40 Under 40

Two powerful Austinites land on Fortune's esteemed 40 Under 40 list

Austin really is the new Silicon Valley. Fortune’s annual 40 Under 40 honors the most influential people in business, from entertainment to healthcare to food, with a heavy emphasis on technology. While many of these young innovators are based in the Bay Area, Austin found representation on the 2015 list with two impressive local execs.

Jason Buechel
Joining Whole Foods Market two years ago, Buechel is probably still considered “the new guy” due to the fact that the next shortest time on the executive team is a 19-year tenure. He’s also the youngest, at age 37, and as the EVP and CIO of Whole Foods has forged important partnerships to boost the technological component of Whole Foods’ services.

In addition to working on systems that allow traceability into the supply chain and inform customers about products’ nutritional and allergen information, he’s also teamed up with Apple Pay (making Whole Foods one of the first retailers to offer this payment platform) and home delivery service Instacart. Another item on his plate is the development of the company’s recently announced millennial-aimed 365 by Whole Foods.

Brian Sheth
What’s better than going into business with your best friend? Sheth teamed up with his best man to establish Vista Equity Partners in 2000, one of the first private equity firms focusing solely on software. Because of this, co-founder and president Sheth has an advantage in the market with investment companies who are newer in the software business.

“In software there are a lot of great technologies, but not as many great business people,” Sheth told Fortune. “We’ve really learned how to put systems in place that improve the companies that grow up around the software.” A 39-year-old billionaire, Sheth and Vista Equity Partners’ future in the equity game have never looked brighter.

Only one other Texan made the list, El Paso native Michelle Dipp. She’s the co-founder and CEO of OvaScience, a company that uses a woman’s own mitochondria to “freshen up” older eggs before they’re fertilized, enhancing embryo quality for in-vitro fertilization. Since the company’s founding in 2011, 10 babies have been born using the technology.

The Texas winners join other notable influencers on Fortune’s list, including Taylor Swift, Ronda Rousey, John Oliver, and Jessica Alba. To view the full list, visit Fortune.

Jason Buechel, EVP and CIO, Whole Foods Market.

Photo courtesy of Whole Foods Market

Jason Buechel, EVP and CIO, Whole Foods Market.

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Self-driving Roller Coaster

More self-driving cars expected to roll out in Austin for 2025

Photo courtesy of Waymo via KVUE

Various brands offering self-driving cars are on-and-off in Austin.

Expect to see more self-driving rideshare vehicles, also known as robotaxis, on Austin roads next year.

Robotaxi company Waymo, which you may have already seen on Austin's roads, is partnering with Uber. At some point next year, customers will be able to use the Uber app to call a self-driving ride.

Austin-based company Avride is in the testing phase and plans to roll out its robotaxis next year.

Currently, Volkswagen ADMT and Amazon's Zoox are in the testing phase in Austin, while Hyundai's Motional is in the mapping phase.

Last year, robotaxi company Cruise paused operations in Austin after the California Department of Motor Vehicles revoked the company's permits to operate driverless vehicles in the state. And last week, General Motors said it would no longer fund the company because of the time and resources needed.

This way of getting around has come with its safety concerns and issues. The city is tracking those concerns. According to the Transportation Department, the problems span from blocking the roads and parking in front of people's homes for weeks with lights beaming through their windows, to actual wrecks.

Since July 2023, robotaxis have been involved in 75 incidents. Only 21 of those incidents happened in 2024. It's important to note that Cruise has not been operating in Austin this year.

Since July 2023, driverless rideshare vehicles have been involved in 22 near collisions, eight collisions and seven instances where driverless taxis ignored directions from the Austin Police Department (APD).

According to the data, at least four of those Austin police incidents happened in recent months. The issues varied from driving through police checkpoints, to malfunctioning and getting stuck at an APD road closure near pedestrians, causing safety concerns.

A Waymo spokesperson said their vehicles have gesture recognition capabilities, which they've been training APD officers on using.

As the report shows, sometimes it does not work and Waymo said it is working to improve that. The spokesperson said that as of just last week, Waymo's First Responder Program has been independently verified by TÜV SÜD, making Waymo the first autonomous vehicle (AV) company to receive third-party validation for our emergency response protocols. They also said the data to date indicates the Waymo Driver is already reducing traffic injuries and fatalities in the places where the company currently operates.

Read the full story and watch the video at KVUE.com.

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