Houston Innovators Podcast: Recent Episodes

InnovationMap

From wildcatting to putting a man on the moon, Houston has a history of innovation, and the Bayou City is booming with tech startups and ambitious entrepreneurs. As Houston's innovation ecosystem comes into its own, it's time to shine a spotlight on the people leading the charge.

Join Natalie Harms, editor of InnovationMap, for the Houston Innovators Podcast, a weekly discussion with these movers and shakers. Each episode introduces you to a featured innovator who is making a difference — and disrupting the status quo — in his or her industry. From energy and tech to health care, social impact, and beyond, these innovators are taking Houston to new heights. Head to http://innovationmap.com for our latest news, and subscribe to the podcast now so you don’t miss any of these enlightening conversations.

In this episode, listeners get a chance to revisit an episode from 2023 with Josh Teekell, founder and CE of SmartAC.com. A lot has happened with SmartAC.com since Josh joined the show, and the most recent milestone the company has reached is an additional funding round closed last month with support from Houston-based Mercury. SmartAC.com's expanded platform enables contractors in the HVAC and plumbing industries monitor, manage, and optimize their maintenance memberships through advanced sensors, AI-driven diagnostics, and proactive alerts. Josh will be using the fresh funding to continue growth for the company.Original episode aired in May 2023.Link to read about SmartAC’s latest raise: https://houston.innovationmap.com/smartac-mercury-follow-on-round-2670691230.html

In this episode, listeners get a chance to revisit an episode from last year with Tim Latimer. 2024 was an incredible year for Tim and his company Fervo Energy, which raised a cumulative $600M in multiple rounds of investment, financing, and federal support. Fervo wrapped up the year announcing $255 million dollars of fresh funding to continue its growth in the new year. When Tim joined the show, it was right in the middle of this successful year, and he shared on the show how Fervo’s momentum is leading to 100x growth with its latest geothermal project, Project Cape, which is fully permitted up to 2 gigawatts and will begin generating electricity in 2026.Original episode aired in May 2024.Link to read about Fervo’s latest raise: https://houston.innovationmap.com/fervo-energy-capricorn-geothermal-raise-2670498267.html

Samantha Lewis, partner Mercury, joins the show today for a record fourth time to discuss some of the venture capital trends in Houston and beyond — from fintech exits to GenAI and blockchain. We also take a moment to reflect on Houston’s innovation ecosystem and its progress over the past several years.

Phillip Yates is the CEO of Equiliberty and chairman of Impact Hub Houston. Phillip, who also is a practicing lawyer, shares a bit on his background and how he evolved his career in law into an entrepreneur in the tech and startup space to create his fintech platform, which is expected to launch in early 2025. Phillip and I also discuss the Houston innovation ecosystem and what it meant to him to accept the award of Ecosystem Builder at the 2024 Houston Innovation Awards.

This week, Meagan Pitcher, CEO and co-founder of Bairitone Health, shares her journey into health tech entrepreneurship and the bright future for her company.

Vibhu Sharma is the CEO of InnoVent Renewables LLC, a Houston company that has the potential to revolutionize the automotive industry and make a huge impact on sustainability. InnoVent has created a proprietary technology that converts waste tires, into valuable fuels, steel and chemicals. Vibhu joins the show to share how he’s quickly turned this company from concept to near commercial operations in just around two years. Plus he shares what the future holds for his unique company.

On this episode, host Natalie Harms is looking back at some of her favorite episodes of 2024 — featuring guests from across the Houston innovation landscape.

Anwar Sadek is the CEO and founder at CORROLYTICS, a tech company that has designed a way to better detect microbial corrosion. Anwar joins the show today to discuss his entrepreneurial journey, how he’s bootstrapped his company, and relocated to Houston to make the most of the energy and tech communities here.

In this episode, listeners get a chance to revisit an episode from last year with Ayse McCracken, the founder of Ignite Healthcare Network, an organization that accelerates female-founded businesses within health care. In November, Ignite hosted its annual Fire Pitch Competition, the main event for its accelerator that supports and connects female health tech founders with the Texas Medical Center’s vast network of experts and health care organizations. At the event, the founders pitched their health tech solutions across lung health, renal therapy, breastfeeding tech, and more. This year’s first place winner was Sarah Lee, CEO and co-founder of Relavo, a New York-based company that's making home dialysis more effective, safer, and more affordable.

Link to read about the 2024 Fire Pitch Competition winners: https://houston.innovationmap.com/ignite-health-relavo-fire-pitch-2670292174.html

Reginald DesRoches was named president of Rice University in 2021. He joins the show to discuss the unprecedented growth the university has had under his first two and a half years of leadership — from growing the student body and faculty to establishing research institutions and initiatives to solve some of the world’s most pressing problems.

Samina Farid is the managing director of Golden Seeds and co-lead of the national angel investing group’s Houston chapter. Samina joins the show today to discuss her own entrepreneurial journey and how she got into investing with Golden Seeds, which has been growing in Houston for a few years now. She also shares advice for both startups and new angels on getting involved with Golden Seeds.

Aileen Allen has recently joined Houston VC firm Mercury as venture partner. A native Houstonian, Aileen has spent the bulk of her career in the tech ecosystems of the Bay Area and Austin as an operator at tech companies, eventually returning to her hometown in 2020. She’s recently evolved her career to become an investor, and she shares some of these learnings on the show today — plus what she’s looking for in her new role at Mercury.

Sarah Hein is the co-founder and CEO of March Biosciences, a cancer-fighting cell therapy company that recently closed a $28.4 million series A round and is getting ready to launch its phase II trial. Sarah joins me today to discuss the past two and a half years of growing March and the role Houston and its biotech ecosystem has played in the company’s growth.

Chris George is the US Co-Lead at Octopus Electric Vehicles, a spinout of the UK-based energy retail provider Octopus Energy, which expanded to the US by way of Houston. Octopus EV provides customized EV leases paired with smart energy technology, and Chris joins the show today to explain the business — including their newest product launching this week — as well as his views on the EV industry as a whole and the momentum happening locally, in Texas, and across the country.

This week, InnovationMap announced the finalists for the 2024 Houston Innovation Awards, and I'd like to take this episode as an opportunity to introduce you to the incredible batch of startups, organizations, and innovators that made the cut for this year's awards. This year's finalists include 35 startups across 8 categories, plus 14 individual finalists across 3 categories. Six Houston organizations were named finalists in the community champion organization category, which honors impactful corporates, nonprofits, academic institutions, and more. Read more about the finalists: https://houston.innovationmap.com/2024-houston-innovation-awards-finalists-2669381682.htmlRegister for the awards: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2024-houston-innovation-awards-tickets-991320465197?aff=editorialFollow more awards coverage: https://houston.innovationmap.com/houston-innovation-awards/

This week, we are revisiting a conversation I had earlier this year with Scott Gale, who passed away two weeks ago after a years-long battle with cancer. As executive director of Halliburton Labs, he was instrumental in the program’s success across the past four years, and he leaves a legacy of innovation, collaboration, and curiosity, all of which we touched on in our conversation.

In the episode, we discussed Halliburton Labs, his career, and the Inaugural Houston Energy and Climate Startup Week, which Scott has a major role in creating. Unfortunately, Scott wasn’t able to attend the week as he had already entered into hospice care.

Scott Gale's legacy: Houston energy, innovation leader dies after hard-fought battle with cancer
Join InnovationMap in celebrating Scott at the Houston Innovation Awards: Houston Innovation Awards to honor 2 trailblazers with posthumous recognition

Zimri T. Hinshaw is the CEO and founder of Rheom Materials, a bio-based materials company that’s creating sustainable materials for the fashion, automotive, and other industries. Originally founding his company as Bucha Bio, Zimri recently rebranded his business to reflect its growth and evolution into new products and technologies. He shares a bit more about what he’s been up to and where Rheom is going on the show today.

Ana Amicarella is the CEO of EthosEnergy, a Houston-based energy technology developer and provider that’s helping its customers find the right tech for the energy transition. Ana joins the show today to discuss the recent acquisition of the company, which is transitioning from being owned by a joint venture into being private equity backed. She also shares about her career from immigrating from Venezuela to leading an energy company and promoting diversity and inclusion within her organization.

Today, we are looking back a conversation I had last year with Howard Berman, co-founder and CEO of Coya Therapeutics, which has had quite the busy summer. The company expanded its collaboration with Houston Methodist Research Institute and started looking into how GLP-1 drugs can enhance the effects of its proprietary therapeutics.

Read more about these two news stories from this summer on InnovationMap: * Houston neurodegenerative company expands research collaboration with Houston Methodist * Houston therapeutics innovator looks into GLP-1 drugs for Alzheimer's treatment

Jon Nordby is the managing partner at investment firm Anthropy Partners and founder of EconWerx. With over a decade of experience in the Houston innovation community in various roles, Jon talks about the work he’s doing now as a human potential tech investor and innovation ecosystem builder and adviser. He also zooms in on what he sees as achievements and needs within Houston’s own innovation machine.

Kelly Pracht is the co-founder and CEO of nVenue, an AI- and machine learning-backed, real-time sports betting platform. Kelly joins the show today to share how she’s grown the company over the past five years and expanded into new sports and opportunities, including to the NBA and NASCAR. Based in Houston, Kelly also explains why she’s passionate about Houston and Texas stepping up to support sports tech startups.

Margarita Kelrikh, newly named counsel at Pillsbury’s Houston office, is a diligent problem solver. She has a very diverse career from working in-house at WeWork to investment banking, but now she works specifically with startups from every industry. She joins the show today to share a bit about her background and what she’s learned along the way as well as to give some very broad but free legal advice to startups based on some common challenges she sees from her clients.

Dr. William E. Cohn is a leader in cardiovascular surgery and medical device innovation here in Houston. Dr. Cohn shares a bit about his role as director of the Center for Device Innovation at the Texas Medical Center as well as his experience as chief medical officer of BiVACOR, a unique medical device company that has created a total artificial heart that Dr. Cohn expects to revolutionize heart transplants.

Megan Eddings is the founder of Accel Lifestyle, a fashion company that created a patented anti-microbial material for stink-resistant clothing. Megan and I discuss her journey growing the company over the past several years all the way to its recent acquisition. She also shares a bit about her new role at a Houston oil and gas company and how she’s pivoting to positivity with a new podcast and TV show.

