Discover Arlington: North Texas' Emerging Innovation Hub
On The Building Texas Show, Founder's Arena President Pamela Cytron tells host Justin McKenzie why she relocated to Arlington in 2023, how the city bridges Dallas and Fort Worth, and why the Grand Prix, UTA, and Arlington ISD are fueling a fast-rising startup ecosystem.
Arlington, TX (Newsworthy.ai) Thursday May 28, 2026 @ 10:43 AM CDT
Pamela Cytron the Texas Innovator of the Year in 2026 holding a her crystal boot award.
Photo: Photo by Pamela Cytron
“I like to refer to Arlington, now that I've been there two and a half years, as the North Texas corridor. Because what we found is Arlington smack dab, like in the right middle.”
In a recent episode of The Building Texas Show, 'Arlington: The North Texas Corridor Nobody's Talking About,' hosted by Justin McKenzie, published on March 18th, 2026, and was recorded live at America's House during SXSW 2026 in Austin. The conversation features Pamela Cytron, President of The Founder's Arena, argues that Arlington, Texas, traditionally famous for its stadiums, is evolving into the heart of the North Texas innovation economy, attracting buyers, sellers, and founders as a central hub between Dallas and Fort Worth.
The episode unpacks why Cytron relocated to North Texas in the summer of 2023 after years of fintech board work in the state, and how she is using Arlington's geography to dismantle regional silos. Listeners can expect specific threads on:
Pamela Cytron the Texas Innovator of the Year in 2026 holding a her crystal boot award.
Photo: Photo by Pamela Cytron
“I like to refer to Arlington, now that I've been there two and a half years, as the North Texas corridor. Because what we found is Arlington smack dab, like in the right middle.”
- Arlington as the "North Texas corridor" connecting Dallas and Fort Worth
- The role of the Grand Prix weekend in convening innovators
- Resources at UTA and Arlington ISD feeding the talent pipeline
- Connecting buyers and sellers across DFW through The Founder's Arena
- Why satellite companies and experience-driven brands are landing in Arlington
Cytron's voice is direct and builder-first. Asked why the location matters, she tells McKenzie, "I like to refer to Arlington, now that I've been there two and a half years, as the North Texas corridor. Because what we found is Arlington smack dab, like in the right middle." She also floats a concrete next move tied to the city's marquee racing weekend, telling the host, "We didn't do it this time, but this was the first Grand Prix, but I was thinking we need an Innovation Paddock Club." The exchange captures her preference for convening over credentialing.
Beyond the corridor framing, Cytron digs into the civic infrastructure powering the ecosystem. She highlights the University of Texas at Arlington as a key resource and commends the Arlington Independent School District, noting that The Founder's Arena often recruits entrepreneur-track high school students as event volunteers. She references a panel earlier that day at America's House on breaking down regional silos, and reiterates her open-door operating style, saying she answers all LinkedIn messages and takes cold calls because, in her words, "you never know who you're going to meet." Calendly, she jokes, is "the worst invention of all time."
Pamela Cytron was awarded Texas innovator of the Year a this year's Texas Venture Gala & Forum.
About The Building Texas Show
The Building Texas Show, hosted by Justin McKenzie, profiles the founders, operators, and civic leaders shaping the state's fastest-growing business corridors. From SXSW stages to local ecosystems in Arlington, Austin, Houston, and beyond, the show delivers candid, on-the-ground conversations for entrepreneurs, investors, and economic developers tracking the Texas growth story. This episode is available now wherever podcasts are heard.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Who is Pamela Cytron and what brought her to North Texas?
- Pamela Cytron is the President of The Founder's Arena and a longtime founder herself. She relocated to North Texas in the summer of 2023 after spending years on fintech boards in the state. She told Justin McKenzie she saw a real opportunity to help create and be part of an ecosystem that's just starting to grow, framing the move as a way to give back.
- Why does Cytron call Arlington the "North Texas corridor"?
- Because Arlington sits geographically between Dallas and Fort Worth, Cytron argues it solves a real friction point: someone in Fort Worth might think twice about driving to a Dallas event at night. After two and a half years on the ground, she uses Arlington's central location to bring the two metros together rather than letting them operate as silos.
- What is the "Innovation Paddock Club" idea she floated?
- Tied to Arlington's first Grand Prix weekend, Cytron pitched the concept of a privately run Innovation Paddock Club that would use the racing event as a convening moment for founders and innovators. It wasn't executed this year, but she sees the Grand Prix as a natural anchor for bringing the innovation community together around a shared experience.
- What local institutions does Cytron credit for fueling Arlington's ecosystem?
- She highlights the University of Texas at Arlington as a great resource and praises the Arlington Independent School District's work on innovation. The Founder's Arena puts that into practice by staffing its events with entrepreneur-track high school students as volunteers, creating early exposure between students and the broader founder community.
- How does The Founder's Arena fit into the broader DFW ecosystem?
- Cytron frames the work around collaboration and connecting more buyers and sellers across the region. By anchoring in Arlington and leveraging its central location, The Founder's Arena positions itself as a convener that breaks down the silos between Dallas and Fort Worth, a theme she also addressed on a panel at America's House during SXSW 2026.
- How does Cytron prefer people reach out to her?
- She's active on LinkedIn and answers all her messages, though she admits she can be a little slow. She also takes cold calls, explaining that you never know who you're going to meet. Notably, she's not a fan of scheduling tools, telling McKenzie that Calendly is, in her words, "the worst invention of all time."
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