North Texas Fund Puts Hospitality Workers Hit by COVID-19 Back to Work at Nonprofits — Link
Look at Some Major Local Winners From AAF Dallas’ 2020 ADDY Awards — Link
Dallas Invents: 104 Patents Granted for Week of March 10 — Link
DocSynk’s First Quarter Milestones Propel it Toward Series A Funding — Link
Q+A: Here’s What an Edge Computing Startup is Doing in the Wake of Coronavirus — Link
Blue Box Air Relocates to Dallas from California — Link
DI People: Luminosity, Caruth Institute, RKD Group Make Leadership Moves — Link
Arlington Gets $1.7M to Integrate Autonomous Vehicles into Via Rideshare Program — Link
StackPath’s New Series B Round Lifts Its Total Equity Raised to $396M — Link
Dallas Startup Week 2020 Postponed to August Over Coronavirus Concerns — Link
Vivify Health Launches COVID-19 Mobile Solution for Providers to Screen and Monitor Patients Remotely — Link
Selecting and Implementing a Communications Solution for Genesis Women’s Shelter — Link
HSC Researchers Make Stem Cell Discovery That Could Help Fight Coronavirus — Link
Artificial Intelligence and Its Impact on the Future of Customer Support — Link
- Dallas Innovates
Silicon Valley unicorn invests in DFW with bigger site as it prepares to ramp up hiring — Link
Trive Capital managing partner: ‘We’re super eager to deploy a lot of capital into this downturn’ — Link
7-Eleven stores will add up to 20,000 jobs to meet demand — Link
Roundup of recent deals and dollars: Dallas charity acquired — Link
How North Texas bars and restaurants are dealing with dine-in ban — Link
The week in bankruptcies: Pinebreeze Technologies Inc., Tonka International Corp. and 8 more. — Link
DFW Hospital Council CEO on coronavirus: ‘Can we handle it? We feel we can’ — Link
Walmart hiring 150K new workers, commits $25M to combat virus — Link
Here’s how DFW businesses should protect supply chains amid coronavirus crisis — Link
Form-D Friday: TPEG raises $10M — Link
Texas unemployment claims skyrocket as service industry shuts down — Link
Sabre slashing over $200M in costs to push back against coronavirus impacts — Link
GameStop stores remaining open amid coronavirus as people adapt to virtual working — Link
WSJ: Oil executives request relief from Texas Railroad Commission — Link
Launch of home coronavirus test kits from local company delayed due to swab shortage — Link
Comerica’s chief economist: How North Texas will fare during bear market conditions — Link
North Texas health-tech firms roll out free help as COVID-19 concerns grow — Link
DFW Coronavirus Tracker: Texas restaurants can deliver booze; Frisco restaurants remain open — Link
Software CEO sees effects of the coronavirus but wants to ‘be aggressive in these times’ — Link
Behind the deal: Fast-growing Dallas company acquired by health care staffing firm — Link
This retailer is already seeing slowing sales in the past couple of days — Link
EnLink takes ‘swift and decisive actions’ — Link
Fort Worth broadcaster teams up with investment firm for Tegna offer — Link
Texas Business Minds podcast interview with BuzzBallz CEO Merrilee Kick — Link
Whiskey maker in Lewisville is using its alcohol to create hand cleaner amid coronavirus — Link
Amazon’s 100,000-person hiring effort will bring nearly 6,000 jobs to Texas — Link
Quorum CEO shares lessons learned from decades in tech — Link
How this McKinney-based pet waste removal company plans to become a national brand — Link
Juniper Networks, Cox invest in StackPath as total funding reaches nearly $400M — Link
Data center company CyrusOne could see more pressure ahead, gets downgrade — Link
Worlds looks to ‘transform humanity’ with spatial AI technology — Link
Dallas Mavericks to support local independent establishments via reimbursement plan — Link
North Texas-based franchises were in nearly 36,000 locations last year — Link
Software company moves to bigger office in Dallas area, bolsters growth — Link
- Dallas Business Journal

Want to help Houston Rodeo vendors? Here is a list of dozens that you can support online. — Link
- Click2Houston
Resources For Navigating Coronavirus (Updated 3.19) — Link
- The Cannon Blog
ChaiOne Announces Velostics — Digital Logistics Platform to Orchestrate Industrial Shipments — Link
Houston ranks №2 in nation for corporate relocation and expansion — Link
Texas school excels in ranking of country’s best graduate schools while Houston schools lag behind — Link
Houston startups turn to digital pitches during coronavirus shutdown — Link
5 most popular innovation stories in Houston this week — Link
