Join leaders from Houston’s diverse entrepreneurial ecosystem to learn how they can help you take your business to the next level!
About this Event
Houston consistently ranks as one of the top cities for economic growth potential, one of the best startup ecosystems, and one of the best places in the country for women and minority entrepreneurs to start their own businesses. So how is Houston’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and startup development community evolving to help our city reach that potential? How will we support the next generation of startups in ways that also build more inclusive, equitable and sustainable paths to economic development and generational wealth creation?
Join several of Houston’s entrepreneur ecosystem leaders at THIS: The Houston Innovation Summit during this session to learn how local organizations are rising to meet the needs of our future entrepreneurs. We’ll touch on:
How local organizations are helping the next generation of entrepreneurs — from Zillennials to second-act seniors, and from newcomers to Houston to those new to startup culture;
What trends and opportunities they’re seeing; and,
What they’re most excited about for Houston’s economic future.
SPEAKERS:
Estella Gonzalez, MPA, Director of Education and Economic Opportunity at BakerRipley
Eric M. Goodie, Area Vice President, Growth and Sustainability at Houston Area Urban League (HAUL)
Tim Jeffcoat, District Director Houston, SBA
Tiffany Williams, Co-founder and Managing Director for Diversity Fund Houston
Ravi Brahmbhatt, Charter Member and Board Member of TiE Houston
Many thanks to Houston Community College (HCC) Southeast for hosting and providing food and beverages for this event at the Felix Fraga Academic Campus in the East End!
But while much attention has been given to the local startup ecosystem, our local agricultural and food entrepreneurs are often overlooked. So how do we help local food- and agriculture-based innovators connect around shared goals, collaborate effectively, and access resources and guidance to help them grow their own paths to success? How do we cultivate the next agricultural automation startup, or the next Ritual or UberEats and the businesses that help those apps thrive?
Join some of Houston’s local food leaders to explore and address these challenges!
SPEAKERS
Ecky Prabanto: Co-Founder, Greenway Coffee/Tropicales/Susu Kopi and Boba
Join Houston Exponential to learn about progress in the ecosystem since launching the Fund-of-Funds; and stay for a chat with InnovationMap!
About this Event
In just two years, Houston Exponential has come a long way in connecting stakeholders across Houston’s innovation ecosystem, raising funds to spur local investment activity, and convening the region’s startup development organizations to facilitate greater communication and collaboration in supporting Houston’s tech entrepreneurs.
Join us for a conversation with the HX team and stakeholders to learn about:
Connecting the ecosystem
SDO Roundtables
Corporate Innovation Roundtables
Media Day
Investor meet-ups
Immersion Days
StartUp Happy Hours
HX Office Hours
…and Big Projects for HX 2020!
Afterwards, stay for a fun fireside chat with Natalie Harms, Editor of InnovationMap, and Brad Rossacci from Accenture on, “Houston is my favorite color!”
SPEAKERS
Natalie Harms: Natalie is the inaugural editor of Houston InnovationMap — the only media outlet completely dedicated to Houston startups and innovation. Launched last year, InnovationMap reports on innovation within health care, energy, social impact, and more. She is also the host of the Houston Innovators Podcast — a weekly discussion with a local mover and shaker within Houston innovation. Prior to this role, Natalie served as associate editor at the Houston Business Journal and has eight years of professional journalism experience.
Brad Rossacci: Brad Rossacci gets out of bed every day to explore the unexpected + simplify how humanity lives, works, and plays. As Creative Director of Accenture’s Houston Innovation Hub, Brad blends the complex system of science. technology. imagination. + design. to dream up what could be + create what will be. Activating the rocket fuel of creativity + imagination, Brad designs delightful experiences that solve the hard challenges in our world; speaks around the world on how we get our humanity back; advises corporations, leaders, and start-ups on the power of creativity as a tool for innovation; and lectures on the influence of belief based design at Tier 1 universities. His primary focus is incubated through a Mars-Shot challenge: “How might we utilize the complex systems of science. technology. imagination. + design. to intuitively simplify and exponentially evolve our very human experience.”
Frost Bank presents “Fail Forward”:A Special Speaker Series to help entrepreneurs navigate financial challenges and learn how to get funded!
Join us for an evening of #FailForward fun as we get real, behind-the-scenes stories straight from entrepreneurs on the challenges they faced trying to access and raise funding for their small business or startups … and learn from bankers and financial experts what those entrepreneurs could have done to make their journey easier and more successful.
In this “role play” style discussion, entrepreneurs will dig deep into their experiences and offer specific examples of actual attempts to receive funding from local banks and other institutions. A series of subject matter experts curated by Frost Bank will then walk the entrepreneurs through those stories to identify where challenges could have been prevented, averted or quickly mitigated, and then share strategies and best practices that may help you avoid some of the pitfalls that can prevent you from getting funded.
