February 2 — Perfecting Your Pitch Deck

Join The Ion for our series with DeckLaunch and Fresh Tech Solutionz as they discuss the importance and value of your pitch deck when reaching your target audience.

The event is on Tuesday, February 2, at 1 pm. It's free and can be accessed online. Click here to register.

February 4 — Building Together for the Future

A celebration of building—building Greentown Houston, building community, and building connections across Houston's cleantech ecosystem.

The event is on Thursday, February 4, at 4 pm. It's free and can be accessed online. Click here to register.

February 4-5 — Venture Houston

The HX Venture Fund and its partners are putting on a jam-packed two-day online conference focused on venture capital in Houston. There will also be. a pitch competition with over $1.6 million in prizes. (InnovationMap is the media partner for Venture Houston.)

The event is on Thursday, February 4, and Friday, February 5. It's free and can be accessed online. Click here to register.

February 5 — Funding Your Startup Ask Me Anything

Join Hello Alice for an AMA event to learn all about Funding Your Business Startup with our expert Henri Pierre-Jacques, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Harlem Capital, a venture capital firm changing the face of entrepreneurship. He has led 13 investments and currently sits on 4 boards.

The event is on Friday, February 5, at 1:30 pm. It's free and can be accessed online. Click here to register.

February 9 — Ladies who LaUNCH #11: Etiquette in Entrepreneurship with Merci Grace

Etiquette in entrepreneurship is a well-kept secret, and an understanding of startup culture and decision-making can set successful entrepreneurs and companies apart from the rest. Join Rice University's Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship for its 11th Ladies who LaUNCH event, featuring Merci Grace, partner at Lightspeed Ventures.

The event is on Tuesday, February 9, at noon. It's free and can be accessed online. Click here to register.

February 10 – Lilie Lecture with John Paul DeJoria

Join Rice University's Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship for its first fireside chat with the inspirational, rags-to-riches serial entrepreneur, John Paul Dejoria — co-founder of Paul Mitchell hair products and The Patrón Spirits Company — as he shares his entrepreneurial journey.

The event is on Wednesday, February 10, at 4 pm. It's free and can be accessed online. Click here to register.

February 16 — Black in Tech Summit presented by Deloitte

Capital Factory is dedicated to increasing diversity in the tech community and making its coworking space an inclusive environment for people of all backgrounds and identities. The organization says the 3rd annual event is ideal for Black leaders, entrepreneurs, and allies in tech who support and invest in diversity and inclusion.

The event is on Tuesday, February 16, at noon. It's free and can be accessed online. Click here to register.

February 16 — E-Commerce Panel Discussion: Overcoming E-Commerce Challenges

As the world continues to navigate this new normal in the midst of COVID-19, The Ion will continue to bring panel discussions that will cover tools and strategies that are making it possible for businesses and consumers to stay connected.This month's guests are the co-founders of Melanoid Exchange.

The event is on Tuesday, February 16, at 5:30 pm. It's free and can be accessed online. Click here to register.

February 17 — MassChallenge: From Idea to IPO

The journey from idea to IPO is full of twists and turns. Hear how two expert CEOs stayed laser-focused on impact amidst uncertainty, successfully taking their startups public during the COVID pandemic. This exclusive MassChallenge event will feature Thomas Healy, CEO of Hyliion (MC Boston 2015), and Armon Sharei, CEO of SQZ BioTech (MC Boston 2014).

The event is on Wednesday, February 17, at 10:30 am. It's free and can be accessed online. Click here to register.

February 17 — Top Legal Considerations for Startups

Join Rice University's Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship for a session with corporate and securities lawyer Aaron Barker, who specializes in advising companies from formation to exit, will give you the inside knowledge to help you launch your venture, and possibly save you from making a rookie mistake.

The event is on Wednesday, February 17, at 4 pm. It's free and can be accessed online. Click here to register.

February 17 — EnventureSA "Inspire" Seminar Series - With Dr. Rafael Veraza

Enventure's "Inspire" Seminar Series teaches about the reality of working in the biotech and biomedical fields. This month's event will star Dr. Rafael J. Veraza as guest speaker. Dr. Veraza received an MPH at Emory University and a PhD in Translational Science at UT Health San Antonio. After graduating, he also completed a Postdoc at UT Health while working as a Senior Scientist at Vascular Perfusion Solutions, Inc. where he currently serves as the Director of Translational Science.

The event is on Wednesday, February 17, at 6 pm. It's free and can be accessed online. Click here to register.

February 18 — Tech and Space

Five Space City representatives join General Assembly to discuss all about space challenges and innovations.

• Deanea LeFlore - Senior Director, Partnerships, The Ion
• Nicholas Skytland - Deputy Chief, Exploration Technology Office, NASA
• Guy de Carufel - CEO, Cognitive Space
• Samantha Snabes - Co-founder: Catalyst, re:3D Inc
• Tara Karimi - Founder and Chief Scientist, Cemvita Factory Inc.

The event is on Thursday, February 18, at noon. It's free and can be accessed online. Click here to register.

February 18 — Building Black Wealth in the 21st Century

Join Urban Capital Network (UCN) and special guests to engage in an open discussion on building black wealth in the 21st century.

The event is on Thursday, February 18, at 5:30 pm. It's free and can be accessed online. Click here to register.

February 24 — Houston Startup Showcase

The Houston Startup Showcase is a flagship event from The Ion, formerly known as Demo Day. This event will allow for developing companies to receive feedback from subject matter experts and showcase their successes thus far. The event is a year-long series of monthly pitch competitions, and results in a final winner to close the series in November. Companies are encouraged to apply online to pitch.

The event is on Wednesday, February 24, at 6 pm. It's free and can be accessed online. Click here to register.