Never Leave Home Again

San Antonio's 'Favor-ite' delivery service carted off by H-E-B

H-E-B and Favor Delivery are now a package deal.

Courtesy photo

Favor Delivery, the cult delivery app beloved by busy parents and hungover college kids alike, has been purchased by Texas grocery giant H-E-B. On February 15, the San Antonio-based chain announced it was acquiring the Austin-based Favor for an undisclosed amount.

Favor has been a game-changer since it came onto the scene in 2013. Suddenly, for a slight fee, users could order almost anything via Favor's mobile app, and within an hour or so a friendly driver clad in a light blue tuxedo T-shirt would show up at the front door. The service has become so ubiquitous that it's even become a verb. ("Don't want to leave your house? Just Favor it.")

That kind of cult-like following was enough to attract the attention of Texas' biggest grocery chain.

"Over the past two years, we have established a strong working relationship with Favor that has proven to be immensely successful for both companies," said Martin Otto, H-E-B’s chief operating officer, in a release. "We see a unique opportunity with this partnership to support and accelerate each other’s growth through the sharing of experience, insight, and resources.” Currently, Favor operates in more than 50 cities across Texas.

H-E-B also confirmed it will retain all Favor employees and the more than 50,000 delivery drivers, also known as runners. H-E-B also confirmed to CultureMap that, yes, you'll still be able to Favor just about anything.

H-E-B isn't the only grocery chain investing in technology-based delivery. Earlier this month, Amazon-owned Whole Foods Market announced it was using parent corporation's Prime service to deliver groceries for free within a two-hour window.

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leading the way

CultureMap founder David Gow named CEO of Houston policy nonprofit

Photo by Daniel Ortiz

David Gow will begin his new role in September.

A nonprofit organization dedicated to leading Houston into the future has named its next leader.

The Center for Houston’s Future named David Gow as president and CEO, succeeding Brett Perlman, who was announced in April to be remaining at the Center with a focus on the Center’s hydrogen initiative. Gow is the founder and chairman of Gow Media, CultureMap's parent company. His role is effective September 3.

“I am excited to step into this opportunity with the Center and work with the team, the board and many other stakeholders to help shape Houston’s future,” Gow said in a statement. “The Center presents an exciting opportunity to cast a vision for our region and identify initiatives that will make an impact.”

Gow — whose portfolio includes CultureMap, its sister sites, and ESPN Radio's Houston affiliate — is a board member of Goose Capital and chair of MSAI, an entity he formed through a SPAC acquisition. Before he founded Gow Media, he served as CFO and CEO of online watch retailer Ashford.com. Prior to Ashford, Gow was director of corporate strategy at Compaq Computers and a consultant at McKinsey & Co. He received his master’s in public policy from Harvard and his bachelor's in economics from Williams College.

“David’s portfolio of experiences and skills, record of innovation and success, and deep commitment to the Houston community make him the perfect fit to lead the Center as we chart and execute on our next set of initiatives focused on ensuring a bright future for all residents in the Houston region,” adds Center for Houston’s Future Board Chair Cindy Yeilding.

In his new role, Gow will lead the Center’s next effort, Vision 2050, which plans to identify the city's key issues, gaps, and opportunities.

“Today’s announcement also reflects the success of the Center’s clean hydrogen program,” Yeilding continues. “On behalf of the Center’s board, I’d also like to recognize Brett for launching and building such a successful and important effort as well as his overall leadership and record of achievement at the Center these past seven years.”

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This article first appeared on our sister site InnovationMap.

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