GUEST SPEAKERS:
JimmyTay Trinh, Chef, CEO, Founder of Naughty Noah’s
Naughty Noah’s is a family-centric business that’s stirring up everyday eats. With my son Noah at the helm, my mother’s authentic recipe delivers the rich culinary tradition of Vietnamese pho noodles right to your busy family life — with clean ingredients that put a nourishing, tasty new twist on a beloved, timeless classic. Get naughty and start noodlin’ around with all of our delicious flavors atwww.naughtynoahs.com!
Harry McMahan, Vice President & Relationship Manager at Frost Bank
SCHEDULE:
6PM Registration & Networking (appetizers will be provided)
6:30PM – 7:15 PM Role Play + Best Practices
7:15PM Q&A
7:30PM Open Discussion & Networking
PARKING INFORMATION
You can find paid metered street parking (FREE after 6PM)in front of the building along Pierce Street; and both metered and free street parking in the surrounding neighborhoods.
*Series presented by Frost Bank, in partnership with Impact Hub Houston and BakerRipley.
We invite you to learn how our innovation ecosystem is rapidly expanding to meet the needs of Houston’s diverse industries — and of the diverse startups and entrepreneurs emerging in them — on November 18 at the new Amegy on Main tower downtown, as we kick off “THIS: The Houston Innovation Summit” November 18-24 during Global Entrepreneurship Week!
Join leaders from Amegy, The Cannon, MassChallenge TX, Impact Hub Houston, Capital Factory, and more for an open conversation on:
How Houston’s entrepreneurial ecosystem is evolving;
How these organizations are expanding Houston’s connectivity and impact across our region and country, and developing new opportunities for our ecosystem around the world;
What trends and opportunities they’re seeing; and,
What they’re most excited about for Houston’s future.
Stay afterwards to network over light bites and beverages; and get sneak peeks of the new Amegy on Main tower, led by the organizations who will be calling it “home”!
Join Houston’s emerging investment community leaders to learn how our capital environment is evolving and offering new funding resources.
About this Event
Houston has long been criticized for its perceived lack of funding for startups, especially for diverse entrepreneurs. But last month, at least seven early-stage companies successfully closed their fundraising rounds — four of them co-founded by women and/or minority entrepreneurs — with many more promising startups in our region’s pipeline.
Join THIS: The Houston Innovation Summit during Global Entrepreneurship Week for a conversation with some of Houston’s emerging investment community leaders to learn how Houston’s capital environment is evolving, how they’re sourcing new deals, what they’re most excited about, and new markets and trends on the horizon for people to put capital to work.
Lilly Liu is the Senior Investment Analyst at Houston-based Mercury Fund, an early-stage venture capital firm focused on entrepreneurs and technology innovation originating in the U.S. Midcontinent. She works with the investment team on deal sourcing, due diligence, and portfolio value creation. Mercury’s investment themes target SaaS, Cloud, and Data Science/AI platforms that make the industries of Middle America more competitive and efficient. Outside of Mercury, Lilly is an active contributor to the Houston and Midcontinent startup ecosystems, serving as a mentor at WeWork Labs, Station Houston, and TMCx. She graduated with highest honors from Duke University with a double major in Economics and International Affairs.
Samantha Lewis, Rice MBA ’17, is the Director of the GOOSE Society of Texas – an exclusive investment group focused on early stage technology ventures. Before attending Rice Business school, she successfully started two ventures, one of which she sold in 2017. The other company, Green Chile Co, generates over $3 million in annual revenue and boasts of customers like Torchy’s Tacos, HEB, and Trader Joe’s. Samantha is an advisor to numerous startups including Houston based blockchain startup, Topl.
Rhian leads business development strategy and growth at LetsLaunch, an equity crowdfunding fintech startup. Prior to this, Rhian spent over 10 years in supply chain management, deal delivery and operations within the energy industry at Shell and BG Group, including the development of global sourcing strategies and leading high profile negotiations with major international industry players. Rhian has lived and worked in over 6 countries and holds a BSc in Management Sciences from Warwick Business School, UK. She is currently undertaking her MBA at Rice Jones Business School.
Join leaders from some of Houston’s largest and most diverse academic institutions to learn:
How Houston’s entrepreneurial education environment is evolving;
How they’re helping prepare and grow the next generation of entrepreneurs — from Zillennials to second-act seniors, and from newcomers to Houston to those new to startup culture;
What trends and opportunities they’re seeing; and,
What they’re most excited about for Houston’s economic future.
