In the first part of our look at the Hoverstate Innovation Hub, we talked about how Lubbock was historically one of the most important cities during the age of rail, connecting America from coast to coast via the South Plains. Now, at an intersection point between major highways, Lubbock is as booming as ever. Businesses and employees are discovering that the Hub City isn’t just the gateway to the South Plains; it’s the center of innovation in the region.
Lubbock has taken steps to stay relevant, but a few major initiatives have propelled Lubbock into a time of unprecedented growth. Because of these initiatives, Hoverstate is excited to be part of the new wave of growth in West Texas.
One of the most important steps Lubbock took was to create an attractive atmosphere for cutting edge companies – like Hoverstate. In the last couple of years alone, the city has sought after innovative companies to set up shop in town, and also made efforts to attract Lubbock natives and convince them to come back. Another important program is the Lubbock Coding Academy, giving locals the skills they need to succeed in the modern business landscape.
Many cities have tried similar programs, but Lubbock’s initiative in particular has seen incredible success. Year over year, hundreds of technology jobs have popped up in the Hub City, encouraging the growth and innovation that put Lubbock on the map in the first place. This push for more tech jobs is only getting started and is a major objective of the Lubbock Economic Development Alliance.
Why is Lubbock succeeding where so many other cities have failed? It could be the affordable cost of living. It could be the convenient, central location. Or it could be the fact that people find a genuine sense of pride living in the positively energetic community of Lubbock, Texas.
We felt a special connection to Lubbock from the moment we stepped foot in the Hub City. When Rob Fauver, Hoverstate’s Chief Strategic Officer and managing partner, initially began hunting for our new Innovation Hub location, he flew in and was surprised when a Lubbock local offered to give him a ride from the airport to his destination. That’s when things clicked. This was Lubbock in a nutshell: friendly, compassionate, and welcoming. We didn’t just want to open up an office in Texas; we wanted to become a part of Lubbock for the long haul.
After deciding on Lubbock, we needed to find a space to call home. Fortunately, we immediately found what we were looking for in the Courthouse Lofts.
You can easily tell that the building used to be a courthouse, and to the surprise of no one, it used to house the post office as well. The city of Lubbock wanted to preserve history while simultaneously opening up the possibility for new, innovative businesses to move in, so the building became a mixed-use space. The Courthouse Lofts serve as a main part of the city’s effort to revitalize downtown, and we are excited to be right in the center of it all.
Our offices themselves are located on the garden level. Entering the historic building and walking into our state-of-the-art offices is like stepping into the future. The Innovation Hub itself is bright and eclectic, and there is a feeling of progress and excitement in the air. From the outside, you might not ever know what wonders our team is cooking up, and we like the idea of it being almost a surprise. You see a classic courthouse–a center of authority and power–but inside is a bustling center of innovation and growth.
A building doesn’t matter if it’s not filled with the right people. Fortunately, we chose Lubbock strategically. The Hub City is home to a wide-range of talented individuals and is a great draw for any professional interested in starting a career as a systems architect.
The reason why a lot of these people are here? Texas Tech University.
A tier one research university like Texas Tech does a lot more than just produce exceptional graduates. After all, a university only becomes a tier one institution by having great resources, talented faculty members, and research productivity. All of these things create an atmosphere of innovation in the Lubbock area.
For us, we knew that Texas Tech was going to be a source of talented computer scientists and program managers. After all, the university is involved heavily with AI research, has worked closely with NASA, and know everything from cybersecurity to wireless networking. If there is something involving tech, you can bet that a faculty member has researched it or helped write the book on it.
They put the Tech in Texas Tech.
Beyond the academics, the University creates excitement in Lubbock. People here are passionate (to say the least) about the Red Raiders and attending a sporting event is a rite of passage for any non-native Lubbock citizens. The excitement is something you can feel, like the roar of the crowd in Jones AT&T Stadium.
In a way, Texas Tech is one of Lubbock’s best resources, and with our internship program directly drawing from the College of Engineering, it’s one of ours as well.
With Texas Tech on our doorstep, it’s no surprise that much of our team are graduates from the university. These passionate individuals carry the lessons they learn from Tech and add it to our existing Hoverstate magic. They represent some of the most innovative individuals on our team, and we know that with Texas Tech nearby, we will continue to add more and more graduates as time goes on.
Born and raised in West Texas as well as a Texas Tech alum, Barbie Taylor is our operations superwoman. As Hoverstate’s very first Lubbock employee, she is our senior manager of business solutions and a business architect that specializes in business analysis. On top of that, she also holds a PMP certification.
In addition to Barbie, we have a few transplants that help keep the lights on and the fresh ideas coming. JC Romero is a lead systems architect and our senior manager of technology solutions. JC is a bottomless well of knowledge when it comes to development. He is always on the lookout for new trends and ideas. With all of this information in his head, it’s a good thing that he is certified in training others. Basically, he is Gandalf but not old, or Yoda but not green and two feet tall.
We’re not just bragging on him. He’s extremely skilled and when it comes to certifications, he’s basically on a mission to “Catch ‘em all!”
Finally, we can’t mention our team at the Innovation Hub without talking about Pravin Magar. A certified senior systems architect, Pravin is also our senior manager of technology solutions. Pravin does it all when it comes to development, from requirement gathering to unit testing and implementation. Both he and JC help mold our Innovation Hub interns into development pros, and Pravin’s knowledge and understanding of development provides our eager learners with another invaluable resource.
We assembled the team. We found the building. We built the pipeline to a tier one research university. We have everything we need to start leaving our mark on the Lone Star State.
Texas is known for a lot of things. Austin is weird. Tacos are their own food group. The only thing bigger than Texas pride is Big Tex. The words “The stars at night” are not really read as much as they’re sung in your head, and if you do say them aloud in Texas, expect to hear everyone around you finish the line.
It’s a state rich with culture and icons. And we want to be a part of that larger-than-life Texas culture.
Pega is, quite frankly, a tool meant for Texas. It’s innovative, hardworking, and bold–just like the Lone Star State. Our Lubbock office is designed to help businesses and professionals in the area discover the power of Pega.
Our team in Lubbock is comprised of experts in Pega, from Pega UI to integration. Having the Innovation Hub in the area allows businesses to get the most of the Pega platform. So what exactly can Pega do?
Pega can:
With Pega being so advanced and powerful, it’s no surprise that becoming certified in Pega is an endeavor. That’s one of the things that our Innovation Hub wants to address. By training individuals with the power of Pega, we prepare them to become certified system architects and give them the skills they need to create game changing Pega implementation.
We’ve become Pega masters (okay, technically a Pega Venture partner, but Pega master sounds cooler), and we are ready to bring our expertise to Lubbock, the Panhandle, and beyond.
Ultimately, Pega is a lot like what the railroads of old used to do – but obviously a million times faster and far more sophisticated. It’s the perfect compliment to bring to a city with such a rich history of directing people and ideas to exactly where they need to go. Whether it was by rail in the 1800s, by highway in the 1900s, or now by digital communication, Lubbock has always helped people and businesses connect – and get to where they need to be. With Hoverstate and the Innovation Hub, we’re going to help Lubbock redefine what it means to be called the Hub City.