HXTV Podcast

Houston has always been a pioneer for technology and innovation. But, did you know that we are also a Smart City? Jesse Bounds explains how street sensors, parking guidance systems, autonomous grocery delivery, smart locking systems and more all contribute toward making us a Smart City. We're also working to become a Resilient City. And wait ‘til you hear what we're building for our startups! Jesse Bounds is Director of Innovation for the City of Houston. Jesse is working with other city leaders to help cultivate an ecosystem of technology and innovation in the nation's fourth largest city. Houston Exponential (HX): Innovation Lives Here.

Remember the technology in Money Ball? Well, the Houston Astros have that concept on steroids! If your company is not constantly innovating, you're falling behind. Matt Brand explains the Astros' use of pitch tracking technology, swing tracers, performance analysis and neuroscience to improve player skills and to better anticipate their opponents' performance. It's the science of baseball! Matt Brand is Senior Vice President of Corporate Relations for the Houston Astros. He joined the organization in 2011. Houston Exponential (HX): Innovation Lives Here.

Digital technology has taken the world by storm—and now it's improving efficiencies in the oilfield. Your company has machinery and drilling equipment all over the world, some located eight miles underground or in places so remote that cell service and Internet aren't available. FlowCommand provides real time data and performance reports no matter WHERE your assets are. Jeff Garoon explains how they do it. Jeff Garoon is Co-founder and COO of FlowCommand, a manufacturer of lightweight Cloud-connected sensors that allow oil and gas companies to monitor their drilling operations in real time. Houston Exponential (HX): Innovation Lives Here.

Medical mistakes account for 250,000 deaths each year. Think surgical sponges or instruments left inside the patient, for example. Josh Mecca wants to change that. M&S Biotics uses data analytics and RFID to automate certain procedures, decrease mistakes in the operating room and achieve better outcomes from surgery. Josh Mecca is Co-founder and CEO of M&S Biotics. As a kidney transplant patient, Josh discovered medical mistakes that prompted him to develop solutions that decrease surgical risk. Houston Exponential (HX): Innovation Lives Here.

Would people give more to charity if it involved athletes and sport competitions? Possibly. Certainly, it's worth a try! Win-Win works with professional athletes to combine charitable giving with gaming; it's called “gamified giving” and it makes donations more fun and engaging. Mike T. Brown is excited to become a part of Houston's innovation ecosystem, so is moving his company from Silicon Valley to H-town. And that's not all he's doing! Mike T. Brown is Founder and CEO of Win-Win, a platform for charitable giving that works with professional athletes to “gamify” giving. A native Houstonian, Brown is moving his company back to Houston to participate in the city's innovation ecosystem. Houston Exponential (HX): Innovation Lives Here.

Houston's innovation ecosystem now has its own women-focused fund that seeks to invest $20 million in woman-led tech startups. Is your company gaining traction and looking to grow? Our super-collaborative startup community continues to diversity, seeking to include support for all entrepreneurs from silver tech to baby tech. The Artemis Fund is a female-led and female-focused investment fund in Houston. The group is raising $20 million for investment in women-led startups. Houston Exponential (HX): Innovation Lives Here.

The Houston Ecosystem is fertile ground to grow the many startups, and to support the innovators and entrepreneurs coming to the area. Venture capital investors like Blair Garrou keep things moving. So, what does it take to build an innovation ecosystem? Blair and Gina revisit the early days of Houston Exponential and the major players, investors, accelerators and competitions active today in Houston. Blair Garrou is Co-founder and Managing Director of Mercury Fund, a Houston-based early-stage venture capital fund. Blair's focus is on enterprise SaaS and Cloud computing startups. Houston Exponential (HX): Innovation Lives Here.

You don't have to be a millionaire to invest at LetsLaunch. It's the Angie's List of online crowdfunding! Say you're trying to launch a tech startup in Houston; would you know where to start? Or who's investing? Nick Carnrite has created a community where startups can pitch and equity investors can support them. Nick Carnrite is Co-founder and CEO of LetsLaunch, an online crowdfunding site for startups. Houston Exponential (HX): Innovation Lives Here.

Few topics fire the imagination like undersea technology and this man is a deep sea rockstar! Engineer Nic Radford develops subsea robots. Houston Mechatronics wants to take underwater robotics to a new level by developing an untethered way to work underwater. Its Aquanaut is like a subsea robot transformer; it moves through water like an AUV, then transforms into an ROV to perform its duties. You'll love this interview! Engineer Nic Radford is a serial entrepreneur and roboticist. He co-founded and is Chief Technology Officer of Houston Mechatronics, a subsea robotics company. Houston Exponential (HX): Innovation Lives Here.

America lags the world in student skills and strength in science and technology. That's all about to change! Entrepreneur Dean Kamen, inventor of the Segway, runs the most incredible science and technology (robots!) competition you never heard of. High school students worldwide compete for more than $50 million in scholarships. An amazing story! Dean Kamen is an American engineer and inventor and has been called, “The Pied Piper of Technology.” He holds more than 440 US and foreign patents, invented the Segway and is founder of FIRST. Houston Exponential (HX): Innovation Lives Here.

Houston is an ant bed of entrepreneurial activity on both the startup side and the investor side. Need support or want to invest? You should hear this! The Houston Angel Network serves both investors and those seeking funding by interacting with investor groups and accelerator programs; it is also active in the Houston Ecosystem, which makes for a strong deal flow network. Type and stage varies. Stephanie Campbell is Managing Director of the non-profit Houston Angel Network, the oldest and largest angel network in Houston and the most active angel network in the U.S. Members of the Houston Angel Network have invested more than $100 million dollars in 300 deals since their inception in 2001. Houston Exponential (HX): Innovation Lives Here.

You're drilling four miles below the earth's surface and something down there breaks. What do you do? Greg Powers wants you to have the answer before you ask the question. As Vice President of Global Innovation, Powers seeks technology that could help his company, even if the technology is not meant for the oil and gas industry. Sound like he's searching for needles in a haystack? He is! Greg Powers is Vice President of Global Innovation for oilfield services company Halliburton. He joined Halliburton in 2010. Houston Exponential (HX): Innovation Lives Here.

Could your startup use $1.2 million from some of the world's most successful entrepreneurs? You betcha! Most Houston entrepreneurs know about the GOOSE Society—a group of uber-successful entrepreneurs who banded together in 2005 to provide angel investment and support to startups. But over time, as their “investments” have matured, their role is changing. Samantha Lewis is Director of The GOOSE Society Venture Group, a super angel investment group of venture capital and private equity investors. Houston Exponential (HX): Innovation Lives Here.