This week, we’re revisiting another enlightening chat with a Houston innovator. One year ago, Dr. Joseph Rogers, the president and CEO of Texas Heart Institute, shared his story and how he came to be at the helm of THI, as well as the incredible technologies the institute is working on to address heart failure, a global epidemic affecting at least 26 million people worldwide, 6.2 million adults in the U.S. This month, one of THI’s technologies reached a major milestone. BiVACOR, a Houston company successfully implanted the company's first Total Artificial Heart in a human. In addition to this breakthrough in health tech, THI is focused on addressing Cardiometabolic Syndrome at a new conference on Friday, August 23, in Houston. The full-day symposium will take place in collaboration with Arianna Huffington, the founder and CEO of Thrive Global. Dr. Rogers is co-directing the program with Dr. Stephanie Coulter, medical director for THI Center for Women’s Heart & Vascular Health.

Episode’s original run date: July 26, 2023

Ali Mostafavi is the founder of Resilitix, a data and AI-empowered digital twin platform for disaster and resilience. The software uses data and algorithms to provide its partners with important information — such as road flooding, hospital capacity, power outages, and more — in near real time. On the show today Ali shares how he navigated Hurricane Beryl to provide critical information to emergency teams and took the opportunity to grow and improve his company’s platform.

This week, we’re revisiting another one of my favorite conversations with a Houston innovator. Last fall, I spoke with Tim Crain, the co-founder and CTO at Intuitive Machines, and he shared a bit about the evolution of the company from a think tank to a scaling space exploration enterprise. Since we spoke, Intuitive Machines has made history by successfully completing its mission of sending the first commercial lunar lander to the moon. The company was also selected by NASA to create a lunar rover, and this week, Intuitive Machines announced a major milestone for the engine its developing on that project.

Episode’s original run date: Oct. 18, 2023

Matthew Costello is the CEO and co-founder of Voyager Portal, a maritime shipping and logistics software as a service company. Matthew joins the show for the first time in a few years to provide an update on how he’s grown the platform to profitability and to solving some of the industry’s biggest and most expensive problems.

On this summer holiday week, we’re revisiting a conversation from last year with Ramanan Krishnamoorti, the vice president of energy and innovation at the University of Houston. UH recently announced a new partnership with the Houston Angel Network to activate more investors with deep connections to UH. Read about that news story on InnovationMap.com, and listen to this episode for more context into how the university is looking at growing its role in Houston’s innovation ecosystem, including building a new central campus innovation hub.

Episode’s original run date: May 23rd, 2023

Angela Wilkins is the chief data officer at Starling Medical, a medical device company working on solutions within urinalysis. Angela joins the show today to share how she’s evolved her career, which has spanned academia, venture, and more, into her new role at the startup. We also discuss the evolving intersection of data and health care — and what the future holds for that industry.

Taylor Anne Adams is the head of venture acceleration at Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, a part of Rice University that supports student entrepreneurs with classes, events, and other programming. Taylor Anne is leading the second year of the Summer Venture Studio, which just recently named its cohort of eight innovative companies. She shares a bit about the program’s process and why she’s bullish on Houston’s innovation ecosystem on the episode today.

Prabhdeep Singh Sekhon is the newly named CEO of Gold H2, a spin-off company of Houston-based Cemvita. Gold H2 has seen some early success for its biotechnology that uses microbes to turn the uneconomic oil leftover in a well into gold hydrogen. The process is unique and very promising for the energy transition, and Prab shares how the company is gearing up to meet the anticipated demand for its tech.

Carlos Estrada is the head of Venture Acceleration at BioWell, a new bioindustrial startup accelerator founded by First Bight Ventures. Carlos and his team are working to select the inaugural cohort, which will launch this summer. On the show today, he explains the mission of BioWell, how its $700,000 “Build to Scale” grant is fueling its development, and the unique challenges biotech startups are facing.

Tim Latimer is the CEO and co-founder of Fervo Energy, a fast-growing geothermal energy company that raised $244 million earlier this year to scale its 24/7 clean energy model. Tim shares about his mission-driven path to entrepreneurship and the momentum Fervo is seeing with its ongoing projects. Tim also weighs in on the history and hype of geothermal energy, along with the challenges and opportunities it’s come with.

Zach Ellis is the founder and managing partner of South Loop Ventures, a Houston-based venture capital firm that’s investing in diverse founders from Houston and beyond and leveraging the city’s resources to grow and scale its portfolio companies. Zach shares more about the investment thesis and mission of the firm, as well as why Houston is the best place for this business opportunity.

Jon Lambert is the CEO of The Cannon, which just announced its ninth location in the greater Houston area. Jon shares a bit about the history of The Cannon as well as the future growth opportunities — both in and outside of the Bayou City.

Rushi Patel is the co-founder and COO of Homebase, a software company providing HR tech tools to small businesses across the country. Rushi joins me on the podcast during National Small Business Week to discuss some of the challenges and opportunities of small businesses, as well as how key the city of Houston has been to Homebase’s growth.

Mitra Miller is the vice president and board member of the Houston Angel Network, the oldest angel network in Texas and one of the most active angel networks in the country. Mitra shares a bit about the organization and how interested investors can get involved, as well as her experience as a judge for this year’s Rice Business Plan Competition.

Jessica Traver Ingram is the co-founder and CEO of IntuiTap, a company that was founded out of the Texas Medical Center’s Biodesign Fellowship Program. Jessica describes the device as a stud finder for the spine, improving upon the way health care providers administer spinal taps. IntuiTap received FDA clearance earlier this year, and Jessica explains what that means for the company’s commercialization journey.

Barbara Burger, a well-known pillar within Houston’s energy innovation ecosystem, previously served as an executive at Chevron for decades and led the company’s venture arm. On the show, shee shares how she spends her time these days helping innovative energy startups. She also recaps her observations of CERAWeek, the “Super Bowl of the energy industry,” which took place last month.

Aziz Gilani is the managing director of Mercury Fund, a Houston venture capital firm that closed its fifth fund last September to the tune of $160 million. Aziz joins the show today to share some trends in both the software and VC worlds, as well as why he’s optimistic about his hometown of Houston and its developing innovation ecosystem.

Sean Kelly is the co-founder and CEO of Amperon, a real-time energy data provider that is supplying forecasts and analytics crucial to the energy transition. Sean joins the show today to discuss his company’s recent partnership with Microsoft and why he’s running his energy business as a tech company to make the biggest impact in the space.

Stephanie Campbell and Diana Murakhovskaya are co-founders of The Artemis Fund, a Houston-based, female founder-focused venture capital firm that just announced its $36 million fund II. Stephanie and Diana share how this second round of fundraising went and some of their new portfolio companies they are excited about — as well as why they are optimistic about the future of women in VC.

Marc Nathan is senior director of market development at Michael Best. He works exclusively with startups and has a special passion for Texas’s entrepreneurial community — and specifically founders hailing from his home city of Houston. Now based in Austin, Marc is a seasoned expert on all things SXSW. on the show today, he shares all of his tips for founders looking to tackle SX this year.

Scott Gale is the executive director of Halliburton Labs, which has a unique mission of incubating early stage climate tech companies. Scott joins me to talk about Halliburton Labs, as well as the recently announced Houston Energy and Climate Startup Week 2024 which is taking place in September. The week of events is being spearheaded by Halliburton Labs, the Rice Alliance, and Greentown Labs, but Scott says they are looking for more organizations and events to join the initiative to truly spotlight Houston’s innovative energy transition community.

Emma Konet is the co-founder and chief technology officer of Tierra Climate, an energy transition software technology that’s creating a new market within energy storage. She shares what led her to starting her company and the challenges within energy storage, as well as what the business is focused on this year. Emma, who led her company to fourth place in the Rice Business Plan competition, also gives her tips and advice for perfecting a startup pitch.

Dave Pruner is the executive director of the Texas Entrepreneurship Exchange for Energy, known as TEX-E, a nonprofit housed out of Greentown Labs that connects Texas college students on a mission to innovate within the energy transition. Dave joins the show today to share how TEX-E has expanded beyond just an annual student startup competition, and he also weighs in on how Houston is doing as a leader within the energy transition.

Omair Tariq is the founder and CEO of Cart.com, a fast-growing, Houston-founded commerce enablement platform that’s raised over $500 million in funding and reached unicorn status last year. Omair joins the show today to discuss the company’s rapid growth and why Houston is the perfect city for its next phase of business.

Atul Varadhachary is the managing partner of Fannin, a Houston organization that’s commercializing early stage life science innovations by optimizing capital efficiency for these promising health tech treatments and medical devices. Life science innovation takes a significant amount of time and money to accelerate, and Atul shares how the Fannin model approaches these challenges while also contributing to developing Houston’s life science innovation ecosystem.

Lori-Lee Elliott is the co-founder and CEO of Dauntless XR, a software company that provides extended reality solutions for aviation, aerospace, and other industries. Lori-Lee originally founded her company in 2018 to work on industrial solutions within the energy industry. Last year, she rebranded the business and pivoted to new industries, and she shares on the show today about how she navigated this process and her tips for working on government contracts.

Denise Hamilton is the founder and CEO of WatchHerWork and author of Indivisible: How to Forge Our Differences into a Stronger Future. She joins the show today to discuss the book, which comes out February 6, and how she hopes it inspires current and future leaders to move beyond how they think of diversity and inclusion and to move toward a better, more indivisible world. Denise also shares how integral Houston’s diversity has been on her career and creating this book.

Sunny Zhang is the founder of TrueLeap, an edtech platform, and founding partner of Born Global Ventures, an early-stage startup studio focused on immigrant founders. Sunny joins the show today to talk about all the various hats she wears within Houston innovation, as well as to re-introduce Houston Women in VC, a monthly meet up for female investors.

On this episode, host Natalie Harms is looking back at some of her favorite episodes of 2023 — featuring guests from across the Houston innovation landscape.

Moji Karimi is the CEO and co-founder of Cemvita, a biotech company with a few different climate tech applications for the energy industry. Cemvita has had a lot of wins in 2023, and Moji joins the show to discuss those, plus what his plans are for further commercialization of gold hydrogen, sustainable aviation fuel, and more. He also shares some of his observations from COP28 and advice for founders looking to grow their corporate partnerships in 2024.

Samra Nawaz is the CEO and Co-founder of WellWorth, a financial modeling and analysis software platform for upstream oil and gas finance teams. Samra recently won the Ion’s annual startup showcase and she joins the show today to share how she plans to use the momentum to grow her bootstrapped company in the new year.

