Latest news with #JeffCheney
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Frisco Unveils New Innovation Hub to Support Growing Innovation and Venture Capital Sectors
Plug and Play to serve as operator for new innovation hub FRISCO, Texas, May 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The City of Frisco, Texas, announced the opening of Origin, a new innovation focused facility designed to bring industry specific accelerator programming, sports-tech innovation in human potential and international startup support to the region. Origin is a public-private partnership conceptualized by the Frisco Economic Development Corporation (Frisco EDC) and brought to fruition by Plug and Play at Baylor Scott & White Health Sports Therapy & Research. Origin has been under development since 2020 and stemmed from the city leadership's vision to create an open collaboration space for residents to scale their businesses, as well as a networking space for venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, fintech, sportstech, AI, cybersecurity and other startups. After a competitive request for proposal process, Plug and Play was selected in 2023 as the facility's operator due to their proven ability to connect startups with large corporations, investors and industry leaders. "This new facility is proof of what's possible when a city drives with vision, determination and collaborative partnerships," said Jeff Cheney, Mayor of Frisco. "This hub is a starting point for new technologies, businesses and careers in Frisco. I'm excited to see the groundbreaking innovation that will take shape here." Located on the 10th floor of the Baylor Scott & White Sports Therapy & Research facility in Frisco, Origin and Plug and Play's innovation hub will anchor a joint 6,000-square-foot space designed to bring together startups, investors and corporate partners at the center of Frisco's innovation movement. The flexibly designed space includes private offices, meeting rooms and co-working areas designed to accommodate the thriving startup ecosystem. "Frisco is home to more than 500 tech companies and many top tier leading brands," said Jason Ford, President of the Frisco EDC. "Origin was a strategic investment in Frisco's future and marks a major step forward in Frisco's continued rise as a national innovation leader. With the help of Baylor Scott & White and Plug and Play, we've created a one-of-a-kind space where new ideas, industries and startups can flourish here in Frisco, all working side by side." For Plug and Play, a Silicon Valley-based innovation acceleration company with an international presence, this new facility will be the largest space under their operation outside of their California headquarters. Plug and Play will operate the hub under a membership-based model, and will host networking events, hackathons, workshops and special presentations open to the greater community. "This innovation hub is more than just a physical space, it's a signal to the world that Frisco is serious about shaping the future," said Saeed Amidi, CEO and Founder of Plug and Play. "Frisco is already a national model for how sports, business, and innovation can coexist. We're honored to bring our global network and proven accelerator model to this remarkable community with values perfectly aligned to our own." In addition to hosting carefully designed startup cohorts, the space will also be open to Frisco-based entrepreneurs, service providers and partner institutions, including the University of North Texas-Frisco, which will sponsor a dedicated sports innovation space within the facility. About Frisco Economic Development Corporation The Frisco EDC operates as a Texas non-profit corporation and is governed by a seven-member board of directors appointed by the Frisco, Texas City Council. Job number one is facilitating the creation of jobs, as the Frisco EDC's mission is to improve the economic opportunities and quality of life for all Frisco residents. The Frisco EDC has facilitated major economic development projects, resulting in hundreds of projects and thousands of jobs in the City of Frisco. For more information, visit About Plug and Play Plug and Play is the leading innovation platform, connecting startups, corporations, venture capital firms, universities and government agencies. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, Plug and Play is present in 60-plus locations across five continents. It offers corporate innovation programs and helps corporate partners in every stage of their innovation journey, from education to execution. Plug and Play also organizes startup acceleration programs and has built an in-house VC to drive innovation across multiple industries where it has invested in hundreds of successful companies including Dropbox, Guardant Health, Honey, Lending Club, N26, PayPal and Rappi. For more information, visit View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Frisco Economic Development Corporation Sign in to access your portfolio
Axios
08-05-2025
- Business
- Axios
What's next for rejected Frisco performing arts center
