ACG Lunch in Austin on Wed. 7/13/22

Brett Hurt is the CEO and co-founder of data.world, an Austin-based Certified B Corporation and public benefit corporation. data.world makes it easy for everyone—not just the "data people"—to get clear, accurate, fast answers to any business question. data.world's cloud-native data catalog maps its customers siloed, distributed data to familiar and consistent business concepts, creating a unified body of knowledge anyone can find, understand, and use. data.world is also home to the world’s largest collaborative open data community, including public COVID-19 datasets. In 2017, 2018, and 2019, data.world was honored on the “Best for the World” list by B Lab that recognizes the top 10% of all B Corps globally. And in 2020, data.world was named by the Austin Business Journal as one of the top-three companies to work for. Brett is also the co-owner of Hurt Family Investments (HFI), alongside his wife, Debra. HFI are involved in 115 startups, 31 VC funds, and multiple philanthropic endeavors.

Brett co-founded and led Bazaarvoice as CEO, through its IPO, follow-on offering, and two acquisitions. Bazaarvoice became the largest public SaaS (Software as a Service) business in social commerce and was named by the WSJ as one of the top IPOs of 2012. Brett also founded and led Coremetrics, which was rated the #1 Web analytics solution by Forrester Research and, like Bazaarvoice, expanded into a global company and leader. Coremetrics was acquired by IBM in 2010 for around $300m.

Lisa Novak is a strategic partner and agent of growth who has expertise in the areas of culture, talent acquisition, change management, and organizational and professional development. She has 25 years’ experience in staffing, and Human Resources leadership, primarily in the technology industry for scaling companies as they ramp up for significant growth or operational change.

Currently VP, Employee Experience for data.world, Lisa is responsible for driving the organization’s strategy for acquiring, developing, and retaining a diverse team of Austin’s best talent in this highly competitive market. Prior to joining data.world, she served on the executive teams and led HR organizations of companies including RenewData, SigmaTel, and Brooktree through extensive and rapid growth, M&A activity, and strategic evolutions, and helped create positive and motivated cultures in the organizations she’s served.

Lisa’s been an Austin resident for almost 40 years. She studied Business and Human Resources Management at Texas State University and the University of Texas at Austin, and earned and maintains her SPHR designation. She serves on the Board of Directors for Austin’s Chapter of Conscious Capitalism. She’s also a member of the Board of Directors for ACE Academy, who provides personalized education for gifted learners, and volunteers with Austin Angels, a non profit organization supporting foster care children and their families.