Natara Branch is the CEO of Houston Exponential, which has a goal of connecting and promoting Houston’s growing innovation ecosystem. Natara joins me today to discuss what 2023 meant for the community of startups and innovators here in Houston, as well as to give us the inside scoop on the newly revamped H-Town Roundup next spring.

Peter Rodriguez is the dean of the Rice University Jones School of Business, which has had a lot of news to celebrate this month. The school was ranked the number one for graduate entrepreneurship programs for the fifth consecutive year. Dean Rodriguez also shares more about two impactful initiatives the school has announced this month in energy business and beyond.

Andrew Chang is the managing director of United Airlines Ventures, the investment arm of United that’s focused on deploying capital to new technologies from sustainable aviation fuel to digital technologies across the air travel spectrum. Chang, who’s based here in Houston, explains some of the challenges to innovating in the massive, global industry that is aviation — as well as tackling the airline’s goals to become more sustainable. He also shares what he’s looking for from startup founders and the role United plays to its portfolio companies as a whole.

Carolyn Rodz and Elizabeth Gore are the co-founders of Hello Alice, a tech platform designed to help small business owners navigate their path of entrepreneurship. Now serving 1.4 million small businesses across all 50 states, Hello Alice has reached a new milestone — one they’d likely rather live without. The company, which has helped facilitate equitable grant finding to thousands of founders of color and women, is being sued for racial discrimination. Elizabeth and Carolyn join the show today to share why they believe the lawsuit is frivolous — and how they’ve taken the reins of the messaging of this lawsuit to shine a spotlight on female founders and founders of color.

Wogbe Ofori is the founder and chief strategist of WRX Companies. Wogbe has helped coordinate the last few podcast interviews regarding space innovation here in Houston. Now, today on the show, we continue our discussion on Houston’s role in the developing space economy, but also dive deeper into what’s happening within Houston innovation as a whole, what value mentors bring to startups, and how innovation on all of the country’s coasts have evolved — but especially here in the Bayou City.

In this week's episode of the Houston Innovators Podcast, InnovationMap Editor Natalie Harms gives a preview of the 2023 Houston Innovation Awards taking place on November 8 at Silver Street Studios. The program will honor over 50 startups, companies, and individuals within the Houston innovation ecosystem, as well as the growth and development of the community as a whole. Tune in to learn more about the ongoing editorial series on InnovationMap.com, as well as some of the new awards this year and behind the scenes details on the judging process. Click here to secure your spot to the annual awards: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2023-houston-innovation-awards-tickets-705537600957?aff=editorial

Nick Skytland is the Chief Technologist at NASA Johnson Space Center. He joins the show today to talk about space innovation. In today’s conversation, we’re diving deeper into the evolution the space industry has had from NASA’s perspective, as well as the future of space exploration, development, and travel. Nick also weighs in on the important role Houston — including its innovators and entrepreneurs — will have on the future of space.

Tim Crain is the co-founder and CTO at Intuitive Machines, a Houston space tech business that’s evolved from a think tank to a scaling space exploration, infrastructure, and services company in the 10 years of its existence. Tim shares the IM story on the show today, as well as how he has observed the evolution of the space industry and why he believes it’s only the beginning for Houston as the Space City.

Kelsey Hultberg is executive vice president of corporate communications and sustainability of Sunnova Energy International, a Houston-based solar energy company that’s grown from startup, to scale, to IPO, and Kelsey’s career has grown right alongside of it. On the podcast today, she shares how critical communications is for energy companies big and small — as well as why Sunnova is so passionate about Houston and its role in the energy transition.

CS Freeland is the co-founder of the Texas Venture Alliance, a Texas-sized venture capital network and nonprofit group for investors. She joins the show today to discuss her goals in starting the organization as well as to share details about the Texas Venture Crawl, a statewide happy hour on Oct. 6 that’s hoping to connect founders, investors, and more.

Berkley Luck and Pedro Silva are the co-founders of of Milkify, a Houston-based startup that’s providing a breast milk freeze-drying service for customers across the country. Earlier this year, the company pitched its unique service on Shark Tank and secured investment from two sharks on the show. Now, a few months down the road, the company has raised additional funding, grown its customer base, and established a bigger picture growth strategy, all while maintaining its high-quality, science-based service to its customers.

Patrick Sullivan is the president and CEO of Oceanit, a Hawaii-based company that’s had an increasing presence in Houston as it works with energy companies to use science-backed technologies to solve their biggest problems. Patrick joins the show to discuss his company’s wide range of innovations, and why he’s built out an innovative Hydrogen-focused lab here in Houston.

Ayse McCracken is the founder of Ignite Healthcare Network, an organization that accelerates female-founded businesses within health care. Ayse is a powerful connector who started Ignite to better connect women in the health care industry. Now, she’s accelerated around a hundred startups and female founders with an ongoing cohort that concludes with a pitch event on Nov. 9. She shares more about how she’s grown ignite and how she’s next evolving the platform to better address female founders’ biggest challenges.

Michelle Stansbury is vice president of innovation and IT applications at Houston Methodist. She joins the show today to discuss the newly opened Houston Methodist Tech Hub in the Ion, which unveiled last week to better connect with Houston innovators in and outside of health care innovation. She also shares more about some of the many other innovation efforts coming out of Houston Methodist.

Sahir Ali is the founder and general partner of Modi Ventures, a new investment firm focused on the intersection of data and AI and health tech innovation. Sahir joins the show today to discuss how his firm operates a bit different from traditional VC entities, as well as how he raised an oversubscribed $32 million initial fund in less than a month.

Allie Danziger is the founder of Ampersand Professionals, a young professionals upskilling platform, that was recently acquired by Ascent Funding. With the acquisition, Allie joins Ascent as senior vice president and general manager of student success. On the show today, she pulls back the curtain on the acquisition process and how the combined business will help grow the platform to better help students find success within the ever-evolving landscape of the workforce.

Tim Boire is the president and CEO of VenoStent, a medical device startup that’s designing a unique material for hemodialysis patients. The company just closed its series A at $16 million dollars and is gearing up for a 200-patient clinical trial. Tim shares how he’s grown his company since moving it to Houston in 2018 to tap into the local innovation ecosystem. He also outlines where VenoStent is headed, with its expected product launch in 2026.

Anshumali Shrivastava is the founder and CEO of ThirdAI Corp. and a professor at Rice University. ThirdAI was founded on the mission of democratizing artificial intelligence and meeting data where its housed. Anshu shares how this founding principal has translated to specific AI tools ThirdAi has developed for its customers. He also shares what he’s most excited about when it comes to the future of AI — and how he’s growing his company to support the rising interest in the technology.

Donald Frieden is the president and CEO at P97 Networks, a Houston-based fintech company that’s developing a cloud technology for secure and convenient payments at gas stations and convenience stores. With over $100 million in investment raised, P97 has expanded across industries over its decade in business, and Don shares the new technologies he’s most excited about — like voice and biometric-enabled payments — as well as the potential impact the company is having within the energy transition.

Dr. Joseph Rogers is the president and CEO Texas Heart Institute. For over 60 years, THI has been a leader in cardiovascular health care and innovation. Around two years ago, Dr. Rogers took the helm of the organization and is particularly interested in preventative care. He shares more about THI and some of the innovative work its team is doing — from stem cell research to drug development and more — as well as the future of heart health.

Grant Watkins and Keely McEnery are the co-founders of Earn Your Freedom, a Houston startup that’s gamifying financial education for students. EYF launched Money Quest earlier this year, and is now seeking crowdfunding support with the help of Impact Hub Houston. The funding will go toward continuing to develop the program and support local high school students to help them reach financial literacy before they enter the real world.

My guest for today is Adrianne Stone, founder of Bayou City Startups, an organization that hosts monthly happy hours for Houston founders. Adrianne has had a very diverse career background — from getting her PHD and teaching AP Biology to joining 23andMe in the Bay Area. She shares how passionate about networking she is on the show and her observations on Houston’s growing innovation ecosystem.

Erik Ibarra is the founder and CEO of ORDRS, a digital health platform for optimized lab testing. Erik is a serial entrepreneur and active mentor within the Houston innovation ecosystem, and today on the show, he shares details of his latest venture as co-founder and investor at Magnolia Fund, a new investment opportunity that supports Houston’s east end community.

Jason Ethier is the senior director of membership at Greentown Labs and the co-host of the EnergyTech Startups podcast. Jason’s background in energy innovation has spanned from corporate to startups and from Boston and Houston. He shares some of his thought leadership in the space as well as his passion for Houston’s future as a hub for energy innovation on the show today.

Emily Keeton, a familiar name to Houston’s innovation ecosystem, recently joined New York-based investment firm Loeb.nyc as operating partner and investor. She joins the show today to talk about how she’s seen the ecosystem evolve over the past decade and how she’s tapping into Houston startups now.

Dr. Emmanuel Urquieta is the chief medical officer for the Translational Research Institute for Space Health, or TRISH, a Houston organization based out of Baylor College of Medicine that’s leading space health research. Emmanuel joins the show to talk about TRISH and its ongoing research including its most recent mission with Axiom Space that was completed last week.

Rob Schapiro is Microsoft’s Energy Acceleration program director and site leader for the company’s Houston office. He has transitioned his career from being a geologist in the oil and gas sector to being a leader within Houston’s innovation ecosystem and energy transition. He joins the show today to discuss that journey as well as his passion for making sure Houston has equitable opportunities for current and future innovators. He also discusses a recent report from Microsoft that identified impact artificial intelligence will have on the future of work.

Ramanan Krishnamoorti is the vice president of energy and innovation at the University of Houston. UH has always been a hub for invention, entrepreneurship, and innovation, but Ramanan’s role is to help better connect the dots — both on campus and within Houston as a whole. He joins the show today to share how he plans on doing that, from growing the awareness of the UH Tech Bridge to supporting the university’s plans to create an industry agnostic innovation hub in the center of campus.

Youngro Lee is the founder and CEO of Brassica Technologies, a fintech company that’s creating a more modern and holistic approach to investing and alternative assets. Youngro has spent over a decade on a mission of democratizing investment, first as founder and CEO of NextSeed up until that company was acquired by Republic. Now, he oversees Republic’s expansion in the Asia market as well as leading his new endeavor. Youngro joins the show today to discuss the details of his new company and the future of fintech.

