Growth on Austin's Menu

My Fit Foods relocates to Austin from Houston, plans local hiring and national expansion

My Fit Foods CEO Mario Mendias with his sweet new Austin backdrop

Photo courtesy of My Fit Foods

My Fit Foods LLC, which just moved its headquarters from Houston to Austin, has some healthy growth plans on its corporate menu.

The company, which operates a chain of stores that sell healthy, ready-to-go packaged meals, is set to open five more retail locations this year and at least another 15 next year, founder and CEO Mario Mendias said. To support that growth, My Fit Foods is adding 20 jobs this year at its new Austin headquarters and its new stores.

My Fit Foods moved to Austin to capitalize on its rapid economic growth, high-quality workforce and focus on health and fitness.

The company says it’s “on the forefront of a major nationwide expansion.”

The five stores opening in November and December are scattered around the country: one in Austin, one in Houston, one in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and two in Los Angeles.

Today, My Fit Foods has nearly 80 stores in Texas, Arizona, California, Illinois and Oklahoma. Among the markets where more stores will open in 2014 are Austin, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio.

In the Austin area, My Fit Foods has 12 locations, including several at HEB stores. Its 13th location in the area will open in the HEB at Burnet Road and Koenig Lane.

Last year, Mendias told Austin Fit magazine that he envisions My Fit Foods stores in every major U.S. market, as well as a mail-order program that delivers fresh, unfrozen food with a 14-day shelf life.

“My goal is for anyone in the U.S. who wants to eat healthy (to be able to) get food from a retail storefront or delivered to their homes,” Mendias, a former personal trainer, told the magazine.

My Fit Foods, which Mendias founded in 2006, moved to Austin to capitalize on its rapid economic growth, high-quality workforce and focus on health and fitness, he said. Twenty-five employees relocated from Houston to Austin. Since the Austin office opened, 10 hires have been made.

To celebrate the relocation to Austin, the company will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony Nov. 6 outside its headquarters along Loop 360 near the iconic Pennybacker Bridge.

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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