Free Houston-area drive-thru coronavirus testing now available to those experiencing symptoms — Link
What you need to know about budgeting for your Houston startup — Link
Organization launches Houston chapter to drive investment and social capital for women of color — Link
Houston distillery now creating hand sanitizer to alleviate shortages — Link
Houston on-demand fitness startup to launch virtual option for at-home exercise options — Link
Former founder wants to make Houston a major femtech hub — Link
3 Houston companies plug into Forbes’ first-ever best startup employers list — Link
Houston entrepreneur shares communication tips for today’s coronavirus environment — Link
Overheard: Houston energy experts share how tech and startups are affecting the industry — Link
Houston startup hopes to revolutionize the chatbot business — Link
Houston Food Bank seeks volunteers for coronavirus quarantine kits — Link
3 Houston innovators to know this week — Link
- InnovationMap’s Natalie Harms / Culture Map Houston
Baker Institute’s Hotez to address COVID-19’s impact on global security — Link
Panic-buyers not making rational decisions, says Rice U. consumer behavior expert — Link
Heart nanofibers in STAT Madness quarterfinals — Link
In response to COVID-19, OpenStax sees surge in new users — Link
Kaarthika Thakker programs computers and radio at Rice — Link
Bioengineers call for scale-up of COVID-19 testing to academic labs — Link
Rice’s OpenStax helps nation’s colleges and universities provide free online instruction during coronavirus outbreak — Link
‘Hunker down’ and hope for a controlled crash landing — Link
‘A lexicon for troubled times’ — Link
One last time — for now: Rice students organize impromptu ‘graduation’ ceremony — Link
Rice prof’s book on ‘globalization and contagion’ now open-access — Link
- Rice University
UH Psychology Professor Offers Remedies for Cabin Fever — Link
Artificial Intelligence and Family Medicine: Better Together — Link
- University of Houston
Houston restaurant group to host drive-thru barbecue fundraiser for its employees — Link
Redfin to stop making instant offers on homes amid coronavirus; Zillow continues — Link
Sysco shifting focus to grocery retailers to survive COVID-19 slowdown — Link
What employers need to be prepared for COVID-19 — Link
Catering companies feel the heat from coronavirus fallout — Link
Analyst: Who’s in trouble — and who’s in bigger trouble — at $20 oil — Link
Out of service: How the coronavirus will slow down Houston’s small business landscape — Link
Texas Gov. Abbott waives regulations for alcohol delivery, telemedicine, more — Link
Houston barbecue restaurant owner pens letter asking for mayor’s help amid shuttered businesses — Link
Kroger CEO explains supply chain, hiring thousands amid coronavirus pandemic — Link
Here’s how some lenders are helping small businesses during coronavirus slowdown — Link
Bankruptcies, layoffs, $20 oil: ‘This looks really bad’ — Link
Coronavirus marks a new, if familiar, challenge for Camden CEO Ric Campo — Link
Update: Fertitta’s Post Oak Hotel workers still have benefits amid coronavirus slowdown — Link
Utilizing the latest technology to provide value to clients and communities — Link
Several retail chains closing stores nationwide amid coronavirus pandemic — Link
Mexican cleaning product co. sees surge in demand, change in habits amid pandemic — Link
Restaurateurs share anxieties, hopeful solutions after businesses partially shutter — Link
Financial experts on what to do with your investments in coronavirus scare — Link
Houston-area distillery pivots to make hand sanitizer, rubbing alcohol — Link
Rodeo Houston committed to fulfill scholarships, support exhibitors — Link
‘I’ve never seen anything like this in my life.’ Grocers cut hours, hiring employees to keep up with demand — Link
Houston-area movie theater chain to be acquired — Link
Hines hopes to make a splash with The Square, its first foray into coworking — Link
HBJ’s Real Estate Roundup: Chevy dealership, future multifamily projects involved in recent deals — Link
- Houston Business Journal
Disaster Expert: 13 Things Every Houstonian Should Know During Coronavirus Pandemic
- Angela Blanchard — Link
Scientists seek more funding in proposed $25.2B NASA budget — Link
NASA suspends production and testing of its moon rocket, spacecraft hardware — Link
NASA, SpaceX could launch astronauts as soon as May — Link
Houston biotech company fast-tracks testing of coronavirus drug — Link
Alfred Worden, astronaut who orbited moon on Apollo 15, dies at 88 — Link
Orbiting trash threatening satellites, future space travels — Link
