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SO IT'S AN EXCITING DAY AT CITY HALL AS WE WELCOME AND CELEBRATE THE UPCOMING Y TEXAS SUMMIT COMING TO HOUSTON THIS, THIS SEPTEMBER AT DAIKIN PARK AS COUNCIL MEMBER REPRESENTING DISTRICT I, WHICH INCLUDES THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT.
I ESPECIALLY AM PROUD TO SEE HOUSTON TAKE THE CENTER STAGE FOR A SUMMIT THAT BLENDS BUSINESS, SPORTS, TECHNOLOGY, EDUCATION, A CREATIVE AND POWERFUL APPROACH TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
WE ARE IN AN ERA OF BUSINESS WHERE CITIES LIKE HOUSTON ARE COMPETING ON A GLOBAL SCALE.
EVENTS LIKE Y TEXAS SUMMIT HELP US TELL OUR STORY, THE TEXAS STORY, THE HOUSTON STORY IN A WAY THAT BRINGS LEADERS AND ACROSS SECTORS, INDUSTRIES, AND COMMUNITIES.
AND A QUICK, A QUICK FACT, TEXAS IS KNOWN AS THE HEADQUARTER CAPITAL TO THE UNITED STATES 55, UH, HEADQUARTERS IN TEXAS.
AND OF THOSE 55, 25 ARE IN HOUSTON.
SO I'M EX EVEN MORE SO EXCITED ABOUT BEING CHOSEN AS THE HOST CITY, UM, AND THIS INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO SHOWCASE THE INNOVATION, SUCCESS COLLABORATION THAT DEFINES HOUSTON.
I WANNA EXPRESS MY APPRECIATION TO THE MANY COMPANIES AND BUSINESSES HERE TODAY SUPPORTING THE Y TEXAS SUMMIT.
AND A BIG THANK YOU TO THE Y TEXAS AND TO Y TEXAS AND ED CURTIS FOR SELECTING HOUSTON AS THIS YEAR'S HOST.
WE KNOW THIS WILL BE A TREMENDOUS SUCCESS.
I ALSO WANNA THANK THE MAYORS COUNCIL MEMBERS, ELECTED OFFICIALS THAT'LL BE HERE, UH, AT THE Y TEXAS SUMMIT, THOSE THAT ARE HERE TODAY, UH, FOR YOUR SUPPORT, UH, IN MAKING SURE THAT THIS PARTNERSHIP, UH, IS MAKING IT A GREAT GATHERING FOR THOSE TO MAKE IT POSSIBLE AND MEANINGFUL FOR THOSE THAT ARE HERE IN HOUSTON AND ACROSS THE, THE STATE.
ONCE AGAIN, WELCOME TO HOUSTON.
WE'RE PROUD TO BECOME THE BACKDROP FOR SUCH AN IMPACTFUL SUMMIT, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO WHAT'S COME.
I WANNA INTRODUCE ED CURTIS, CEO OF Y TEXAS TO COME UP PLEASE.
WELL, THANK, THANK ALL OF YOU FOR, UH, MAKING THIS HAPPEN.
IT'S, THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE LOCALLY IN HOUSTON WHEN WE FIRST CAME UP WITH THE CONCEPT OF THE SUMMIT IN GENERAL.
AND, UM, WE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE FROM HOUSTON COME UP TO DALLAS AND SAY, HEY, YOU NEED TO TAKE THIS EVENT DOWN TO DOWN TO HOUSTON.
AND I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO MEET, UM, LINDA HEAD AND, UH, DR.
MARIA AND, UH, RYAN WALSH AND MANY IN THE COMMUNITY THAT SAID, WHAT CAN WE DO TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN? AND, UM, TODAY WE'RE JUST VERY EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE THAT, UM, OUR FIRST ANNUAL Y TEXAS SUMMIT WILL BE HELD AT DAIKIN PARK ON SEPTEMBER 24TH.
AND HOW ABOUT A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR THAT? UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE WANTED THIS EVENT TO BE SOMETHING UNIQUE, SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
UH, WE'VE ALL BEEN TO CONFERENCES, WE'VE ALL BEEN TO FESTIVALS, WE'VE ALL EVEN BEEN TO SUMMITS AND WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM TYPE OF EVENT.
SO COULD YOU IMAGINE COMBINING THOSE THREE CONCEPTS INTO ONE EVENT AND REALLY SELL, USING AN OPPORTUNITY TO CELEBRATE OUR PERSONAL STORIES AND OUR PERSONAL JOURNEYS? YEAH.
I MOVED TO TEXAS OVER 30 YEARS AGO.
I, MAYBE YOU CAN'T TELL FROM MY ACCENT, BUT
UM, THE FIRST THING I NOTICED WHEN I MOVED HERE WAS THE WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT.
YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WOULD MAKE FUN OF MY ACCENT, BUT AS SOON AS THEY WERE DONE MAKING FUN OF ME, THEY WOULD SAY, WHAT DO YOU NEED? HOW CAN I HELP? AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, WHY ARE YOU HERE? LIKE, WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING TO ACCOMPLISH? AND, UH, THROUGHOUT MY ENTIRE CAREER, I NOTICED THAT THAT WAS CONSISTENT EVEN IN BUSINESS.
UM, PEOPLE ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW, WHAT, WHAT IS YOUR AGENDA? WHAT IS YOUR GOAL? WHAT DO YOU WANNA 'EM ACCOMPLISH, AND HOW CAN I HELP YOU DO THAT? SO WE CAME UP WITH THIS IDEA OF HOSTING AN EVENT SPECIFIC FOR TEXAS, KIND OF LIKE A SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST OR A SUPER BOWL OR SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAT'S ONLY FOR TEXAS.
AND WITH THE STORIES TOLD BY TEXANS.
SO WE CAME UP WITH THE SILLY IDEA TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WOULD BE THE BIGGEST ARENA THAT WE COULD POSSIBLY HOST AN EVENT.
AND WE CAN DO FUN THINGS LIKE A PITCH CONTEST IN A BULLPEN OR A FIELD GOAL CONTEST AT A, AT A FOOTBALL STADIUM, AND CONVENE PEOPLE, WHETHER IT'S EDUCATORS, STUDENTS, EXECUTIVES, PEOPLE THAT WOULD NEVER NORMALLY MEET AND BRING 'EM TOGETHER AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
AND WE WERE ABLE TO DO THAT FOR A FEW YEARS IN, IN, UH, DALLAS.
