Texas-Squared Startup Newsletter #239

Marc Nathan

31 min readMar 29, 2020

Texas company first to launch at-home test for COVID-19 — Link
Houston startup creates COVID-19 tracking tool — Link
3 female Houston innovators to know this week — Link
- InnovationMap’s Natalie Harms / Culture Map Houston
Rice Professors Mobilize To Provide Higher Education To Students — Video
As campus cleared out, Rice junior paid it forward with free senior portraits — Link
Ventilator costing less than $300 developed by Rice University and Metric Technologies — Link
Center for Career Development assists students with virtual job hunts, online sessions — Link
Fondren Library showcases work from home with social media — Link
Leaders who show their humanity are viewed more favorably, says Rice U. expert — Link
Campus garden adopts out summer plants to good homes — Link
Coronavirus and the classroom: How Rice is tackling the move to remote learning — Link
Turning to small business loan programs amid crisis makes economic, political sense, says Rice U. expert — Link
- Rice University
Making it Count: Hobby School Interns Promote the Census — Link
Working from Home 101 — Link
Telehealth Expansion: A Chance to Redefine Health Care — Link
Virtual Resources for Juggling Career Goals and COVID-19 Crisis — Link
Nurses Trained to Stay Safe While Treating COVID-19 Patients — Link
Bauer’s Bill Gilmer Assesses the Economic Impact of the Coronavirus — Link
Houston Public Media Offers Resources for Learning at Home — Link
UH Psychology Professor Offers Remedies for Cabin Fever — Link
- University of Houston
Nonprofit president aims to educate Houstonians through art and conversation — Link
Montgomery County issues ‘stay home, stop the spread’ order amid coronavirus outbreak — Link
How some long-standing Houston restaurants are weathering the coronavirus storm — Link
Houston cos. collecting medical supplies, food donations for coronavirus relief — Link
GHP shares safety guidelines for essential businesses still operating under stay-home order — Link
Restaurant industry in Houston, nationwide takes major hit from coronavirus — Link
One of Houston’s top restaurateurs fears for the future of restaurants — Link
One of Houston’s top bar owners fights on the front lines to keep the service industry alive — Link
Houston nonprofits launch local coronavirus recovery fund, starting with $1M gift — Link
Why some fine dining restaurants in Houston are forgoing takeout, closing temporarily — Link
What are the long-term effects of COVID-19 on Houston’s economy? — Link
U.S. sees record surge in jobless claims. Here’s how entrepreneurs are responding — Link
Acclaimed Houston restaurateur furloughs 80 percent of staff — Link
Exclusive: Houston First to furlough majority of employees during hotel, convention business slowdown — Link
These are ‘essential businesses’ exempt from Harris County’s stay-at-home order — Link
Fertitta furloughs employees at casino, restaurant empire, seeks other solutions — Link
Is your business essential? Houston lawyer breaks down other Texas stay-at-home orders — Link
Working from home? Show us your remote workspace — Link
Mattress Firm furloughs some employees, suspends some benefits — Link
H-E-B launches solution for seniors as coronavirus spreads — Link
SBA rolls out $2M loans for Texas small businesses — Link
Opendoor suspends home buying, citing public health issues — Link
Houston biotech co.’s coronavirus treatment candidate to undergo clinical trials — Link
Houston-based co. ready to test COVID-19 ‘vaccine candidate,’ but doesn’t have the funds — Link
- Houston Business Journal
Alison Cook: Hopeful Moments Venturing Out Of The House For Food — Link
Memorial Hermann Health System workers lift spirits while social distancing — Link
The unsung heroes of coronavirus: Grocery workers — Link
Houston First Corporation to furlough 60% of workers, predicts deficit over $30 million — Link
Fresh, local foods ready from Dish Society virtual farmers market — Link
Houston Designers Fashion Hundreds Of Free Masks To Aid In Coronavirus Pandemic — Link
Accelerator plans free series to help small businesses — Link
Phone data shows Harris County residents keeping their distance — Link
Adapting to using a laptop while working from home — Link
Stuck at home, Americans sign up for streaming services in droves — Link
At Micro Center, coronavirus precautions keep customers waiting in line — Link
NASA partners with SpaceX to get supplies to Gateway spaceship that will orbit the moon — Link
NASA seeking to help fight the coronavirus pandemic — Link
Got kids at home needing something to do? NASA’s got some ideas — Link
Incredible satellite images show social distancing from the sky — Link
Coronavirus pandemic puts pressure on time-sensitive space… — Link
Space industry has one advantage in coronavirus downturn:… — Link
Astronauts, experts of isolation, give tips for social distancing — Link
- The Houston Chronicle’s Andrea Lienfelder / Techburger Blog’s Dwight Silverman
Take Care Of Yourself During COVID-19 — Link
Coming Together During COVID-19 — Link
Goodwill Makes A Plea To The Public To Hold Onto Donations Until It Reopens — Link
- The McAllen Chamber of Commerce

