Russell Hayward is an Australian entrepreneur who has called Dallas home for the last 23 years. Following careers in advertising and music, Russell started Ascension Coffee in 2012 after struggling to find a good cup of coffee in the city. In 2020, he pivoted to the biotechnology sector to help lead Etira, a company focused on developing treatments for therapy-resistant cancers. Last month, he sat down with Lili Clark of the Learning from Leaders podcast to talk community, innovation, and finding his way to Dallas.
“The learning curve was extraordinary. It’s like looking up at the Himalayas from the very valley below.”
Russell Hayward

Dallas as an Entrepreneurial Hub
Following successful stints in advertising in Sydney and music in Los Angeles, Russell made his way to Dallas after a chance meeting in Paris with Henry Miller of the DFW-based Henry S. Miller real estate company. Henry sold him on the city’s spirit of innovation and convinced him to relocate his young family. That was in 2002; Russell notes how interest in the city has only grown since then. While traveling the country to raise capital, he routinely encounters people who recognize that “there is something major happening in Dallas.” For Russell, it’s been a fantastic place to raise a family and to be an entrepreneur.
‘Innovation is Key’
To aspiring entrepreneurs, Hayward emphasizes the importance of innovation. Rather than follow the established path, he encourages young leaders to “change the paradigm”–be it in how they conduct research or create experiences. For Russell, “finding a different way” is “key to success.”
At Ascension Coffee, innovation looked like meeting a need and shifting the role of the coffee shop. In the early 2010s, as Starbucks increasingly pivoted towards a drive-through model to maximize revenue, Russell noticed that the community lacked casual gathering places to meet, hang out, and study. To fill this need and to “get a good cup of coffee,” Russell designed Ascension with an eye towards creating a place “for people to come and congregate and commune.” Today, Ascension has six locations and has become a DFW staple known for its food, coffee, and community-first ethos.
Russell Hayward on Creating Strong Teams
Russell credits much of his business success to the people who have worked at his companies. In his roles as a founder or CEO, he sees his job as raising capital and laying out a path toward company goals and milestones. However, he notes a company’s goals are only reachable because of the people–or teams–who form the backbone of the organization. To him, one way to build a strong team is through employee buy-in. Throughout his career, he’s worked to create environments where employees have “ownership in what they’re doing at the company.”
To Russell, a company’s team extends beyond its employees. He cites the importance of maintaining relationships with individuals who have interfaced with the company. In his current role as CEO of Etira, this has looked like staying in contact with people who have advised the company, including scientists and doctors who may have served as consultants or advisors along the way. In the process, the company has not only gained crucial knowledge but more people who are deeply invested in Etira’s mission.
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A New Approach to Treating Cancer
Etira’s “mission is to end remission” and the possibility of relapse primarily through the development of treatments for therapy-resistant cancers, as Russell explains. Ganesh V. Raj, M.D., Ph.D., a Professor of Urology and Pharmacology at UT Southwestern Medical Center and a friend of Hayward’s, developed a method to target formerly untreatable cancers and approached Russell in 2020 about building a biotechnology company to bring the therapy to patients. Initially, Russell declined his friend’s request, citing his lack of scientific experience. However, he changed his mind after understanding just how innovative Dr. Raj’s approach is: rather than target individual kinds of cancer, the method aims to “[treat] cancer and [its] complexities…as a whole.” As Russell says, this approach is “a complete paradigm shift in cancer therapy,” and one that “could change cancer therapy forever.”
As CEO, Russell is dedicated to building an incredible team, raising the capital necessary to keep them on track, and staying on schedule to meet their various milestones for governmental approvals and clinical trials. These roles are familiar to him as a seasoned entrepreneur. And yet, he notes that “the learning curve was extraordinary. It’s like looking up at the Himalayas from the very valley below.” in his switch from coffee to biotechnology. He is still, he says, “I’m learning something every day,” which he finds both deeply enjoyable and important for personal growth. As he quips, “the day I stop learning is the day I think it’s all over for me.”