AND, UH, WE'RE VERY, VERY EXCITED TO BRING THE EVENT HERE.
ALL OF THIS CAME ABOUT BY MY FRIEND JESSE MARTINEZ, AND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MAR, UH, MARTINEZ AS WELL, SAYING, LOOK, WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP AMPLIFY THE MESSAGE HERE IN HOUSTON? YOU KNOW, WE DON'T KNOW MANY PEOPLE, UH, THAT NOT MANY PEOPLE IN HOUSTON ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE EVENT.
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HAD IT HERE BEFORE.UM, WE'VE HOSTED A COUPLE OF EVENTS UP IN THE WOODLANDS AND, UH, OTHER PARTS OF, OF THE REGION.
AND, UM, WE'RE JUST VERY EXCITED TO BE PARTNERING WITH YOU ALL ON THIS EVENT.
WHAT I WANTED TO DO TODAY IS SHARE WITH YOU SOME OF THE GUEST SPEAKERS AND SOME OF THE TOPICS THAT WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA BE COVERING.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE ARE INVITING MANY, MANY PEOPLE FROM OUTSIDE OF THIS REGION, AND EVEN SOME PEOPLE FROM, FROM OUTSIDE OF THE STATE TO COME INTO HERE AND LEARN MORE ABOUT DOING BUSINESS IN TEXAS.
UM, WE ARE, UH, WE'VE GOT FOLKS FROM BROWNSVILLE, UH, FROM LAREDO, FROM BASTROP, FROM ARLINGTON, AND FROM DALLAS, UH, COMING IN, UM, TO SHARE THEIR STORIES.
WE ARE USING THE EVENT TO SHOWCASE INNOVATION.
WE WILL HAVE INNOVATION SHOWCASES IN THE CONCOURSE AREA.
WE'LL BE USING THE FIELD FOR SOME NETWORKING.
AND, UM, WE'LL BE, UH, USING A LOT OF THE, THE, THE SUITES AND THE PRIVATE AREAS, UH, FOR ONE-ON-ONE CONNECTING.
I THINK WE ALL REALIZE WHEN WE GO INTO AN EVENT AND THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE AT THE EVENT, YOU REALLY WANNA MEET PEOPLE AND YOU WANT TO EXCHANGE BUSINESS CARDS AND DO BUSINESS.
AND, UM, WE'RE USING THE STADIUM TO, UH, TO, TO CREATE THAT EXPERIENCE FOR YOU.
UM, THE NIGHT BEFORE THE SUMMIT, WE ARE HOSTING A PRIVATE, UH, INVESTOR RECEPTION, UH, AND RYAN WALSH.
AND MANY WERE, UH, VERY HELPFUL IN MAKING THAT HAPPEN.
IT'LL BE A, A PRIVATE RECEPTION THE NIGHT BEFORE THE SUMMIT, UM, AT SHELL ENERGY STADIUM, UH, WHERE THE DYNAMO AND DASH PLAY, THAT'S ACTUALLY GONNA BE THE PRACTICE FACILITY FOR THE FIFA WORLD CUP PLAYERS.
UH, WE'LL BE ABLE TO TOUR THE FACILITY A LITTLE BIT AND LEARN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE IMPACT, UM, OF THE WORLD CUP IN THE STATE.
UM, I'LL JUST SAY MAYBE THE NEXT SLIDE REALLY QUICKLY.
SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE A FEW DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES AT THE SUMMIT.
WE'LL HAVE SOME PANEL DISCUSSIONS.
UM, WE'RE GONNA HAVE VIP NETWORKING.
WE'LL HAVE EXHIBITOR SHOWCASES WHERE YOU WILL BE ABLE TO SEE TECHNOLOGY AT THE EVENT.
YOU'LL BE ABLE TO LEARN ABOUT THE DIFFERENT REGIONS AND HOW TO DO BUSINESS WITH THEM, WHETHER IT'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROFESSIONALS OR, UH, STARTUP COMPANIES.
UM, ONE EXCITING THING THAT WE'LL BE DOING, AND YOU'LL BE HEARING ABOUT THIS A LITTLE BIT LATER, IS, UH, A STUDENT PITCH COMPETITION WHERE WE HAVE STUDENTS FROM OTHER COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES THROUGHOUT THE STATE PITCHING THEIR IDEAS, HELPING SOLVE PROBLEMS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
I MEAN, COULD YOU IMAGINE HAVING A, A STUDENT THAT HAS AN IDEA THAT'S THEY'RE SITTING IN THEIR, UH, DORM ROOM AND, UH, AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FROM TXDOT IS LISTENING TO THEIR SOLUTION FOR AUTOMATED TRANSPORTATION.
MAYBE THERE'S AN IDEA OUT THERE THAT'S, UH, THAT NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT, THAT'S NOT GOING TO NORMAL PITCH COMPETITIONS AND BRINGING KIND OF STUDENTS INTO, UH, INTO THE MIX INTO THE FUTURE OF OUR STATE.
UM, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO NOW IS, UM, INVITE SOME OF OUR PANELISTS AND SPEAKERS UP, UM, BECAUSE I WANT THEM TO TELL THEIR STORY AS TO WHY THEY'RE PARTICIPATING AND, UM, AND, UM, WHAT THEY'LL BE SHOWCASING AND DOING AT THE EVENT.
SO WOULD, WOULD THIS BE A GOOD TIME TO BRING YEAH.
UM, EVERYONE UP? I KNOW, KIM, I THINK YOU'RE GONNA HELP US.
UM, WE'LL JUST GO BACK ONE MORE STATE, I'M SORRY, ONE MORE SLIDE.
WE WILL HAVE, UM, ABOUT SEVEN INDUSTRY SECTORS BEING REPRESENTED AT THE EVENT.
ANYTHING FROM SPACE TECHNOLOGY TO SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT TO ENERGY TO AI.
UM, WE'VE GOT SOME, SOME, SOME KEYNOTE SPEAKERS THAT ARE, ARE, ARE, ARE INTERESTING AND, AND DIVERSE IN THEIR OWN, UH, INDUSTRIES.
I DUNNO IF ANY OF YOU HAVE HEARD OF DUDE.
HAS ANYONE HEARD OF DUDE? PERFECT.