Startup Legal Fee Cost Containment — Silicon Hills Lawyer’s José Ancer — Link
Explaining the Importance of Information to a Company -SEOBrien’s Paul O’Brien — Link
Cash Flow Runway Tool — The Buzz — Link
Step-by-step Guide: How to Apply for SBA Disaster Loans — gener8tor Emergency Response Program’s Troy Vosseller — Link
17 Massively Successful Entrepreneurs Who Started Their Businesses After Age 35 — Inc’s Jessica Stillman — Link
Leadership in Times of Coronavirus — Patrick W. Prömmel — Link
Seth Levine’s Practical Thoughts on the Covid Crisis — Link
uMarketplaces: The Business Model Making a Difference — Link
A New Senate Bill Could Mean a $2 Billion Windfall for Startups Outside of Silicon Valley and New York — Inc.’s Leigh Buchanan — Link [ Mention of Houston’s Syzygy Plasmonics]
Here’s How to Spot Within 10 Minutes If Someone Has A Hidden Agenda — Inc.’s Scott Mautz — Link
This Founder Built Startups in 2008, 2016 and 2018. Here’s What He’s Learned About Resiliency — First Round Capital — Link
ZX Ventures Guide to Onboarding New Hires During COVID-9 — Kristina Deighan — Link
Raising Capital In A Turbulent Market — Foundersuite’s Nathan Beckord — Link
How This Business Became the Midwest’s Fastest-Growing Company by Helping ‘Future-Proof’ — Inc.’s Kevin J. Ryan — Link
The Toughest Week At Convene — Ryan Simonetti — Link
Your Pandemic Survival Guide: Fintech Edition — Fortune’s Jen Wieczner & David Z. Morris — Link
Creating Your Personalized Productivity Tool Kit: Top 10 Tools to Consider — Dumb Little Man — Link
Lennar Launches Digital Homebuying In Response To COVID-19 Pandemic — Forbes’ Mary Ann Azevedo — Link
An entrepreneur’s guide to startup resources during the COVID-19 outbreak — the Next Web’s Conrad Egusa — Link
Video Call Options During COVID-19 — Amber Mac — Link
Managing your agency in the middle of the Covid-19 crisis — Agency Leadership — Podcast
So You’ve Been Told to Work From Home. Now What? — Doist — Link
With Business Turned Upside Down, CEOs Face Monumental Leadership Challenge Chip — WSJ’s Cutter and Jennifer Maloney — Link
How to leverage your podcast interviews — Michelle Raymond — Link
From soft lighting to the Golden Gate Bridge: Your complete guide to videoconference filters — Fast Company — Link
The Only 6 Tools You Need to Start Working Remotely Overnight — Revelry’s Aline Adams
- Link
How This Founder’s Quick Thinking Helped Her Land a Deal on ‘Shark Tank’ — Inc. Video — Link
Wavve: Making $76k a Month Turning Podcasts into Videos — Fallory’s Baird Hall — Link
Future of Human Experience and Connection Database — Link
Our Essential List of Free Software for Remote Work — Link
‘Acts not ads’: How firms should market themselves during the coronavirus crisis — CNBC’s Lucy Handley — Link

Tech Events Network: Austin | Dallas | Houston | San Antonio

Expect all events to be online

Capital Factory Virtual Community Showcase
Capital Factory Dallas
Tuesday, March 31, 2020 4:00 PM — 5:00 PM CDT
REGISTER

Capital Factory Mentor Webinar with David Altounian: Managing Through a Financial Crisis
Thursday, April 2, 2020 1:00 PM — 2:30 PM CDT
REGISTER

Capital Factory Mentor Webinar with Sehr Charania: Navigating a Remote Workplace During COVID-19
Thursday, April 9, 2020 3:00 PM — 4:30 PM CDT
REGISTER

Black in Tech Summit
Tuesday, April 14, 2020 12:00 PM — 5:00 PM CDT
REGISTER

Copyright © 2020 T-Squared Agency, All rights reserved.
This newsletter is about news and opinions about Texas Startups.

Special thanks to Keith Dudley of BrandNew Marketing for design support

Our mailing address is:

T-Squared Agency

7108 Villa Maria Lane

Austin, Texas 78759

Add us to your address book

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

via GIFER

It’s been a wild and bumpy ride for everyone in the last two weeks as we figure out this ‘new normal’. I’m betting that you’ve said the word ‘Zoom’ more than you ever did during the time those old ‘Zoom Zoom’ Mazda commercials were airing. It’s really hard to believe that a year ago at this time we were just starting to sift through all of the business cards we collected at SXSW and the biggest issue facing the country was which celebrities were caught up in the college admission cheating scandal. It seems that we’ve lived a lifetime in the last three weeks, so I want to apologize for the length of this email. Like everyone else, I’ve had nothing but time so I’ve been glued to my screens gathering all the startup news I’ve come across. The real shame is that 95% is COVID-19 related, and a few stories like Austin-based Diligent Robotics raising $10M for hospital robots is getting buried.

Here are a few stray observations:

Business is slow, but not dead — I’ve talked to a lot of startups, investors, and service providers and everyone outside of the hardest hit industries like restaurants, events, hospitality, sports, and travel are slowly figuring out how to serve existing customers.
New business is sharply curtailed as we navigate how to market and sell in our current climate, but customer loyalty is based on previous relationships still has meaning.
The physical healthcare crisis is on the forefront of everyone’s mind, but the deep and lasting economic impact is starting to become clear.
Industries we don’t often think about like Dry Cleaning (when was the last time you put on a shirt with a collar?) and Car Wash’s (no one’s driving anywhere) are going to get crushed, but I predict a surge in home renovation and pool installations as people will get tired of sitting around their same old homes — if they have the discretionary income to pay for it.
Many people think that the strict stay-at-home orders will last until the end of the summer, but some are preparing for 18 months.
Everyone I talk to is revising their financial projects down 20% to 40% for the year.
Zoom really is a pretty good tool for online meetings, though not anywhere near the same experience as meeting in person. No one cares about your messy house, funny hair, loud kids or pets and the best description of virtual backgrounds is ‘TikTok for middle-aged people’.
I experienced my first ‘Zoombombing’ — online trolls that broadcast racial slurs and pornography to public Zoom meetings as a prank. Never underestimate the stupidity of 12-year-old boys with too much time on their hands to disrupt civil conversations. It’s the 2020 version of prank calls or misdemeanor-level graffiti, but I think that it will get sorted out quickly. Several guides are already available to minimize the distruption.
Investors are thankfully closing deals that were in the works for the last few weeks, but I’m very confident that investment dollars will drop dramatically over the next two quarters at a minimum.
The flip side of this is that anyone with cash on hand and can move quickly can make a killing as valuations get cut just to keep the lights on. ‘Cash is King’ is never more true than in a downturn.
I’m deeply concerned about the lay offs and furloughs that we’re starting to see. There are a lot of really good and talented people out of jobs and that might give us a mini-boomlet of solid, newly available co-founders for startups.
Working from home with kids is a lot easier if you can establish a set schedule. We have a family meeting every morning at 9am and we take a group walk (social distancing from other walkers of course) every afternoon.
Schools will figure out how to serve students with lessons online and get laptops to those who don’t have them yet. This will bring some normalcy, but the traditional school day schedule is over — maybe for a long time after the pandemic.
There is a business somewhere of discovering live content — sort of a Netflix-style interface for YouTube / Facebook Live / Webinars. Maybe it’s Patreon, maybe it’s Eventbrite/Meetup — but there will be a demand for finding category-based content, especially for businesses (entertainment content is something we’ve had since the early days of cable television).

I’d love to hear why I’m right or wrong, and get your opinions about the Brave New Quarantined World we’re all experiencing. Please leave your comment on the Texas-Squared Startup Newsletter Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/texassquared/) or send me and email at marc+tssn@tsquaredagency.com