Jason Bock is the founder and CEO of the Cell Therapy Manufacturing Center, or CTMC, a joint venture between National Resilience and MD Anderson Cancer Center that hopes to serve as an engine for advancing cell therapy therapeutics for cancer patients. Formed just over a year ago, CTMC has expanded its footprint and already worked on a handful of innovative treatments. Jason shares a bit on how this progress has gone so far and why he’s bullish on Houston being a hub for the relatively young field of cell therapy manufacturing.

Josh Teekell is the founder and CEO of SmartAC.com, a software and hardware technology platform that works with contractors to lower energy cost and waste in residential HVAC systems. SmartAC.com has recently secured fresh funding to continue its growth and supercharge sales and deployment of its system. Josh explains on the show how his fundraising experience went as well as how he managed to attract Houston investors.

Thomas Vassiliades is the CEO of BiVACOR, a company that’s developing a medical device that can take over the complete function of a patient's heart. The company, which is headquartered in Houston but has the majority of its operations divided between California, Australia, and even parts of Europe, recently closed $18 million in funding to support its FDA clearance and pathway to clinical trials. Thomas joins the show today to explain the revolutionary technology and unique challenges he’s facing leading the company toward human implantation and eventually commercialization.

Howard Berman is the CEO and co-founder of Coya Therapeutics, a company that’s developed a treatment to prevent the spreading of neurodegenerative diseases like dementia and ALS. The company went public a few months ago, and Howard shares what it’s been like leading the commercialization of a company with so much potential to save lives.

Sarah “Sassie” Duggleby is the co-founder and CEO of Venus Aerospace, an early-stage hardtech company that’s developing hypersonic space places that can enable high speed international travel. Sassie, who was recently named to Inc. magazine’s top 200 female founders list, shares how she co-founded the company with her husband Andrew after an idea they had in 2018. They moved the company from the west coast to houston in 2021 and now are developing a revolutionary way to travel right from the Houston Spaceport.

Paul Cherukuri is the vice president for innovation at Rice University. Paul is the first to hold his position at the brand new office of innovation at Rice. He joins the show today to talk a little bit about the reason Rice has zeroed in on advancing and promoting innovation, and why the university has a goal to collaboratively advance the city’s future in the space.

Lydia Davies is the CEO and founder of the Teamates app, a sports meet up platform that connects people by way of athletic activities. Lydia joins the show to discuss her entrepreneurial journey, which includes everything from international pop star to realtor and now startup founder. She also shares what people can expect from Teammates, which has evolved from focusing on golf to adding more and more sports meetups and events.

Veronica Wu is the founder and managing partner of First Bight Ventures, an investment firm focused on early-stage synthetic biology startups. Veronica joins the show today to discuss some of the milestones she’s accomplished since she started her firm and moved to Houston around a year ago. She also shares her vision of The BioWell, an initiative that hopes to bring together engagement, support, funding, and pilot space for Houston’s biomanufacturing companies.

On Monday at Houston House, a SXSW activation put on by the Greater Houston Partnership, InnovationMap editor and Houston Innovators Podcast host Natalie Harms moderated a panel called “Demystifying the Startup Journey.” Panelists included three Houston founders: Ted Gutierrez, co-founder and CEO of SecurityGate.io, Simone May, co-founder and CTO of Clutch, and Gaurav Khandelwal, founder and CEO of Velostics. The three entrepreneurs discussed their journeys and the challenges they face — from product/market fit and hiring to fundraising and customer acquisition. Listen to the full conversation on this week’s episode. Thank you to SXSW and GHP for the recording

Susan Davenport is the senior vice president and chief economic development officer for the Greater Houston Partnership, which has two activations at major conferences. Currently, the GHP’s Houston Energy Transition Initiative, or HETI, is hosting its HETI House at CERAWeek, and later today, March 8, will feature a startup pitch competition. Next week, on Monday, March 13, the GHP returns its Houston House to SXSW to host a whole day of thought leadership from Houston innovators. Susan shares more about these activations and also speaks to the role the GHP has played for the developing Houston’s innovation ecosystem, as well as what’s next for that relationship.

This week, in honor of Houston Tech Rodeo, let’s check in on the Houston innovation ecosystem — how far it’s come and where it’s going.

Mike Francis and Carrie Horazeck of Nanotech, a Houston-based materials science company, join the show today. Years ago, Mike founded the company around a unique and durable material. He’s grown the technology into fire proofing and energy loss-reducing coatings, but that’s just the beginning. Now with Carrie, the company’s chief commercial officer, leading the way, Nanotech’s flagship product is rolling out on rooftops across the country.

Mark Walker is the CEO, co-founder and chairman of Direct Digital Holdings, a Houston-based adtech company that’s providing a platform for both sides of the advertising equation. It’s been one year since direct digital went public, and Mark shares on the show today how Houston has been integral in his company’s success — as well as what technology he’s keeping a close eye on in the ever evolving world of digital media.

Ben Jawdat is the founder and CEO of Revterra, a Houston startup that’s created a kinetic battery technology that can enable rapid EV charging. A physicist by training, Ben explains how he took an idea he had in his postdoctoral work and turned it into the growing company it is today. He also shares what all he has on the horizon for Revterra, including building out a new lab and launching new pilot programs.

Madison Long is the CEO and co-founder of Clutch, a creator economy platform that empowers users to make a sustainable income with their existing skills and interests. Last week, the platform launched nationwide after completing its original beta on a few college campuses. Madison explains what all they’ve learned from their beta — including the power of a pivot — and shares how integral Houston has been in clutch’s success.

Hannah Le is the founder and CEO of RE.STATEMENT, a platform where buyers and sellers can connect for unique up-cycled clothing. The company just had its soft launch last month after winning one of the City’s Liftoff Houston awards. Hannah joins the show to discuss how she plans on growing her platform to reach more people looking to shop and sell more creatively and sustainably.

Stephanie Tsuru is the founder and CEO of SheSpace, a coworking space for women to meet, work, and find support. Stephanie shares the origin story of SheSpace, how it’s grown since opening its doors, and how she hopes to continue to provide the ideal workplace for Houston’s female entrepreneurs in the new year.

Richard Seline is the co-founder of Resilience Innovation Hub and major advocate for all things resilience innovation, policy, and more. Richard and I discuss what all Houston accomplished in risk mitigation and disaster proofing initiatives in 2022, including HCC’s rising Resiliency Center of Excellence, as well as why he expects this year to be a year of implementation for resilience innovation.

Steve Latham is the co-founder of DonateStock, a Houston startup that simplifies stock-based donations for both nonprofits and their donors. Steve and I discuss how DonateStock’s platform has evolved to make a greater impact for nonprofit organizations. He also shares how he’s seen the Houston innovation ecosystem evolve since his early days at the Houston Technology Center followed by decades of entrepreneurship within tech.

On this episode of the podcast, host Natalie Harms is looking back on some of her favorite podcast episodes of 2022 — featuring guests from startup founders, venture capital investors, health care leaders, startup development organization professionals, and more.

Samantha Lewis is principal at Mercury, a Houston-based Venture capital firm. Today, Sam and I look back at some tech and venture trends she’s focused on — like blockchain, web3, crypto and more — as well as dive into what she thinks founders need to focus on in the new year.

Jason Pesterfield is the CEO of Optellum, a digital health company with AI-based software for lung cancer diagnostics. Optellum recently established its US headquarters in Houston, and Jason joins the show today to discuss how the company has settled into Houston and what the future holds as it expands both locally and beyond.

Anas Al Kassas is the founder and CEO of INOVUES, a Houston-based company that has developed a process to retrofit commercial buildings with energy efficient window treatments. Anas joins the show today to discuss how he’s scaling and expanding the company — both to provide his customers with easy-to-install energy efficiency as well as move the needle on the energy transition within the built environment.

Devin Dunn is the head of TMC’s HealthTech Accelerator. Devin joins the show today to pull back the curtain a little bit about how TMC Innovation selects its accelerator cohort and the unique bootcamp opportunity the program has for its startups. Devin also discusses a new international program recently announced at TMC and how the greater ecosystem has evolved over the past decade.

Zimri Hinshaw is the CEO of BUCHA BIO, a Houston-based materials company that is manufacturing a plant-based alternative to plastic and leather for a handful of industries. Zimri joins the show today to talk about how Bucha Bio is scaling following its $1.1 million dollar raise earlier this fall and how the company is moving into its new facility later this month.

Stuart Corr is the executive director of Pumps and Pipes, a Houston organization that promotes collaboration and innovation across aerospace, energy, and medicine. Stuart, who is also the Director of Innovation Systems Engineering at Houston Methodist and associate professor of biomedical engineering research, shares what all to expect at the magical pumps and pipes event on December 5 that will feature thought leadership across industries and technologies.

Betsy Furler is the CEO of For All Abilities, a Houston-based software-as-a-service company providing tools for employers to support their neurodiverse workforce. Betsy shares on the show today how she’s grown and scaled her tech platform — including introducing her new co-founder — as well as how she balances being both a mission-driven and for-profit company.

Natara Branch is the newly named CEO of Houston Exponential. Today on the show, Natara discusses her background and passion for Houston, and also explains how she sees this new era for HX. Natara also shares what all she's excited about for the Houston Innovation Awards Gala, next week on November 9.

Juliana Garaizer is the head of the Houston incubator and vice president of innovation at Greentown Labs, an energy tech startup incubator. Juliana joins the show today to discuss some of the recent goings on at Greentown Houston — as well as what people can expect from the Greentown Climatetech Summit in Houston on Nov. 2

Dr. Katie Eick is the founder and CEO Rockin' Pets, Rollin’ Vets, an innovative mobile vet care company that’s expanded from Houston to The Woodlands and Austin. After raising $5 million last year, Katie explains how she’s growing her company at a fast pace during a challenging time for veterinary health care.

Tatiana Fofanova is the co-founder and CEO of Koda Health, a B2B Enterprise SaaS solution that guides patients through the process of proactive healthcare planning and document authentication. Koda is currently expanding nationwide following a $3.5 million seed round earlier this year. Tatiana joins me today to discuss how she’s growing her team and tackling the challenges of expansion.

Sarah Essama is the founder of The Dream Lab and director of social innovation at Teach For America Houston. Sarah joins the show today to discuss how she’s both innovating within TFA and allowing the organization’s students the ability to tap into their imagination to dream up ways to innovate in the future. A couple weeks ago, The Dream Lab held a mini accelerator at the Ion and Sarah shares what’s next with the initiative.