UM, THEY ARE A SOCIAL MEDIA, UH, PHENOM AND, UH, A BUNCH OF TEXAS A AND M STUDENTS RAISED A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS TO SCALE THEIR CONCEPT, UM, INTO A NEW MEDIA, UH, AND SPORTS PLATFORM.
UH, THEY HIRED, UH, THE CEO, UH, ANDREW YAFFE FROM THE NBA, AND HE RAN CONTENT FOR THE NBA.
AND HE'S GOING TO, UH, COME DOWN HERE, UH, MEET SOME OF, OF, UH, EXECUTIVES IN THE SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY AND TALK ABOUT HOW THEY ARE USING CONTENT CREATION TO BRIDGE GAPS BETWEEN EDUCATION AND SPORTS.
UM, IT'LL BE A VERY, VERY INTERESTING, UH, CONCEPT.
UH, STEVE KANE, PRESIDENT, CEO OF GREATER HOUSTON PARTNERSHIP IS GONNA BE HELPING WITH SOME OPENING REMARKS, TALKING ABOUT, OF COURSE, THE POWER OF THE PARTNERSHIP AND, UH, THE, THE PAST, THE HISTORY, THE PRESENT AND THE FUTURE, UM, OF OUR REGION ACCORDING TO THEIR, UM, ACCORDING TO THEIR RESEARCH.
UH, NORMAN GARZA, WHO IS THE, UH, THE COMMISSIONER FOR, UM, UH, THE, THE NEW TEXAS SPACE COMMISSION.
HE'LL BE, UH, AT THE EVENT WITH OTHER SPACE RELATED COMPANIES TALKING ABOUT THE FUTURE OF SPACE AND HOW YOU CAN IMPLEMENT THAT, UM, INTO YOUR BUSINESS.
AND THEN LAST BUT NOT LEAST, DR.
MORE LAURA MARIA WILL BE ONE OF OUR KEYNOTE SPEAKERS AND SHE'LL BE DOING SOME, UH, AMAZING THINGS AT OUR EVENT.
UM, SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO, DR.
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INVITE YOU UP AND TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR ROLE AT THE SUMMIT.WELL, WE'RE GONNA START THINGS FIRST BY THANKING YOU FOR JOINING US HERE IN HOUSTON, BUT THIS WAS IN DALLAS LAST YEAR AND IN HOUSTON, EVERYTHING IS BIGGER AND BETTER.
SO LET'S STAND UP AND LET'S FEEL SOME ENERGY AND EXCITEMENT HERE.
LET'S HEAR FOR ED AND Y TEXAS.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
THANK YOU FOR BELIEVING THAT HOUSTON CAN HOST THIS IN ONE OF OUR STADIUMS. AND YOU'RE GONNA HEAR FROM JUAN RYAN WALSH IN A LITTLE BIT.
AND I'M PROUD TO SERVE ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR THE HOUSTON HARRIS COUNTY SPORTS AUTHORITY AND ALL OF THE PHENOMENAL WORK THAT THEY ARE DOING.
RYAN, THEIR TEAM, OUR, OUR CHAIRMAN, JUAN GARCIA.
AND THIS CERTAINLY AT, I THINK, IS A GREAT LEAD UP TO THE PHENOMENAL THINGS WE DO IN HOUSTON.
THANKS TO VOLUNTEERS, THANKS TO YOUNG LEADERS.
I KNOW YOU'RE WORKING WITH THE SCHOOLS AND THE COLLEGES.
LINDA, THANK YOU FOR MAKING SURE THAT THE HOUSTON HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IS INVOLVED IN THIS.
AND WE GET REQUESTS TO PARTNER WITH PEOPLE ALL OF THE TIME, BUT WE JUST CAN'T.
THERE'S SO MANY REQUESTS AND IT'S A SMALL TEAM OF FOUR, BUT THIS, MY FRIENDS, IS ABSOLUTELY ON OUR RADAR AND WE WILL BE THERE AND WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH IT.
WE'VE HAD 'EM ON OUR TELEVISION PROGRAMS ON CBS, ON OUR SIX RADIO STATIONS PROMOTING Y TEXAS.
AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.
WHY? WHY TEXAS? BECAUSE THIS IS THE EPICENTER FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP, AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT IS SUCCESSFUL AND WE NEED YOUR HELP.
WE NEED YOU TO HELP PROMOTE THIS PHENOMENAL EVENT THAT'S GOING TO BE LOADED WITH ACTIVITIES FOR ALL AGES, FOR OUR SPONSORS THAT ED IS TAKING CARE OF TO MAKE SURE THERE ARE VIP EXPERIENCES THERE, INTERACTIVE OPPORTUNITIES.
I'LL BE THE KEYNOTE SPEAKER, SO I'LL GO LIKE THIS AND YOU'LL CLAP.
WE, I WANNA THANK THE CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE WHO ARE HERE WITH US.
I SEE MY FRIENDS FROM THE WOODLANDS.
I SAW, UH, ANDY WHO CAME IN FROM AUSTIN.
THIS IS AN ABSOLUTE BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY.
THIS IS ABOUT PROMOTING OUR REGION, KEEPING IT STRONG.
WE'RE WELCOMING THE WORLD CUP TO HOUSTON, TEXAS NEXT YEAR.
WE ARE ABSOLUTELY ON THE PLATFORM TO CONTINUE DOING PHENOMENAL AND GREAT THINGS.
SO YOU CAN HELP BY PROMOTING TODAY'S PRESS CONFERENCE.
AND I WANNA THANK OF COURSE, OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS AND ESPECIALLY WANNA THANK COUNCIL MEMBER.
UH, COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT, ALL THAT YOU DO.
HE TRULY IS A SERVANT LEADER WITH A FAMILY WHO MAKES TIME FOR THIS CITY EVERY SINGLE DAY AND MAKES TIME FOR BUSINESS AND UNDERSTANDS THE VALUE THAT BUSINESSES AND ENTREPRENEURS BRING TO THIS REGION.
SO MAKE SURE YOU THANK HIM AND HIS TEAM FOR THE EXTRAORDINARY WORK THAT THEY DO.
AND ED, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO JOIN THE MEN AS ONE OF YOUR KEYNOTE SPEAKERS VERY SOON.
AND I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU ON BEHALF OF OUR BOARD, OUR STAFF, VOLUNTEERS OF THE HOUSTON HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
WELL, I THINK THE POWER OF CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE AND TRADE ORGANIZATIONS IS REALLY THE KIND OF THE HEARTBEAT OF, OF, OF BUSINESS IN THE STATE.
