Why In-Person Networking is About to Explode (Again)

In this episode of the GILD Podcast, Gino Ferrand sits down with Thom Singer, CEO of the Austin Technology Council, a nonprofit that has been strengthening Central Texas' tech ecosystem through community building, high-impact events, and strategic collaboration for decades.

They explore why human connection is about to make a massive comeback, how AI is accelerating the need for real relationships, and what Austin's 35-year evolution reveals about what actually builds a thriving tech community.

Drawing from 20 years as a professional speaker and his front-row seat to Austin's transformation from a government town of 700K to a global tech hub of 2.5M, Thom shares a grounded, long-view perspective on what founders and leaders are getting wrong about networking, community, and the AI era.

Topics include:

■The real origin story of Austin tech (it traces back to 1966)

■Why face-to-face is 10x more effective than Zoom

■How to actually use AI as a strategy tool for networking

■The "who can I help?" reframe that changes everything

■Why 12 major books are all signaling the same shift

■What Austin needs to do to stay ahead in the AI revolution

Chapters:

00:00Intro

01:0035 years in Austin: from 700K to 2.5M people

03:30The real origin of Austin tech (it's not who you think)

07:00"Austin's days as a tech hub might be over", the response

10:30Where Austin actually sits in the AI revolution

14:00The prediction Thom made in 2007 that's coming true now

17:30Why face-to-face is 10x more effective than Zoom

20:00How to actually use AI for networking

24:00"Who can I help?”: The reframe that changes everything

28:00Curated dinners vs. open community

32:00The 12 books signaling where business is headed

35:30Austin Tech Hall of Fame

39:00Advice for founders building today

42:00Austin in 2056

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Host

Gino Ferrand

Guest

Thom Singer

Presented in partnership with Tecla. Tecla helps AI-forward companies hire top talent across engineering, product, and growth, with a vetted network of professionals across the U.S. and Latin America.

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