No in-person events until further notice

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

Capital Factory Family Supports Stand With Austin Fund — Link
Austonia is a new Austin media. Free, No paywall, 100% local, all digital. Sign up now for our daily AM newsletter previews, launching this week. — Link
Lost your job during COVID-19 Crisis? — Submit your Resume or LinkedIn Profile for access to new jobs — AI4Jobs
YGC Launches Startup Studio — Link
Announcing Alexa Next Stage, powered by Techstars — Link [Congrats to Techstars Austin’s Trevor Boehm who was named the Managing Director of the new program]
Alexa Fund — Application
Red Velvet Events Founder Cindy Y. Lo Names as one of Prevue’s Industry 21 Influencers — Link
Two UT students launch website that tracks store inventories — Link
- CBS Austin’s Tristan Balagtas
Signs of Encouragement Around Austin — Link
- Austin Monthly’s Rosie Ninesling
Pregnant Short-Term Rental CEO on Facing Work-Life Challenges During the Pandemic — Link
- Boutiq’s Rena Pacheco-Theard
‘There’s Nothing Set Up for Any of Us.’ Independent Artists Face Uncertain Futures as Coronavirus Leads to Canceled Events — Link
- Time Magazine’s Mahita Gajanan
Austin startup Vinder helping restaurants sell perishable goods — Link
- KVUE’s Pattrik Perez
App lets Austin restaurants sell excess produce, raw ingredients to recoup costs during pandemic — Link
- KXAN’s Chris Davis
Tiff’s Treats partners with local restaurants during COVID-19 outbreak — Link
- KVUE’s Nicole Stuessy
Updated: Here’s what medical experts say about Everlywell’s home coronavirus testing kits — Link
- Fortune’s Terry Collins
Every Grocery Store Should Be Handling the Pandemic Like This Texas Chain — Link
- Vice’s Hannah Smothers
Tech Companies Give Dollars And Resources To COVID-19 Fight — Link
- Texas Standard’s Shelly Brisbin
Big Austin employer donating 9 million masks in fight against COVID-19 — Link
Austin startup providing COVID-19 tests to healthcare pros at no cost — Link
Texas entrepreneur designs activewear that benefits skin health — Link
- Culture Map Austin
Slingshot Aerospace Gets $3M — Link
Amazon Starts Selling Used Bird Scooters — Link
- Texas Tech Pulse
Coronavirus: An open letter to the Austin Startup Community — Link
- Austin Startups
Layoffs at Fast-Rising Austin Startup DISCO — Link
RideAustin to Suspend Ride-Hailing Services — Link
Introducing the Final 4 of Austin Inno’s Tech Madness — Link
Capital Factory Furloughs 33 Employees as Tech Events Go Virtual — Link
#WFH Office Vibes: How Austin’s Tech and Startup Teams Are Doing It — Link
Austin Tech Co. is Developing a Breath Test for COVID-19 — Link
52 Layoffs at Austin Tech Company OutboundEngine — Link
Report: Austin Startup The Guild Lays Off 38 People — Link
Buzzer Beaters Ring in The Elite 8 of Austin Inno’s Tech Madness — Link
14 Telehealth Startups to Know During the Coronavirus Pandemic — Link
- Austin Inno’s Brett Wistrom — Subscribe Here
There’s a subreddit that is literally moving the stock market — Link
Will House Democrats pass the new Senate stimulus package? — Link
The cringe inducing and lesson learning tale of Poor Jennifer — Link
Free Zoom alternatives for the new remote work era — Link
Zoom alternatives that might be more robust for your remote teams — Link
MLMs under investigation for claiming they have a COVID-19 miracle cure — Link
Don’t want to show your room on Zoom? How to change your background — Link
How to combat the viral spread of COVID-19 anxieties — Link
COVID-19: Governors fail renters, a 90-day rent freeze is the only option now — Link
COVID-19: Should I even bother applying for jobs right now? — Link
COVID-19: Google Fi extends grace period from 3 days to 60 — Link
How one employer beat an age discrimination lawsuit — Link
- American Genius
The Loss of the Handshake is an Opportunity for Connection — Link
A New Texas COVID-19 Pandemic Toolkit Shows the Importance of Social Distancing — Link
Cockrell School, Dell Med School Team Up to 3D Print Masks for Health Care Workers — Link
WATCH: Brené Brown and UT Austin President Fenves Talk About Coping with Coronavirus Changes, Including Postponed Commencement — Link
Texas Supercomputer Joins COVID-19 Fight — Link
Coronavirus Business Experts Weigh In — Link
What it’s like to live in West Campus during the COVID-19 pandemic — Link
UT officials answer questions on tuition, campus resources via Zoom — Link
Alumnus Paul Merryman talks ‘Outpost’ production, SXSW cancellation — Link
Banoffee shares struggles of being touring musician during pandemic — Link
Executive Vice President and Provost Maurie McInnis leaving UT-Austin — Link
UT-Austin to hold virtual commencement in May, postpones in-person commencement — Link
UHD charges $1,472 for emergency student housing amid COVID-19 outbreak — Link
- University of Texas
Restaurant365 Confirms Layoffs, Cites COVID-19 Impact — Link
Leadership in Uncertain Times, Part II: Advice From the Austin Tech Scene — Link
Leadership in Uncertain Times: Advice From the Austin Tech Scene — Link
Wheel, imaware Roll Out FDA-Approved At-Home COVID-19 Tests — Link
Diligent Robotics Raises $10M to Bring Nurse Assistant Bot to More Hospitals — Link
Weekly Refresh: SambaNova Secured $250M, Favor Waives Fees, and More — Link
- BuiltinAustin
How Austin Community Foundation is fundraising for those hit hardest by COVID-19 — Link
State resources available to Texas businesses during coronavirus pandemic — Link
Cutting costs, protecting supply chains: Tips for CPG companies to survive during coronavirus pandemic — Link
Capital Factory furloughs 33 employees as tech events go virtual — Link
Austin will offer loans of up to $35,000 to businesses impacted by coronavirus — Link
Austin remains fastest-growing big city in country — Link
Journal Profile: Matthew Mollica is helping Austin tackle one of its biggest issues — Link
Delivery company Shipt hiring 1,000 in Austin as more people work from home — Link
How a freshly funded robotics startup wants to help hospitals dealing with coronavirus — Link
SXSW resiliency plan could aid small businesses, creatives hurt by canceled festival — Link
Top business, development groups call for Austin, Travis County to reverse construction shutdown — Link
Hoping to test yourself for coronavirus at home? You’ll have to wait — Link
Outbound Engine lays off dozens amid coronavirus pandemic — Link
Astrotech adapting bomb-sniffing tech to test for coronavirus — Link
More development services go online in Austin amid pandemic — Link
Austin startup The Guild sheds jobs as coronavirus pandemic hobbles travel sector — Link
Special report: Austin restaurants to the rescue — Link
Literati adds free books to AISD meal pickup packages — Link
With live sports on indefinite hiatus because of coronavirus, what’s a sports-streaming startup to do? — Link
Wheel will now send a clinician to your house to test for coronavirus — Link
Tech startup cuts jobs, citing coronavirus pandemic — Link
In the money March 23: Five companies raise more than $23M — Link
How Austin factories are practicing social distancing — Link
Amid coronavirus pandemic, Central Texas distillers switch from making booze to hand sanitizer — Link
Austin may lend money to small businesses hurt by COVID-19 — Link
- Austin Business Journal
Victory garden tips: Where to buy vegetable transplants, soil in Austin — Link
Getting groceries in Austin during a pandemic: Where to shop, how to help employees — Link
Austin-based Luminex receives FDA authorization for coronavirus test — Link
Out of stock? UT students build website to track store inventories amid pandemic — Link
RideAustin to suspend operations amid coronavirus outbreak — Link
HOTELS HAMMERED: Coronavirus steals busy season from Austin hotel industry — Link
Virtual happy hours and radio shows: How Austin companies are keeping the culture alive during coronavirus outbreak — Link
Coronavirus in Austin: Capital Factory furloughs half its staff — Link
Coronavirus fallout: Austin restaurant owners face rent due on April 1 — Link
Coronavirus in Texas: If you lost your job, here’s how to apply for unemployment benefits — Link
Coronavirus in Texas: State agency struggles with deluge of newly jobless — Link
Coronavirus in Austin: Ed tech startup Fabulingua to let families learn for free — Link
FDA advisory leads Austin’s Everlywell to hit pause on direct-to-consumer coronavirus testing kits — Link
Statesman-affiliated site aims to help local small businesses — Link
Austin’s Diligent Robotics, which makes medical robots, raises $10M to continue growth — Link
Austin officials propose small business COVID-19 disaster loan program — Link
- Austin American-Statesman

