Tag: Technology

San Antonio Día de los Muertos: Local Celebrations, Food & Festivities

Celebrate Día de los Muertos season at Pearl. Photo: Pearl, used with permission.

Celebrate Día de los Muertos Around San Antonio: Top Events, Parades & Culinary Experiences

Día de los Muertos is one of San Antonio’s most meaningful and colorful times of the year. This season, local destinations across the city, including Pearl, the River Walk, and local luxury spots, are hosting immersive celebrations that invite us to honor passed loved ones through living art, rich culinary traditions, vibrant music, and community spirit.

Here is your complete guide to the top Día de los Muertos events happening around San Antonio.

💀 Día de los Muertos at Pearl

Dates: October 27 – November 3, 2026

Highlights: 5-foot calavera art installations, live performances, and community altars.

From late October through early November, Pearl transforms into a living canvas of remembrance. Stroll the district to admire vibrant community ofrendas, live music, children’s activities, and art installations. (Pearl, 2026)

What’s New This Year: Pearl has partnered with five local artists to create five custom 4-foot calavera (large-scale skull) sculptures. Each sculpture tells an individual story through distinct artistic techniques, cultural references, and personal memory.

Key Events at Pearl:

  • Calaverita Run 5K & Family Walk
    • When: Saturday, October 24, 2026 | Walk: 7:00 PM | 5K: 7:30 PM
    • Cost: $25 – $80
    • Details: Presented by Visit San Antonio, this family-friendly evening event combines fitness and culture. Don your best calavera-inspired outfit and run or walk along Museum Reach and through Pearl’s backyard. The family walk includes a curated route featuring traditional ofrendas.
  • Sabores de México: A Día de Muertos VIP Celebration
    • When: Sunday, November 1, 2026 | 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM
    • Cost: $85 – $195
    • Details: Hosted by Alejandro Gutiérrez, founder of the Mexican Society of Grillers, this exclusive event blends storytelling, live-fire cooking, and traditional gastronomy in tribute to Mexico’s ancestral flavors.
  • Annual Día de los Muertos Main Celebration
    • When: Sunday, November 1, 2026 | 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM
    • Cost: FREE
    • Details: Pearl Park hosts its main community celebration with artist-curated altars, a community ofrenda, a Catrín & Catrina contest, local vendors, and a luminous communal procession around 7:15 PM across the Pearl campus.
  • Campanas de America: Recuérdame Campanas – A Show to Remember
    • When: Sunday, November 1, 2026 | 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
    • Where: Stable Hall
  • Día de los Muertos Dinner at Hotel Emma
    • When: Friday, October 30, 2026 | Cocktails: 6:30 PM | Dinner: 7:30 PM
    • Cost: $150 per person (+ 25% service charge & 8.25% tax)
    • Details: A special 4-course dinner inspired by Chef Jesse Kirk, complete with live music and an opening cocktail hour.

🌼 River Walk Festivities at Mexico Ceaty

Dates: All October long through November 2

Where: Mexico Ceaty on the River Walk

Celebrating its first full holiday season since opening, Mexico Ceaty is bringing full-scale Día de los Muertos programming to the San Antonio River Walk. (Mexico Ceaty, 2026)

  • Daily Community Ofrenda: Open daily from 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM through Nov. 2.
  • Weekend Specials: Enjoy hand-made black cempasúchil (marigold) tortillas at the Tortillería, live music, face painting, and interactive agave tastings.
  • Featured Treats: Master Baker Stephannie Beyers has crafted seasonal items incorporating traditional marigolds, including Pan de Muerto, Conchas with Mole Ganache, and a Hennessy-infused “La Ofrenda” cocktail.

Day of the Dead River Parade Viewing Packages (Friday, Oct. 23)

Watch San Antonio’s iconic river parade right from the heart of the River Walk. Reserve tickets via OpenTable:

  • Rio Vista Parade Experience ($50/person): Includes reserved table seating, parade buffet access, and a house margarita.
  • Loft Parade Experience ($75/person): Offers elevated river views, reserved loft seating, parade buffet access, and a house margarita.
  • All night long: Enjoy live music, folklórico dancers, and catrinas.

