Undefeated bantamweight fighter Holly Holm; Hugh Forrest of SXSW Interactive and Mellie Price of Capital Factory: Can NM Learn From Austin?

This week, NEW MEXICO IN FOCUS features an interview with undefeated bantamweight fighter Holly Holm, taped not long after a bout last April in which she both won by a technical knockout and broke her arm. Referred to by many sportswriters as “one of the best female boxers of all time,” the Albuquerque native now competes in mixed martial arts and was supposed to make her Ultimate Fighting Championship debut on December 6 before being sidelined by a neck injury. NMiF Producer Megan Kamerick interviews “The Preacher’s Daughter” about why she chose a fighting career.

Kamerick also sits down with several entrepreneurs from Austin and Albuquerque to talk about the Texas city’s transformation into an entrepreneurial tech hub, and whether it offers any lessons for New Mexico. The Austinites were in town earlier this fall for a talk sponsored by PNM that was part of the New Mexico Technology Council’s annual Tech Fiesta event. Hugh Forrest of SXSW Interactive and Mellie Price of Capital Factory talk about how Austin went from a rather laid back capital city to topping lists for job creation, entrepreneurship and technology.

The Line opinion panel looks a bid by the people of Jemez Pueblo to reclaim the land known as the Valles Caldera. The Pueblo calls it holy and their “Spiritual Mother,” and claim aboriginal title to it. The U.S. Justice Department disagrees and says the tribe’s aboriginal title was extinguished in 1860.

The Line also looks at recently published statistics from the New Mexico Public Education Department that show a marked difference in graduation rates and reading proficiency between boys and girls.

GUESTS:
Lisa Adkins, Director, FatPipe ABQ
Hugh Forrest, Director, South By Southwest (SXSW) Interactive Festival
Holly Holm, Undefeated Bantamweight Boxer and Mixed Martial Artist
Mellie Price, Mentor and Director, Capital Factory

LINE PANELISTS:
Dan Foley, Former House Minority Whip
Sophie Martin, Editor, DukeCityFix.com & Attorney
Stephanie Maez, Center for Civic Policy
Stephen Spitz, New Mexico People, Places and Ideas

CORRESPONDENT:
Megan Kamerick

HOST/COMMENTATOR:
Gene Grant

The Co-Producers of NEW MEXICO IN FOCUS are Megan Kamerick and Floyd E. Vasquez Jr.. Associate Producer is Kathy Wimmer. Holly Holm segment produced by Kelsie Kloepfer. Funding for this program was provided in part by the McCune Foundation Communications Fund, Santa Fe Community Foundation.

Episode 820 for air November 28, 2014