Six years ago, two recent college grads moved to Austin to launch a company out of a decaying office. Their wild idea: build a mobile-first app that can get virtually anything delivered to you with just a few taps.  

Five years and $38 million dollars in funding later, the founding duo of Zac Maurais and Ben Doherty have built Favor to nearly 100 employees (in addition to thousands of contract runners). In addition, they transitioned the company to an executive team, which ultimately led to an acquisition by grocery giant HEB. An exit that exceeded their wildest dreams.

Much of the service-based app economy based out of Silicon Valley can be distilled to an Uber-for-x service, a variation of the now ubiquitous ride-hailing app that fuels our on-demand culture. Favor took the on-demand food delivery idea that was dominated by desktop-based interfaces, and moved it forward by focusing on a mobile experience and directly engaging with local businesses to get them signed up.

Maurais and Doherty are poised to do the same thing for real estate as they did for local restaurants by creating Sunroom, an app-based rental experience focused on getting ever-increasing numbers of Austinites to their next home faster and easier than ever before.

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Guest article by Mandy Heintzelman Smith

This is not a scientific conclusion, but over the last five months of living in Austin, I’ve noticed there’s a huge demand for services at local high-end nail salons. When my mother-in-law was in town, I wanted to take her and my little girl to a beautiful, cozy nail salon and make it an experience. I called around to all of the best reviewed salons, and it wasn’t until my fourth try that I could find an appointment for three people.
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For some, the chair massage is a mystical unicorn in the wilderness of the healthcare industry. Does it really work? Where are chair massages available? How do I sit in the chair, and where do my arms go?

The question of whether it works has a simple answer. I believe a massage with a knowledgeable, communicative therapist, of any length of time, can uplift someone’s spirits and make someone’s day. Like anything else regarding health, it is not a silver bullet, especially when dealing with chronic issues. But I can attest to the immediate relief and comfort it provides for countless individuals. As far as where in Austin chair massages are available, I’ve compiled a list of six local, vetted businesses.

(And once you’re in the chair, the therapist will tell you where to put your arms.) [Read more…]