SAN ANTONIO

In This Together San Antonio — Link
Researchers call for greater role for robots in COVID-19 fight, as startups ramp efforts — Link
- BioWorld’s Stacy Lawrence
Geekdom Announces 2020 Participants in Pre-Accelerator Program — Link
How Can Your Startup or Small Business Survive a Pandemic? Know What to Expect — Link
During a Pandemic You’ll Need to Adapt Your Digital Marketing — Link
Free Tools and Resources for Startups — Link
- Startups San Antonio
For Stay-at-Home Stress Relief, San Antonians Turn to Gardening — Link
San Antonio’s Large Employers Adapt to Faltering Economy by Adjusting Operations — Link
Hospitals Say No Thanks, at Least for Now, to Homemade Mask Donations — Link
Commentary: Local Leaders Must Do More to Flatten the Curve Now — Link
These Locally Owned Eateries Offer Takeout, Delivery, and Groceries — Link
Students, Parents, and Educators Get Crash Course in Distance Learning — Link
Let Data, Not Politics, Guide San Antonio’s Coronavirus Shutdown — Link
As Supplies Dwindle, San Antonio Spirits Makers Turn Focus to Distilling Sanitizer — Link
San Antonio Tech Businesses See ‘Work From Home’ as Chance to Shine — Link
Squeezing Optimism Out of a Pandemic — Link
Despite Social Distancing Guidelines, SA Beauty and Nail Salons Kept Going — Link
Here’s What the New Stay-Home Order Means for San Antonio — Link
Long Lines and More Workers: H-E-B Takes Action to Manage Panic-Buying — Link
Spring Weddings Postponed, Funeral Services Adjusted in Wake of Coronavirus — Link
Opinion: Letter to Washington: Invest Smartly in a More Secure Future — Link
- Rivard Report
Four Free Ways San Antonians Can Improve Their Kids’ Educations During the Pandemic School Shutdown — Link
San Antonio Current Launches Searchable List of Local Restaurants Offering Takeout, Delivery and Curbside Pickup — Link
Pod People: San Antonio-based Podcasts That Can Help You While Away the Time in Quarantine — Link
San Antonio Botanical Garden Donating Veggies It Grows to Feed People During Coronavirus Crisis — Link
EVO Entertainment Launches Drive-In Theater in Schertz For Safe Entertainment While Social Distancing — Link
Cancel Culture: San Antonio’s Shutdown is Already Taking a Heavy Toll on the City’s Creators, Service Workers and Small Businesses — Link
Cell Phone Data Reveals Whether People in San Antonio and Texas Are Social Distancing — Link
San Antonio Restaurants Transforming Into Grocery Stores During Coronavirus Outbreak — Link
Thinking of Growing Your Own Food in the Coronavirus Crisis? San Antonio Urban Farmers Offer Tips — Link
South Side Grocery Store Accused of Price Gouging During the Coronavirus Pandemic — Link
San Antonio Brewer and Distiller Ranger Creek Making Free Hand Sanitizer to Keep Up With Shortage — Link
- San Antonio Observer
Federal resources for small businesses — Link
State resources available to Texas businesses during coronavirus pandemic — Link
What’s the coronavirus risk to SA hotel and restaurant workers? Start at $5M a day. — Link
Trade show postponed amid coronavirus fears — Link
Off the menu: Restaurants face a challenge never seen before — Link
USAA makes another multimillion donation to military-focused nonprofits — Link
GOOD WORKS SA: Nonprofits need community support more than ever — Link
One of SA’s oldest craft beer spots is fighting the pandemic slog — Link
Movie theater complex going old school to drive business — Link
Beloved family-owned breakfast institution forced to change — Link
Tech Bloc looks to help workforce after COVID-19 layoffs — Link
SwRI gets $9.9M to develop battlefield antidote — Link
Pandemic not slowing this SA spirits maker’s expansion — Link
Local Coffee founder pivots, finds himself facing pandemic — Link
Local, global cancer fighter not slowing despite pandemic — Link
Walmart hiring 15K new workers in Texas, commits $25M to combat virus — Link
SA cyber companies recognized globally for cybersecurity work — Link
- San Antonio Business Journal