🧘 Día de los Muertos Wellness & Celebration at Mokara Hotel & Spa

When: Thursday, October 22, 2026 | 5:30 PM

Where: Mokara Hotel & Spa

Kick off the season with an immersive evening focused on self-care, wellness, and tradition:

  • Food & Drink: Themed cocktails and light bites presented by Moët Hennessy.
  • Interactive Stations: Build-your-own flower crown station, Irene Forte lip gloss charm bar, and a Zents scent memory bar.
  • Pampering: Enjoy complimentary mini manicures, chair massages, a beautifully curated Ofrenda, and beats by DJ Vitamin A.
  • Bonus: Attendees receive 15% off future spa services booked during the event.
Photo: Mokara Hotel & Spa, used with permission.

Weekly Reading List: How to Master AI Fluency and Build Meaningful Leadership

‘The AI Fluent Leader’ by Gísli Ólafsson. Photo: Amazon

Books of the Week

Looking for your next impactful read? This week’s featured selection explores deep human connection, leadership in the age of artificial intelligence, and how to successfully navigate constant technological change.

1. Make It Matter: Unlocking Human Potential Through the Mattering Method

By Matthew Emerzian

Something deeper is happening beneath the surface of our lives and our work. People are more connected than ever, yet feel more alone, achieving more, yet questioning if any of it truly matters. In the quiet moments, more people than we realize are asking: “Do I matter?” (Amazon, 2026)

In Make It Matter, Matthew Emerzian introduces a powerful and timely framework—The Mattering Mindset™—built from over two decades of work helping individuals, teams, and organizations reconnect to what matters most. This isn’t about motivation. It’s about mattering. Because when people know how much they matter, to themselves, to others, and to something bigger, everything changes:

  • How they show up
  • How they lead
  • How they live

Blending research, real-world application, and deeply personal insight, Make It Matter offers a new way forward that addresses the root of disconnection, burnout, and disengagement. Whether you’re navigating your own search for meaning, leading a team through constant change, or trying to make a greater impact, this book meets you where you are and helps you move forward.

“In a world that feels increasingly disconnected, uncertain, and heavy, the most powerful thing we can do is help people know they matter. And when we do that, we don’t just change how people feel. We change what’s possible.”

About the Author

Matt Emerzian is a four-time bestselling author and founder of the nonprofit Every Monday Matters, which has spent nearly two decades bringing mattering work into schools, companies, and communities for people of all ages, reaching nearly four million people.

2. Aligned With Intelligence: Reflections on Leadership, AI, and Consciousness

By Jeff Arnold

Artificial intelligence is accelerating. But the real shift isn’t happening in machines, it’s happening in us. (Amazon, 2026)

Aligned With Intelligence is not a technical book about AI. It’s a guide on how leaders must think, decide, and act in a world where intelligence is no longer limited to human minds.

Each chapter is intentionally brief and designed to be read in minutes, but considered for much longer. Between chapters, you will find space, an intentional design choice because in an age of constant acceleration, the ability to pause, think clearly, and act with purpose will define the next generation of leadership.

The book challenges a simple assumption: that more intelligence automatically leads to better outcomes. It doesn’t. Alignment does. As AI becomes faster, more embedded, and more powerful, the question is no longer “What can technology do?” The question is:

“Who are we becoming while we build it?”

If you are a leader, builder, operator, or thinker navigating the future of AI, this book will help you ask better questions—the most valuable skill of all in the age of intelligent systems.

About the Author

Jeff Arnold is a bestselling author known for a writing style that feels like a conversation with a trusted guide. His work blends vivid storytelling with practical insight, turning complex ideas into clear, memorable experiences. Reflecting his background as an entrepreneur and industry leader, Jeff writes to offer readers ideas that shift how they see the world.

3. The AI Fluent Leader: The Art of Leading When AI Changes Everything

By Gísli Ólafsson

Your AI program is not underperforming because of the technology. It is underperforming because of a leadership gap no one is talking about. (Amazon, 2026)

The AI Fluent Leader answers that challenge with precision and honesty. Gísli Ólafsson studied what separates the 12% of organizations that generate real AI returns from the 88% that do not. The answer is not better technology, bigger budgets, or faster adoption—it is better leadership.

The AUGMENT Framework

The book maps seven leadership imperatives into a complete system:

  1. Architect the Vision
  2. Upgrade Your Workforce
  3. Guard the Guardrails
  4. Manage the Machines
  5. Engineer the Culture
  6. Navigate New Competition
  7. Transform the Executive

Each chapter opens with a leadership challenge, provides a framework for addressing it, and closes with a sequenced action plan. The book includes practical tools such as an AI Leadership Bottleneck Diagnostic, an AI Fluency Self-Assessment, workforce readiness frameworks, and a guide to building AI personas that think alongside you on strategic problems.

“The organizations winning with AI are not using better tools. They have better leadership. This book shows you exactly what that leadership looks like, and how to build it.”

