Texas Global
Saudi Women Entrepreneurs Thrive in Austin as Network Ambassadors
Three entrepreneurs from across Saudi Arabia — Sara Alattas from Jeddah, Noor Andejani from Dhahran, and Safiah Labani from Riyadh — made their first trip to Texas after being named network ambassadors for Texas Global’s Saudi Women Entrepreneurs Networking and Mentorship Initiative. The three were selected to visit UT Austin in May 2024 and continued promoting women’s entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia thereafter.
Facilitated by the University’s Global Innovation Lab (GIL) in collaboration with the U.S. Consulate General in Jeddah and Blossom Accelerator, the program generates business opportunities throughout Saudi Arabia while tethering new Saudi hubs to global entrepreneurship networks.
The ambassadors traveled to Texas to take advantage of exclusive weeklong programming, join entrepreneurial training sessions, and engage in networking opportunities with Austin industry experts and mentors.
“The objectives of the program are to support and foster connection among women entrepreneurs in Saudi Arabia, as women have a seat at the table now to venture into business opportunities they have not had before,” said Aimee Reed, GIL assistant program manager.
Reed was confident that the ambassadors would continue to serve as catalysts for change in their country, building upon and engaging with the 300-member group already established throughout Saudi Arabia by the networking initiative.
She added, “The goal for Texas Global is to provide women entrepreneurs a network of like-minded women where they feel supported. Building a sense of community has been essential so the women do not feel they have to travel the entrepreneurial road alone.” Read More
“This program provides truly a 360-degree view of being an entrepreneur. Global interconnectivity is crucial in learning where we can all complement each other. I look forward to taking this message to Saudi.”
— Safiah Labani, Saudi Women Entrepreneurs Initiative
Texas Global
Global Innovation Lab Facilitates Multimillion-Dollar Biomed Commitment
The Global Innovation Lab (GIL) at The University of Texas at Austin orchestrated a United States joint venture company agreement that stands to raise $35 million for an innovative new product, which would mark the largest financial commitment achieved in the lab’s decades-long history.
The agreement, facilitated by GIL at Texas Global and signed by Medicos Biotech and Rokline Health Concepts, surrounds Medicos’ breakthrough biosynthetic spider silk protein- based wound healing patches that were developed to efficiently treat open wounds, pressure ulcers, and severe burns.
Medicos, a health care startup from South Korea, and Rokline, a Houston medical company, signed the agreement in Seoul in June 2024, officially creating the joint venture MediRok, which will be located in Houston.
“It is certainly gratifying to be part of the largest initial upfront deal and investment commitment in the 24-year history of the Global Innovation Lab,” said John O’Neill, GIL program manager. “But, much more importantly, no financial return can ever be as fulfilling as being part of the development and introduction of a lifesaving technology. GIL is proud to contribute to and be part of UT Austin’s slogan: What starts here changes the world.”
This deal was facilitated by GIL in partnership with a longtime partner, the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). Through the GlobalUP Program, established in 2010, Texas Global and KAIST recruit and evaluate high-impact startups. Selected startups then visit UT Austin as GIL and KAIST build relationships with them in the U.S. and other global markets, performing market research and international business development services.
“Texas Global efficiently developed the business side of the spider silk protein wound- healing patches,” said Sooncheol Daniel Kim, president of Medicos Biotech. “They sought and identified possible candidates for our product. I was introduced to a few companies, but Medicos and Rokline felt instinctual. We talked for more than one year, and UT Austin helped us through each development from the first meeting.” Read More
“The primary benefit that we provide in all of the countries we work in is the training and education of any country’s most valuable resource — its people — then, directing them toward the development or improvement of their region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.”
— John O’Neill, Program Manager, Global Innovation Lab
Texas Global
ENTREPRENEURIAL PROGRAMS
(2020-2024)
20
PROGRAMS
313
ENTREPRENEURS
66
COUNTRIES
Texas Global
ATX+Singapore Optimizes Robotics Company
Ajmal Thahseen wants everyone to have robots — and he wants his company, Doozy Robotics, to build them. With the help of an entrepreneurship program at UT Austin, the robotics firm began to achieve that dream.
Launched in 2022 and funded by the U.S. Embassy in Singapore, the ATX+Singapore Entrepreneurship program supports emerging business leaders with training, insight, and best practices.
For Thahseen, it was exactly the type of opportunity Doozy needed. Based in Singapore with a branch in India, the company operated in countries across South and Southeast Asia, supplying robots to the hospitality, logistics, manufacturing, and health care industries.
Doozy first joined Singapore’s Pollinate incubator, the in-country implementation partner working with Texas Global’s ATX+Singapore program. Pollinate encouraged Thahseen to apply to the UT Austin program.