OneDine Raises $5 Million in Series A Funding for Restaurant Industry All-In-One Tech — Link
Love in a Time of Coronavirus: Dating Apps See Surge Despite Lockdowns — Link
Lets Get Ready to Rumble: Two Dallas Startups Head into Tech Madness Finals — Link
Following Merger, ReCode Therapeutics Lands $80M Series A — Link
How Health Wildcatters Sees Startups’, VCs’ Path Through the Pandemic — Link
Blockit Offers Coordinated Care Platform Free to Health Care Providers During Outbreak — Link
Retourne Emerges from Stealth to Put Experience to Work — Link
Securing Life Today Founder Talks the Future of Post-Coronavirus Fintech — Link
14 Telehealth Startups to Know During the Coronavirus Pandemic — Link
Get Ready for the Final 4 of NTX Inno’s Tech Madness — Link
MyTelemedicine Launches Coronavirus Self-Assessment Tool — Link
- North Texas Inno’s Kevin Cumming
Texas startup providing COVID-19 tests to healthcare pros at no cost — Link
13 DFW companies plug into Forbes’ best startup employers list — Link
- Culture Map Dallas
Volunteers Sew Hospital Masks to Help Combat Shortage — Link
Global-Mindedness Is the Key to Everything for Kristin Colaneri — Link
Some Dallas Leaders Are Stepping Up to Fight the Coronavirus. Then There’s David Blewett. — Link
Survival Kits From Restaurants Help Keep the Supply Chain Moving — Link
Meet the Kraths, the North Texas TikTok Power Couple Who Turned the App Into a Career — Link
Expert Says Grocery Shortages Easing Already (Except for You Know What) — Link
How Shift Dallas Is Trying to Help Service Industry Workers During Coronavirus Closures — Link
- Dallas Observer
Sheltering in Place: A Daily Itinerary for Our Shared Coronavirus Reality — Link
Growing Together during COVID-19 — Link
UTSW, UNTHSC, and Catalyst Team Up to Test First Responders — Link
The Dallas Restaurant Industry May Never Be the Same Again — Link
KERA Launches Curriculum-Based Programs for North Texas Students — Link
Home School Hacks For Your Dallas Child — Link
Love in the Time of COVID: Crane Flies Don’t Care About the News — Link
Drone Footage From the First Quiet Night — Link
Survive an Economic Downturn With Talent Optimization — Link
An Alert Reader Raises Concern About the City’s Permitting Practices — Link
Why Dallas-Fort Worth Will Emerge Stronger Than Ever — Link
Ways to Support Dallas’ Struggling Restaurant Industry Right Now — Link
You Can Still (Virtually) Visit These Dallas-Fort Worth Museums — Link
Virtual Visits are for Mental as Much as Physical Health — Link
The Nonprofit Mapping COVID-19 in Dallas — Link
The Homemade Effort to Make Medical Equipment in Dallas — Link
The New Normal: Global Design Firm Shares Remote Working Strategies — Link
Five Ways for Businesses to Reduce Real Estate Costs During the Coronavirus Pandemic — Link
Dallas Won’t Be Able to Aid Small Business Without Help — Link
Layoffs and Salary Cuts at D Magazine — Link
The Big D’s Habanero-Hot Real Estate Market Is Fertile Ground for Aspiring Real Estate Agents — Link
How 3 Dallas Coffee Shops Repurposed Their Now-Empty Spaces in the Age of Coronavirus — Link
Dallas Influencers Offer Their Methods For Staying Sane at Home — Link
Remote Work Implications Beyond Flexibility: Testing the Model During Uncertainty — Link
Innovation and Generosity on the Front Lines of Coronavirus — Link
Disinfect Your Home and Office Against COVID-19 — Link
- D Magazine
Tech Wildcatters: How COVID-19 Will Affect Tech Investments and Startups — Link
Dollars for Good: North Texas Businesses Kick In to Help Those Impacted by COVID-19 — Link
ReCode Therapeutics Gets $80M Investment for Lung Disease Drugs — Link
Discovery: HSC Opens COVID-19 Test Site for Tarrant County First Responders — Link
#SaaSTalentNow: Gregslist Launches List to Highlight Local Tech Talent Seeking Jobs — Link
May the Trust Be With You: Plano Entrepreneur Shares His Latest Book on Kindle, Free — Link
Booster Lauds New Dallas Mobile Fueling Ordinance as Vital in COVID-19 Pandemic — Link
PrimeVox Doubles Staff, Moves Into New Frisco Offices, and Boosts Telecom Capabilities During COVID-19 — Link
Smart Electric Motor Maker Linear Labs Benefits from Supply Chain Independence — Link
Follow the Money: Gameway Raises $530K, Integrity Marketing Makes Acquisition — Link
Dallas’ Unique Software Development is 3D Printing Respirators for the COVID-19 Shortage — Link
Health Care Systems’ Emphasis on the Patient Experience — Link
Startups, Listen Up: Dallas Entrepreneurs Trey Bowles and Nick Kennedy Have a New Podcast — Link
BuzzBallz Joins the Fight Against COVID-19 Through Hand Sanitizer Production — Link
North Texas Cares: 15 North Texas Foundations Band Together to Fund Local Nonprofits During COVID-19 — Link
Entrepreneur’s Survival Guide in the Age of the Coronavirus — Link
North Texas Startup Offers At-Home COVID-19 Test Kits, Gets Overwhelmed by Response — Link
Dallas Invents: 149 Patents Granted for Week of March 17 — Link
Dallas Native’s Everlywell Releases First At-Home COVID-19 Test Rollout — Link
The North Texas Fashion Industry is Playing its Part to Fight COVID-19 — Link
Front Lines: UTD Researchers Donate Personal Protective Gear for Parkland’s COVID-19 Response — Link
Quaranstreaming: SVP Dallas is Taking Impact Online with a Digital Gathering — Link
DI People: Compass Datacenters, Marconi Make SVP Announcements — Link
SmartCounseling Has a New Virtual Suite for Mental Health Providers to Expand Online Services — Link
Trimming Branches: Banking Companies Increase Focus on Digital Banking — Link
Tyme Bank Approval Still on Track: Execs Discuss COVID-19’s Industry Impact — Link
AT&T Launches $10M Fund to Provide Home Learning Resources During COVID-19 — Link
Women in Technology: Uncelebrated, Not Unnoticed — Link
Susan Hoff: ‘We’re all in this together.’ It’s not a catchphrase right now — Link
- Dallas Innovates
As Tailwater Capital closes $1.1B fund, firm founders discuss PE’s role in volatile market — Link
Chuck E. Cheese, Peter Piper Pizza parent announces furloughs, reduced spending — Link
eSports, gaming industry thriving as video games provide escape from reality during coronavirus pandemic — Link
This Plano delivery company expanded focus in a matter of days to thrive — Link
Deals Day: Mobile phone provider moves HQ from Richardson to Frisco — Link
Federal resources for small businesses during coronavirus outbreak — Link
Form-D Friday: Jasper Ridge Partners raises $2.3 billion — Link
These DFW manufacturers don’t plan on shutting down — Link
Travel tech firm in downtown Dallas is cutting workers amid industry pressures — Link
Furlough Kitchen offers daily meal to restaurant workers laid off in COVID-19 crisis — Link
SBA Q&A: How North Texas small businesses can apply for an economic injury disaster loan — Link
Why a trade organization is joining the defensive line against a Dallas Cowboy — Link
Delivery company Shipt is hiring 2,000 in North Texas as more people work from home — Link
CyrusOne shows ‘resiliency of the data center model’ as work-from-home proliferates — Link
Could COVID-19 qualify as an act of God in Texas courts? — Link
This Dallas company serving expectant moms see surge in demand amid coronavirus as women stay home — Link
Yum! Brands unveils financing alternatives, expanded low contact options — Link
Raising Cane’s co-CEO discusses shifting strategy — Link
Small DFW furniture maker produces masks to help shortage — Link
Neiman Marcus, JOANN Stores partner to make health care protective equipment — Link
No need for panic buying groceries; warehouses are full, trucks are moving — Link
Solidarity in solitude: We’re still going to inform and connect DFW — Link
How wealth managers are shifting strategies amid coronavirus pandemic — Link
The week in DFW bankruptcies: Carbonxy Inc., The Laser Group Inc. and 12 more — Link
Dallas alternative investment firm eyes $25M as it bets on blockchain technology — Link
Amid bar closures, North Texas breweries search for temporary solutions — Link
Some local tech companies insulated, seeing sturdy demand so far in COVID-19 environment — Link
Coronavirus losses and potential for business interruption insurance: What Texas businesses need to know — Link
CyrusOne could be data center company that thrives most in recovery, report says — Link
North Texas PE platform acquires two local companies — Link
McKinney-based telehealth firm launches coronavirus self-assessment tool — Link
Small businesses in Texas can now qualify for SBA disaster loans — Link
Personal branding leads to more opportunities. Here are four ways to elevate yours — Link
- Dallas Business Journal