About the Author

Gísli Ólafsson is a technology executive, former parliamentarian, and crisis leader who has worked at the intersection of AI, institutions, and accountability for three decades. From Microsoft to global humanitarian responses and national government, he has led under pressure where technology and responsibility collide.

Photo: Amazon
Photo: Amazon

The Future of Work in the Age of AI: Essential Reads for Navigating Workplace Change

‘Finding Direction in the Age of AI’ by Michael Earls and ‘The Delivery Gap’ by Brenn Hill. Photos: Amazon

The Growing Interest in AI and the Future of Work

Books about artificial intelligence (AI) in the workforce are rapidly gaining popularity. While AI is reshaping industries and redefining traditional jobs, such as automating routine tasks and decision-making, business leaders are exploring how technology is transforming the workplace.

Readers are turning to books that explain these changes and offer practical advice on adapting skills, embracing innovation, and preparing for the future. Authors are also examining critical questions about job security and the human side of technology. As AI continues to evolve, these books provide valuable insights into navigating a rapidly changing professional world.

🤖 AI Book Spotlight

1. The Delivery Gap:

Why AI Adoption Fails and How Engineering Leaders Fix It

By Brenn Hill

Synopsis

Your team is writing more code than ever. Your incident rate is climbing too. Pull request volume is up. Review quality is down. Senior engineers are spending their weeks proofreading AI-generated output instead of designing systems. The dashboards say productivity is up. The incident rate says otherwise. (Amazon, 2026)

This is the delivery gap: the growing distance between how fast your team can generate code and how fast your organization can verify that code is correct, secure, and aligned with what you intended to build.

The Delivery Gap shows you:

  • The Verification Triangle — Metrics that tell you whether your verification is keeping pace with your generation velocity.
  • Six-tier quality gates — From static analysis through behavioral monitoring, each catching failure classes the tier below cannot see.
  • The Capability Ladder — Seven levels of organizational readiness, from experimentation through full agentic operations.
  • Eight decisions — An implementation sequence with completion criteria, starting from wherever you are.
  • The Conversation — Six questions your leadership will ask about AI governance, and how to answer them with data.
  • Case studies — What Stripe, Spotify, Webflow, Dropbox, and Airbnb actually built (not what vendors claim).

This is not a book about prompting. It’s a book about what happens after the code is generated.

Target Audience: CTOs, VPs of Engineering, Directors, and Engineering Managers responsible for AI adoption.

About the Author

Brenn Hill is a software engineer, engineering leader, and author based in Berlin. He has spent nearly two decades building software and leading engineering teams across America, Europe, and Asia, working across front-end, back-end, DevOps, data science, and data engineering.

He now teaches AI-augmented development practices to engineering teams and builds open-source tools and management frameworks for software delivery in the age of AI. The Delivery Gap is his second book.

2. Finding Direction in the Age of AI:

Finding Clarity, Leadership and Human Connection in a World Moving at Machine Speed

By Michael Earls

Synopsis

The tools keep getting faster. The questions keep getting harder.

Cloud computing reshaped how organizations build. Artificial intelligence is now rewriting how decisions get made, how work gets done, and how quickly a career can become unrecognizable. (Amazon, 2026)

Most leaders have figured out how to keep up. Far fewer can tell you where they are going.

Finding Direction in the Age of AI is a short, direct book about staying human, and staying oriented, while the ground moves. It’s written by someone who has spent more than two decades inside the change: infrastructure engineering, cloud transformation, and enterprise technology leadership.

The questions this book takes seriously:

  • How do you hold on to clarity when information moves at machine speed?
  • What happens to culture and trust when work becomes fully digital?
  • Can AI raise output without hollowing out the parts of work that made it worth doing?
  • What should a leader actually be good at, now that the machine is good at so much?

Read this if:

  • You lead a team through AI adoption and are tired of the hype on both sides.
  • You are a technologist wondering which of your skills still compound.
  • You want a clear-eyed hour of thinking, not a 400-page survey of the field.

It’s a small book for a reason, it’s the kind of book you finish on a flight and think about for a month. Because the real challenge of the AI era is not keeping up with the speed. It’s remembering where we were trying to go.

About the Author

Michael Earls is a technology leader and writer with more than twenty years across infrastructure, cloud, and AI transformation. He’s also the author of Wired for Purpose and The Digital Compass.

Michael has spent more than twenty years inside the change he writes about, and he writes for the people doing the work, not the people describing it from outside.