Selected from among 40 applications for the program, 10 startups attended a workshop in Singapore, then enrolled in the Texas Global Innovation Readiness® training program for online mentoring with business experts in Austin. Nine modules addressed topics including market validation, assessing competition, and pitching innovations, as well as marketing, protecting intellectual property, and more.
After completing the program’s “Shark Tank”-style competition, Doozy Robotics was selected to participate in the March 2023 SXSW Interactive Conference, offering Thahseen an opportunity to introduce his company to Austin’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
He arrived in Texas with a clear goal in mind: networking. Accompanied by Texas Global staff, he visited potential investors and sites around the area. When Thahseen met with Sisu Robotics, the conversation bloomed with potential. Noting that Sisu’s applications range from cinematic projects to industrial automation to building components, Thahseen said, “They’re basically the service integrator we’re looking for.”
Thahseen continued to work with ATX+Singapore during subsequent months, cultivating the relationships initiated at UT Austin and SXSW, and developing plans to address Doozy Robotics’ needs as the company progresses and grows. Read More
McCombs School of Business
Texas Global
Young Entrepreneurs Find Empowerment on the Forty Acres
Hundreds of emerging entrepreneurs from around the world bring optimism, innovation, and unique perspectives to campus every summer for region-specific Young Leaders initiatives sponsored by the U.S. Department of State.
The Global Programs and Innovation unit at Texas Global partners with international education organizations and government agencies to design immersive training programs, challenging new business leaders to enhance their entrepreneurial skills, broaden their perspectives, and expand their networks. Learn More
Mandela Washington Fellowship
Young African Leaders Initiative
“I applied for the entrepreneurship program because I realized that while I possessed technical skills, I needed to sharpen my business prowess. I also appreciated the fact that the opportunity would open doors to interaction with other African leaders in business and afford me the chance to make business connections in the United States and beyond.”
— Leslie Wellington Sirora, Tech Consultancy Entrepreneur, Zimbabwe
Young Southeast Asia Leaders Initiative
Professional Fellows Program
“UT Austin is a safe space for creative, innovative, and impactful ideas that you can converse with your mentors and peers. It is within those circles of the Longhorn community that these ideas are incubated and eventually implemented to [become] something that can truly change the world.”
— Allesandra Michaela P. Gutierrez, Co-Founder/Operations Director, REPAMANA, Philippines
Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative
“I learned about growing my self-esteem and being confident in the value of my work. The professors and supporting team were amazing. I think the network we created will help me get through every goal in my business.”
— Shams Selouma, Creator, The Feminist Incubator, Argentina
Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative Academic Program
“I was drawn to the program’s hands-on approach and the opportunity to work on real-world business challenges, especially receiving feedback for my currently running social enterprise. The prospect of collaborating with diverse international fellows and learning from successful entrepreneurs in Austin was highly appealing.”
— Prisa Senduangdeth, COO, Cofarm Agritech, Lao People’s Democratic Republic
Texas Global
Symposium Expands Perspectives on Careers in Asia
Texas Global hosted more than 125 participants of the Global Professional Training: East and Southeast Asia Symposium, designed to equip students with resources for seeking an international career. The one- day symposium in January 2023 featured workshops, an information fair, and interactive panels with experts leading discussions on Asia’s geopolitical and socioeconomic trends.
“It is absolutely eye-opening to see how much potential there is in the global market,” student participant Ivy Fan said. “As a biology major, I will definitely look into minors and special programs where I can utilize more global perspectives and intercultural skills.”
Texas Global focused symposium goals around expanding perspectives and helping students access a stronger cultural and historical knowledge of East and Southeast Asia. The programming aimed to build an understanding of the professional skills necessary to succeed in new cultural settings, as well as strategies for identifying emerging industries and professional opportunities across the region. Participants were encouraged to begin building a network among the attending peers, professionals, and academics who shared interests in the region.
In celebration of the imminent Lunar New Year, guests enjoyed a performance by the Texas Southern Sea Dragon and Lion Dance Crew, which was founded in 2022 to preserve and spread the art of traditional dragon and lion dance across Austin.
Texas Global hosted faculty and students from Hiroshima University, who were on campus for the Global Innovation Lab’s Austin Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Enrichment Experience.
“I loved getting to talk to visitors from Hiroshima University and learning about entrepreneurship in Japan,” senior Sabrina Chuan said.
The GPT East and Southeast Asia program, which was also held in 2024, continues its ongoing pursuit of helping students to develop marketable skills; explore relevant program, coursework, and career options; and identify professional opportunities in the East and Southeast Asia region. Read More
“Before this event, I looked at the differences and distance between Asia and the U.S. as barriers and obstacles. However, after the conference, I now recognize them as opportunities … These challenges can be solved with creative entrepreneurship and global leaders.”
— Ivy Fan, Class of '26, Biology
