Arlington: The North Texas Corridor Nobody's Talking About

In a recent episode of The Building Texas Show, recorded live at America's House during SXSW 2026 in Austin, host Justin McKenzie sat down with Pamela Cytron, President of The Founder's Arena, to discuss why Arlington, Texas, is becoming the heart of the North Texas innovation economy. Traditionally known for its stadiums, Arlington is now attracting buyers, sellers, and founders as a central hub between Dallas and Fort Worth. Cytron, who relocated to North Texas in summer 2023 after years of fintech board work in the state, is using Arlington's geography to dismantle regional silos. 'I like to refer to Arlington, now that I've been there two and a half years, as the North Texas corridor,' she told McKenzie. 'Because what we found is Arlington smack dab, like in the right middle.' She floated a concrete next move tied to the city's marquee racing weekend: '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 dug into the civic infrastructure powering the ecosystem. She highlighted the University of Texas at Arlington as a key resource and commended the Arlington Independent School District, noting that The Founder's Arena often recruits entrepreneur-track high school students as event volunteers. She referenced a panel earlier that day at America's House on breaking down regional silos, and reiterated her open-door operating style, saying she answers all LinkedIn messages and takes cold calls because, 'you never know who you're going to meet.' Calendly, she joked, is 'the worst invention of all time.' Cytron was awarded Texas Innovator of the Year at this year's Texas Venture Gala & Forum. Listen to this Episode