🍎Education Partnership releases student study; Go from Fort Worth to Plano ... without a car; National Bank buys Vista Bancshares.

Saudi-based HALA, a fintech and provider of embedded financial services to micro, small and medium enterprises, raised $157 million in a Series B investment round. It was led by The Rise Fund, Fort Worth-based TPG’s multi-sector global impact investing strategy, and Sanabil Investments, a wholly owned company by the Public Investment Fund. 

National Bank Holdings said it will acquire Vista Bancshares for $369 million. Among its Texas and Florida properties, Vista Bank has a branch a block off Summit Ave. and I-30 in Fort Worth, and one in Justin. 

"High School and Beyond: Tracking the Educational Outcomes of Fort Worth Students" has been released by the Fort Worth Education Partnership. The study follows nearly 30,000 students who started 8th grade in Fort Worth between 2011 and 2013. Two key findings: Most students aspire to pursue higher education, yet fewer than 1 in 5 earn a college degree within six years of high school graduation.

Need to get from Fort Worth to Plano and not fight traffic? Dallas Area Rapid Transit's Silver Line, a heavy commuter train, will open Oct. 25. It will run 26 miles and connect Plano, Richardson, Dallas, Addison, Carrollton, Coppell and Grapevine to D-FW International Airport. TEXRail runs from Fort Worth to the airport.

A framework deal has been reached between China and the U.S. for the ownership of popular social video platform TikTok, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said.

Digital Alpha, an investment firm specializing in digital infrastructure, has made a significant strategic investment in Sprocket Networks, a provider of fiber infrastructure. The partnership's initial focus will be the Fort Worth Fiber Project, which is an approximately 300-mile fiber backbone under construction. The network will provide multi-terabit capacity to support services for residential, commercial and government services and applications throughout Fort Worth. 

GTIS Partners, a global real estate investment firm that manages $4.7 billion in gross assets with a focus on residential and industrial investments, announced the acquisition of a 26-acre industrial site in the Great Southwest area. GTIS will develop in-house an approximately 442,000-square-foot Class A cross-dock facility, which can be designed to provide leasing flexibility to prospective tenants.

Peachtree Group, a commercial real estate investment firm overseeing $8 billion across equity and debt, acquired a Class-A industrial facility in Mansfield. Completed in 2025, the 131,040-square-foot rear-load building offers 36-foot clear heights, a three-acre outdoor storage yard and long-term expansion potential. The property was acquired for $180 per square foot and is fully leased to Ferguson at 800 S. 4th Ave.

Fort Worth-based design-build/general contractor Speed Fab-Crete has completed construction on the 41,688-square-foot Classic Honda of Midland dealership. It is one of the first facilities in the U.S. to be built using Honda’s "Blue Stage" Generation 4 prototype design concept.

Communities In Schools of Greater Tarrant County works to help more than 40,000 students annually, positioning licensed social workers inside schools to provide case management and mental health support. Today, the non-profit opens a CIS Center for Student Support at 6660 Hawks Creek Ave., Westworth Village. 

Dallas–Fort Worth topped all large U.S. metros in attracting new workers, according to Lightcast’s 2024 Talent Attraction Scorecard. The region’s population increase made the highest jump nationwide. D-FW posted strong gains in high-earning jobs, especially in technology and financial services, reinforcing its position as a leading destination for both businesses and workers.

Tarleton State University has been awarded $731,322 of a nearly $5-million grant from the National Science Foundation to design professional learning opportunities and recruit K-8 science instructors as part of the National STEM Teacher Corps Pilot Program. 

Brookings Metro, the policy arm of the Brookings Institution, named Dallas-Fort Worth one of 30 U.S. metros leading the country in artificial intelligence. The region ranked No. 13 overall.

Robert Redford made serious topics such as grief and political corruption resonate with the masses, in no small part because of his star power. The screen idol, turned director and activist, has died at 89.

Snippets:

• The grape stomp at Grapefest in Grapevine is over and here are the People's Choice top wines. 

• Fort Worth and Dallas mayors are looking for green in their TCU-SMU football wager. 

• A proud mother’s LinkedIn post about her son's first week of work at GameStop inspired CEO Ryan Cohen to give him a surprise bonus. 

Significant stat: $3 trillion = Market cap that Google parent Alphabet reached yesterday, becoming just the fourth company to cross the $3 trillion threshold. Alphabet’s stock has jumped ~70% since April. 

Daily digit: 136 inches = Size of a new TV listed on Best Buy for $130,000. The retailer is betting that giant, wall-sized TVs will be a draw for customers ahead of the holidays. The 10-foot-wide, 6-foot-high, 320-pound TV is offered at select stores.

Announcements: 

• Colleyville: Politician and serial northeast Tarrant entrepreneur Nelson Thibodeaux dies at 77.  

• Cantey Hanger: Adds Partner Ryan Nordhaus and associate attorneys Andrew Boone and Chad Osbourn.

• New Hope Equine Assisted Therapy: Adds Kimberly Rogers to its Executive Board.

• Fort Worth Chamber: Recognizes Nicholas Ditto, Founder and CEO of Fort Worth STEAM Academy, as its 2025 Young Professional of the Year. 

• First Bank Texas: Promotes Brooks Ferguson to Chief Credit Officer. 

• Department of War/Defense: Awards GM Financial its Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award, one of 15 in the U.S.

• DKBinnovative: Promotes Lauren Albrecht to Vice President of Growth.

• State of Texas: Honors Tarrant County Deputy Todd Tipton with Star of Texas award for bravery serving a warrant. 

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