SO HAVING THE SUPPORT OF, UM, OF DR.
MARIA AND, AND HER, UM, ORGANIZATION IS, IS JUST A GAME CHANGER FOR US.
UM, IT LEADS ME TO MY NEXT SPEAKER.
UH, I'D LIKE TO BRING UP TO THE STAGE RYAN WALSH.
UH, RYAN IS THE CEO OF THE HARRIS COUNTY HOUSTON SPORTS AUTHORITY.
GOOD AFTERNOON AND THANKS SO MUCH, ED AND Y TEXAS FOR ASKING ME TO BE HERE TODAY.
I'M THE CEO OF THE HARRIS COUNTY HOUSTON SPORTS AUTHORITY, AND I'M EXCITED TO SUPPORT THE Y TEXAS SUMMIT THIS FALL.
IT'S AN EVENT THAT CONNECTS OUR REGION AND SHAPES THE FUTURE OF BUSINESSES AND INNOVATION ACROSS TEXAS AND SPECIFICALLY HERE IN HOUSTON.
AND MORE SPECIFICALLY, THE SPORTS OF THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS, WHICH OF COURSE, HOUSTON IS ONE OF THE WORLD'S LEADING DESTINATIONS FOR MAJOR SPORTING EVENTS.
IT'S GONNA BE A DYNAMIC GROUP OF LEADERS AND SPEAKERS, INCLUDING, UH, MAYOR WHITMEYER, OUR OWN COUNCILMAN, JOAQUIN MARTINEZ,
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UH, THE SECRETARY OF TOURISM FOR NUEVO LEONE.AND OF COURSE, UH, ANDREW FROM DUDE PERFECT, WHO YOU MENTIONED.
THE SPORTS AUTHORITY IS ALSO GONNA CO-HOST A PANEL WITH AN UPDATE ON WORLD CUP 2026 HERE IN HOUSTON, WHICH I HAVEN'T SPOKEN ANYTHING ABOUT IN THE LAST THREE WEEKS, I PROMISE.
SO IT'S NICE TO ACTUALLY BE TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING OTHER THAN WORLD CUP FOR CHANGE, BUT WE WILL HEAR FROM THE HOST COMMITTEE TALKING ABOUT THE UPDATES HERE IN HOUSTON.
BUT WE'RE ALSO GONNA EXPLORE HOW BUSINESSES CAN BENEFIT FROM THE SPORTS INDUSTRY HERE IN HOUSTON AND BEYOND, FROM TOURISM AND TECHNOLOGY TO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
THE OPPORTUNITY TRULY IS ENDLESS AND WE WANT EVERYONE TO BE A PART OF THAT.
IT'S A POWERFUL REMINDER THAT COLLABORATION REALLY DOES TAKE EVERYONE.
IT'S A CULTURAL, IT'S AN ECONOMIC IMPACT, AND THE SPORTS AT LARGE, UH, IS A TRULY GLOBAL INITIATIVE.
SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO BEING A PART OF THE 2025 Y TEXAS SUMMIT HERE IN HOUSTON.
HOPE YOU KEEP BRINGING IT BACK TO HOUSTON, UH, AND LOOK FORWARD TO BEING A PART.
THANK, SO, THE FIRST PERSON I HAD SERIOUS CONVERSATIONS WITH ABOUT, UH, BRINGING THE SUMMIT TO HOUSTON WAS LINDA HAD, AND I'M SURE I'LL ASK FOR RA A RAISE OF HANDS, HOW MANY PEOPLE KNOW LINDA? PROBABLY EVERYONE IN HERE.
UM, LINDA HAS HAD A STEAM AN ESTEEM CAREER.
UM, SHE SPENT, UH, I HAD AN ESTEEMED CAREER IN, UH, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND INDUSTRY, UM, PARTNERSHIPS WITH COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES.
WHEN WE FIRST CAME UP WITH THIS CONCEPT, WE HAD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AND COLLEGE STUDENTS KIND OF PARTICIPATING, UM, IN OUR EVENT.
AND A COUPLE OF THE THINGS THAT LINDA HAD MENTIONED TO ME WAS, HOW ABOUT COUNSELORS? HOW ABOUT SUPERINTENDENTS? HOW ABOUT THE PEOPLE AT THE SCHOOL THAT ARE MAKING THE DECISIONS AND SENDING THE MESSAGE TO THE STUDENTS ABOUT CAREER OPPORTUNITIES, UH, IN THE FUTURE? SO I'M VERY EXCITED TO INTRODUCE LINDA HEAD.
YEAH, NO, I GREW UP IN ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA.
ANYONE EVER HERE OF ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA.
SO IN 1980, WHEN I GRADUATED FROM COLLEGE, THERE WERE NO JOBS THERE.
SO, UH, ANY ANYBODY FROM DETROIT? I THINK I MET SOMEONE FROM DETROIT.
UM, WE ALL CAME DOWN TO TEXAS BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE JOBS WERE.
BUT IN 1986, I WENT TO LONE STAR COLLEGE AS A FACULTY, ONE OF THE YOUNGER FACULTY.
UM, MY NAME'S LINDA LETO HEAD, AND I'M HONORED TO BE WITH YOU TODAY.
I'M CURRENTLY SEMI-RETIRED AS OF FEBRUARY 1ST, AND FROM LONE STAR COLLEGE, WHO SERVES 90,000 STUDENTS EVERY SEMESTER.
WE'RE ONE OF THE LARGEST COMMUNITY COLLEGES IN THE COUNTRY.
AND I PROUDLY SERVE STUDENTS AND THE BUSINESSES AND HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATIONS IN HOUSTON, MOST RECENTLY AS SENIOR ASSOCIATE VICE CHANCELLOR FOR STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS.
BUT RETIREMENT HASN'T STOPPED MY PASSION.
I CONTINUE MY LIFELONG WORK IN TALENT DEVELOPMENT AND STUDENT JOB PLACEMENT, A JOURNEY THAT BEGAN AT TENNECO OIL BACK IN 1980.
I STARTED AS A RECRUITER FOR AN OIL AND GAS COMPANY.
TODAY I HAVE THE UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO REPRESENT BOTH PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND COLLEGES.
AND THAT'S WHY ED BROUGHT ME ON TO REPRESENT THE EDUCATORS.
