FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Houston, Texas — March 27, 2026
Impact Hub Houston, the region’s leading hub for impact innovation and entrepreneurship, is proud to celebrate the graduates of the inaugural Ideas to Impact Accelerator cohort. The 16-week program provides expert mentorship, peer collaboration, and guidance through the LeanStack continuous innovation framework to help emerging entrepreneurs transform their ideas into evidence-informed businesses that create positive impact for people and planet. Impact Scholarships were awarded to enable qualified founders to access support at this early stage of their journeys, as well.
Meet and Celebrate Our Inaugural Cohort of Graduates:
- Angela Johnson, INNERVERSE Inc: “Equipping Houston middle schoolers with the self-knowledge, agency, and accountability to own their future and power the city’s next generation of innovative leaders.”
- Dr. Faith Ohuoba, Myoviva Health: “An obgyn led virtual fibroid platform that exists to transform fibroid care from fragmented and reactive to personalized, proactive and outcomes-driven.”
- David A. Brown, The Change Lab: “We are building a platform to help our community take part in civic and social life through learning, connecting, and advocating.”
- Yuri Perez, Yuyo: “We are building a scalable, tech-enabled wellness ecosystem (studio + app) that provides families daily access to movement, culture, and community support wherever they are.”
- Michael Compean, MyBarFlow: “I am building a platform for the community to alleviate drunk driving with an innovative approach to bartending.”
- Edwin Ruano, RSkill: “We are developing a platform for unemployed talent and talent at risk due to AI implementation, to acquire and validate new high-demand digital skills and connect them with quality remote jobs.”
- Pat Lindsay Buscaino, Kuwento Co: “We are building The Kuwento Academy, where people and communities learn to write, preserve, and publish their stories for future generations.”
- Joshlyn Ross, Maximized Money: “We are building The Investor Lab, a membership platform where women learn how to invest their first $100 in 30 days.”
- Lisa Williams, Glocal Gathering: “A subscription that turns curiosity about unfamiliar produce into confident cooking.”
- Julio Gonzalez: “A digital public bulletin board that makes civic and community notices easy to publish, easy to find, and accessible from any device.”
- Guillermo Saenz, Semillistas: “We are building a Community SEO engine for mission-driven organizations that connects them with trusted local connectors, helping them earn relevance through real community trust.”
Through the Ideas to Impact Accelerator, entrepreneurs:
- Mapped and iterated their Lean Canvas business models
- Built and tested traction roadmaps to define what success looks like over time
- Conducted problem discovery interviews to deeply understand their customers
- Focused on designing compelling solutions grounded in real customer needs
- Practiced communicating their value proposition through concise pitches to stakeholders
The program emphasized progress, learning, and iteration, equipping founders with the tools to continue building beyond the accelerator. It culminated in a Graduation Showcase at The Ion, where founders presented 3-minute Business Model Story pitches to an audience of community members and ecosystem supporters, with structured feedback from Guest Advisors Grace Rodriguez, Tracie Jae, and Wade Pinder in a final learning moment to help founders continue refining their models. They reinforced that the showcase was not a finish line, but a milestone in an ongoing process of building and learning.
Each founder brought a unique perspective and a shared commitment to building solutions that matter.
“The Ideas to Impact Accelerator forced me to stop working in my business and finally work on it. It gave me the structure, mentorship, and real-time feedback I needed to clarify my vision, test my ideas, and push myself beyond what I thought I was capable of—especially through the final pitch. I’m walking away not just with a stronger business in Kuwento Co., but with the confidence and tools to actually move it forward! Deepest gratitude goes to Grace, Michelle, Maria, and Tracie for the amazing program, and to my cohort who made the experience real and memorable!” – Dr. Pat Lindsay Buscaino, Kuwento Co.
“This cohort shifted something in me. I realized every milestone we hit wasn’t just a business win — but confirmation that momentum and consistency are essential in entrepreneurship. Myoviva Health is building the future of healthcare our mothers deserved and our daughters will inherit. And we’re just getting started by aligning with potential investors and partners.” – Dr. Faith Ohuoba, Myoviva Health
“Really appreciate the opportunity to be part of this showcase… I always love seeing that moment where someone takes an idea that’s been living in their head and starts to shape it into something real. There’s something powerful about watching founders move from concept to something they can actually build and launch… you can often feel the shift happen in real time. That transition is where so much of the learning lives, and it’s what makes this program so meaningful.” – Wade Pinder
Looking Ahead
The completion of the Ideas to Impact Accelerator marks the beginning of the next phase for these founders. Armed with stronger customer insights and a more structured approach to validating their solution and growing their business, they are better positioned to continue developing their impact ventures in Houston and beyond. Graduates will continue to receive support through Impact Hub Houston Community Membership, ongoing programming, and connections to the Impact Hub global network of entrepreneurs, advisors, investors, and changemakers.
View the Graduation and Showcase Photo Gallery
Have an idea or early stage impact business? Join the Waitlist and be notified when the next round of applications goes live later this year!
Want to volunteer as a mentor with our impact driven entrepreneurs? Apply Here: https://bit.ly/impacthubhoustonmentor
About Impact Hub Houston
Impact Hub Houston is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that empowers entrepreneurs to build solutions for a more just and sustainable world. As part of a global network of 130+ Impact Hubs and 24,000+ members across 69 countries, we connect creative, committed changemakers and partner with organizations across sectors to strengthen entrepreneurial ecosystems, inspire collaboration, and scale impact aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Grace Rodriguez
CEO, Impact Hub Houston
📧 [email protected]
🌐 houston.impacthub.net
