Editor's note:Another week has come and gone, and it's time to round up the top headlines from the past few days. Trending Houston tech and startup news on InnovationMap included news out of the Texas Medical Center, a Houston startup goes live with an app, and more.
Rising TMC development names Houston health care institution as anchor tenant
The Dynamic One building in TMC Helix Park is expected to deliver later this year. Rendering via TMC.edu
TMC Helix Park, formerly known as TMC3, has announced its first anchor tenant.
The Texas Medical Center and Beacon Capital Partners announced that Baylor College of Medicine will be the anchor tenant of the Dynamic One building at TMC Helix Park. The facility is will be the first to deliver of the four TMC Helix Park industry buildings. The Topped off in December, the Dynamic One building is being developed by Beacon in collaboration with Zoë Life Science and is scheduled to open before the end of the year.
“Beacon is excited that Dynamic One will be our first entry into the fast-growing Houston Life Science market,” says Fred Seigel, president and CEO of Beacon, in a news release. “This state-of-the-art environment is designed to enable and encourage collaboration and will greatly accelerate the innovative lifesaving discoveries that emerge when industry and academic research work side-by-side.” Read more.
Texas-based coworking brand opens sixth Houston location in bustling mixed-use hub
North Houston can get to work at the new Common Desk space. Photo courtesy of Common Desk
Remote and mobile workers in north Houston now have a new space to set up shop. Common Desk, the Texas-based coworking and hospitality brand, has opened the doors to its sixth Houston location in Spring's City Place mixed-use hub.
Common Desk — City Place (1401 Lake Plaza Dr.) offers workers more than 25,000 square feet of workspace across the first and second floors, per a release. Members can expect five conference rooms, 62 private offices, 5 office suites, and generous shared coworking space.
Amenities include convenient chat booths, wellness room, full kitchen, and Fiction Coffee espresso bar. Members can also enjoy a furnished terrace on the second floor. Read more.
Houston organizations team up to provide mentorship, address gaps in the workforce
The Greater Houston Partnership announced a new mentorship-focused initiative in the region. Photo via Houston.org
A mix of corporate and university organizations have teamed up with the Greater Houston Partnership for a new program that enables mentorship for local college students.
The GHP announced PartnerUp Houston, a new regional mentorship initiative, this week. Ten companies — including Calpine, Boston Consulting Group, and HP — have agreed to provide professional mentors and a handful of universities will offer the mentorship opportunity to students. The local universities that are signed on include Houston Christian University, Rice University, Sam Houston State University, University of Houston, and University of St. Thomas.
“Since 2017, the Partnership has facilitated collaboration between higher education leaders and the business community to strengthen the region’s talent pipeline and ensure more opportunity for Houstonians,” says Partnership Chair Thad Hill, who serves as president and CEO of Calpine, in a news release. “We believe a robust, regional mentorship program like PartnerUp will help accelerate career outcomes for students and help Houston area employers identify and cultivate great talent.” Read more.
Houston business woman brings STEM-focused programming to town
Joy Jones is opening her Oak Forest location of Code Wiz later this month. Screenshot via Code Wiz
A Houstonian has switched up her career to focus on inspiring and equipping children STEM-focused skills.
Joy Jones, who has worked for a decade in the corporate world, is starting the new year with a new career — this one focused on her passion of providing more STEM programming access to students. In 2021, she came across Code Wiz, a coding school franchise based in Massachusetts with 19 locations across the country, and met with Ruth Agbaji, CEO and "nerd-in-chief" of the company.
“Talking with Ruth and hearing the story of her mission to touch 1 million kids through Code Wiz, I found exactly what I’ve been looking for, a mission that aligned with mine,” says Jones, in a news release. Read more.
Houston tech company launches app to upgrade mobile ordering
A Houston startup is making mobile food ordering a whole lot easier within health care facilities. Photo by Jonas Leupe on Unsplash
A Houston tech company has launched its mobile ordering app, the company announced last week.
Rivalry Tech, which created sEATz, an in-seat food delivery platform for sports and entertainment venues, has launched myEATZ in the App Store and Google Play. The platform is designed for facilities with 24/7/365 dining needs, and the app's initial focus is on the health care industry.
Health care employees work long shifts and have to optimize their break time. With the myEATZ app, these workers can order ahead and skip the line at nearby eateries. For Rivalry Tech's co-founder and CEO, Aaron Knape, being able to provide this tool to health care workers is a personal win for him.
“Being married to a nurse, and living next door to the largest medical center in the world, I’ve seen the challenges faced by healthcare workers the past few years," he says in a news release. "To offset long hours and short breaks, the myEATz platform can truly give time back to healthcare workers by letting them skip the line.” Read more.