SPEAKERS
Dr. Beena George: Chief Innovation Officer, University of St. Thomas
Brenda Rios: Director of Entrepreneurial Initiatives & Community Relations, HCC
Sandra Louvier: Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship, HCC
Kelly McCormick: Professor of Practice & Managing Director of Red Labs, UH
Moderator: Ned Mueller, Entrepreneur In Residence, HCC
Many thanks to Houston Community College (HCC) Southeast for hosting and providing food and beverages for this event at the Felix Fraga Academic Campus in the East End!
Mercury Fund and Impact Hub Houston invite Houston’s #FemaleFounders community to join us for breakfast at Mercury’s office on Nov 21!
About this Event
No matter which researchreports you turn to, they all indicate that less funding and support are making their way to women-led startups…despite the fact that they tend to deliver higher revenue. The causes are varied and complex, but, ultimately, they point to a need for greater alliedship to help close gaps and ensure women get equal access to startup resources.
To explore ways that Houston’s startup ecosystem can address these disparities and be better allies for women entrepreneurs, J.P. Morgan, Mercury Fund and Impact Hub Houston invite Female Founders and startup supporters across the region to join us for a brief conversation and relationship-building breakfast on Thursday, November 21, at Mercury’s offices in Greenway Plaza.
Women entrepreneurs are invited to come connect with J.P. Morgan and the Mercury team, and get to know other founders and active investors in a casual setting. Investors and potential customers are welcome to learn new strategies for inclusion and help open doors to new opportunities throughout the morning!
The Female Founders Breakfast is part of Houston’s annual THIS: The Houston Innovation Summit (#THIS19)series held during Global Entrepreneurship Week (#GEW2019) and curated by Impact Hub Houston. With this year’s themes focusing on Ecosystems, Education, Inclusion and Policy, please feel free to share your photos and posts from this event on social media with the hashtag #GEWinclusion!
Mercury Fund is an early-stage venture capital firm. With over $275 million under management, Mercury focuses on entrepreneurs and technology innovation originating in the U.S. Midcontinent. Our investment themes target SaaS, Cloud, and Data Science/AI platforms that make the industrial ecosystems of Middle America more competitive and efficient.
Impact Hub Houston is a locally rooted, globally connected, nonprofit startup development organization that aims to make Houston a role model for how the world solves its most pressing issues. A member of the Impact Hub global network—the world’s largest community recognized by the United Nations for accelerating entrepreneurial solutions towards measurable and scalable impact for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—Impact Hub Houston intentionally designs places, platforms and programs to build an inclusive innovation ecosystem and empower diverse changemakers, social entrepreneurs, and impact supporters to create the change they wish to see in the world.
J.P. Morgan Chase has a long history of supporting entrepreneurs and founders by providing banking services and guidance to companies of all sizes. J.P. Morgan supports innovative, high growth potential businesses through its Technology & Disruptive Commerce team at the Commercial Bank, which includes bankers and products dedicated to helping companies scale smart. We are particularly proud of support women, from our Women on the Move initiative to the firm’s $150 million Small Business Forward initiative supports women, minority and veteran-owned businesses with both the capital and technical assistance they need to grow.
Failure is a part of any success story, but we don’t talk about it enough. We’ve all been to plenty of events where people tell you how they hacked, hustled, and created their success, but very few where someone gets up and says “I totally messed up, and this is what you can learn from it.”
Fuckup Nights is a global speaker series where stories of failed businesses and projects are told, questioned and celebrated. Each speaker is given 7 minutes and is able to use 10 images. After each speaker, there’s a Q&A session, as well as time for mingling and drinks!
Impact Hub Houston’s collaboration with The Black Sheep Agency, a cause-driven brand shop focused on amplifying messages and accelerating impact, continues with this fourth session:
Course 4: Developing a Smart Content Strategy
Instructor: Katie Laird, Account Director at The Black Sheep Agency
Savvy digital storytelling is a powerful tool in your entrepreneurship and nonprofit toolbox. In this workshop, we’ll break down how to set your brand’s tone on social media, find a content mix that works and create a content calendar that makes your life easier.
SCHEDULE
12:00 PM – 12:10 PM Sign-in + Light Bites
12:10 PM – 1:15 PM Workshop/Q&A
1:15 PM – 1:30 PM Open Forum
Grab your laptop and join us to get started on your marketing planning and build a foundation to take it to the next level — free WiFi, coffee, tea and community provided to fuel you up and keep you going! 🙂
*Impact Hub Houston Members receive FREE registration*
PARKING:
You can find paid metered street parking in front of the building; and both metered and free street parking in the surrounding neighborhoods.