‘Bootstrapped Startup Funding Playbook’: How to Build a Tech Company Without VC

‘Bootstrapped Startup Funding Playbook’ is the new book by Muema Lombe. Photo: Amazon

Book Spotlight: Bootstrapped Startup Funding Playbook 10+ Proven Methods, Real Case Studies, and Step-by-Step Action Plans to Launch and Grow a Profitable Tech Company Without Venture Capital By Muema Lombe

What if you could build a serious tech company, generating millions in revenue and life-changing outcomes, without begging investors, burning out, or gambling your future on a single funding round?

Bootstrapped Startup Funding Playbook is a practical, founder-friendly guide to building and scaling a tech startup without relying on venture capital. Instead of theory, it gives you real methods, real examples, and a step-by-step roadmap drawn from how iconic companies actually did it. (Amazon, 2026)

10 Concrete Bootstrapping Methods Inside

Each chapter is built around real companies and decisions, not vague platitudes, so you see exactly how founders used these methods in the wild, what worked, what nearly killed them, and what you can copy (or avoid):

  • Customer-Funded Growth: Reinvesting revenue to scale organically.
  • Consulting-Funded Product: Using service work to bankroll product development.
  • Freemium & Product-Led Growth: Driving acquisition directly through the product.
  • Friends & Family Capital (Done Right): Raising early funds without destroying relationships.
  • Customer Prepayments & Annual Contracts: Securing upfront cash flow before building.
  • Personal Credit & Small Loans: Managing calculated debt responsibly.
  • Side Jobs & Part-Time Entrepreneurship: Derisking the launch phase while keeping a paycheck.
  • Startup Grants: Accessing non-dilutive capital like NSF/SBIR.
  • Lean Operations & Extreme Cost Discipline: Maximizing runway with minimal burn.
  • Crowdfunding & Pre-Order Campaigns: Validating demand before production.

No hype. No “just work harder” nonsense. Just honest trade-offs, battle-tested strategies, and an operating manual you can implement while holding down a job, supporting a family, or running an existing business.

What You’ll Learn

  • 10 Major Bootstrapping Strategies: Clear frameworks on when each approach actually makes sense.
  • Layered Funding Models: How to combine methods, like side jobs, consulting, customer prepayments, and lean ops, into a coherent, low-risk plan.
  • Origin Case Studies: How iconic companies quietly bootstrapped their earliest, riskiest phases before raising rounds or exiting for billions.
  • Risk Mitigation: Practical ways to manage personal risk, protect relationships, and avoid common financial traps.
  • The 30/60/90-Day Execution Plan: A step-by-step roadmap to get from zero to paying users and your first taste of customer-funded growth.

Who Should Read This Book?

  • SaaS & Dev-Tools Founders: Build software on your own terms without VC dependency.
  • Solo Founders & Indie Hackers: Follow a structured, serious path to profitability.
  • Agency Owners & Consultants: Productize your service and spin out scalable software.
  • Deep-Tech & Hardware Founders: Secure non-dilutive, customer-driven funding routes.
  • Undecided Entrepreneurs: Get a clear, nuanced answer when weighing “bootstrap vs. raise.”

About the Author

Muema Lombe is a tech founder and bootstrapping expert who has helped multiple startups launch and scale without traditional venture capital. Through real-world experience and in-depth research, Muema created this practical playbook so other founders can build serious companies on their own terms.

Free Family Days & Special Events Coming to San Antonio Museum of Art

Experience new exhibitions and and guest lectures at the San Antonio Museum of Art. Photo: San Antonio Museum of Art, used with permission.

Beat the heat this fall at the San Antonio Museum of Art (SAMA). From hands-on family activities to expert lectures and master artisan trunk shows, SAMA’s autumn lineup offers something for art lovers of all ages. (San Antonio Museum of Art, 2026)

Upcoming Fall Events

  • Mata Ortiz Trunk Show
    • When: Friday, September 11 (5:00–7:00 PM) & Saturday, September 12 (10:00 AM–5:00 PM)
    • Details: Meet master potters Hector Gallegos and Laura Bugarini. Friday opens with a preview reception at 4:30 PM featuring artist remarks and first access to purchase pottery. Saturday includes talks by Charmayne Samuelson (Mata Ortiz: Poetry of the Clay) at 10:30 AM, 1:00 PM, and 3:00 PM, plus a live traditional quema (open-air firing) at 1:30 PM.
    • Admission: Free with museum admission.
  • The O’Neil Ford Lecture: Lessons in Looking
    • When: Tuesday, September 29 | 6:00–7:00 PM
    • Details: Michelangelo Sabatino, Director of UTSA’s School of Architecture + Planning, explores historic preservation, architectural innovation, and San Antonio’s unique sense of place. Presented by SAMA and UTSA.
    • Admission: Free (Registration required). Update: The in-person program is sold out. Registration is for the live stream access.
  • Free Family Day: Archaeology Adventures
    • When: Saturday, October 17 | 10:00 AM–3:00 PM
    • Details: Celebrate International Archaeology Day with free admission, hands-on art activities, archaeologist meet-and-greets, and a scavenger hunt gallery guide.

