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10+ can't-miss Houston business and innovation events for August
Houstonians are transitioning into a new summer month, and the city's business community is mixing in networking and conference events with family vacations and time off. Here's a rundown of what all to throw on your calendar for August when it comes to innovation-related events.
This article will be updated as more business and tech events are announced.
August 1 — Beyond Bias: Essentials for an Equitable Community
During this seminar, Tracie Jae, Founder of The Quiet Rebel, will share a paradigm shift designed to disrupt the current DEI model.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is the accepted workforce best practice. As organizations continue to find the mix of techniques for their particular culture, we began to see the addition of other words like Belonging, Justice, and Access. Meanwhile, the impact appears the same - a focus on making space for “others” rather than actively creating a welcoming environment of mutual respect and acknowledgement. We have chosen to modify rather than innovate.
The event is Monday, August 1, 10 am to noon, at The Ion. Click here to register.
August 3 — Bayou Startup Showcase
The showcase features 24 companies from four accelerators: RED Labs, OwlSpark, RED Launch and BlueLaunch. You will be able to engage with these businesses, sign up for pre-orders, and buy products at their booths. Teams have recorded their pitches for you to learn about them in advance, watch during the event, or review afterward.
The event is Wednesday, August 3, 5 to 8 pm, at Saint Arnold Brewing Company. Click here to register.
August 4 — National Cancer Institute | SBIR Funding Opportunities
The TMCi Accelerator is excited to partner with the National Cancer Institute for a discussion about small business funding opportunities.
The event is Thursday, August 4, 1 to 3 pm, online. Click here to register.
August 8 — Intro to Finance Automation
Understand the benefits of finance automation and how to identify meaningful automation opportunities in your business. Learn from firsthand experiences of FinOptimal’s Founder & CEO, Jesse Rubenfeld.
The event is Monday, August 8, 10 am to noon, at The Ion. Click here to register.
August 11 — Illuminate Houston: An Innovation Conversation
Illuminate Houston is an event series highlighting business leaders who challenge the way we think about the future, featuring dynamic formats where speakers and attendees discuss trends, technologies, and issues that define how we do business. The Partnership welcomes Roberta L. Schwartz, Ph.D., Executive Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer of Houston Methodist on Thursday, August 11.
The event is Thursday, August 11, 1 to 2:30 pm, at Partnership Tower. Click here to register.
August 11 — Summer in the City: UH Students' Showcase Day
Throughout the "Summer in the City" class, students from the University of Houston Honors College have learned about creativity, leadership, entrepreneurship, and smart cities. Taking a mixed-media approach, and benefiting from guest lectures by Robert Cremins, Director of Creative Work: A Pre-Professional Program at UH, as well as panel discussions featuring entrepreneurs, innovators, and founder at the Ion, students have developed their design thinking and innovation skills and tackled problems experienced in Houston.
The event is Thursday, August 11, 5:30 to 7 pm, at the ion. Click here to register.
August 16 — Softeq Venture Studio Public Demo Day
The Softeq Venture Studio invested $125,000 in cash and services in each of the fourteen early-stage startups to help them refine their business model, build their technology, and prepare them to scale. With 14 startups, the Q2 2022 cohort is the largest yet and brings the total portfolio to 27 companies. In this capstone event, founders have seven minutes each to present their pitch deck, demo their product, outline their ask, and answer questions.
The event is Tuesday, August 16, 5 to 7:30 pm, at The Ion. Click here to register.
August 16 — Enventure "Inspire" Seminar Series - Entrepreneurship
The "Inspire" Seminar Series was developed by Enventure to help students learn about the reality of working in the biotech and biomedical fields. The series consists of a number of events starring guest speakers coming from different areas in the biotech and biomedical industries. Dr. Lauren Cornell is an experienced research scientist with a strong history of military collaborations.
The event is Tuesday, August 16, 6 to 7:30 pm, online. Click here to register.
August 18 — Evolve Houston Relaunch Event
This past year, Evolve introduced a new logo and website to continue embarking on its mission to improve air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions through transportation electrification.
The event is Thursday, August 18, 8:30 am to 12:30 pm, at George R. Brown Convention Center. Click here to register.
August 18 — Transition on Tap
Transition On Tap is Greentown Labs' monthly networking event devoted to fostering conversations and connections among the climate and energy transition ecosystem in Houston and beyond. Entrepreneurs, investors, students, and friends of climatetech are invited to attend, meet colleagues, discuss solutions, and engage with our growing community. I
The event is Thursday, August 18, 5 to 7 pm, at Greentown Houston. Click here to register.
August 22 — Startup-Inside-a-Business 102: How to Find SIB Without Spending Any Money
Founders will learn how to look at their companies differently, to see how the capabilities and systems they’ve already created can be reconfigured to multiply growth, value, and valuation. Learn a step-by-step approach to finding the best potential startup inside and insights for estimating the potential value that’s waiting to be unlocked.
This workshop is the second in a series of three Startup-Inside-a-Business Workshops.
The event is Monday, August 22, 10 to 11:30 am, at The Ion. Click here to register.
August 29 — Startup-Inside-a-Business 103: Build One w/out Disrupting Existing Business
Founders will learn how getting investors involved early can end the need for founder cash investments while simultaneously establishing a higher company valuation. They’ll also learn how to manage the tradeoff between cost, risk, and reward by using proven techniques to gain proof before scaling up.
This workshop is the last in a series of three Startup-Inside-a-Business Workshops.
The event is Monday, August 29, 10 to 11:30 am, at The Ion. Click here to register.