Asma Mirza is the CEO and co-founder of Steradian Technologies, a startup that has created a portable and affordable device called the RUMI that can provide breath-based diagnostics for less than the price of a latte. Last week, the company announced that it has received a prestigious grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. On the show today, Asma shares how tapping into the Houston innovation ecosystem and pivoting during the pandemic got to where she is today.

Brad Burke is the managing director of the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship. The Rice Alliance has been bringing together entrepreneurs, investors, and more for 22 years now, and today Brad and I will discuss the impact the organization — including its annual Rice Business Plan Competition — has had on the Houston innovation ecosystem.

Loretta Williams Gurnell is the founder executive director of the SUPERGirls SHINE Foundation, a Houston nonprofit based in the ion that is focused on increasing access to STEM opportunities for girls age 10 to 17. Loretta joins the show today to discuss how she pivoted her efforts amid the pandemic and how she hopes to expand nationwide.

Aleece Hobson is venture partner at the HX Venture Fund, a fund of funds that’s hosting Venture Houston on Monday, September 12, at the Ion. The event will be a full day of showcasing Houston innovation with speakers and guests alike coming into town to participate in the conversation — including Gwyneth Paltrow, founder of Goop, an HXVF portfolio company. Aleece shares what all people can expect from the event on the show today.

Joanna Nathan is the CEO and founder of Prana Thoracic, a Houston-based medical device company that hopes to enhance early-stage lung cancer diagnostics. Last week, Prana announced its launch with a $3 million grant from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, and Joanna joins the show today to discuss how the company will use that funding to get to first in-human trials and grow its team. Joanna also shares her passion for Houston’s growing innovation ecosystem and what motivates her as a health care innovator.

Benjamin Foster is the CEO and founder of Nurseify, a Houston-based platform and resource for connecting nurses to short-term job opportunities. Having launched the platform in 2020 amid the pandemic, Benjamin shares how the nurse-friendly platform works to help facilities staff up when they need it most while enhancing nurse’s stressful job experiences. He also shares some of the trends in health care he’s keeping a close eye on and what the future holds for Nurseify.

Bill Voss is the founder and CEO of Everest.com, a digital marketplace for outdoor equipment, clothing, and more. Everest was founded to bring consumers a one-stop-shop experience, and the company is on the cusp of upgrading its website with an enhanced UX, as well as premiering a new app for customers and sellers on the platform. Bill joins the show today to discuss the origin story of Everest, some early challenges he’s facing, and the big-picture potential he sees for the company.

Jeff James is the founder and CEO of PickleJar, a platform that connects musicians and artists to their fans for tipping, merchandise purchases, and more. Jeff joins the show today to discuss the challenges he’s solving within live music performances and how the platform has evolved over the past year to allow for longterm, strengthened relationships between artists and their fans.

Jim Sledzik is the managing director for Saudi Aramco Energy Ventures, a Houston-based corporate venture arm that’s invested $320 million into 33 portfolio companies in the U.S. over the past decade. Jim joins the show today to discuss what types of technology he is looking for and how he’s partnered up with the Ion to tap into the Houston innovation ecosystem. He also shares his advice for energy tech companies and how they can best get on the radar of corporate venture groups.

Craig Ceccanti is the president and CEO of T-Minus Solutions, a tech-focused consulting startup for early stage and growing companies. Also a co-founder of Pinot’s Palette and mobile ordering company SEATZ, Craig joins the show today to share both his franchise and tech startup experience, as well as the opportunities he sees for entrepreneurs in Houston.

Paresh Patel and Ed Pettitt are the co-founders of InnoGrid, a cost-effective and equitable plan to build Houston’s first microgrid. With rising temperatures and an increase in devastating storms, it’s time to rethink the grid, and that’s exactly what InnoGrid is focused on. The company, a member of the Ion’s Smart and Resilient Cities Accelerator, is looking to grow partnerships and awareness for their technology in order to enable more energy security in the local community.

Founded by Maggie Segrich and Meredith Wheeler, Sesh Coworking is an inclusive coworking space in Midtown Houston that just recently fully opened its new facility. Maggie and Meredith discuss what makes Sesh different and how they are intentionally growing their membership in Houston and, eventually, beyond.

Kate Evinger is the director of Pokatok Labs, a scale-up program for seed and series a-stage sportstech companies. The labs component is part of a bigger mission of Pokatok to make Houston a hub for sports innovation. The company is part of the same business family as InnovationMap and Gow Media. Kate joins the podcast today to share how the inaugural cohort went and what types of companies should apply for the next class this fall.

Samuel Dike is the manager of strategic initiatives at Rice Management Company, the owner and operator of The Ion and the rising Ion Innovation District. Sam joins the show today to share a bit about the Ion’s origin story and how it fit with Rice University and RMC’s missions — as well as what Houstonians can expect from the development of the district, from startups and technology to restaurants to the arts.

Adam Putterman is the co-founder of OURS, a Houston-based tech startup focused on optimizing and destigmatizing couples counseling. Adam joins the show today to discuss the virtual therapy platform and its recently closed fundraising round, which was supported big-name investors including Serena Williams.We also discuss how the company manages its fully remote team — and how its hiring and looking to grow and expand.

Amanda Ducach is the founder of Social Mama, a Houston-based company looking to connect women to improve the isolated and lonely journey that is motherhood. Launching originally as a social platform, Amanda shares how she’s gearing up for a total rebrand and launch of a whole new product — one that’s focused holistically on women’s health and wellness from fertility to menopause.

John Reale is the executive in residence at Texas Medical Center Innovation and managing director of Integr8d Capital. In this second episode of a two-part series, he shares how he’s leading the TMC Venture Fund, which recently expanded to a $50 million fund. He also discusses the impact TMC3, which is currently in construction, will have on Houston innovation.

John Reale is the executive in residence at Texas Medical Center Innovation and managing director of Integr8d Capital. In this first episode of a two-part series, he discusses his career in Houston innovation from co-founding Station Houston to what he's doing now as an investor in innovative businesses in Houston and beyond.

Pete O’Heeron is the CEO, founder, and chairman of FiberBiologics, a Houston-based company that’s using fibroblast cell technology to treat a variety of chronic diseases. Pete shares how the company is gearing up to IPO, move into a new combined lab and manufacturing space, and launch two more clinical trials to further prove out the impact of fiber blast technology.

Kerri Smith is the executive director of Rice Alliance’s Clean Energy Accelerator. The program, which launched last year, is currently accepting applications for its second class that will run later this year. Kerri and I chat about what she’s looking for in the cohort as well as some of the successes from Class one. Kerri also shares some of her observations of the Houston innovation ecosystem, how its evolved over her tenure, and what’s next for the city.

Trevor Best is the co-founder and CEO of Syzygy Plasmonics, an innovative company creating a photocatalyst technology that is aimed at disrupting the energy industry. Trevor and I discuss the new facility the company is moving into this summer and how syzygy’s first full-scale reactor is expected to debut next year.

Armand Paradis is the co-founder and CEO of ComboCurve, a cloud-based energy analytics and operating platform that more effectively forecasts and reports on energy assets. Armand discusses his career and the problems his software is solving, as well as how he’s managed to scale so quickly and raise over $60 million dollars in venture funding to support the company’s growth.

Dr. Kimon Angelides is the executive chairman and CEO of FemTec Health, a Houston-founded company that's created a comprehensive solution for women’s health — from beauty and lifestyle to fertility and hormonal analytics. Kimon joins the show to discuss how he’s created a career as a serial entrepreneur and where the femtech industry as a whole — as well as Houston’s innovation ecosystem — is headed.

Zain Shauk is the co-founder and CEO of Dream Harvest Farming Co., an indoor vertical farming company based in Houston that grows leafy greens and herbs using 95 percent less water and reducing food waste. Zain discusses the impact he’s looking to make within agriculture and the future of vertical farming. He also shares some key things Houstonians can do to shrink their carbon footprint on Earth Day as well in their daily lives.

CEO Phil Sitter and VP of sales Chris Chomenko of RepeatMD, a fintech and rewards platform working in the aesthetics and med spa industry, join the show today. The company has scaled significantly over the past year or so, growing to a team of 50 employees and adding around 200 new businesses to its custom rewards platform monthly. Phil and Chris explain the perfect storm they’re working in and what’s next for the company.

Ody De La Paz is the co-founder & CEO of Sensytec Inc, a hardware and software startup that’s creating a smart concrete solution for the construction and infrastructure industries. Ody and I discuss the latest from his company, including a new project with the department of defense and how the pandemic and the recent infrastructure bill has spurred business and the need for Sensytec’s technology.

Scott Schneider is the president and CEO of HTX Labs, a Houston-based software startup with a team focused on creating virtual reality technology for training a next generation workforce. Scott shares how he pivoted to work closely with the department of defense on providing the military with innovative technology for training purposes. He also explains how HTX Labs has grown alongside of Houston’s innovation ecosystem and where extended reality is headed.

Allie Danziger is the CEO and Co-Founder of Ampersand Professionals, a Houston-based tech platform that trains and upskills interns for business placement. Today on the show, Allie discusses the challenges employers are facing with hiring this next generation of workers and how she’s partnering with the city of Houston's Hire Houston Youth initiative.

Houston innovators have flocked to SXSW in droves and some with the sole purpose of participating in Houston House, an activation set up by the Greater Houston Partnership to showcase tech and startups from Houston. Natalie Harms, editor of InnovationMap, spoke to four Houstonians after their discussions to dig a little deeper into some key points from the panels.

Roberta Schwartz of Houston Methodist and Dr. Roderic Pettigrew of Texas A&M University's EnMed program weigh in on health tech and the future medical industry workforce at a panel for Houston Tech Rodeo.

Sujatha Kumar is the founder and CEO of Dsider, a Houston-based software startup that’s using data to help energy companies decarbonize their operations. Sujatha shares the potential impact of software on the energy transition and the goals she has for her early stage business.

Eric Rubenstein is founding managing partner of New Climate Ventures, A Houston-based venture capital firm focused on investing in sustainable businesses and energy transition companies. Eric shares details on the fund and some of his portfolio companies he’s most excited about as well as Houston’s role within climate tech, as well as Houston's "multifaceted role" in the energy transition.

Alessio Lorusso is the founder and CEO of Roboze, an Italian 3D printing company that opened its American headquarters in Houston. Alessio joins the show today to discuss how he’s looking to hire following a multimillion dollar fundraise and how the pandemic and the instability in the global supply chain has had an accelerating effect on Roboze. He also shares how he believes Houston has a huge potential to be a major global 3D printing hub.