Current Exhibitions

  • Canvas to Clay: Georgia O’Keeffe & Maria Martinez to Mata Ortiz & Tonalá
  • Samurai Spirit: Swords, Accessories
  • Paintings, Microhistories of the Andes
  • Renoir to Picasso: The Robertson Family Collection

Plan Your Visit

  • Location: 200 W. Jones Ave., San Antonio, TX
  • Hours:
    • Tuesday & Friday: 10:00 AM–7:00 PM
    • Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday: 10:00 AM–5:00 PM
    • Monday: Closed
  • Free Admission Opportunities (Bexar County Residents):
    • Tuesdays: 4:00–7:00 PM (Supported by Art Bridges Foundation)
    • Second Sundays: 10:00 AM–12:00 PM

About the San Antonio Museum of Art

The San Antonio Museum of Art serves as a forum to explore and connect with art that spans the world’s geographies, artistic periods, genres, and cultures. Its collection contains more than 30,000 works representing 5,000 years of history. Located in the historic Lone Star Brewery on the Museum Reach of San Antonio’s River Walk, the San Antonio Museum of Art is committed to promoting the rich cultural heritage and life of the city.

The Future of Music Ownership: Inside Paul ‘PK’ Kemsley’s New AI Music Company

Artist Included launches artist-first AI music company focused on creator ownership and ethical re-recordings. Photo: Artist Included, used with permission.

A New Era for Iconic Music: Artist Included Launches Ethical AI Platform with Re-Recorded Culture Club Classic

A new artist-first music and technology company, Artist Included, has officially launched with a mission to help iconic artists reclaim creative participation, ownership, and long-term value in their music. Co-founded by entrepreneur Paul “PK” Kemsley and entertainment attorney and film producer Jeremy Rosen, the company uses ethical, artist-approved voice AI to create a new model for legendary acts to reimagine classic recordings and own new master tracks for today’s market. (Miller PR, 2026)

Celebrating a Legend: A New Take on “Karma Chameleon”

To mark its debut, and coincide with Boy George’s 65th birthday, Artist Included partnered with BMG to release a fresh recording of Culture Club’s iconic hit, “Karma Chameleon.”

“Revisiting ‘Karma Chameleon’ in this way was emotional and creatively inspiring. The goal was never to replace the original — it was to celebrate it and let the song keep evolving for new audiences.”

— Boy George

Clarification on the tech: This is not a synthetic AI track. Boy George recorded brand-new vocals in the studio. Ethical technology was used solely to support and enhance the final master, ensuring the technology serves the creator rather than replacing them.

Unlocking Value Across the Board

The “Karma Chameleon” release is the first of many planned projects spanning catalog artists from the 1960s through the 2000s. Artist Included helps creators unlock revenue streams that historically bypassed them, including:

  • Digital & Physical Formats: Streaming platforms, exclusive vinyl releases, foreign-language versions, remixes, tokenization, and Dolby Atmos.
  • Media & Sync Licensing: Film, TV, advertising, gaming, and trailerized formats.
  • Direct Engagement: Brand partnerships, sponsorships, and direct-to-fan campaigns.

Industry Leaders Weigh In

The company’s ethos centers on flipping traditional music economics back in favor of the original creators.

  • Paul “PK” Kemsley, Co-Founder & CEO:

“For decades, artists created the soundtrack to our lives while much of the long-term value moved away from the original creators. Artist Included was built to help reverse that dynamic. This is not about replacing artists or exploiting old catalogs — it is about helping artists create new ones. Used responsibly, AI can become one of the most powerful creative tools the music industry has ever seen.”

  • Jeremy Rosen, Co-Founder:

“The future of AI in music must put artists at the center — creatively, ethically, and economically. Artist Included is building a model where artists control and participate directly in the future value created from their music, voice, brand, and legacy. All ego aside, we are shifting the narrative from piracy to partnership; a timely AI reframe.”

