Houston Innovators Podcast

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 po...

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% e...

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 abou...

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 disc...

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 Houst...

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 initia...

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,...

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 Hou...

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 s...

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 —...

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...

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