Miguel Calatayud is CEO of iwi, a Houston-based food and nutritional supplement company that has created a sustainable suite of products from innovative algae farming in the deserts of Texas and New Mexico. Iwi recently raised funding supported by Houston-based GP Capital Partners and is ready to roll out a new game changing supplement and take its products worldwide.

Veronica Wu, founder of First Bight Ventures, has decades of tech and investor experience and recently made the move from Silicon Valley to Houston too launch her new VC firm and to focus specifically on early stage startups within the synthetic biology space. Veronica shares why now is the time for synbio investing and why Houston, with its health and energy sectors, is the place to do it.

Winston Wright is the Houston General Manager for Alto, a Dallas-based ridesharing company that’s taking on Uber and Lyft. Houston was the second market for the company, which recently raised $45 million in venture capital and is now available in Miami, LA, and DC. Winston joins me today to discuss how he envisions expanding the brand across Houston and what’s in store for Alto, including a 100% electric fleet by 2023.

Joey Sanchez is senior director of ecosystems at The Ion Houston. Joey has recently joined the Ion, which is a 300,000-square foot space in Midtown dedicated to connecting entrepreneurs, corporations, and academic communities in the name of innovation. A lifelong Houstonian, Joey joins the show today to share a bit about what to expect from the ion this year and why he’s incredibly optimistic about the city’s tech and innovation ecosystem.

Katie Mehnert is the CEO and founder of ALLY Energy, a Houston tech startup focused on advocating for diversity, equity, and inclusion within the energy industry. Between the great resignation, the pandemic and climate change, the energy sector is in a perfect storm of sorts. Today on the show, Katie explains how ALLY Energy is poised to prepare the workforce for the future amidst these challenges.

On this episode of the podcast, host Natalie Harms is looking back on some of her favorite podcast episodes of 2021 — featuring guests from startup founders, venture capital investors, health care leaders, startup development organization professionals, and so much more.

Enrique Gomez is an entrepreneur in residence at the Texas Medical Center Innovation Institute’s Accelerator for cancer therapeutics. Enrique, whose career spans the continent, has worked for decades in later stage biopharmaceuticals. Now, at TMC he’s focused on finding early-stage cancer therapeutic companies and innovators that represent the future of health care. On the show, Enrique and I discuss the challenges the industry faces and how Houston is emerging as a hub for oncology innovation.

Dr. Toby Hamilton is the founder of Hamilton health box, a Houston startup that’s bringing affordable preventative health care directly to patients. Dr. Hamilton joins the show to discuss the company’s unique approach as well as the future of health innovation in Houston.

Samantha Ettus is the founder of Park Place Payments, a fintech startup backed by Houston-based Curate Capital. launched in 2018, The California-Based company chose Houston as an early test market to find and train account executives who can support local businesses with a payment processing service that’s providing the best customer service. Samantha joins the show today to discuss the role Houston has played in her company’s growth and what’s next for park place.

Phillip Yates is the founder of Equiliberty, a Houston-based tech enabled startup focused on supporting diverse entrepreneurs. Phillip joins the show to discuss his company and the inaugural Black Entrepreneurship Week, which is taking place in Houston starting this Saturday, November 27th. Phillip and I will also talk about the recently announced Diversity Fund Houston, a $3 million dollar initiative to invest in diverse tech founders in Houston.

Summer Reeves, director of the Houston Fjord studio — a new addition to Accenture’s offices in Houston, works on bringing design into innovation for corporate clients across industries — and she joins the show today to discuss what all that means, as well as why she’s excited for Houston’s growing design and innovation ecosystem.

Aaron Knape, CEO and Co-founder of Houston-based Seatz — a mobile app and management platform that allows for in-seat food and alcohol delivery at sports arenas — joins the show today to discuss how the company survived the challenges of the pandemic and is expanding to a new vertical with a new partnership at a Houston hospital.

Gina Luna is a partner at GP Capital Partners, a new $275 million dollar fund that has launched under the umbrella of Genesis Park, a Houston-based private equity firm. Gina is also the founding chair of Houston Exponential, a nonprofit that serves to be the convening factor of Houston innovation. Gina and I will discuss the new fund as well as her extensive work on boards of nonprofits, startups, and more.

Carolyn Rodz is the founder of Hello Alice, a tech-enabled, one-stop-shop platform for small business owners to find capital, networks and business services. She has been a pillar in the Houston innovation ecosystem and she joins the show today to discuss everything from Hello Alice’s latest funding round and their new partnership with the NAACP to how diversity and inclusion among startups in Houston in beyond has changed over the years.

Remington Tonar is the chief commercial officer and co-founder at Cart.com., a fast-growing e-commerce software platform that’s raised about $150 million in venture capital funding and grown to 300 employees in just about a year. Remington joins the show today to discuss what’s driven this growth and what’s next for the company and e-commerce as a whole — as well as the role Houston can play in it.

Abbey Donnell is the founder and CEO of Work and Mother, A third-party lactation room service provider that works with office building landlord to open these full-service pumping rooms. The Houston company is expanding with new offices in town, another one coming soon in Austin, and , thanks to a new partnership with CBRE, a national expansion. Abbey join the show today to discuss the challenges she’s overcome navigating a pandemic, fundraising, and more.

Sarah Groen is the founder of Bell & Bly Travel and a longtime member of the Houston innovation ecosystem. Sarah co-founded Surge, Houston’s first startup accelerator, years ago. Since then, she’s seen Houston’s startup activity blossom as she expanded her entrepreneurial journey into the luxury travel industry. Sarah joins the show today to discuss her innovation career and what she’s up to now — as well as her best pieces of advice for fellow female founders.

James Reinstein, Saranas president and CEO, who has a long career in health tech innovation, joined Saranas at the very beginning of the pandemic last year. In spite of the challenges, he’s led the company through a $12.8 million series B round and into commercialization. He joins the show today to discuss what’s next for Saranas and its Early Bird bleed detection technology.

James Hury, the Deputy Director and Chief Innovation Officer at the Translational research Institute for space health, supports research and technology development in the world of space health. James and I will discuss Trish’s role in space commercialization and the unique research the organization is supporting.

Pamela Singh founded CaseCTRL, a Houston-based health tech startup that uses AI to optimize surgical scheduling. Pamela is no stranger to the Houston innovation ecosystem having participated in gBETA Houston and several pitch competitions, and she shares her journey as a female founder focusing on the slow-to-adapt health care industry, as well as explains what she and CaseCtrl has on the horizon in terms of scaling and growth.

Celebrating the 100th episode of the Houston Innovators Podcast, we look back at the inaugural InnovationMap Awards, which took place on Sept. 8.

For over a decade, Gaurav Khandelwal's company ChaiOne has been tackling industrial B2B software for clients of all sizes, and over the years he's has seen a market opportunity for logistics solutions developing. On the show today, he shares how his new company is optimizing loading and unloading across the logistics landscape — and how Houston has a huge opportunity to be a hub for similar tech-enabled solutions.

While the Texas HALO Fund, an early-stage venture capital firm based in Houston, is industry agnostic when it comes to its portfolio, Managing Director Kyra Doolan joins the show today to discuss how FemTech has really appeared as a focus for her and the fund, mostly due to the incredible opportunities the under-funded industry provides. She also shares some advice for both Femtech founders and women interested in getting involved in the investor landscape.

David Aaronson, a Houston real estate veteran, founded Refuel Electric Vehicle Solutions, or REVS, to address the rising need for electric vehicle charging stations. REVS provides a turn-key solution for multifamily property owners to install the technology needed to support the influx of EVs headed to Houston, Texas, and the rest of the nation. David joins the show to explain how he got into the business and how he’s excited to grow his company alongside the growth of EVs and their necessary infrastructure.

Raj Gummadapu, co-founder and CEO of Techwave, a global IT services and solutions provider, joins the show today to explain how he relocated his company's headquarters to Houston a couple years ago to take advantage of the diverse talent pool and budding tech ecosystem. Techwave is the presenting sponsor on the inaugural InnovationMap Awards on September 8th, and Raj shares why he’s excited to honor Houston’s top innovators and how he plans to grow his company’s presence in Houston right alongside them.

Anyone who’s lost a loved one knows how challenging after-death decision making can be, and Emily Cisek, CEO and co-founder of The Postage, wanted to simplify the process, making it more convenient and more enjoyable. On the show, Emily shares how she’s found success in an industry ripe for disruption and the opportunities and challenges she’s had as a B-to-C business coming of age during a global pandemic.

Will Womble found his way into the startup world in a circuitous fashion. He joins the show to discuss his career and the software development business that is his latest venture. Will, a huge advocate for Houston, also explores how the city has developed as a hub for software.

Robert Kester, president and general manager at Honeywell Rebellion, discusses his 2019 startup acquisition and what he’s focused on these days at Honeywell — from a new temperature monitoring pandemic pivot to the changes in regulations within oil and gas and growing emphasis companies have on making sustainable changes.

Ryan Sitton is CEO of Pinnacle, a Houston-area company specializing in industrial data science applications, but he also previously served as Texas Railroad Commissioner and wrote two books on data and leadership. On the show today, he discusses his varied career and how the digital transition and the pandemic have each affected Houston’s key industries.

Despite the challenges of last year, Stephanie says HAN’s membership grew by 30 percent. Meanwhile, The Artemis Fund — a VC group focused on funding female-founded startups — is adding five new companies to its portfolio after a $15 million fund closing earlier this year.

Velentium is a one-stop shop for med device design, development, and manufacturing, its CEO and founder, Dan Purvis, joins the show to discuss all the obstacles his company has overcome throughout the pandemic and how they have recently expanded into the oil and gas sector.

Spencer Randall, principal and co-founder of CryptoEQ, joins me to discuss the ever evolving world of bitcoin and cryptocurrency as well as how CryptoEQ is growing and evolving to keep its users up to date. Spencer and I also chat about lessons learned from his Seed round of funding and how he’s playing the long game with search engine optimization to reach new audiences.

A new Houston software startup support program has emerged to address the needs of early-stage SaaS companies. Kristen Phillips, director of Golden Section Studios, and Brooke Waupsh, founding CEO of Swoovy — the program's inaugural startup in residence — join the show to discuss how they are collaborating on a new B2B volunteer platform.

