Building Beyond Austin - TAYLOR presented by Stewart Title National Commercial Services
- Glenn Hart
- Mar 2
- 4 min read
Updated: Mar 3
Presenting Sponsor
WELCOME
Judge Steven Snell
Williamson County Judge
Steven Snell was appointed Williamson County Judge by the Commissioners Court and sworn in on April 21, 2025. Snell served over 30 years in public education and before becoming the judge, was the superintendent of schools for Liberty Hill ISD where he was named the 2024-2025 Region 13 Superintendent of the Year.
Judge Snell, a graduate of Texas Tech University with a BA in History and an MED in Leadership, draws on his vast leadership experience to lead approximately 2,000 employees as county judge for Williamson County. Judge Snell's leadership was put into action as he led the county through the flood disaster in July and the ice storm this winter.
Judge Snell is a devoted family man with strong roots in Williamson County. His wife Amy is also an educator who spends time and volunteer hours in Leander and Liberty Hill ISDs. Judge Snell has two children, his daughter Madison has two degrees from TTU and UT and is currently in medical school at the University of Incarnate Word School in SA, and their son Will attends Louisiana State University.
Panel Sponsor
FIRELESS FIRESIDE CHAT
Ben White
President / CEO
Taylor Economic Development Director
Ben White serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Taylor Economic Development Corporation, where he leads the strategy and execution of economic growth initiatives for one of the fastest-evolving communities in Central Texas.
Appointed in 2023, Ben brings more than two decades of experience in Texas economic development, having previously held leadership roles in communities including Cedar Park, Round Rock, Rowlett, and Greenville. His work has contributed to billions of dollars in capital investment and the creation of thousands of jobs across the state.
In Taylor, Ben is guiding the city’s economic strategy during a pivotal period marked by transformative industrial investment and rapid population growth. His focus includes business recruitment and retention, workforce alignment, site development readiness, infrastructure coordination, and ensuring long-term, diversified economic sustainability for the community.
Ben is known for balancing big-picture vision with practical execution — working closely with local leadership, regional partners, developers, and industry to position Taylor as a competitive and resilient market within the greater Austin region.
Glenn Hart
Founder
LinkedGlenn
Glenn Hart is the founder of LinkedGlenn, a fast-growing networking platform connecting leaders across Austin’s architecture, engineering, construction, development, and real estate community.
Known for blending business development with high-energy, community-driven events, Glenn created LinkedGlenn to bring together the people shaping Central Texas’ built environment — from public officials and economic development leaders to developers, designers, and contractors. His “Building Beyond Austin” series highlights emerging markets like Taylor and other high-growth communities influencing the region’s future.
With a background rooted in relationship-building and strategic brand positioning, Glenn has built LinkedGlenn into both a digital platform and in-person forum where industry conversations happen openly, candidly, and with a touch of personality. His events are designed to be equal parts informative and engaging — creating space for real dialogue, meaningful connections, and new opportunities.
Developer Panel Sponsor
Developer Panel
Pawel Hardej
Principal
Metropolitan Development Company
Pawel Hardej is a principal at Metropolitan Development Co., where he focuses on identifying, entitling, and delivering strategically located real estate projects in high-growth Texas markets.
Active in rapidly evolving communities like Taylor and throughout Central Texas, Pawel operates at the intersection of growth and practicality. His work requires navigating zoning, utilities, roadway capacity, and shifting market conditions — all while aligning capital partners, city leadership, and end users. In today’s environment, where timelines are tight and infrastructure constraints are real, that balance is critical.
The Ferguson
1300 W 2nd Street, Taylor, Tx 76574
The Ferguson features 82 condos including two commercial spaces and six live/work storefront homes for sale or lease.
The first phase of residential condominium units is located on levels two, three and four in two historically styled elevator buildings to be constructed along Second Street.
The Ferguson is designed to “directly address the regional housing affordability crisis,” with condominiums starting in the mid $200,000's.
Samarth Maira
Cofounder & CCO
Blueprint Data Centers
Samarth Maira is Co-Founder and Chief Commercial Officer of Blueprint Data Centers, where he leads the company’s commercial strategy, customer partnerships, and market expansion initiatives. He works directly with hyperscale, enterprise, and technology clients to align site selection, power availability, and infrastructure delivery with rapidly accelerating digital demand.
With a background spanning data center development, capital markets, and infrastructure strategy, Samarth focuses on bringing speed, certainty, and scalability to complex projects. His role sits at the intersection of real estate, energy, and technology — coordinating utilities, land strategy, design, and long-term customer requirements to ensure projects are both technically sound and commercially viable.
Blueprint Data Centers is an independent data center platform developing greenfield data centers designed with flexibility to support a range of use cases including high-performance computing, AI and other advanced workloads.
Blueprint Data Center
1300 W 2nd Street, Taylor, Tx 76574
52 acres | 135K sq ft | Up to 60MW
Live Music Sponsors
Live Music
Cosmic Bob Livingston
Singer/Songwriter/Legend
Cosmic Bob Livingston is a legendary Texas singer-songwriter known for his sharp storytelling, wry humor, and road-seasoned authenticity. With decades of performing under his belt, Bob has built a reputation as a true troubadour — blending folk, country, Americana, and a little cosmic edge into performances that are equal parts concert and conversation.
Over the years, he’s shared stages with legendary artists like Jerry Jeff Walker & Michael Martin Murphy and also as a founding member of the Lost Gonzo Band performing everywhere from intimate dancehalls to festival crowds, earning a loyal following for his thoughtful lyrics and easy connection with audiences. His songs reflect life on the road, Texas culture, and the characters you only meet when you’re paying attention.
Bob Livingston has a new book and it’s a wild tale!
Happy Hour
Happy Hour Sponsors - 1st Drink on these great firms!
Thanks for joining LinkedGlenn Building Beyond Austin.... stay tuned for the next stop on the LinkedGlenn suburban roadshow!
Glenn Hart
(512) 751-2830
Comments