AND I'VE JOINED ED A YEAR AGO AND MET HE AND THOMAS MICHAEL HOGG, WHO'S HERE, AND FOLLOWING A GREAT CONVERSATION WITH OUR COLLEAGUES AT DALLAS COLLEGE.
ALSO, IS THERE SOMEONE HERE FROM DALLAS TODAY? I DON'T THINK SO.
I DON'T THINK THEY'RE HERE, BUT WE'RE GOOD COLLEAGUES WITH THE PEOPLE IN DALLAS WHERE IT STARTED AND, YOU KNOW, BRING ON THE COMPETITION.
WHEN I THINK ABOUT WHAT OUR GOALS IN EDUCATION SHOULD BE FOR THIS EVENT, FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE EDUCATORS, AND THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE BUSINESS FOR PRIORITIES COME TO MIND FIRST, WE MUST EDUCATE THE EDUCATORS WHILE SITTING ON THE GREATER HOUSTON PARTNERSHIPS, UPSKILL HOUSTON COUNCIL AND FACILITATING ADVISORY COUNCILS FOR OUR CHANCELLORS AND CAMPUS PRESIDENTS AT LONE STAR COLLEGE.
ONE MESSAGE FROM INDUSTRY HAS BEEN LOUD AND CLEAR, WE ARE NOT MOVING FAST ENOUGH.
EMPLOYERS WANT GRADUATES WHO ARE PREPARED AND THEY WANT IT DONE NOW.
THEY WANT THEM TO HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE WITH SKILLS THEY ACTUALLY NEED.
IT SHOULDN'T BE LEFT UP TO JUST THE EDUCATORS TO COME UP WITH WHAT THE DEGREES AND CERTIFICATES ARE, RIGHT? WE NEED TO LISTEN TO YOU.
AND LET ME BE HONEST, OUR STUDENTS WON'T LAND THE RIGHT OPPORTUNITIES IF EACH COURSE HASN'T BEEN VALIDATED BY ACTUAL EMPLOYERS.
BUSINESSES DON'T WANT LONG POWERPOINTS OR LECTURES ON OUR ACCOLADES WHEN ATTENDING MEETINGS WITH US EITHER.
THEY WANT US TO LISTEN, THEY WANT US TO UNDERSTAND, AND
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THEN THEY WANT US TO ACT.WE KNOW HOW TO BUILD STRONG PROGRAMS, BUT WE HAVE TO BEGIN BY HEARING WHAT INDUSTRY IS ACTUALLY DOING AND WHAT YOU TRULY NEED.
I HOPE TO SEE MORE ADVISORS AND COUNSELORS, AS ED MENTIONED, JOINING US IN SEPTEMBER ALONGSIDE WORKFORCE AND CTE EDUCATORS, PRESIDENTS, AND HOPEFULLY SUPERINTENDENTS SO WE CAN ALIGN OUR EFFORTS MORE EFFECTIVELY.
SECONDLY, WE NEED TO REINFORCE THE IMPORTANCE OF VALIDATING LABOR MARKET DATA WITH REAL WORLD CONVERSATIONS.
DASHBOARDS AND SPREADSHEETS ARE USEFUL, BUT THEY DON'T TELL THE WHOLE STORY.
WANT TO KNOW IF MAMMOGRAPHERS OR LINE WORKERS ARE REALLY NEEDED? DON'T JUST READ THE DATA.
WE NEED TO KNOW WHO YOU'RE REALLY HIRING.
SEARCH THE JOB BOARDS, CALL THE HOSPITALS OR UTILITY COMPANIES.
THAT HUMAN LAYER OF INSIGHT IS CRITICAL.
THIRD, WE EDUCATORS MUST FOCUS ON BUILDING LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN EDUCATORS AND THE BUSINESS AND HEALTHCARE COMMUNITIES.
NOT ONE-TIME MEETINGS, NOT ANNUAL REPORTS, TRUE LASTING COLLABORATION THAT SHAPES CURRICULUM, INFLUENCES HIRING PIPELINES AND OPENS DOORS FOR STUDENTS.
AND IT MUST BE BY INDUSTRY SECTOR.
AND ED DOES LISTEN TO ME ONCE IN A WHILE AND I TRY TO LISTEN TO HIM.
AND WE DID SET UP BY INDUSTRY SECTOR BECAUSE THEY'RE DIFFERENT.
THE IT SECTOR'S DIFFERENT FROM THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR AND IS DIFFERENT FROM HEALTHCARE BECAUSE THEY EACH HAVE THEIR OWN NEEDS AND NUANCES.
AND TO CLOSE THE FOURTH ITEM, LET'S EXPLORE TOGETHER INNOVATIVE FUNDING OPTIONS.
WE CAN'T KEEP GOING TO THE GOVERNMENT FOR MONEY, WHETHER THROUGH BANKS, GRANTS, OR SOMETIMES GOVERNMENT PARTNERSHIPS TO HELP FUND EQUIPMENT, SOFTWARE, AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR INSTRUCTORS, ADVISORS AND COUNSELORS.
EXTERNSHIPS FOR EDUCATORS COULD BE GAME CHANGERS TO HELP KEEP THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND THE COMMUNITY COLLEGES AND THE UNIVERSITIES UPDATED.
LET'S GET THE PEOPLE INTO YOUR COMPANIES AND LET THEM SEE WHAT IT'S REALLY LIKE.
WE MIGHT HAVE HIRED THEM 15 YEARS AGO IN IT, BUT THINGS HAVE CHANGED.
THEY MIGHT HAVE WORKED IN LONG GAS 25 YEARS AGO, BUT HAVE THEY BEEN IN A MODERN DAY PLACE? AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE'RE ALL HERE BECAUSE WE CARE ABOUT THE FUTURE.
I ALWAYS SAY EDUCATION IS IMPORTANT, BUT IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT ACADEMICS.
IT'S ABOUT HELPING PEOPLE FIND INCOME THROUGH MEANINGFUL CAREERS.
I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING MORE OF YOUR COLLEAGUES AND PARTNERS JOINING US ON SEPTEMBER 24TH.
TOGETHER WE CAN TRULY MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR HOUSTON AND FOR TEXAS.
UM, YEAH, YOU CAN HEAR THE PASSION AND LOOK, AS THE STATE GROWS AND AS HOUSTON GROWS, THE WORKFORCE IS GOING TO BE REALLY THE THE THING THAT MAKES IT, THAT MAKES IT HAPPEN.