Serial entrepreneur, Misha Govshteyn leads MacroFab, a Houston startup that’s optimizing the electronics manufacturing process. Over the past year or so, supply chains have been greatly affected by tariffs, the pandemic, and all sorts of challenges. Misha joins the show to discuss how this has provided an opportunity to grow his business after Macrofab recently raised its $15 million series B.

Emily Reiser has played a major role in developing Houston’s health tech innovation ecosystem over the years as well as working hands on with innovators and startup founders through TMC Innovation. She joins the show today to discuss her advice for startups, COVID-19’s effect on health innovation, what Houston needs to further develop as a health tech hub, and more.

Jan Odegard recently got to drop the "interim" in his title and is continuing to lead The Ion as executive director. He joins the show to discuss the latest from the rising innovation hub, which is in its last stages ahead of opening to the public, as well as his career and his passion for making Houston the destination he thinks it deserves to be.

Sameer Soleja, founder and CEO of Molecule, joins the show to share the details on his energy fintech software company's recent $12 million series A. Sameer goes into some common challenges entrepreneurs face and how the energy industry is ripe for software innovation.

Kate Evinger — director of gBETA Houston, an early-stage, zero-equity startup accelerator — is focused on supporting Houston companies. She joins the show today to discuss gBETA’s latest cohort and the large network of opportunities the program’s parent company, gener8tor, has for entrepreneurs everywhere.

Kevin Coker is co-founder and CEO of Proxima Clinical Research, a Houston-based contract research organization focused on supporting life science startups as they grow and scale. Kevin shares how Houston’s health tech industry has evolved over the years, and how Proxima is growing at a breakneck speed to be able to support the region’s activity in oncology therapeutics, digital health, medical devices, and more.

From energy executive to content creator, Houstonian Carrie Colbert's latest venture is venture capital. She's raising a $10 million fund with her new firm Curate Capital to support businesses for women and by women. She joins the show today to share how it's going.

The Texas Heart Institute was looking for a way to support in-house innovation as well as connecting the organization to the latest and greatest health care technology — and so they created a new job. THI's new manager of innovation partnerships, Allison Post, joins the show today to share what THI is focused on and how it's now time for Houston's health care leaders to join forces to advance life science tech.

A native Houstonian, Ashley DeWalt is dedicating his career to two distinctly Houston things: Sports and diversity and inclusion. As managing director of DivInc, Ashley is focused on supporting diverse founders within the ecosystem. And, with 15 years of sports and entertainment experience, he is also seeing the city — with its concentration of athletes and coaches — emerge as a hub for sports innovation.

What does the future of investment look like? That's something Youngro Lee, co-founder and CEO of NextSeed and COO of Republic, thinks about daily – and he shares what he's keeping an eye on in this week's episode of the Houston Innovators Podcast.

A good sign of a growing innovation ecosystem is definitely when successful entrepreneurs get to a place where they can support rising tech startups — and this is exactly what Chris Howard, CEO of Softeq, is trying to accomplish. The tech founder just launched the Softeq Innovation Lab and is also eyeing a way to financially support startups as well.

Moji Karimi, with his oil and gas experience, never thought he would work with his health care innovating sister, Tara — that is until the two of them teamed up to create a way to mimic photosynthesis to transform carbon emissions into something useful. Now Cemvita Factory is working with heavy industrial clients to go beyond just reducing carbon footprints.

After years of expanding ClassPass, an app-based tech company connecting users to fitness and wellness experiences, around the world, Rachel Moncton was ready to move back to the United States. Her move coincided with the growing company's interest in opening a fourth domestic office — and Houston was just the place. Moncton joins the show to discuss how she is growing her team locally as the company continues to expand its services and technology.

Houston tech innovator Sid Upadhyay joins the show to discuss how the pandemic affected his recruitment software company, its recent $7.5 million series A round, and where the company is headed.

Joining the podcast at the start of Women's History Month, Samantha Lewis says now more than ever there is a need for more female representation at venture capital firms.

In light of last week's winter storm that wrecked havoc on Houston and Texas as a whole, Richard Seline joins the show to discuss the call for innovation in mitigating damage from weather-related crises.

Houston is no stranger to picking itself up by the bootstraps, and both non-Houston natives Christine Galib and Courtney Cogdill of The Ion have seen that so clearly. The duo, which works on programs and accelerators at The Ion, join the show to discuss the organizations four programs and how they really represent Houston. Note: This podcast, though timely in that the guests and host discuss Houston's resiliency and weather challenges, was recorded ahead of of this week's winter storm.

For Black History Month, Ashley Small is making sure her team at her Houston-based PR and branding company is aware of Black innovators and the roads they paved across industries. And, she's reminding her fellow business owners to bring diverse voices to the table.

Deanna Zhang focuses on energy technology business at Houston-based financial adviser Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co., and last year, she saw the energy transition hugely affected by both the pandemic and the drop in oil prices. She joins the show to share a bit about what she observed.

Houston-based InformAI is creating technology that taps into hospital data to better predict and diagnose medical issues, and CEO and Founder Jim Havelka says Houston and the Texas Medical Center have been essential to his company's success.

Mercury Fund was founded to find and fund the underrepresented entrepreneurs, and now Heath Butler, newly named network partner, is hoping to continue this effort by is focusing on entrepreneurs of color and female entrepreneurs, as well as the future of work.

The HX Venture Fund is working with several Houston organizations to host a February summit that will shine a national spotlight on Houston startups and bring venture capital to town. Guillermo Borda and Sandy Guitar, managing directors at the fund of funds, join the podcast to discuss Venture Houston — as well as the conference's $1.7 million pitch competition.

Companies across industries are looking to increase transparency and sustainability — and Validere's technology can do just that. The Canadian energy tech startup is growing at a rapid pace, and its Houston office is expanding as a result. Senior Vice President Nicole Rogers joins the show to discuss ESG, Houston, energy tech, and more.

Blair Garrou says he's never been busier, and while venture capital deals have been on a rollercoaster this year, he's looking forward to 2021. On this episode of the podcast, Blair discusses Houston's VC scene, recent Mercury Fund investments, and more, as well as what he's looking forward to in 2021.

Joy M. Hutton wears a lot of hats. The entrepreneur and consultant has also just joined Houston's Grow with Google Digital Coach program as the local leader and on the podcast today, she shares more details on the inclusion-focused program as well as some of the challenges she's overcome this year amid the pandemic.

As the COVID-19 vaccine begins being distributed to frontline workers this week, Adam Kuspa, president of Houston-based nonprofit, The Welch Foundation, discusses the years of research and support it's taken to make the quick response possible.

Deanea LeFlore joins the show to discuss the future of The Ion — opening in just a few months — and how she’s striving to make sure it represents Houston’s diverse population.

Fresh off of its seed round, NanoTech’s co-founder Mike Francis joins the show to discuss fireproofing California, why Houston is the place to be an entrepreneur, and more.

Jani Tuomi, co-founder of Imaware, a Houston-based digital testing and screening provider, and his team quickly released on of the first at-home COVID-19 tests earlier this year. Jani joins the show to discuss how he’s had to scale his startup amid a pandemic as well as how the health care industry has evolved in these unprecedented times.

In honor of InnovationMap’s second birthday, we’ve decided to turn the tables for this episode. Earlier this week, InnovationMap's editor, Natalie Harms, sat down with Grace Rodriguez, CEO and executive director of Impact Hub Houston, for a virtual fireside chat.

The newest member to Houston's bustling life sciences arena is Fiona Mack, recently named head of JLABS at TMC. Fiona joined the Houston incubator a few months ago and has been focused on getting familiar with the Houston innovation ecosystem. We’ll discuss what she has on her radar right now and what her early impressions of Houston have been.

When starting a business, driving social impact and profits aren't mutually exclusive anymore. Durg Kumar realized that and founded Knightsgate Ventures in Houston in 2018 to invest in companies hitting that sweet spot. Now, along with his business partner, Allen Bryant, Kumar is headed into Knightsgate's second fund.

Introducing The Listies — a new awards program from HX and InnovationMap. Harvin Moore and Serafina Lalany of HX join the show to discuss nominations and what to expect at the event next month.

Ayse McCracken founded the Ignite Healthcare Network to shine a spotlight on female entrepreneurs in the medical world. Join her and 35 startups for a pitch competition like none other — beginning tomorrow, October 22.

Marcelo Cordini, co-founder of December Labs, joins the show to talk about his company — a full-service design and development company with offices in Uruguay and Houston — and what the pandemic has meant for business and the evolution of the workforce.

Seamus Curran, a physics professor at the University of Houston and CEO and founder of Integricote and Curran Biotech, joins the show to discuss his nanotechnology work and a patented coating substance that he has invented and first used in construction industry. Now, he’s using the same technology to prevent the spread of COVID-19 by coating face masks and air filters.

Re:3D was founded to accomplish two goals: grow access to larger-scale 3D printing and seek sustainable options for manufacturing new items. Now, that's exactly what this Houston startup is doing — in its own fun and modern way. Samantha Snabes, co-founder, and Charlotte Craff, who oversees community relations, join the show to share what makes their company different and where the industry is headed.

New to his role of executive director of Rice University’s Liu Idea Lab for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Kyle Judah joins the show to discuss what all is on his to-do list and his first impressions of the Houston innovation ecosystem.

It's not a secret that the pandemic has had a great effect on coworking companies. However, The Cannon, which exists to help startups in more ways than just providing office space, has a solution: Virtual coworking.

Based on research from the Greater Houston Partnership, Josh Pherigo has identified Houston's tech niches — and some of them might surprise you.

Lenny Saizan and his team at Urban Capital Network launched their organization to foster inclusion among Houston's venture capital scene.

Sandy Guitar, who serves as managing director of the HX Venture Fund, wanted to create an organization for women in venture capital in Houston. So, she did. Now the collaborative of women is meeting virtually at a time where support is needed more than ever.

A former NASA specialist in robotics, Nicolaus Radford founded Houston Mechatronics to focus on developing cloud robotics that can operate underwater. Now, he's taking his company global.

Serafina Lalany has been working toward launching the HTX TechList — a one-stop shop for Houston innovation connections and data — for over a year. Now, the platform launches this week with a huge can't-miss virtual event on Thursday, August 13.

The innovations and Houston startups that came out of Hurricane Harvey are no coincidence. Richard Seline of ResilientH2O Partners joins the show to explain how he's helping foster new hurricane and flood prevention technologies in the Bayou City.

Is Houston on track to be a hub for autonomous vehicles? Sola Lawal of Nuro thinks so. The artificial intelligence and robotics company is focused on Houston growth — and even serving residents in low-income food deserts around town.