#HoustonStrong Heroes: Enventure and the Houston COVID-19 Response Group — Link
- Impact Hub Houston’s Grace Rodriguez
Local Non-Profit TX/RX Comes To Aid of Memorial Hermann — Link
- ABC13
TMC Innovation Community — COVID-19 — Link
- TMC Innovation Blog
Challenges Ahead As Small Energy Companies Feel Impact Of COVID-19 Crisis — Link
- Houston Public Media’s Kyra Buckley
Doctors at UTMB build ventilator out of common hospital supplies — Link
- KHOU
Houston startup creates clever COVID-19 tracking tool — Link
- KTRK-TV
Houstonian organizes donations of medical supplies to local facilities — Link
Rice University Develops Low-Cost Ventilators To Help Fight Coronavirus — Link
- Click2Houston
5 innovation leaders on how COVID-19 has altered digital strategy at Houston Methodist, Penn Medicine & more — Link
- Beckers Hospital Review’s Andrea Park
Local arts organizations innovate new ways to get to patrons in Houston and beyond — Link
Texas startup provides COVID-19 home-testing kits at no cost to medical professionals — Link
5 most popular innovation stories in Houston this week — Link
Here’s what Houstonians asked the internet amid coronavirus outbreak — Link
How to use tech to take your event virtual, according to this Houston expert — Link
Designers and entrepreneurs fashion face masks for medical professionals in Houston — Link
4 resources for Houston startups and small businesses during COVID-19 shutdown — Link
Houston-based research organization taps video game makers to advance space medicine — Link
COVID-19 provides huge opportunity for telehealth, says Houston health tech leader — Link
Houston expert: Here are 3 tips for a resilient supply chain during the coronavirus outbreak — Link
Houston tech community answers the call for medical equipment amid coronavirus-caused shortages — Link
These are the 5 fastest-growing companies in Houston, according to a recent report — Link
Texas company first to launch at-home test for COVID-19 — Link
Houston startup creates COVID-19 tracking tool — Link
3 female Houston innovators to know this week — Link
- InnovationMap’s Natalie Harms / Culture Map Houston
Rice Professors Mobilize To Provide Higher Education To Students — Video
As campus cleared out, Rice junior paid it forward with free senior portraits — Link
Ventilator costing less than $300 developed by Rice University and Metric Technologies — Link
Center for Career Development assists students with virtual job hunts, online sessions — Link
Fondren Library showcases work from home with social media — Link
Leaders who show their humanity are viewed more favorably, says Rice U. expert — Link
Campus garden adopts out summer plants to good homes — Link
Coronavirus and the classroom: How Rice is tackling the move to remote learning — Link
Turning to small business loan programs amid crisis makes economic, political sense, says Rice U. expert — Link
- Rice University
Making it Count: Hobby School Interns Promote the Census — Link
Working from Home 101 — Link
Telehealth Expansion: A Chance to Redefine Health Care — Link
Virtual Resources for Juggling Career Goals and COVID-19 Crisis — Link
Nurses Trained to Stay Safe While Treating COVID-19 Patients — Link
Bauer’s Bill Gilmer Assesses the Economic Impact of the Coronavirus — Link
Houston Public Media Offers Resources for Learning at Home — Link
UH Psychology Professor Offers Remedies for Cabin Fever — Link
- University of Houston
Nonprofit president aims to educate Houstonians through art and conversation — Link
Montgomery County issues ‘stay home, stop the spread’ order amid coronavirus outbreak — Link
How some long-standing Houston restaurants are weathering the coronavirus storm — Link
Houston cos. collecting medical supplies, food donations for coronavirus relief — Link
GHP shares safety guidelines for essential businesses still operating under stay-home order — Link
Restaurant industry in Houston, nationwide takes major hit from coronavirus — Link
One of Houston’s top restaurateurs fears for the future of restaurants — Link
One of Houston’s top bar owners fights on the front lines to keep the service industry alive — Link
Houston nonprofits launch local coronavirus recovery fund, starting with $1M gift — Link
Why some fine dining restaurants in Houston are forgoing takeout, closing temporarily — Link
What are the long-term effects of COVID-19 on Houston’s economy? — Link
U.S. sees record surge in jobless claims. Here’s how entrepreneurs are responding — Link
Acclaimed Houston restaurateur furloughs 80 percent of staff — Link
Exclusive: Houston First to furlough majority of employees during hotel, convention business slowdown — Link
These are ‘essential businesses’ exempt from Harris County’s stay-at-home order — Link
Fertitta furloughs employees at casino, restaurant empire, seeks other solutions — Link
Is your business essential? Houston lawyer breaks down other Texas stay-at-home orders — Link
Working from home? Show us your remote workspace — Link
Mattress Firm furloughs some employees, suspends some benefits — Link
H-E-B launches solution for seniors as coronavirus spreads — Link
SBA rolls out $2M loans for Texas small businesses — Link
Opendoor suspends home buying, citing public health issues — Link
Houston biotech co.’s coronavirus treatment candidate to undergo clinical trials — Link
Houston-based co. ready to test COVID-19 ‘vaccine candidate,’ but doesn’t have the funds — Link
- Houston Business Journal
Alison Cook: Hopeful Moments Venturing Out Of The House For Food — Link
Memorial Hermann Health System workers lift spirits while social distancing — Link
The unsung heroes of coronavirus: Grocery workers — Link
Houston First Corporation to furlough 60% of workers, predicts deficit over $30 million — Link
Fresh, local foods ready from Dish Society virtual farmers market — Link
Houston Designers Fashion Hundreds Of Free Masks To Aid In Coronavirus Pandemic — Link
Accelerator plans free series to help small businesses — Link
Phone data shows Harris County residents keeping their distance — Link
Adapting to using a laptop while working from home — Link
Stuck at home, Americans sign up for streaming services in droves — Link
At Micro Center, coronavirus precautions keep customers waiting in line — Link
NASA partners with SpaceX to get supplies to Gateway spaceship that will orbit the moon — Link
NASA seeking to help fight the coronavirus pandemic — Link
Got kids at home needing something to do? NASA’s got some ideas — Link
Incredible satellite images show social distancing from the sky — Link
Coronavirus pandemic puts pressure on time-sensitive space… — Link
Space industry has one advantage in coronavirus downturn:… — Link
Astronauts, experts of isolation, give tips for social distancing — Link
- The Houston Chronicle’s Andrea Lienfelder / Techburger Blog’s Dwight Silverman
Take Care Of Yourself During COVID-19 — Link
Coming Together During COVID-19 — Link
Goodwill Makes A Plea To The Public To Hold Onto Donations Until It Reopens — Link
- The McAllen Chamber of Commerce