Heavyweights Backing the Movement

Artist Included has built a powerful network of entertainment veterans, technology partners, and prominent investors to support its scale:

CategoryPartner / Key Executive
Board LeadershipRobert Earl (Founder of Planet Hollywood) as Chairman of the Board.
Technology PartnerSyntiant (Developed the artist-approved vocal AI platform powering the recordings).
Strategic InvestorsMike Walsh (Uber/Salesforce seed investor), Doug Raetz (Co-President, Cresset Sports & Entertainment), and Red Light Management.
Executive LeadershipKurt Busch (Syntiant CEO), Antony Antoniou (Capital Strategy), Rob Guthrie (Music Publishing Exec), and Patryk Strojny (Former McKinsey Exec).

Looking Ahead

At a moment when AI is reshaping the global landscape, Artist Included offers a transparent, consent-first alternative built on full rights clearance and shared economics. Additional artist partnerships, new releases, and strategic announcements will be unveiled in the coming months.

Photo: Artist Included

Catch Texas Soul, Blues & Stand-Up Live at Paper Tiger’s ‘La Noche del Tigre’

The new live music and comedy series ‘La Noche del Tigre’ is coming to Paper Tiger. Photo: The Krishna Company, used with permission.

🎸 Live Music & Comedy Collide: Announcing ‘La Noche del Tigre’ at Paper Tiger

San Antonio, get ready! The Krishna Company is proud to present the launch of La Noche del Tigre, a brand-new live music and comedy series bringing high-energy performances to Texas. (The Krishna Company, 2026)

The inaugural show lands at the iconic Paper Tiger in San Antonio, featuring a stacked lineup of six Texas and nationally acclaimed musical acts alongside two powerhouse stand-up comedians.

Whether you’re in it for the soulful Texas vocals, heavy rock riffs, or non-stop laughs, this is a night you won’t want to miss.

📅 Event Details & Tickets

  • When: Thursday, August 20, 2026
  • Time: Doors open at 6:00 PM | Show starts at 7:00 PM
  • Where: Paper Tiger — 2410 N St Mary’s St, San Antonio, TX 78212
  • Tickets: $25 Advance | $30 Day-of (At the door)

🎤 The Lineup

Featured Music Acts

Tameca Jones

A long-time favorite in San Antonio, Texas soul singer and songwriter Tameca Jones has shared stages with heavy hitters like The Black Pumas, Gary Clark Jr., Leon Bridges, and Willie Nelson. You might recognize her emotive single “Sandman” from Hulu’s Black Cake, or her Adele-influenced single “So Gone” off her highly anticipated debut album, Plants & Pills (2024). Tameca is currently working on her follow-up album, slated for 2027.

Blackillac

Voted Austin Music Award’s “Best Hip Hop/Rap 2020,” this southern duo is making serious waves. Formed in 2018 by rappers ZEALE and Phranchyze under the guidance and production of 4x Grammy winner Gary Clark Jr., Blackillac built their roots in Willie Nelson’s historic Arlyn Studios. Releasing new tracks monthly, the duo is getting ready to drop their debut album featuring long-awaited collaborations with Clark Jr.

Eric Tessmer

Dubbed the “Best Guitarist in Austin” by The Austin Chronicle and a “working-class guitar hero” by the Austin American-Statesman, Tessmer is an Austin-based blues force. Inspired by Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix, his sound is dark, moody, and packed with an edgy guitar virtuosity you have to hear live.

SANA SANA

SANA SANA is a cross-cultural musical experience formed by three artists whose lives were shaped by borders both visible and invisible. Their nostalgic, rhythm-rich sound reflects the nuance of being raised in the U.S. by Latino parents and immigrants—capturing the feeling of existing between two homes. It’s music made for anyone who lives in the “in-between.”

Abomic Toms

Hailed as Los Angeles’ bright new rising stars, rock & roll trio Abomic Toms recently opened for legends Billy Idol and Joan Jett at the LA Forum. Composed of Brandon Bernath (vocals/bass), Ashley Valentine (drums), and Willem Wolfe (guitar)—son of Billy Idol himself—the band is proving that rock-and-roll excellence runs in the family.

James Bullard

Raised in West Texas and bouncing between Austin and L.A. since 1999, James Bullard comes from a deeply musical family, performing since age five. Over the last decade, he has collaborated extensively with West Coast and Texas songwriters. Now residing in Austin, he continues to bring rich, authentic songwriting to the stage.

