Trailblazers – Successful Entrepreneurs | Amplified Solutions CEO Rob Todd

Tall and demure, Rob Todd is making headlines as Houston Business Journal recently declared his company Amplified Solutions as one of the fastest growing companies earning a place on the Houston Business Journal’s 2015 Fast 100 List. HBJ will honor 100 companies and reveal the rankings at the Houston Fast 100 Awards Luncheon on Thursday, September 17.

Technology and access to the net is a truly ubiquitous part of our 21st century lifestyle. Whether it’s in a sports arena, a hospital, or a convention center, when you reach for your smartphone or tablet, you expect it to just work. And like magic, we rarely think about the behind-the-scenes complexity that makes it all happen. Rob Todd and his team at Amplified Solutions are the magicians that have provided seamless connectivity to many of our city’s larger venues and businesses.

Rob’s talents in telecommunications have come from his tenure as the former Chairman of the Regulatory Affairs Committee and his current position as Chairman of the Tower Permit Commission, both for the City of Houston. Combined with 20 years of experience as an attorney and business manager, Rob has focused Amplified Solution’s business model to reflect the property owner’s perspective instead of only the wireless carriers’. This win-win approach benefits both parties and allows customers to enjoy the latest in technology and connectivity.

“Rob and I have known each other for years. His dedication to family and his work in the tech industry is groundbreaking. He’s a good friend and a tremendous asset to the business community,” shares Nick Florescu, prominent businessman and affluent philanthropist.

Rob has a long history in law and politics and has championed a number of causes on behalf of Houstonians. But one Houstonian in particular, his own son Robert, best defines Rob’s dedication and character. As an infant, Robert was stricken with meningitis and lost his hearing as a result. Together, over the years, the father and son team have fought for the inclusion of captioning for the hearing impaired services in television and film. Under the Americans With Disabilities Act, they successfully petitioned the Houston’s Government Access Television to add captioning to televised City Council meetings, and the Hobby Center and Houston Rodeo to add captioning to their performances.

Lights Camera Action Houston International Society News sat down with Amplified Solutions CEO, Rob Todd for a tête-à-tête:

Houston is known for charitable organizations and our entrepreneurs are so supportive of many charities. What are the charities you are passionate about?

Arts and culture and anything children related. I’m a sucker for all three.

Congratulations on your company being listed by HBJ’s 2015 Fast 100 List. So what’s next for you?

Thank You. It’s such an honor.

I’m always looking for the next wave and what I see is phenomenal advances in electrical energy storage and transmission both for micro devices as well as units large enough to power remote villages. In particular, current advances in electro-metalurgy boggle my mind. Visualize remote villages in developing countries that are able to pump water for their crops without the need for expensive electrical plants and lines or your phone having the juice to utilize to download a full length movie in 5 seconds through 5G which we will all see within the next ten years. You have no idea what is coming. It’s going to be amazing.

What inspires you about technology and science which you speak so passionately about?

It’s the ultimate rubik’s cube. Scientific mysteries are just riddles waiting to be solved. I’d love to know what existed before the big bang, for example.

What do you love about Houston? Favorite spots:

We are an amazingly and wonderfully diverse city and my taste buds appreciate it. Food, of course. Favorite spots? Banh Xeo (with extra blood chunks) and bun bo hue at Thien Anh in Midtown, artichoke enchiladas at El Tiempo, Foie Gras at Brasserie 19 for Sunday brunch, Sushi at MF, jambalaya at Treebeards for a start. I’m still trying to acquire a taste for “stinky tofu” and durian.

Would you run for Mayor of Houston?

I get encouraged to run all the time. For now, my kids need my full attention so it will have to wait. Eventually I’ll be tanned, rested and ready and the timing will be right.

Some advice for young entrepreneurs?

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Guard your integrity. Nobody wants to do business with somebody who lacks it.