Boca Chica residents take Elon Musk’s money for SpaceX site — Link
NASA takes COVID-19 precautions for astronauts, Johnson Space Center employees — Link
NASA OIG finds ground structure for launching moon rocket is over budget, behind schedule — Link
Does climate change play a role in diseases like COVID-19? — Link
Stuck at home? Here’s how to get your internet primed — Link
Folding@Home lets your home computer help find a coronavirus vaccine — Link
Tips for digital — and analog — life cooped up at home — Link
Housebound? Free news, shows, movies offered by Sling — Link
Computer-graphics pioneers win tech’s Turing prize — Link
Managing bandwidth when telecommuting — Link
Don’t fall for this coronavirus ‘5G Syndrome’ hoax on Facebook — Link
Video conferencing jumps as more work from home — Link
- The Houston Chronicle’s Andrea Lienfelder / Techburger Blog’s Dwight Silverman
What You Can Do to Support Local Businesses — Link
COVID 19 — Proposed Action by Congress — Link
Seven Things to Do to Connect and Network — Link
- The McAllen Chamber of Commerce

Crisis, Relationships, and VCs — Silicon Hills Lawyer José Ancer — Link
Top 4 Real-World AI Applications in the Oil and Gas Industry — Sparkcognition — Link
The Virus Survival Strategy For Your Startup — Steve Blank — Link
Food Safety — A Virus-Free Food Delivery Network — — Richard Bagdonas — Link
Welcome to My Normal — How To Be Productive When Working From Home — Noel Hara — Link
Novel Coronavirus Startup & Small Business Plan Template Version 2.1 — Founder’s Institute — Link
Mark Cuban: How to avoid layoffs and other advice for small business owners during the COVID-19 pandemic — CNBC’s Kathleen Elkins — Link
150+ Enrichment Activities for Children While Parents are Working Remotely — Link
Our remote stack at Steadfast Media — Elise Graham Kennedy — Link
Here’s The Entire List Of Education Companies Offering Free Subscriptions Due To School Closings — Link
The Ultimate Guide To US Investor Programs In Israeli Startups — Jonathan Frenkel — Link
Collaboration Tools For GC Public Servants Working Remotely In An Emergency — Link
Mary Dash’s Writing Tips — Link
Coronavirus will change how we shop, travel and work for years — Bloomberg’s Enda Curran — Link
COVID-19 Affected Austin Service Industry — Support Friends and Neighbors — Link
Resources For Austin Service Industry Affected By Covid-19 Closures — The Austin Spirit — Link
Amazon’s Supply Chain Is Breaking and Small Businesses Are Screwed — Vice’s Edward Ongweso Jr and Jason Koebler — Link
The Coronavirus Crisis Checklist for Startup CEOs — Feliks Eyser — Link
Techstars + Foundry Group present an AMA with actionable advice from experienced CEOs regarding what to do during a downturn or crisis as it related to COVID-19 — Video
Impossible Foods CEO on Running a $4 Billion Startup From Children’s Bedroom — WSJ — Link
How President Trump and a virus just thrust healthcare innovation forward 10 years. — Clinton Phillips, Founder of Medici & 2nd.MD — Link
The Do’s and Don’ts Of Video Conferencing — How not to embarrass yourself on Zoom — The Verge’s Aliya Chaudhry — Link
Turn Your Hobby into a Startup — Harvard Business Review’s Daphne Demetry — Link
What’s The Best Way To Connect With A VC? — Shasta Venture’s Michael Lock, Advisor — Link
When Community Becomes Your Competitive Advantage — Harvard Business Review’s Jeffrey Bussgang and Jono Bacon — Link
National Instruments Announces Free Online Training Courses — Link
Raising in a Recession — Techcrunch’s Alex Wilhelm, Danny Crichton, Natasha Mascarenhas — Podcast
Impossible Foods CEO on Running a $4 Billion Startup From Children’s Bedroom — WSJ’s John D. Stoll — Link
Pivoting a Face-To-Face Business in 14 Days — Haley Bohon — Link
Investment during our national emergency — Robert Clark Rhodes — Link
From Instant Data to Truck Platoons, Here’s How 5G Will Shape the Future of Transportation — Lauren Barack Executive Editor, GearBrain — Link
Turn Your Hobby into a Startup — Harvard Business Review’s Daphne Demetry — Link
Covid Act Now — Link
#DeepDive — Responsibilities In Exponential Times — Eric RiesBelow the Line with James Beshara — Link
The Remote Sales Survival Guide — Product Hunt — Link
What’s the best way to connect with a VC? — Michael Lock, Advisor to Shasta Ventures — Link
These artists came to Austin for SXSW. How they persisted despite being stranded by coronavirus — Fast Company’s KC Ifeanyi — Link
Coronavirus Will Change the World Permanently. Here’s How. — Politico — Link
How to Not Be A Shitty Marketer During A Global Pandemic — Chris Frantz — Link