The Managing Director of the Innovation Hub brought leaders together in Dallas for two days of bold ideas, big connections, and the future of entrepreneurship in Texas.
Dallas buzzed with ideas this July as innovation leaders from across Texas gathered for the 2025 Texas University Network for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (TUNIE) Conference.
Hosted by the SMU Cox William S. Spears Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership and the SMU Cox Caruth Institute for Entrepreneurship, the conference brought together center directors and change-makers who share one mission: building stronger entrepreneurial ecosystems on their campuses and in their communities. This year’s gathering was a true statewide effort, co-led by SMU colleagues.
TUNIE, a statewide consortium of university innovation and entrepreneurship leaders, connects institutions to share best practices, collaborate on initiatives, and strengthen Texas’ innovation ecosystem. This year’s conference drew 55 attendees an that representatives from 24 different universities and colleges across the state. You can learn more about our members here.
As Executive Director of TUNIE, Taysha work year-round with the Board of Directors and members to bring the best practices in entrepreneurship and innovation to our campuses, creating opportunities for collaboration and growth across Texas. The annual conference is one of TUNIE’s biggest touchpoints, where ideas meet action.
From the opening lunch to the closing membership meeting, the energy never dipped. Attendees kicked off the first day with a keynote from Chris Heivly, founder of MapQuest and co-author of Build the Fort, a book about startup communities. Heivly challenged the room to think differently about how we grow innovation ecosystems, emphasizing the importance of trust, density, and shared experiences.
Conversations flowed easily into the afternoon’s best practices roundtable, where stories of campus innovation sparked new ideas and unexpected partnerships. The second day carried that momentum forward, with sessions on how universities can better serve underrepresented entrepreneurs, refine entrepreneurship center programming, and collaborate with economic development organizations to drive local opportunity.
Alongside the formal discussions, coffee breaks and hallway conversations turned into mini-strategy sessions — proof that sometimes the best takeaways happen between the lines of the agenda.
Representing Texas Tech alongside me Taysha was Ryan Bain, Program Manager, and Mallory Thomason, Administrative Coordinator. Together, they connected with peers from across the state, sharing insights from the Innovation Hub’s programs and bringing back fresh ideas for the Red Raider entrepreneurial community.
By the time the final lunch plates were cleared, the conference had done more than exchange information, it had sparked new connections, inspired bold thinking, and reminded everyone why gatherings like TUNIE matter. With the partnership of SMU and the dedication of our TUNIE network, the 2025 conference was a catalyst for what comes next in Texas innovation.