Startup Legal Fee Cost Containment — Silicon Hills Lawyer’s José Ancer — Link
Explaining the Importance of Information to a Company -SEOBrien’s Paul O’Brien — Link
Cash Flow Runway Tool — The Buzz — Link
Step-by-step Guide: How to Apply for SBA Disaster Loans — gener8tor Emergency Response Program’s Troy Vosseller — Link
17 Massively Successful Entrepreneurs Who Started Their Businesses After Age 35 — Inc’s Jessica Stillman — Link
Leadership in Times of Coronavirus — Patrick W. Prömmel — Link
Seth Levine’s Practical Thoughts on the Covid Crisis — Link
uMarketplaces: The Business Model Making a Difference — Link
A New Senate Bill Could Mean a $2 Billion Windfall for Startups Outside of Silicon Valley and New York — Inc.’s Leigh Buchanan — Link [ Mention of Houston’s Syzygy Plasmonics]
Here’s How to Spot Within 10 Minutes If Someone Has A Hidden Agenda — Inc.’s Scott Mautz — Link
This Founder Built Startups in 2008, 2016 and 2018. Here’s What He’s Learned About Resiliency — First Round Capital — Link
ZX Ventures Guide to Onboarding New Hires During COVID-9 — Kristina Deighan — Link
Raising Capital In A Turbulent Market — Foundersuite’s Nathan Beckord — Link
How This Business Became the Midwest’s Fastest-Growing Company by Helping ‘Future-Proof’ — Inc.’s Kevin J. Ryan — Link
The Toughest Week At Convene — Ryan Simonetti — Link
Your Pandemic Survival Guide: Fintech Edition — Fortune’s Jen Wieczner & David Z. Morris — Link
Creating Your Personalized Productivity Tool Kit: Top 10 Tools to Consider — Dumb Little Man — Link
Lennar Launches Digital Homebuying In Response To COVID-19 Pandemic — Forbes’ Mary Ann Azevedo — Link
An entrepreneur’s guide to startup resources during the COVID-19 outbreak — the Next Web’s Conrad Egusa — Link
Video Call Options During COVID-19 — Amber Mac — Link
Managing your agency in the middle of the Covid-19 crisis — Agency Leadership — Podcast
So You’ve Been Told to Work From Home. Now What? — Doist — Link
With Business Turned Upside Down, CEOs Face Monumental Leadership Challenge Chip — WSJ’s Cutter and Jennifer Maloney — Link
How to leverage your podcast interviews — Michelle Raymond — Link
From soft lighting to the Golden Gate Bridge: Your complete guide to videoconference filters — Fast Company — Link
The Only 6 Tools You Need to Start Working Remotely Overnight — Revelry’s Aline Adams
- Link
How This Founder’s Quick Thinking Helped Her Land a Deal on ‘Shark Tank’ — Inc. Video — Link
Wavve: Making $76k a Month Turning Podcasts into Videos — Fallory’s Baird Hall — Link
Future of Human Experience and Connection Database — Link
Our Essential List of Free Software for Remote Work — Link
‘Acts not ads’: How firms should market themselves during the coronavirus crisis — CNBC’s Lucy Handley — Link