BOBBY COWAN / FOUNDER & BUILDER
25+ years in.
Still figuring things out.
That's the part I've always liked. A new problem, a new tool, a better way to put the pieces together.
Hi, I'm Bobby.
I started working in technology in 1998, when dial-up was king and patience was part of the skill set.
My background spans .NET development, database administration, networks, and business technology. I worked as a Programmer V at the Texas Department of Public Safety, then spent ten years in web development and systems analysis at Thermon Manufacturing.
Since then, my work has included CSI administration at Boedeker Plastics and serving as Executive Assistant to the President at Accelerate (XLR8) Equipment Sales & Solutions. Software, business systems, and day-to-day operations have all been part of the job.
I also know what it means to run a business. In 2010, my wife, Dr. Melanie Cowan, and I co-founded Shiner Dental. She handles dentistry; I handle the business operations and technology. It's given me a useful view of what happens after a system goes live.
I founded Ascent Information Management in 2015. Today, I'm growing the business in two directions: building custom AI products for small businesses, and developing my own products to sell to a wider audience. TourCue, ExtraReps, and RestoMod Events are part of my own product work, with several other projects on the horizon.
The connection through all of it is simple: understand the problem, learn what you need to learn, and make something that helps.
THE EXPERIENCE BEHIND THE BUILDS
Software. Systems.
Business operations.
My work has taken me through public service, manufacturing, and small business. That background shapes how I approach a new product.
May 2015–Present
Ascent Information Management
President / Consultant
Shiner, Texas
Mar 2024–Present
Accelerate (XLR8) Equipment Sales & Solutions
Executive Assistant to the President
Humble, Texas
Nov 2017–Present
Boedeker Plastics, Inc.
CSI Administrator
Jul 2010–Present
Shiner Dental, PLLC
Director of Business Operations
Shiner, Texas
Mar 2006–Apr 2016
Thermon Manufacturing
Web Development / Systems Analyst
2005–2006
Texas Department of Public Safety
Programmer V
SAME CURIOSITY. NEW POSSIBILITIES.
A little perspective.
1998
Dial-up days.
I got started when getting online meant tying up the phone line. Learning how things worked—and how to fix them—was the job. That curiosity stuck.
THE YEARS BETWEEN
Built from the ground up.
Software development. Databases. Networks. Running a business. Twenty-five-plus years of seeing how technology behaves when real people depend on it.
RIGHT NOW
A new set of tools. A familiar drive.
Today, I use AI to build products, connect systems, and take repetitive work off people's plates. The tools keep moving. The work still starts with understanding the problem.
A FEW THINGS EXPERIENCE HAS TAUGHT ME
Ask good questions first.
The most useful part of a project often starts before anyone opens a code editor.
Keep the people in view.
A tool has to make sense to the person using it on a busy Tuesday afternoon.
Stay curious.
Twenty-five years gives you perspective. There's always something worth learning next.
CUSTOM AI & SOFTWARE FOR SMALL BUSINESSES
That idea you've
been sitting on.
Been dreaming about a custom software solution for years, but couldn't justify the cost? Call me.
I use AI-assisted development and 25+ years of experience to find a practical starting point. Let's talk about what you need, a useful first version, and what it would cost to build.
Call 361.772.6814Prefer to write? Tell me your idea