Houston Innovators Podcast

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 mor...

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 member...

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.