Gov. Perry Hosts Venture Capital, Higher Ed, Tech Leaders for Economic Roundtable

To coincide with the opening of SXSW, Gov. Rick Perry hosted a roundtable with leaders from venture capital firms, higher education and innovative technology start-ups to discuss ongoing efforts to make Texas a hub for cutting-edge companies and become the next Silicon Valley. The governor held a similar roundtable in 2011.

"Our low taxes, reasonable regulations and fair courts that have fueled Texas' rise in economic diversity and prominence, and we continue to improve access to higher education and build a workforce and venture capital network that can meet the needs of high tech industries," Gov. Perry said. "Hearing first-hand from industry and education leaders helps us determine the steps we need to take as a state to catapult our high-tech economy to the next level. What's happening here in Texas is global."

Attendees at the economic roundtable included:
• Gregory Fenves - Dean, Cockrell School of Engineering
• Jeff Harbach - Executive Director, Central Texas Angel Network
• Tom West - CEO, SpringBox
• Jim Pollatta - Chairman and Managing Director, Raptor Group
• Joel Trammel - Chairman, Austin Technology Council
• Julie Huls - President, Austin Technology Council
• Tim Rothwell - Co-Founder, UMeTime
• Brett Berman - Co-Founder, UMeTime