Stratospheric recognition

3 Austin companies make Forbes list of best employers in Texas

Google Sailboat Building downtown Austin

Though based in Mountain View, California, Google has a major corporate hub in Austin.

Rendering courtesy of Steelblue/Trammell Crow

A new list from Forbes and Statista places three Austin-based companies among the state’s major employers, both those based in Texas and those with a significant presence here. Perhaps unsurprisingly, all three were tech companies, including Google (No. 14), Dell Technologies (No. 29), and NXP Semiconductors (No. 30).

NASA in Houston took home the No. 1 title.

To come up with their ranking, Forbes and Statista surveyed about 70,000 Americans working at employers in the U.S. with at least 500 employees each. The final list features 1,382 highly recommended employers in the 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Here are the 30 best large employers in Texas, as determined by Forbes and Statista.

Austin area

No. 14 Google (based in Mountain View, California; major corporate hub in Austin)
No. 29 Dell Technologies, based in Round Rock
No. 30 NXP Semiconductors (based in the Netherlands; major corporate hub in Austin)

Houston area

No. 1 NASA (based in Washington, D.C.; Johnson Space Center in Clear Lake)
No. 2 University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
No. 3 Oceaneering International, based in Houston
No. 4 MD Anderson Cancer Center, based in Houston
No. 11 Bechtel (based in Reston, Virginia; major corporate hub in Houston)
No. 13 Clear Creek ISD, based in League City
No. 20 Air Liquide, based in Houston
No. 23 Kelsey-Seybold Clinic, based in Pearland
No. 25 Houston Methodist, based in Houston

Dallas-Fort Worth

No. 7 University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas
No. 8 Capital One (based in Richmond, Virginia; major corporate hub in Plano)
No. 16 University of Texas at Dallas
No. 17 Southwest Airlines, based in Dallas
No. 18 Lewisville ISD, based in Lewisville
No. 19 GM Financial, based in Fort Worth
No. 21 City of Plano
No. 22 Fidelity Investments (based in Boston; major corporate hub in Westlake)
No. 28 Jordan Health Services, based in Addison

San Antonio

No. 5 University of Texas at San Antonio
No. 9 H-E-B (based in San Antonio; more than 300 stores in Texas)
No. 12 University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio

Throughout Texas

No. 6 IKEA (based in Sweden; five stores in Texas)
No. 10 Costco (based in Issaquah, Washington; 35 stores in Texas)
No. 15 Hyatt (based in Chicago; hotels throughout Texas)
No. 24 Microsoft (based in Redmond, Washington; offices in Austin, Dallas, Friendswood, Frisco, Houston, San Antonio, and The Woodlands)
No. 26 Sherwin-Williams (based in Cleveland; more than 300 stores in Texas)

rankings lists

SKIN IN THE GAME

Renowned Hill Country tattoo artist inks new sacred geometry app

Photo courtesy of Dillon Forte

Dillion Forte at his "tattoo ranch" in the Texas Hill Country.

In the world of tattooing, there may seem to be few better rat traps left to build, but Dillon Forte aims to change that. In October, the renowned Wimberley-based tattoo artist and entrepreneur introduced a new iPadOS app to bring ancient symbology into the digital age.

Forte has made a worldwide name for his black dot work (a contemporary take on stick-and-poke techniques) and ambitious undertakings like tattooing underwater and opening a “tattoo ranch.” His ink appears on Usher, Chris Hemsworth, and Kehlani.

Still, he is most recognized for his sacred geometry designs, using patterns to convey various meanings. His interest led him to create the Sacred Geometry Drawing App, a convenient way for novices and experts to develop and export their creations.

The app grew out of his own practice. Over the past decade, he has used tablets and freehand techniques to achieve his highly symmetrical artwork but grew to realize existing tools were not always easy to use.

“The app is an attempt and fulfillment of my desire to make sacred geometry accessible and bring the ability to create into the fingertips of as many people as possible,” Forte tells CultureMap via email, adding a tagline: “symmetry made simply.”

He says he wished the app was available when developing his signature style as a tattoo artist, but it was designed with a broad range of users in mind. He hopes that designers, educators, and artists will find a use for it.

A short intro to the app's capabilities is available on YouTube. It looks like a standard drawing app, starting with a blank canvas and some tools like pens, pencils, colors, and of course, straight line and dot makers.

A "symmetry index" anchors the functionality and expands it to something between 2D art and 3D modeling. In addition to generating shapes like repeating patterns and spirals, the app also creates 3D shapes with grids, so that the artist can map their design in real space or even create sculptures. There is also an index for explaining the spiritual meaning of some standard designs.

“Geometry often prompts an intimidating feeling when it comes to making art,” Forte continues. “The fundamentally complex and often academic nature of math-based art can induce a sense of fear in the potential user instead of creating a sense of awe. The purpose of the sacred geometry app is to cultivate the latter."

Creatives interested in constructing their own geometric masterpieces can download the app at the App Store for free, and in-app purchases are available.

technology apps tattoos arts