IT'S THE, UM, YOU KNOW, IF WE DON'T HAVE THE SKILLED TALENT TO FILL THESE POSITIONS FOR THESE LARGE COMPANIES COMING INTO THE STATE, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S GONNA BE A LONG ROAD.
UM, WHICH LEADS ME TO OUR, UH, NEXT SPEAKER, UH, MIKE MATUS.
UM, I'VE GOTTEN A CHANCE TO KNOW MIKE OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS.
MIKE WORKS FOR A COMPANY CALLED NVIDIA AND YOU MIGHT WANNA LEARN MORE.
SO, MIKE MATUS, UM, I COVERED THE HIGHER ED, UH, RESEARCH VERTICAL FOR OUR TEXAS, SO OUR TEAM, SO WHEN IT KIND OF DOVETAILS INTO, WE HAVE A WHOLE SET OF CURRICULUM BY THE WAY THAT WE ARE DEPLOY INTO UNIVERSITIES.
BUT, UM, NVIDIA SPONSORED THIS LAST YEAR UP IN DALLAS.
SO HERE WE'RE BACK AGAIN THIS YEAR, OBVIOUSLY TO SPONSOR.
I'M STANDING IN FOR MARK SPEER, WHO'S OUR INDUSTRY WORLDWIDE, UH, LEADER FOR ENERGY WHO'S BASED HERE IN HOUSTON.
SO WE DRIVE ALL OUR ENERGY BUSINESS ACROSS ALL DOMAINS OF ENERGY HERE OUT HOUSTON.
SO, UH, NVIDIA HAS QUITE A FOOTPRINT IN TEXAS AND IT'S GROWING.
SO WE HAVE OFFICES IN AUSTIN, 500 EMPLOYEES AT LEAST.
UH, I DUNNO IF YOU'VE SEEN THE ANNOUNCEMENT WE ANNOUNCED WE'RE GONNA INVEST $500 BILLION IN CHIP MANUFACTURING AND INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE US.
UM, AND WE'RE GONNA PUT TWO FACTORIES IN TEXAS, ONE IN DALLAS, AND ONE IN HOUSTON.
SO A LARGE CHUNK OF THAT WHAT OUR CEO ANNOUNCED, A LARGE CHUNK OF THAT MONEY WILL BE IN TEXAS.
ALSO, WE'LL BE TEAMING WITH, UH, THE FOLKS OUT IN ABILENE ON THE STARGATE THING.
SO, UH, A LOT OF ACTIVITY FROM NVIDIA IN TEXAS.
AND LIKE I SAID, ED, WHY TEXAS? I SAY YES, TEXAS.
YEAH, IT'S VERY, VERY IMPORTANT TO, UM, CONVERGE THE ENERGY INDUSTRY WITH AI AND TECHNOLOGY.
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REALLY WHAT'S GOING TO MAKE HOUSTON.UM, A BIG PLAYER IN ALL OF THIS IS WITH INVESTMENTS LIKE NVIDIA AND THEN ALL OF THE OIL AND GAS COMPANIES AND, AND ENERGY IN HOUSTON.
UM, IT'S GONNA BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY.
UM, I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE OUR NEXT SPEAKER, JASON DAY.
UH, JASON IS A DIRECTOR OF UNMANNED AIRCRAFT AT THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY.
JASON HAS ALSO BEEN INVOLVED OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS IN OUR EVENT, AND, UM, HE'S GOT SOME VERY EXCITED THINGS THAT HE'S WORKING ON AS WELL.
SO, YEP, I'M, UH, JASON DM, THE DIRECTOR OF UNMANNED AIRCRAFT FOR THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY.
YOU KNOW, TEXAS HAS ALWAYS BEEN A STATE DEFINED BY BOLD VISION AND BOUNDLESS POTENTIAL, AND WHY TEXAS EMBODIES THAT SPIRIT.
WE'VE HAD THE PLEASURE OF DPS OF ATTENDING Y TEXAS FOR THE PAST FEW YEARS, AND THE ENGAGEMENT THAT WE HAVE WITH STAKEHOLDERS HAS BEEN VERY FRUITFUL AND, AND VERY ENTERTAINING EVERY SINGLE YEAR AS A DYNAMIC PLATFORM, CONNECTING TOP EXECUTIVES ACROSS THE STATE, Y TEXAS FOSTERS THE KIND OF INNOVATION THAT DRIVES OUR ECONOMY FORWARD.
IT'S NOT JUST A NETWORK, IT'S A BRIDGE WHERE COLLABORATION MEETS ACTION, EMPOWERING COMPANIES AND AGENCIES TO THINK BIGGER, MOVE FASTER, AND SERVE BETTER.
THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE WHEN IT COMES TO PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS IN AN ERA DEFINED BY RAPID TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE.
THE REAL PROGRESS HAPPENS WHEN BOUNDARIES DISSOLVE AND SILOS ARE BROKEN.
WHEN ENTERPRISE AND GOVERNMENTS ALIGNED ACROSS SHARED GOALS ACROSS ALL OF TEXAS, BECAUSE OF WHY TEXAS, WE'RE ABLE TO UNITE LEADERS, DECISION MAKERS AND INNOVATORS TO SHAPE SMARTER AND SAFER COMMUNITIES.
AND WE'RE LOOKING AHEAD BECAUSE THE FUTURE OF PUBLIC SAFETY RESTS IN THE HANDS OF THE NEXT GENERATION.
TEXAS DPS, ALONGSIDE OUR INCREDIBLE PARTNERS, TEXAS MILITARY DEPARTMENT, TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE ARE PROUD TO SHOWCASE HOW UNMANNED AIRCRAFT OR DRONES CAN BE USED FOR GOOD FROM SEARCH AND RESCUE TO DISASTER RESPONSE.
THESE TOOLS ARE TRANSFORMING LANDSCAPES ACROSS EMERGENCY OPERATIONS, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, THEY'RE OPENING DOORS FOR THE FUTURE WORKFORCE TO SEE THAT TECHNOLOGY ISN'T JUST A GADGET, IT'S A GATEWAY TO PUBLIC SERVICE.
AND THIS COLLABORATION IS ESPECIALLY MEANINGFUL FOR CITIES LIKE HOUSTON, WHERE CUTTING EDGE INNOVATION MEETS REAL WORLD IMPACT.