Featured Comedians

Nacya Marreiro

A multi-talented comedian, actress, and writer, Nacya has taken her stand-up worldwide—from NYC’s The Stand to LA’s Laugh Factory and The Comedy Store, as well as Austin’s Creek and the Cave. You can catch her 2021 YouTube comedy special or check out her lead role in the Amazon Prime comedy film “Moving Valentine.”

Chris Tellez

Known for his dark, dry wit and masterful storytelling, Chris Tellez is a comedian to watch. Recently featured on Comedy Central, Chris has performed at top festivals including Colossal Clusterfest, Moontower, and Oddball. He’s shared the stage with comedy giants like Nate Bargatze, Nick Thune, and Big Jay Oakerson.

🎟️ Don’t wait until it’s sold out! Grab your advance $25 tickets now and join us for an unforgettable inaugural night at Paper Tiger.

Special thanks to the event sponsors: Nomad Sound, Attal Recordings, Jam Comedy, and GK Ventures.

Mo Rousso’s AI for Small Businesses: The Ultimate Leadership Roadmap

‘How to Build an AI-Powered Business’ is Book 2 in the AI for Small Businesses series of books by Mo Rousso. Photo: Amazon

📚Book Spotlight: How to Build an AI-Powered Business Without Losing Control, Trust, or Your Mind (AI for Small Businesses Book 2)

By Mo Rousso

AI is already changing how decisions are made inside your business, often without your explicit consent.

Teams are using artificial intelligence to draft plans, analyze data, shape customer communication, and move faster than ever. While productivity might be up, accountability is becoming less clear. Many leaders feel pressure, noise, and a creeping loss of control, even when results look fine on the surface.

This book explains why.

How to Build an AI-Powered Business Without Losing Control, Trust, or Your Mind is a practical leadership guide for executives, founders, and managers navigating artificial intelligence in real organizations. This is not a technical manual; it’s a leadership and management book focused on decision rights, accountability, trust, and organizational discipline.

In this fully revised Second Edition, Mo Rousso shows leaders how to use AI as a business tool without surrendering judgment or culture.

What You’ll Learn

Each chapter includes real-world business case examples that show how AI adoption succeeds—or fails—in everyday companies, from operations and sales to leadership teams and customer service. By reading this guide, you will learn how to:

  • Define clear decision-making authority between humans and AI
  • Prevent artificial intelligence from quietly eroding accountability
  • Build guardrails that scale across teams and departments
  • Improve operational throughput instead of creating more noise
  • Protect customer trust while increasing speed and efficiency
  • Lead calmly and decisively in an AI-driven business environment

This Book Is Ideal For:

  • Business leaders and executives looking for strategic direction
  • Founders and entrepreneurs scaling their companies
  • Managers responsible for AI adoption and implementation
  • Organizations integrating AI into daily operations
  • Anyone interested in the intersection of artificial intelligence, leadership, and management

AI will continue to accelerate. Tools will keep changing. Leadership responsibility does not disappear. This book helps you stay in control when AI is everywhere.

Get your copy today!

About the Author: Mo Rousso

Mo Rousso’s clients know him as the catalyst for change, transforming potential into measurable growth. During his journey as a founder and CEO, he’s faced the same scaling challenges you’re grappling with. He doesn’t just talk about overcoming obstacles, he helps you break through them using proven business frameworks and a relentless commitment to building exceptional teams and cultures.

Having built and scaled multiple companies, Mo understands the roadblocks and frustrations firsthand. He’s leveraged frameworks like Scaling Up and Metronomics to create a business acceleration system that delivers exponential growth and lasting transformation. His journey is proof that when leadership, teamwork, and culture are aligned, businesses not only overcome obstacles, they thrive.

His business books will give you the clarity, confidence, and strategy to embrace AI without fear or confusion. He strips away the tech jargon and delivers real-world insights through engaging storytelling and practical, step-by-step guidance. Whether you’re a skeptical traditionalist or a forward-thinking entrepreneur, Mo shows you how AI can streamline operations, boost efficiency, and drive growth, all without losing the personal touch that makes your business unique.

If you want to stay competitive, work smarter, and future-proof your company, this series is your ultimate roadmap to success.

Also in the AI for Small Businesses Series:

  1. Let AI Do It
  2. How to Build an AI-Powered Business Without Losing Control, Trust, or Your Mind
  3. Freedom Machine
  4. Zero to AI Hero

‘The Focused AI Captain’: A Leader’s Guide to Successful AI Transformation

‘The Focused AI Captain’ by FocusFirst founder René Esteban. Photo: Amazon

Book Spotlight: The Focused AI Captain

How to Navigate the Storm, Empower Your Crew, and Deliver Real Value

By René Esteban

Master the Art of Leading AI Transformations for Lasting Business Success

Only 5% of enterprise AI initiatives succeed. Are you ready to be among the elite few who truly transform their organizations?