Most medical devices aren't connected to the internet, and Chris DuPont of Galen Data is creating a turn-key solution for the emerging medical device companies that are prioritizing connectivity and data. And, amid a global pandemic, this sort of quick solution is more important than ever.

Rebecca Vaught started her biotech company just ahead of COVID-19, but she shares on the Houston Innovators Podcast that it's meant more opportunities than challenges.

Denise Hamilton's life work is helping women navigate their careers and now is writing the book on how to be an ally amid #BlackLivesMatter — or rather, she's helping allies write it themselves. As the founder of WatchHerWork, she joins the show to share her thought leadership for women and for the African American community.

Juliana Garaizar was recently named to the team for Greentown Labs' Houston launch. She joins the show to discuss her focus on diversity and inclusion, what she's looking for in startups and corporate partners, and more.

As the pandemic hit, most entrepreneurs had only their own company to focus on keeping afloat. Aimee Woodall had her own creative agency — The Black Sheep Agency, a brand strategy for exclusively impact-based businesses — as well as its entire client list. On the show, she shares resources for advocates and social impact startups, as well as her thoughts on how companies and individuals can be more cognizant moving forward.

Travis Parigi isn't afraid of an oil downturn, but he couldn't have foreseen the effect COVID-19 would have on demand. He join the show to discuss how he's watching the market and looking to team up with a fellow Houston innovator through a strategic partnership.

Chris Buckner, co-founder and CEO of Mainline, a Houston-based esports software startup, shares how the pandemic has afforded his company both opportunities gor growth as well as challenges.

Eléonore Cluzel, director of gBETA Houston, joins the Houston Innovators Podcast to share how the cohort has been going — and to introduce each member of the inaugural cohort.

Camppedia — which Tudor Palaghita founded with his sister, Ana, in late 2018 — is an online marketplace that acts as a one-stop shop for parents looking for and managing local programming and activities for their kids. As the pandemic began to derail after school activities and summer plans, Palaghita quickly pivoted to provide essential needs like virtual offerings and connecting community members with new resources.

Fresh off a $17 million series B fundraising round for his SaaS startup, Liongard, Joe Alapat joins the show to discuss raising money during a pandemic, the growth of the Houston innovation ecosystem, and more.

Dean Paul Pavlou of Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston shares how the school quickly pivoted to online classes and services amid the COVID-19 crisis — and how he's taking that tech into future semesters.

Similar to other startups across town that have made pivots amid the COVID-19 crisis, Accel Lifestyle, a Houston-based athletic wear company, has quickly designed facemasks and created them by the thousands for individuals, companies, and hospital systems. Founder and CEO Megan Eddings and Director of Operations Amanda Cotler share their story on today's episode.

Amanda Ducach has been juggling leading her startup, entertaining her toddler, and caring for the rest of her family — and she is not alone. SocialMama, which just launched a new expert program that allows users access to health care professionals, exist to help support and connect moms — especially in the time of the COVID-19 crisis.

It's not the best time to be in the coworking business, and Lawson Gow, founder of The Cannon, which has three locations in Houston, has seen better days for his business. What Lawson is more worried about, however, is how Houston's innovation ecosystem will weather the storm that is COVID-19.

COVID-19 forced closed the majority of small businesses' physical space, which takes away from their ability to generate revenue. But, rent is still due — as are landlords' payments to their lender. Josh Feinberg discusses this quandary and how he thinks relief efforts will play out. Plus, he introduces his new fintech startup that could provide a solution.

Sean Guerre of Innovate Energy joins the Houston Innovators Podcast to share how energy startups are especially challenged in the current climate — from how COVID-19 is affecting business events to how the oversupply of oil is reeking havoc on the energy industry.

Kim Raath has transitioned to CEO of the startup she co-founded. She takes the helm of the blockchain-as-a-service company just as a global pandemic and expected recession is sweeping the planet, but to her, it's game on.

Lance Black leads the Texas Medical Center's startup accelerator program, TMCx, and he joins the show to explain how COVID-19 has affected the program — as well as to offer his advice to startups during this time. Lance also explains why this crisis is an important time for telehealth and remote care.

Former startup founder Brittany Barreto discusses her passion for making Houston a hub for femtech innovation as well as expert info for founders on pitch decks and how to get involved with Capital Factory.

Fresh off a $5.5 million raise, Hitched Inc. is growing full speed ahead. Co-Founders Adam Gilles and Lance Richardson join the show to discuss what makes their technology so different and where they are headed in 2020.

Reda Hicks has been to Austin's annual SXSW interactive festival and felt underrepresented as a female founder. Now, she's changing the game with Texas Female Founders Day on March 13.

Harvin Moore, president of HX, joins the show to discuss the upcoming Houston Tech Rodeo. The week full of innovation-focused events takes place March 2 to 6, and Harvin shares his must-attend events and the story of how the week came to be.

Fresh off a $15 million series B raise, Alex Robart, a Houston-based entrepreneur, joins the podcast to discuss the future of artificial intelligence in the energy industry, his plans for growth, and how he works with his twin brother on investing and at Ambyint.

Gabriella Rowe has been busy — to say the least. The former CEO of Station Houston has transitioned into her role as executive director of The Ion, a 270,000-square-foot innovation hub being developed by Rice Management Company, following Station's merger with Austin-based Capital Factory. Gaby discusses the merger and how it's bringing Station back to its roots, as well as how she plans to position The Ion to be a diverse and inclusive environment and key component of Houston's innovation ecosystem.

The Texas startup scene should be familiar with Marc Nathan's name — whether it's from his time at the Houston Technology Center, his work with startup lawyers in Austin, or his statewide innovation newsletter. On this episode, Marc shares his observations about Houston's evolving innovation ecosystem, gives his tips about SXSW, and more.

Getting involved with cryptocurrency might seem riskier than traditional investment platforms simply because it's a new and, to a lot of people, confusing. Spencer Randall, co-founder and principal of Houston-based CryptoEQ turned his passion for cryptocurrency into a business. Now, that business exists to guide cryptocurrency users and investors through this emerging world that's changing with new technologies.

John Berger, CEO and founder of Sunnova, discusses how he scaled his residential solar energy startup all the way to IPO last year.

The Translational Research Institute for Space Health, or TRISH, is a NASA-backed, Houston-based organization that focuses on research within space health. TRISH's director, Dorit Donoviel, who is also an associate professor at Baylor College of Medicine's Center for Space Health, joins the podcast to discuss the future of space exploration and the challenges in the industry.

As managing director of the HX Venture Fund, Sandy Guitar Wallis oversees the portfolio for the fund of funds. With her 20-year career in venture capital, Wallis shares her expertise on the podcast — discussing everything from why the IPO process has slowed to what startups need to know about venture capital.

With any maritime shipment, thousands of emails are exchanged between all the various companies involved in the shipping process. That, to Matthew Costello, is extremely inefficient. Costello co-founded Voyager, a software-as-a-service company based in Houston that allows for email-less communication that uses data analysis to enhance and streamline maritime shipping. Costello discusses his plans for the company in the new year and what it was like fundraising across the world.

Roberta Schwartz is cultivating new avenues of innovation within health care at Houston Methodist — from wearable technology and virtual reality to a human resources chatbot and a patient messaging platform. Schwartz discusses these new technologies — as well as a new tech hub the hospital system is working on to demonstrate the future of health care — in this episode.

The Texas Medical Center just celebrated five years of helping to drive health tech and innovation, but the TMC Innovation Institute isn't resting on its laurels. Emily Reiser joins the podcast to discuss her career, changes to the TMCx accelerator, new programs, her favorite health tech startups, and more.

When Andrew Bruce was laid off during the energy downturn, he took that as a sign to start a company of his own — a blockchain-as-a-service startup within oil and gas. That company, Data Gumbo, has gone on to raise $9.3 million in venture capital, expand into the construction industry, and save its clients millions within its contracts operations. And, Andrew has big plans for where he's headed next with his business.

Ody De La Paz describes himself as a serial entrepreneur, and he turned his class project into a growing startup. Sensytec uses smart technology in cement, which can help prevent catastrophic events and save companies millions. Ody joins the show to discuss his experience with pitch competitions and accelerator programs and shares where his company is headed within the construction industry.

Brad Rossacci gets out of bed every day to explore the unexpected and simplify how humanity lives, works, and plays. As creative director of Accenture's Houston Innovation Hub, Brad combines science and technology with design to innovate. Brad comes on the podcast to discuss his winding career path and the Houston Digital Fight Club.

Grace Rodriguez has had a winding career that's led her in and out of entrepreneurship in Houston. She discusses Impact Hub and the role it plays in Houston, as well as about upcoming programming the organization has, which includes The Houston Innovation Week November 18-24.

For this week's episode of the Houston Innovators Podcast, we're mixing things up. InnovationMap Editor Natalie Harms reports live from The Cannon Houston's grand opening on Thursday, Oct. 24, to interview several entrepreneurs about their companies, which include Sapmok, DrySee, Bayardo Safety LLC, Statistical Vision, sEATz, Skippermyboat, Win-Win, Co-Counsel Potentia, MiTyket, and Four Tower LLC.

The energy industry is at an inflection point. With various challenges being hurdled at oil and gas companies, energy execs are looking for ways to innovate and evolve. That's what Patrick Lewis has seen when he co-founded BBL Ventures, a Houston-based venture group that's reverse engineer the innovation process within energy companies. Lewis joins the Houston Innovators Podcast to discuss his 25-year career in innovation, how he's seen the city transform, and what keeps him up at night.

Rakesh Agrawal knows the ins and outs of Houston innovation. As the founder of SnapStream and an active investor, he's been on both sides of the table. In this episode of the Houston Innovators Podcast, Agrawal sheds some light on the Houston innovation ecosystem and breaks some news coming out of SnapStream.

A key factor in growing an innovation ecosystem is having the funds to fuel startup growth. Samantha Lewis, director for The GOOSE Society of Texas — a local group of investors — and an entrepreneur herself, shares why Houston's major investment players need to help move the needle and how startups can get in front of these deep pockets.

In the first episode of the new Houston Innovators Podcast, InnovationMap editor Natalie Harms sits down with Jon Nordby, managing director of MassChallenge Texas’ Houston program. Jon discusses the new accelerator’s impact on Houston, as well as why he’s pretty glad he didn’t decide to move to Austin. Catch more innovation news from Houston at InnovationMap.com.