BY INVESTING IN THESE TECHNOLOGIES AND CONVERSATIONS, WE'RE HELPING HOUSTON LEAD THE WAY IN PUBLIC SAFETY SOLUTIONS THAT ARE ETHICAL, EFFECTIVE, AND FORWARD THINKING.
I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING ALL OF YOU AT Y TEXAS THIS YEAR.
THANK YOU'LL, YOU'LL SEE SOME REALLY COOL DRONES AND TECHNOLOGY, BUT UNFORTUNATELY THE STADIUM DOES NOT LET US FLY THEM AROUND.
UM, BUT YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE, UH, STANDSTILLS AND UM, AND TALK TO THEM ABOUT, UH, REAL WORLD PROJECTS THAT ARE USING DRONE TECHNOLOGY, EVEN WITH FIFA WORLD CUP, OR OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, IN ANY, UH, UH, SORT OF DISASTER.
UM, SO MY NEXT SPEAKER, UH, IS ANOTHER NEW FRIEND OF MINE, ARNOLD CASTRO.
HE IS, UH, THE ASSISTANT DEAN FOR AI AT TEXAS A AND M UNIVERSITY.
UM, HE CAME FROM INDUSTRY TO WORK AT TEXAS A AND M.
WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO HAVE TEXAS A AND M BE A PARTNER SO THAT WE CAN START WORKING WITH MORE UNIVERSITIES, UM, IN ADDITION TO THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM.
SO, ARNOLD CASTRO, PLEASE HOWDY EVERYONE.
SO, YES, I, MY TITLE THERE IS, THERE'S SOME ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TO ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.
UM, SO I AM THE NEW DEAN OF AI FOR MACE BUSINESS SCHOOL.
UH, THAT'S ACTUALLY THE FIRST DEAN OF AI REALLY IN ANY SCHOOL THAT WE'VE LOOKED AT, WHICH IS PRETTY AWESOME TO SEE WHAT TEXAS A AND M IS THINKING ABOUT.
THEY'RE REALLY FORWARD THINKING, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, OKAY, HOW DO WE INTEGRATE AI INTO ALL THE CURRICULUM? UM, AND YOU KNOW, NVIDIA HAVING JUST BEEN UP HERE, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, BASED ON OUR CONVERSATIONS, YOU KNOW, A AND M HAS THE LARGEST AI INFRASTRUCTURE AND EDUCATION IN THE WHOLE COUNTRY, WHICH IS IMPRESSIVE, RIGHT? AND RIGHT NOW WE'RE FIGURING OUT HOW ARE WE GONNA BE PUTTING IT, YOU KNOW, TO USE ACROSS ALL THE WHOLE SYSTEM REALLY IS WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE USING IT ACROSS.
SO REALLY COOL THINGS ARE HAPPENING THERE.
MY INITIATIVE THERE IS, YOU KNOW, AND, AND THIS DEALS WITH TEXAS AND, AND, AND THE MISSION OF WHY TEXAS IS TO EDUCATE OUR NEXT GENERATION AND HOW TO LEVERAGE AI IN BUSINESS.
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MEANS EVERY CORNER OF BUSINESS, NOT JUST THE COMPUTER SCIENCE SIDE OR YOU KNOW, ALL THE OTHER AREAS THAT YOU USED TO SEE IN AI AND WE'RE, WE'RE TAPPING INTO HR, INTO ACCOUNTING, FINANCE, YOU NAME IT.WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO GO IN THERE AND FIGURE OUT HOW DO YOU LEVERAGE AI IN THIS NEW AREA.
UM, IF YOU THINK ABOUT YOUR CURRICULUM OR BACK WHEN YOU WERE IN SCHOOL, THERE USED TO, YOU KNOW, THE, THE OLD WAY OF DOING, IT'S NOW CALLED THE CLASSICAL WAY, WHAT WE'VE BEEN TAUGHT FOR DECADES NOW, THERE'S A NEW WAY, A MORE AUTOMATED WAY, BUT YOU STILL NEED A HUMAN IN THE LOOP.
YOU STILL NEED TO BE ABLE TO TEST THE OUTCOME AND MAKE SURE THAT IT'S VALID.
I'M HERE TO SAY THAT FOR NOW, RIGHT? UH, BUT WE NEED TO LEARN HOW TO LEVERAGE THOSE, THAT NEW TECHNOLOGY, THAT'S GONNA BE OUR NEW COWORKER.
SO THAT'S MY, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE THINGS THEY'RE GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT AT THE EVENT.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE THE MCFERRIN CENTER AS MENTIONED EARLIER BY ED TALKING ABOUT THE PITCH COMPETITION.
YOU'LL NOTICE THAT THERE'S GONNA BE A COMMON THEME ALONG ALL THE STUDENTS, AND A LOT OF IT IS AI BASED BECAUSE THAT'S THE NEW HOT TOPIC EVERYWHERE.
UH, SO I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO REALLY GETTING TO KNOW A LOT OF YOU GUYS AT THE COM AT THE, UH, EVENT AND TALKING MORE ABOUT THIS CONVERSATION OF AI.
I'D LIKE FOR THE TWO STUDENTS THAT HELPED US KICK THIS, UH, PITCH COMPETITION OFF, PLEASE STAND UP.
UH, CHRIS, MISS CARDO AND AARON GEORGE ARE BOTH STUDENTS AT TEXAS A AND M AND SOON TO BE UT RGV.
UM, I'M SURE YOU'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME AND YOU PROBABLY HAVE KIDS THAT, UM, ARE GOING TO COLLEGE, BUT THE WAY THEY THINK IS, UM, IS SO UNIQUE.
I MEAN, I, THEY'VE GIVEN US SO MANY INTERESTING IDEAS ON HOW TO BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN WHAT A STUDENT IS LEARNING AND WHAT THEIR INTERESTS ARE AND, YOU KNOW, AND AN APPLICATION IN THE REAL WORLD.
THEY CAME UP WITH THIS IDEA OF HO HOSTING A PITCH COMPETITION WHERE IT'S A STUDENT LED INITIATIVE WHERE WE'RE GONNA OPEN UP AN APPLICATION FOR ANY STUDENT IN THE STATE OF TEXAS THAT HAS AN IDEA TO SUBMIT AN APPLICATION.
AND WE'RE GONNA SORT THROUGH AND HAVE A PITCH COMPETITION.