In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, businesses face a common enemy—AI initiatives that fail to deliver real impact. Millions are spent on pilots that never scale. But the true obstacle isn’t the technology itself; it’s how organizations are structured, aligned, and led. (Amazon, 2026)

In The Focused AI Captain, René Esteban, CEO of FocusFirst, reveals why most AI transformations stall and what leaders must do differently to succeed. Grounded in real-world enterprise experience, this book provides a clear, practical roadmap to turn AI ambition into measurable business results.

What You Will Learn

Inside, you will discover how to:

  • Master the 10-20-70 Rule: Allocate resources effectively and maximize AI ROI.
  • Apply the 3D Framework: Learn to Diagnose challenges, set Direction, and Deliver results.
  • Bridge the Trust Gap: Turn employee skepticism into active AI adoption.
  • Move Beyond Pilots: Confidently scale your AI initiatives across the entire organization.

Who is this book for? This book is written for CEOs, executives, and decision-makers who refuse to let their organizations fall behind in the AI revolution. Whether you’re leading a large-scale transformation or preparing your team for the next wave of AI adoption, you’ll gain practical frameworks, leadership insights, and execution tools you can apply immediately.

Get your copy now and start leading your organization to AI-driven success.

About the Author

René Esteban brings unwavering passion to making big goals tangible and inspiring people to achieve them.

As the Founder and CEO of FocusFirst, a Keynote Speaker, and a Senior Advisor to top executives, he has made it his mission to accelerate transformations in organizations. He firmly believes that complex change succeeds best through a clear focus on a single goal, excellent communication, and the active involvement of all stakeholders.

René began his career at Merck, where in his mid-20s he led the global build-out of the e-commerce division, today a billion-dollar business. This experience taught him that successful transformations depend not only on the right strategies, but critically on early and open communication with key stakeholders. His insights led to the development of the award-winning PEAK Method, through which FocusFirst has already guided more than 250 transformations.

René is a passionate entrepreneur with several companies alongside FocusFirst. He cherishes inspiring moments of exchange over Italian wine and loves traveling the world with his family – especially to Italy.

‘CRAFT Thinking’: The Practical Playbook for Everyday AI Work

‘CRAFT Thinking’ is the new book by Philip Topham. Photo: Barnes & Noble

Book Spotlight: CRAFT Thinking: A Playbook for Clear Thinking and Better Decisions with AI

By Philip Topham

Get clearer thinking and better decisions with AI without becoming a prompt engineer.

CRAFT Thinking gives you a simple, five-step method that sharpens how you think, improves the questions you ask, and helps you get consistently better results from any artificial intelligence tool. It’s practical, repeatable, and built for everyday work, not technical experts. (Barnes & Noble, 2026)

The CRAFT Chain Reaction:

  • When your thinking improves, your prompts improve.
  • When your prompts improve, your decisions improve.

Whether you lead a company, manage a team, or simply want to do better work with AI, this playbook gives you the structure to turn uncertainty into clarity and AI conversations into meaningful insight.

The Bottom Line: > AI won’t make your work smarter. Clear thinking will, and CRAFT shows you how.

Get your copy today!

About the Author

Philip Topham

Strategic AI Advisor, Speaker, & Creator of the CRAFT Thinking™ Method

Philip Topham is a strategic AI advisor, speaker, and creator of the CRAFT Thinking™ method, a framework designed to bring clarity, intentionality, and better decision-making into the AI era.

With a career spanning corporate leadership, startup ventures, and board advisory, Philip combines the rigor of an engineer with the insight of a relationship-focused strategist. He’s earned two U.S. patents, contributed to peer-reviewed research, and worked across industries from health tech to clean tech to biotech. What sets him apart is not just his technical depth, it’s his shift toward human-centered leadership.

After stepping away to be a stay-at-home dad, Philip returned with a deeper understanding of what it means to lead with care and purpose. He brings that mindset into his work today, helping leaders think with AI, not just use it, so their organizations can grow wisely, inclusively, and sustainably.

Philip serves as co-chair of the National AI Special Interest Group for the Private Directors Association, and publishes regularly at SavionAI: The Shift.

“AI should serve all of humanity—not just the elite. And it’s our shared responsibility to build companies and institutions worthy of that promise.”