The future of a proposed, but voter-rejected, performing arts center in Frisco may come down to who's elected to two City Council seats in a June runoff. The project was intended to bring Broadway shows to the city. Why it matters: Frisco is no longer a burgeoning suburb. Corporate offices line the highways, the Dallas Cowboys practice there, and, as the home to FC Dallas, the city will be a major player in next year's FIFA World Cup. But the city lacks a robust arts scene. Driving the news: Voters rejected two propositions on Saturday that would've issued $160 million in bonds to build the Frisco Center for the Arts. It's unclear what will happen to the plans for the project. The City Council will need to discuss what's next. "We ask for patience and grace. Regardless of our personal preferences, please trust we will be measured and thoughtful as we consider the future of this project," Mayor Jeff Cheney tells Axios in a statement. State of play: Most council members supported the measures, and the mayor has said a performing arts center would help the city attract — and keep — businesses. But some residents and two council candidates opposed building a performing arts center because of the cost. The intrigue: Frisco has lost out to Nashville on some Fortune 500 company relocations, the mayor wrote on LinkedIn last week. "The common thread is companies that want their employees to have access to arts and culture," Cheney wrote. Nashville is notably called Music City. Context: Frisco planned to partner with Broadway Dallas and Broadway Across America to run the 200,000-square-foot venue. The center was designed to include several performance spaces, including a 2,800-seat theater and a smaller 300- to 400-seat community hall. Follow the money: Prosper ISD planned to contribute $100 million from bond funds to help pay for the estimated $340 million development. The community hall would've primarily been used by the school district. The $160 million in city bonds would have been primarily paid off by sales taxes. City officials said the bonds wouldn't have raised property taxes. Corporate sponsorships and philanthropy was expected to cover the rest. The other side: City Council candidate Burt Thakur opposed the propositions, pointing to Frisco ISD's project to build its own theater center. What's next: Thakur is headed to a runoff election on June 7 against incumbent Tammy Meinershagen, who serves as the deputy mayor pro tem and lists the arts center as a City Council priority.
Axios
13-03-2025
- Business
- Axios
Becoming D-FW AF
Our Big Dallas Energy has become more D-FW AF — to include Arlington and Frisco. Why it matters: For a long time, the region has been described by its two most populous cities, but some leaders have suggested the name "Dallas-Fort Worth" should be more inclusive of the region's explosive growth. State of play: Frisco Mayor Jeff Cheney recently made a reference to"DFFW," a term used to describe North Texas as Dallas, Frisco and Fort Worth. "We're well on our way to being like an Austin, bringing these startups. We're becoming kind of the epicenter for that. Certainly, we're a global city," the mayor said at an event where he talked about the city's growth. The Dallas Sports Commission refers to the region as "DFW-AF" as it prepares for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, executive director Monica Paul said at a separate event hosted by D Magazine last month. "It takes everybody and every city — but it's also the conferences, the universities, our corporations, the facilities, and our leagues and teams here," Paul said. Flashback: Last year, Arlington Mayor Jim Ross disagreed with FIFA's decision to rename AT&T Stadium to Dallas Stadium for the nine World Cup matches that will be hosted there. "Dallas is the big boy in the metroplex, and we love and appreciate everything Dallas does, but Arlington brings millions of millions of people here. To come in and call this Dallas Stadium doesn't do justice for who we are," Ross told the DMN. Reality check: Plano could use more love, too. The city has hundreds of corporate and regional company headquarters.
CBS News
28-01-2025
- Business
- CBS News
North Texas gears up to host the Dallas Open Tennis Tournament
FRISCO — The City of Frisco is gearing up to host the Dallas Open Tennis Tournament, running from Feb. 1 to Feb. 9. The city is expecting the event to bring thousands of tennis fans and millions of dollars to the area, giving Frisco a global stage. "Hosting sporting events is in our DNA here in Frisco. It's a big driver for what we do here as a city," said Jeff Cheney, Frisco's Mayor. Crews are working 24/7 to transform the Ford Center into a tennis mecca. The 9-day Dallas Open tournament will bring some of the best tennis pros around the world to Frisco for the first time, after being held in Dallas for the last three years. Cheney says this is the first major tennis event the city's hosted adding to its brand as "Sports City USA." "More events like this as we lead up to the World Cup and hosting the PGA Championship, will just continue to put us on the international stage," Cheney said. Even local businesses are leaning into the excitement and expecting a big economic boost. "So, our space in a couple days from the first night, it'll be wall to wall people," said Derek Simms, who owns the Monarch Stag, a newer business at the Star, and is partnering with the tournament and Hugo Boss by hosting special pop-up events. "We'll be serving lunch and dinner, to thousands of people every day for the full nine days of the event," Simms said. "Number four ranked Taylor Fritz is coming in. He's doing a private party here. This is going to really, really help put us on the map. So, we're excited about it." The city is expecting a $1.5 - $2 million revenue boost, paving the way for more growth. "But we want to continue to host world-class events here in our community. This is just another feather in our cap," Cheney said.