AND ARNOLD DIDN'T SAY THIS, BUT TEXAS A AND M IS CHALLENGING OTHER UNIVERSITIES TO PUT TOGETHER TEAMS TO BRING TO THE EVENT.
ALL FUNDS ARE GONNA GO TO, UM, A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION.
IT'S OUR LEADERSHIP ACADEMY, AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE 28 STUDENTS FOLLOW US AROUND THE STATE NEXT YEAR.
AND HOPEFULLY THEIR IDEAS COME TO LIGHT, THEY RAISE MONEY, THEY GET DO SOME BUSINESS WITH TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION OR SOMETHING ELSE.
SO I GIVE YOU BOTH A LOT OF CREDIT FOR MAKING IT HAPPEN.
SO, LAST BUT NOT LEAST, LIZ HACKER IS ANOTHER GOOD FRIEND OF MINE WHO LIVES IN AUSTIN, AND SHE IS THE REGIONAL HEAD OF CAPITAL MARKETS FOR THE NYSE TEXAS.
AND I'LL HAVE HER TELL YOU ALL ABOUT IT, BUT WHAT DO THEY CALL IT, Y'ALL STREET? THAT'S, UH, IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A THING.
UH, SO PLEASE WELCOME LIZ HAWKER.
UH, YEAH, THAT IS A THING THAT'S COMING UP Y'ALL STREET MORE AND MORE, BUT, UM, I'M HAPPY TO BE HERE.
I'M LIZ HAWKER WITH THE NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE.
UM, I WORK OUT OF NEW YORK, BUT ACTUALLY I'VE BEEN LIVING IN AUSTIN SINCE 2000.
SO I'M VERY PROUD TO BE A TEXAN THROUGH AND THROUGH, UM, AT THE NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE.
SO I WORK WITH PRIVATE COMPANIES EVERY SINGLE DAY THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF TEXAS ON THEIR PATH TO THE PUBLIC MARKETS AND, AND HELP THEM ALONG THE WAY.
TEXAS IS ACTUALLY THE HOME OF MORE NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE COMPANIES THAN ANY OTHER STATE IN THE US.
WE HAVE, IT REPRESENTS $3.7 TRILLION IN MARKET VALUE.
SO WE ARE REALLY PROUD TO BE PART OF THE STATE AND ALSO HERE TO SUPPORT OUR ISSUERS EVERY SINGLE DAY.
THAT SAID, EARLIER THIS YEAR WE LAUNCHED NYSC TEXAS.
WE ARE THE VERY FIRST STOCK EXCHANGE IN TEXAS, AND WE'RE UP AND OPERATING AND WE ARE DUAL LISTING COMPANIES EVERY DAY.
A LOT OF PUBLIC COMPANIES ARE VERY, VERY ATTRACTED TO TEXAS AND GLOBALLY, UM, AND ALSO IN THE STATE TO SUPPORT ALL THE PRO BUSINESS WORK THAT THE STATE IS DOING RIGHT NOW.
AND THAT IS JUST ONE WAY THAT WE ARE SHOWING SUPPORT FOR THE STATE.
IT'S SHOWING SUPPORT FOR OUR ISSUERS.
SO WE ARE ALSO VERY PROUD TO BE WORKING WITH ED AND THE Y TEXAS TEAM AND ALL THE TREMENDOUS WORK THAT THE TEAM IS DOING FOR TEXAS TO ATTRACT BUSINESSES AND ALSO EDUCATE THE WORLD ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE IN TEXAS.
IN FACT, BECAUSE OF HIM I SPOKE AT, UH, SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST IN LONDON AND TALKED ABOUT TEXAS AND, AND OUR PRO BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT.
SO, UM, IT'S, UH, IT'S GONNA BE A VERY EXCITING EVENT AT
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THE SUMMIT.UH, WE'RE A SPONSOR AND, UH, WANTED TO SHARE ALSO THAT WE'LL BE RINGING THE CLOSING BELL ON AUGUST 28TH TO SUPPORT THE, THE SUMMIT IN NEW YORK.
SO WE'LL HAVE A TEAM UP THERE TO ACTUALLY CELEBRATE Y TEXAS AND ALL THE GREAT WORK THAT'S BEING, UH, BEING DONE HERE.
UM, WHAT ELSE CAN I TELL YOU? I THINK THAT COVERS EVERYTHING, BUT, UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND, UH, LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING YOU ALL AT THE SUMMIT.
OKAY, WELL, LOOK, UM, I HOPE YOU ENJOYED, UH, WHAT YOU HEARD TODAY.
I KNOW IT'S, IT'S A LOT, BUT IF YOU THINK ABOUT ALL OF THE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN TEXAS, UM, YOU OF COURSE WANT TO INCLUDE ALL OF THE DIFFERENT FACETS OF OUR, UM, OF OUR GREAT STATE AND, UH, THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
SO ON THE SCREEN HERE ARE SOME OF OUR, UH, SUPPORTERS AND ATTENDEES AND SPONSORS.
WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO WELCOME YOU ALL.
UM, AND WE ARE GOING TO BE HEADING UPSTAIRS FOR OUR PROCLAMATION.
SO AGAIN, VERY MUCH DON'T GO ANYWHERE.
UM, SO WITH THAT, JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE STATEMENT IS CLEAR WHY TEXAS SUMMIT IS IN HOUSTON.
I'VE ALREADY BEEN BAPTIZED WITH MY WHITE TEXAS PEN.
UH, WHAT I WANNA DO NOW IS, UH, GIVE ED A CITY OF HOUSTON LAPEL PEN TO LET HIM KNOW THAT WE WANT HIM TO CONTINUE TO STAY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON FOR YEARS TO COME.
UM, AND AS ED MENTIONED, UH, WE'RE NOW GONNA BE GIVING THE PROCLAMATION UPSTAIRS SO THE REST OF CITY COUNCIL, THE MAYOR WILL BE THERE.
I THINK IT'S GONNA SHOW A GREAT, IT'S GONNA BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW A GOOD FORCE OF WHAT IS GONNA BE COMING TO HOUSTON ON IN SEPTEMBER.
SO I, I WELCOME YOU ALL TO EITHER TAKE THE ELEVATOR OR STAIRS, UH, WHATEVER, WHATEVER IT CAN, UH, YOU CAN HANDLE.
AND THEN WE'LL SEE YOU UP THERE AND LOOK FORWARD TO PRESENTING THIS PROCLAMATION.