Neekta Hamidi came to Dallas with a hypothesis: that the region was poised to become a globally recognized hub for biotech and health innovation. After years working across the East Coast in science, policy, and strategy, she saw an opportunity to apply her experience where it could be catalytic – at the intersection of impact, infrastructure, and innovation.
And after making the move, Dallas proved her hypothesis right. From the launch of ARPA-H’s customer experience hub, to the expansion of accelerators like Health Wildcatters and MassChallenge, and the growth of several biotech and life sciences companies in the region, Dallas–Fort Worth is quickly establishing itself as a national center for innovation and commercialization. But for Neekta, the real differentiator has been the welcoming, collaborative community. Early introductions to organizations like BioNTX, Biolabs, and the Dallas Regional Chamber helped her build her community quickly.
Now, she plays the same connective role across the Dallas-Fort Worth innovation landscape that her early contacts played for her, from venture-backed healthcare startups to ecosystem-level strategy work. She is currently expanding Ignite Healthcare Network into North Texas with support from Lyda Hill Philanthropies, and actively consults with civic and innovation leaders to translate ideas into scalable outcomes. Whether advising accelerators, structuring founder-facing programs, or helping organizations operationalize their mission, her approach is grounded in execution and community alignment.
Why Dallas? For Neekta, the list is long- but it all comes down to the region’s unique mix of assets. The Dallas Region boasts a thriving medical district, world-class institutions, affordable real estate, abundant capital, and a strong civic commitment to innovation. It’s a globally-minded, mission-driven city filled with transplants like her- all working to build something meaningful. And with DFW Airport just minutes from her home in Coppell, she can hop on a flight and be on either coast in about four hours, making it easy to stay connected with conferences, meetings, and collaborators across the country.
When she’s off the clock, free from the high overhead of coastal living, she has more room to recharge meaningfully than ever before. That includes discovering ethnic cuisine in the Northern suburbs (BigDash and Lahori Kabob are her favorites), exploring one of Dallas’ nationally renowned farmers markets in Coppell, McKinney, or downtown, or enjoying the city’s many family-friendly offerings, like mommy-and-me Pilates at Align Studio or a morning at the newly renovated Children’s Museum at the Perot.
For Neekta, saying yes to Dallas was more than a career move- it was a strategic bet that’s now paying off. She’s found a region where innovation moves quickly, collaboration comes naturally, and the appetite for meaningful impact is matched by the infrastructure to support it. With the biotech sector on the rise and new opportunities emerging across the innovation landscape, she’s exactly where she wants to be: helping connect people, ideas, and investment in service of a stronger, more visible North Texas. Add to that a welcoming community, great schools, vibrant parks, and time to enjoy it all with her family- and it’s easy to see why Neekta says yes to Dallas, every single day.
